Effective with little to no recoil... SD/HD tool

Ruger .327 Magnum revolver. I believe you can shoot the .32 s&w long in it as well.

Ruger Single Six with .22 Mag cylinder installed.

I say get a 22WMR (Magnum) revolver. But know this, the 22WMR is seriously loud in a short barrel. Heck, even a 22LR would work. My great-grandmother carried a 22Short in her apron her whole life and I promise you not a day went by that she felt under-armed. She just carried what she felt comfortable with.

For the most part recoil equates to stopping power.

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Except that stopping power is a myth. With standard handgun calibers, you pretty much can judge the wounding potential by getting something with adequate penetration and then worrying about bullet diameter. The exception is the 5.7, which is actually travelling fast enough to cause permanent damage with the shockwave.

This means that if you have two options that have the same diameter and both will penetrate through to the vital organs, but one has more recoil, all it will do is overpenetrate more or create a bigger temporary cavity (which is called "temporary" for a reason). I'll take less recoil, personally.

I would say 32 H&R mag. For practice you can always go with 32 S&W longs which have little to no felt recoil.

Trikster,

For what its worth (probably not much) I used to have a loose shoulder and dislocated it a few times, so I understand why you'd be hesitant to just try different loads in your .38, and are looking for a new gun.

I usually carry a J-frame 38, and if you have the stock grips, it does kick quite a bit, so I agree that its probably not the right gun.

Thinking about how was littery SNAFU, and if I had a similar condition in my wrist, I'd carry a .22. I know a lot of folks say that a .22 isn't good for SD/HD, but the fact of the matter is that the human body was not designed to function with .22 caliber holes in it. Over the weekend I took a personal protection class at the range, and the guy teaching it (who I respect very much) said that if he could only have one gun, it would be .22 - you can do a lot with it, its adequate for defence, and the low recoil and cheap ammo makes for a lot of practise. Given the option of going to a gun fight with my 9mm/ shotgun, but the possibility of a dislocation, or going in with a .22, I'll take the .22.

Some of the .22s I'd look at would be the Walther P22, the new Ruger SP101 in .22, and the Kel Tec PMR-30. If you can find something in .22Mag and you can tolerate it, then I'd go that route. You also might be able to use a semi-auto .22 rifle for HD.

Hope this helps,

Chris "the Kayak-Man" Johnson

trikster said:

I did get to fire a 36-1 outfitted with stock grips and a Tyler T grip... My wrist lasted one shot on cowboy loads behind a 158g slug. The grip I have on mine I believe is the largest available for the 36, believe its a Hogue Monogrips, so I don't know what else to really try.

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as I stated twice in the other thread, Pachmayers Compact grips are the way to go. Unlike the Hogue's, they enclose the backstrap, adding some cushion to the recoil.

These run $25 if you pay full price.

A factory box of 148 wadcutters, not reloads, not +P's is the lightest you can go and still be viable for defense. A box of those runs $30 or so.

The J-frame in .32 H&R is a rare bird indeed, so it'll cost more than you're wanting to spend, if you even find one.

Charter Arms makes a snub chambered in .32 H&R (and also shoots the mild .32 Long and .32 Short) so that might be an option.

My recoil sensitive MIL can shoot the Keltec P-32, so that's another possibility.

I have never shot a PK380, but I have shot a Sig Sauer P238. It is a VERY soft shooting little .380, easily concealable (if you are wanting to), and has the 1911 style manual of arms (a plus if you are familiar with it).

On the downside, they are pricey for a little .380; ~$500-$600

Early models were known to have problems, but out all of the recent ones that I have fired (more than 10 guns and around 1,000 rounds), I have had only one FTE, and I'm pretty sure it was due to a bad round.

Sig Sauer P238

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I have a Mustang Pocketlite, which is of course similar. In full steel, I suspect the recoil would be nicer

Trikster, yes, those are the ones I meant. Your Hogue's should suffice. Didn't know they added one that covers the backstrap.

You just saved $25!

That just leaves the FACTORY (note emphasis) box of 148 grain full wadcutters (NOT "semi-wadcutters") to try.

"Except that stopping power is a myth. With standard handgun calibers, you pretty much can judge the wounding potential by getting something with adequate penetration and then worrying about bullet diameter. The exception is the 5.7, which is actually travelling fast enough to cause permanent damage with the shockwave.

This means that if you have two options that have the same diameter and both will penetrate through to the vital organs, but one has more recoil, all it will do is overpenetrate more or create a bigger temporary cavity (which is called "temporary" for a reason). I'll take less recoil, personally. "

Agreed. My comment of recoil and stopping power was a broad comparison directed at something like a .357 vs 22 LR.

LD

Since you're asking for a pistol, I recommend the Makarov PM. It goes bang every time, it is chambered for 9x18 ammo, and you can conceal it easily. They're actually rather solid and slightly heavy little guns. You can pick them up at most gun shows for about $200.

Recoil versus size and weight

TRICKSTER,

My wife has a real problem with recoil due to a wrist injury. I eventually got her into a SIG 225 which has enough weight to moderate the recoil. Also the grip is just large enough for her to get a good hold on it without being to large.

If you are having a problem with a 5 shot .38Special, you can try:

1. FEDERAL Nyclad 125 grain hollow points (NON +P). This is a soft recoiling load that works well in snubnosed revolvers.

2. Go to a larger and much more effective gun like a compact or mid size 9m.m. I have a Sub Compact SPRINGFIELD ARMORY XD. The GLOCK 26 may also do for this, but I found it harder to shoot due to the short grip and light weight.
This gun is small enough to conceal, but not in a pocket carry. It is a belt gun only. It is heavy enough and the grip is large enough that standard pressure 9m.m. is easy to shoot in it. I can even shoot the harder recoiling +P+ loads without any trouble.

A medium size plastic framed 9m.m. like the GLOCK 19 or WALTHER P99 can be as easy to shoot as a full size 9m.m. with a lot of firepower. Both hold 15 rounds, are light on the hip when carried concealed and large enough to have good control.
The key is a grip that is large enough to spread out the recoil. I used to have a KAHR CW9. It was a great gun, but painful to shoot a full box of ammo through.

3. Try a .380ACP pistol. The recoil is milder than a 9m.m. and you can still conceal some of the smaller guns. The stopping power is about the same as a standeard pressure .38Special load when you use a good hollow point like the HYDRO SHOK, GOLD DOT or POW'RBALL ammo.
The REMINGTON 88 grain jacketed hollow point ammo comes in 100 rounds boxes and is so cheap, I can use it for practice ammo as well as carry ammo. The REMINGTON will feed in almost any gun, unlike some of the others.

I like the SIG 230 and SIG 232 pistols with the alloy frame. The are not as small as some of the micro .380ACP pistols, but are big enough to shoot well and not be painful. They also shoot accurately and are very reliable.

For a car gun and home defense gun in .380ACP I would go with either the BERETTA 84 with a 13 shot magazine, good sights, absolute reliability and large grips that add control and minimize recoil. Also, the newer models include a hammer dropping safety, a big plus.
The CZ 83 in.380ACP is all steel and heavier than the BERETTA which uses and aluminum frame. These guns have a great trigger in the ones that I have tried, very accurate and nice sights plus a 12 round magazine.
The CZ 82 in 9m.m. MAKAROV has most of the same advantages, but hollow point ammo can be hard to find. On the other hand, you can get a usable one for @ $225.00. Hard to beat.

If the S&W SIGMA 9m.m. is not too large for your needs, then they can be a good choice and getting a straight swap would not be a problem. These guns can be bought for about $300.00. They are taller in height than the GLOCK 19 or WALTHER P99 which makes them harder to conceal.

good luck,

Jim

mortablunt said:

Since you're asking for a pistol, I recommend the Makarov PM.

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Why would you recommend a small straight blowback pistol known for its unpleasant recoil characteristics to someone who is recoil sensitive?

Why would you recommend a small straight blowback pistol known for its unpleasant recoil characteristics to someone who is recoil sensitive?

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I recall the Makarov having rather pleasant recoil. It's short and snappy. I've also heard that making the recoil springs rougher, using fatter grips, and changing the ammo can make a difference.

Since you're asking for a pistol, I recommend the Makarov

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those are snappy little guns, even with the appeal of cheap gun/ammo, I don't think the abrupt snap will help someone with wrist problems.

On the other hand, try to get a Mak or CZ82 in the mix with that pile of guns, trikster, but have someone else compare before you abuse your injured wrist with it, so you can observe the recoil motion and judge for yourself on whether it would be worse than other guns.

For truly recoil intollerant people, the first thing I would recommend is a Tazer. Research it, and see if it is for you.

An odd ball recommendation would be the CZ-83 in 32acp. It is a bit larger and heavier than a steel j-frame, but recoil is low and there is a 15 round magazine available. However I see you are in CA, so a 15rd mag might be a problem.

Save up and get a rifle for home defense. A Ruger 10/22 with a few 30rd mags would not be a bad choice considering your limitations. Just be prepared to pull the trigger a lot. Any of the pistol caliber carbines would be an excellent choice for you.

My 2 cents, If recoil anemic I would either go for the FN 5.7 or the keltec pmr-30. While i do like 5.7x28(I plan on building an AR in the caliber) I would lean more towards the pmr. Yes, the 5.7 would definitely be easier to find but its over double the price. The pmr gives you 30 rounds of 22wmr with very little recoil.

If it were me I would buy a 5.7 and reload for it.

The PMR is nice but is far from a proven platform and has its problems. Also consider the 5.7 has 3x the kinetic energy.

trikster said:

I did get to fire a 36-1 outfitted with stock grips and a Tyler T grip... My wrist lasted one shot on cowboy loads behind a 158g slug. The grip I have on mine I believe is the largest available for the 36, believe its a Hogue Monogrips, so I don't know what else to really try.

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If you can't lift a heavier gun and you can't deal with the recoil of a cowboy load I'd have to say that you need to start considering that your gun toting days are about at an end. Truthfully there isn't much out there other than .22LR that has a softer kick than cowboy loads. They are very much like the .38Spl wadcutter loads that were already suggested.

I've shot a buddy's small pocket size .32acp Beretta. It's got a kick that isn't much more than my full size S&W 422 .22LR pistol. I'd suggest that this is about as good as you're going to get given your descriptions so far. Beyond that, and I'm not saying this out of cruelty or malice, I'd say get a dog which is a good protector.

light recoil

Pricey... but the FN FiveSeven fits the description exactly. Lightweight gun, Little recoil. Twenty rounds available. VERY reliable. VERY accurate.

Pete

Budget is limited by value of current revolver.
Recoil must be less than J-frame with cowboy loads.

Cost rules out a large breech lock 380. If cost doesn't, weight does. Cost really rules out a 5.7.

Recoil rules out any blow-back 380. I've owned and shot several (Mustang, Sig 230, PPK, BDA). They are not mild shooters. No 9mm is going to help in the recoil area either. Racking the slide on a 9 (or any auto) is likely to be problematic anyway. The Kahr K9 is a wonderful 9mm, but the slide is no picnic to someone with hand injuries and the cost is anything but low.

A 22LR revolver looks like the best option to me. The SP101 is a little heavy in 22 though. There are lighter options. The 32 H&R could work too, but from what you've described injury wise, I'd go straight to the 22LR.

Cost rules out a large breech lock 380.

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If the PK380 qualifies as large, around here it goes for $300 used, before tax. Thinkin' about it myself...

Chiappa Rhino?

I don' t "do" pistols but I have come across an advert for the Chiappa Rhino. If muzzle *flip* is a bigger problem than straight recoil, then perhaps one of those could help.

Regards,

Mark.