Felt Recoil Comparison: 9mm vs. .380

[seeker_two]

I was talking w/ a friend the other day about pocket pistols. He carries a .380 Bersa as his CCW. I asked him if he'd tried any of the new 9mm's. He said he'd never try one b/c "they'd just kick too much to be accurate."

It got me to thinking: how much of a difference in felt recoil is there b/t the two in comparable size/weight pistols (i.e. Taurus PT-111 vs. Bersa, CZ-83 vs. Firestar, etc.)? I've never fired any of the small 9mm's, so I don't have enough to base my own opinion. So I thought I'd ask the THR's....

I know felt recoil is subjective, but I'm just looking for opinions.

Thanks in advance...

 

[Ala Dan]

Hello-

To me, the .380 ACP in pistols such as the Bersa Thunder
and Walther PPK has more felt recoil than the 9m/m in
pistols such as the Glock 26, SIG P239, and the Kahr's.

Move on up to pistols such as the BHP, Glock 19, SIG P228,
etc. and the 9m/m recoil is not a big issue.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[CZF]

Most .380s are of Blow-Back design. I know that in firing
my CZ83. I feel more recoil than in the Glock 26 or my P-01.

Other .380s that i've fired have been near brutal in recoil.
The ill-famed Lorcin being among them.

 

[stretcharmstrong]

I was very close to buying a Walther PPK/s until firing a Kahr MK9. The recoil was extremely mild IMO for such a small gun. Needless to say, I now own an MK9.

Since I haven't shot every single gun chambered for .380 and 9mm cartridges, take my opinion for the $.02 it's worth.

 

[Onslaught]

I've owned a Walther PPK/S, and a Kahr MK9. I can tell you without a doubt (to me) the recoil of the .380 was more. It was a snappier, "quicker" recoil than the 9mm. I don't know how to explain it exactly... the .380 just seems to recoil all at once, while the 9mm recoils over a longer period of time, making it feel "less".

I can only relate it to the difference in firing a semi-auto and a .38 snubbie. The .38 recoil is much different than a semi. More like a straight back "punch in the hand" kick rather than the "up and back" of a semi.

The PPK/S reminded me of a snubbie.

 

[Erich]

I think the operative question is, "What type of action are you talking about?" There isn't much doubt that a .380 blowback recoils more sharply than a 9x19 locked-breech recoil-operated handgun.

 

[mete]

Erich is right . I did a comparison test between 3 380s - Remington M51 , CZ24 and Hsc . All were the same size and weight but the recoil was very different. The delayed blowback M51 was by far the lightest , then the locked breech CZ24, and the heaviest the blowback Mauser. In a similar way a HK P7 ( delayed blowback ) recoils the same as a blowback 380. That can all be measured by time / force curves. There is the additional point of perceived recoil involving fit of the gun etc. However since the 9 is about twice as effective as the 380 I would try to find an acceptable 9mm.

 

[.45Ruger]

Kel-Tek P11 kicks a bit.

The P11 I USED to have had to much recoil for such a small gun. That and the trigger pull made it unshootable for me and I got rid of it. I've only shot a Bersa .380 and I could handle that okay.

 

[seeker_two]

This information is helpful. Thanks & keep it comin'!...

 

[C. H. Luke]

Need to qualify that ques.?
Most .380's are blow-back, 9x19's almost always aren't.....

 

[10-Ring]

Makes no difference to me because I won't own another 380 Of the 380's & 9mm I've shot side by side. The 9mm is milder to shoot.

 

[The Nip]

The PPK comments are pretty accurate...those pretty little bastards snap HARD. It's almost like that uncomfortable feeling in your wrists and fingers that results from shooting a lightweight .38 j-frame with +p 158grn FMJ.

With the current market eliminating all size-advantages that the .380 once had over the 9mm, there's almost no reason that anyone should be carrying .380 pocketguns anymore.

Bersa, NAA, etc...can all be outdone by Kahr, Sig, and even Crock.

And...I've never met a 9mm, no matter how small, that was unmanageable.

 

[BHP9]

With the current market eliminating all size-advantages that the .380 once had over the 9mm, there's almost no reason that anyone should be carrying .380 pocketguns anymore.

I partially disagree. If we are talking of platic pistols then I would say yes I agree they are light in weight. But if we are talking all steel guns most of the small 9mm's I have owned and still own are somewhat bigger, thicker, and way heavier, less concealable and a lot more uncomfortable to carry than say the small Walther PP series of guns.

I have always perfered a steel gun. Especially the high quality classics like the original German ( not current American) Walther PP series of guns because of their hand workmanship, beautiful finishes, super accuracy, super reliablity and quality forged parts.

Nothing wrong with the plastics if they work but I personally get about as much pride out of owning plastic as I do owning my sears plastic elelctric hand drill, which means very little.