Choice of 3 pistols for aging person, least amount of recoil

Bingo!

I had the chance to run my buddies recently and it's a dream. Softest shooting pistol I've ever shot. No comparison between the 3 choices listed. I also swear he said his was a shorter 3.75" barrel w/night sights so I don't know if Browning just hasn't updated their website but have different variants on the street.

CZ75 otherwise, if you're certain on the 3 choices listed.

 

In terms of recoil my Kahr CW380 was light and much easier to shoot than some other locked breech .380's. It isn't the lightest to pull the slide back to lock, but it does do that on the last shot.

For all that, a S&W 642 revolver in .38 would be a better choice. A recent blog on the choice of guns used by physically handicapped people shows revolvers were preferred among the armed and less able.

 

I hear that often, but if my grip strength diminishes with age I'm thinking a double action trigger isn't going to be my preference anymore.

 

they offer it in a compact now.

 

The CZ 75b would probably be my choice, but honestly I don't notice much difference between that and my Glock 17.

I wouldn't go air weight even with .38. I've found the light snubbies unpleasant to shoot even weak target .38. Now something heavier like a GP100 is a joy to shoot with .38.

 

No information on the CZ-83. Now, having shot several .380 chambered guns, the difference in recoil is not very much and more dependent on other factors than the caliber.
Now, I have a CZ clone and a Glock 17. I can shoot more rounds in the G-17 and not feel tired than I can in the CZ.

 

You bring up another factor and that is weakness in the arms, forearms , weakness in the wrists. This happens quite often with elderly people or people with arthritis. It isn't the arthritis itself, but the fact that arthritis makes movement so painful, people with arthritis tend to lose muscle mass. Using mass of the gun to mitigate recoil becomes problematic for people who are suffering from weakness in the arms / hands / wrists. They can't hold those heavy guns up or hold them steady.

 

CZ75 from direct experience having smaller stature women shoot them at the range. The CZ83 is blowback and has more felt recoil than I expect given it's weight & size. The Glock is OK, but has a wider, bigger grip that hinders control for smaller hands. Every woman who has shot the CZ75 in comparison to other choices has picked it.

 

Of the choices, the CZ75 IME has been the softest shooting. HOWEVER, if someone is at the point where they are deciding to get a CZ75 over a Glock 17 because one recoils less, I'm curious as to what the pistol is for. I dont think someone who finds the recoil of any full-size 9mm pistol to be undesirable will be carrying such a weapon on their person...which to me means this firearm is to be used for home-defense aka nightstand duty.

For that role, why not consider a lightweight 9mm or 5.56 carbine? Easier to control, more accurate, higher capacity, etc.

 

I too find the light snubbies unpleasant to shoot. 158 grain standard pressure loads that would go 755 fps out of a 4" revolver are more unpleasant than the target .38 loads I've fired. I'm curious what 158 grain +P loads are like through the light snubbie.

I know they made .357 snubbies that weighed not more than 15 oz. I've wondered if anyone can shoot them well using off the shelf full-house .357 loads.

 

I had a cz83 but ended up selling it due to jams - rtf, stovepipes. Happened with all 4 mags - 2 factory and 2 aftermarket. Loved the pistol but hated it's lack of reliability.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

 

Try Ruger LCR 327 mag but load it with H&R 32 mag almost no recoil

 

At 84 I too need an easier to shoot pistol and found one that I really like. It is the EAA Whitness Tanfoglio Pavona in 380.

The Pavona is advertised as having 13 round magazines, but they 14 and do indeed hold 14 rounds.

This pistol was designed for the lady and has a very easy to rack slide, a really good trigger and mine is an absolute tack driver at 10 yards.

The Pavona is based on the CZ75 but is a blow back with very mild felt recoil.

There was a review on THR awhile back.
http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-753619.html

 

I went to Genitron and put in these three as well as some comparable pistols/revolvers. The comparison feature shows a recoil factor for each pistol measured in ft-lbs.

CZ 83 (.380) 2.27 ft-lb
CZ 75 (9mm) 4.12 ft-lb
Glock 17 (9mm) 5.59 ft-lb
Bersa Thunder 380 (.380) 2.81 ft-lb
Beretta 84/85 (.380) 2.98 ft-lb
1911 Full Size (9mm) 3.62 ft-lb
EAA Witness Pavona (.380) 2.49 ft-lb
Ruger LCR (.327 Mag) 7.13 ft-lbs
Ruger SP-101 (.32 H&R) 0.68 ft-lbs
Armscor M200 (.38 Spl) 4.21 ft-lbs

Of the three listed, the CZ 83 is the definite winner. The Witness Pavona 380, Beretta 84, and Thunder 380 are pretty close too. However, when you look at a Ruger SP-101 in .32 H&R Magnum with a recoil of 0.68 ft-lbs, it's pretty impressive.

 

Very interesting, thanks.

The reason I picked the Pavona is I wanted a high capacity 380 that was also easy to shoot and with 14+1 and with it's similarity to the CZ75 it is perfect for me.

 

If you are strictly worried about recoil then a .32 ACP loaded with Glasser Safety Slugs or Corbon PowRball ammo puts it in the same stopping power class as a 380

 

I usually carry a G42 which has pretty mild recoil and with the larger variety of ammo available in 380 I can't see any reason to go to the smaller 32 caliber.

 

You need to fire them side by side to see that the numbers don't feel the same in your hand.

Those numbers are likely just based on the power of a cartridge versus the weight of the gun. Those numbers don't seem to take into account the sharp feeling recoil of a blowback gun like the CZ82/83 versus the spread out recoil pulse of a locked breech gun like the CZ75 and others like it.

Believe me, my CZ75D PCR is much softer and smoother in firing than my CZ82. In fact, my 82 is one of those guns that I'm willing to quit shooting sooner in a range session than some other guns I have.

 

Agreed

 

Voted for the CZ 75B in 9x19
I have one, accurate, uber reliable
and easy to field strip and put back
together. Recoil is light with 147 gr.
as most are loaded to about 1,000 fps.
and a 75B is 34? oz empty.

75B the frame mounted safety is functional
for a cocked and locked option, or you have
to manually lower the trigger to the 'safe'
position as CZ calls it. aka 1/4 cock.

OR 75BD model where the frame mounted lever
is o longer a thumb safety but a decocker.
which may be a better/safer option

Randall

 

True. The physical dynamics of the gun like blowback vs locked breech do play a factor. Another important factor to consider is the bore axis height. A high axis will cause more flip to the muzzle, thus increasing the perceived recoil; while a low bore axis will cause more of a push, reducing perceived recoil.

Ideally, for an soft recoiling auto-loader pistol with the minimum energy for self defense, you would want a heavy .380 with a locked breech design and a low bore axis.

 

I have a 75B and in my opinion the Panova 380 has noticeably less felt recoil than the 75B even though it is a blowback and at ten yards which is the distance I shoot most the Panova is more accurate and shoots tighter groups. This might just be me, but that is my experience.

 

OK, one more post and I'll shut up for a while. I don't have an actual CZ 75, but I do have a Tristar clone. While it does have mild recoil compared to some other 9mms, it is quite a bit more than my Bersa Thunder 380. Since the Pavona 380 weighs 10 oz more than the Thunder 380, I suspect that the recoil on it is very light indeed.

 

67 and have arthritis

I am 67 and have arthritis in both hands and wrists. I regularly shoot a CZ 75 and it has less recoil than than most other guns. They also tend to very accurate out of the box. I have had no problem racking the slide although the comment about the weight is correct. After a longish session at the range I do experience a bit of simple fatigue due to the weight. I have shot the lighter alloy version of the 9mm CZ and found I liked the steel frame better just because of the minimal recoil.