9mm vs .38 Spl re: revolver recoil

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socalbeachbum

socalbeachbum

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so have any of you owned the Ruger convertible 9mm//.38-.357? I'm shopping for a new S&W revolver in either 9mm or .38/.357 for fun for target use and wondering how recoil compares using standard loads .38 Spl vs 9mm.

I have a S&W 60 3" weighs 23 oz and really isn't all that comfortable using .38spl. I don't have a 9mm revolver (yet) and my 24 oz Glock 19 isn't a fair comparison re comfort since the action dissipates a lot of the recoil energy.

So have any of you used the same revolver using 9mm then using .38 Spl and can comment on which is more comfortable to shoot?
 
I don't have a 9mm revolver yet ( waiting on my lcr9 to come in:) )
Recoil of the 9mm will be very similar to 38 special+p of the same bullet weight but the 9mm will yield quite a bit more velocity from the shorter barrel.

If you are comfortable with 38 SP out of the 60 you will be fine with any 9mm offering.

If you are referring to a blackhawk convertible you won't notice the recoil with any 9mm load. I never felt the recoil of my blackhawk even with hot 173gr loads or the hot Buffalo bore ammo. It is heavy and the single action grips cause the gun to roll up instead of straight back like on a DA revolver.
 
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Your Model 60 is neither a 'target Revolver', and anything in that weight and barrel length isn't either.

You need to stop looking at "2 snub nose revolvers and start looking at full size 4" & 6" revolvers for range & target shooting.

The extra weight will tame .38 Special recoil to near nothing.

rc
 
yes, I am not shopping for another 3" model 60 as I'm happy with the one I have. I'm shopping for a larger frame S&W maybe in 9mm, 5" barrel, maybe .357/.38 with 5" or 6".

I like their M&P R8 revolver, also the 986 5" 9mm from their Performance Center. Both are 30-something ounce revolvers.
 
I have a 2" Charter Arms 9mm Pitbull, and a 2" Charter Arms Police Undercover 38 Special. Both are 6 shot, and effectively the same gun except for the caliber. The Police Undercover is slightly lighter in weight. Felt recoil from the 9mm Pitbull is sharper, and the concussion is deeper, and you feel it in your chest a bit more than the 38. Its not a huge difference between the 9 and the 38. The 9mm doesn't have as much recoil and blast as a 357, but its close.
 
The S&W 986 (9x19 L frame) has little noticable recoil with 115 grain plated FMJs.

About the same or less than my 38 Special DEWC loads out of a 4 or 6 inch K frame.
 
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thanks guys. I'm a little surprised the 9mm is that much heavier than a .38 Spl. So, this tells me the mechanism of a semi-auto pistol works wonders in the felt recoil department as compared to a revolver or single shot.

That 986 is calling me. But so are the Kimber and Springfield target models in 9mm.
 
I've got a few K frame S&W's in .38 and .357. I also got an Alfa Project revolver that takes moonclips and rounds of 9mm. Size and weight wise the AP revolver is VERY similar to the S&W K frame.

The 9 has a bit more of a kick but it's a faster kick which SEEMS a hair more harsh. But it's really pretty even.
 
Get the S&W 929

It is the 9mm revolver I'd been waiting for all my life:

1) A cylinder sized for the 9mm cartridge instead of a 357/38 cylinder.
2) Adjustable sights
3) 6.5" barrel
4) Nice trigger

I love it, and I'm so glad I got it :)
 
I have a Smith 547 and noticed that recoil is a bit more snappy than shooting .38 special in a model 10. Not much more or uncomfortable.
 
Recoil of the 9mm will be very similar to 38 special+p of the same bullet weight but the 9mm will yield quite a bit more velocity from the shorter barrel
Click to expand...
.
Given identical guns and equal bullet weight, the load with the higher velocity will always give greater recoil.
 
I have a Smith and Wesson 640 revolver which is chambered for .357 and a Smith and Wesson 940 revolver which is chambered for 9mm. they are basically the same gun except for caliber, same weight 23 ounces. the recoil in the 940 using standard 9mm is much more noticable and snappy than the recoil in the 640 using 38+P.
 
I have a 686+ in 4".357... Shooting standard .38's in it is like shooting a pellet pistol... VERY comfortable.
 
I've been able to get a couple of old K-38 Combat Masterpieces for under $400 recently, and they are among my best shooters, if not my best. These are K frame revolvers with 4 inch barrels, so they don't have too much recoil, even with wood stocks. Get some used old pachmyars for 5 bucks, and you'll have a very comfortable shooter (but don't get rid of the original stocks.)

You'll have to shop to get this model of gun for under 400, but I paid $375 for a 1960 model 15, and $349 for a 1953 Combat Masterpiece, so they're out there. Get a 9mm, but don't give up on .38 Special. Best wishes.
 
I'm gonna find a decent K-38 would love to parkerize one. Today I fired the 9mm S&W Shield, felt like nothing, and then fired my S&W 60 Pro Series 3" with .38 Spl reloads, wow what a difference. Can't believe the auto action absorbs so much, to me, quite a difference.
 
929 is a great revolver. After a little work it's now my favorite. Did a trigger job and got the action down to 6 lbs double action, 2 1/2 single action. Recrowned the barrel and next I'm going to cut a new forcing cone.

Groups into 1 - 1 1/2 inches at 25 yards with a variety of ammo. Favorite is 147 grains.

Very light recoil with 125s for steel challenge matches.
 
I have a S&W 642 and a 9mm conversion cylinder from a 940 that has been fitted to it.
firing both 38 spec 158gr and 9mm 147g are about the same.
I have also put that cylinder into a S&W model 60-4 and it shoots the same.
 
The 9mm operates at a max of 34,000 psi and the .38 special at 17,000 psi. It's hard to imagine that they would feel similar in any circumstance, they don't to me. YMMV.

I'm about to try 165 gr. Xtreme bullets in my 9mm with Titegroup to see if I can get a softer shooting 9.
 
The 9mm operates at a max of 34,000 psi and the .38 special at 17,000 psi. It's hard to imagine that they would feel similar in any circumstance, they don't to me. YMMV.
Click to expand...
Pressure has no effect on recoil -- the formula for calculating free recoil is:

M1 (mass of the ejecta) X V1 (velocity of the ejecta) = M2 (mass of the gun) X V2 (resultant velocity of the gun.)

There's nothing in that equation that addresses pressure.
 
To put it into numbers.

38 special has 200 ft lbs of energy
38 special +P has 250 ft lbs
9mm has 350 ft lbs
357 mag has 600 ft lbs
 
Brian Williams said:
I have a S&W 642 and a 9mm conversion cylinder from a 940 that has been fitted to it.
firing both 38 spec 158gr and 9mm 147g are about the same.
I have also put that cylinder into a S&W model 60-4 and it shoots the same.
Click to expand...


Did the same (had a converted cylinder by Pinnacle fitted, then matched in NP3 Plus to my revolver) and have the same findings... 9mm feels somewhere in the range of standard pressure .38 Special out of my 642 (similar target loads... nothing extreme). Can't get any more real world than that.

Comparing LCRs, you would really have to compare the .357 version to the 9mm, due to the weight difference with the .38.
 
I have the Ruger flattop convertible in 9mm/.357. It is heavy - upwards of 42 ounces. That mass tames recoil a lot. Both the 9mm and .38spl loads are very manageable, and .357 loads are strong but also very manageable. Compared to S&W and Colt .357s, the felt recoil of the Ruger is less for me. If you're looking for a single-action recoil tamer, the Ruger is darned good, and very accurate also. It compares very favorably with my Smith Performance Center V-8, except for the obvious differences in SA versus DA (faster reloads with the swing-out cylinder, and in this case, 6 versus 8 rounds). I shoot and enjoy both regularly. And I have no desire to get any more lightweight or snubby .357s. But that's just me.
 
I have both a 642 (aluminum framed J, 38) and a 940 (steel framed J, 9mm).

Even though the 940 is heavier, it has more recoil. 115 grain jacketed versus 158 grain lead.

Logic says the 38 would kick more - lighter gun, heavier bullet. Logic is wrong.
 
Weight of the bullet is only 1 part of the equation. 9mm velocity is around 1,200 fps vs the 38 special velocity that is only around 800 fps. More comparable to 380 acp.
9mm is considerably more powerful than 38 special.
357 mag is considerably more powerful than 9mm.
 
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