IMO
like the guy said... "unless it slaps you in the head"
like another guy said.. no, you do not need a death grip (it is not "grip" per se, it is about your trigger squeeze/pull coming straight back)
as for pistolas... yes, almost any can malfunction on limp wrist, but it is very make/model specific, it is really not about just caliber... and it is far more commonplace in shorter/smaller/lighter... not exclusively so, and it is still make/model specific... but operator error is operator error, not "broken gun"... (see again "if it slaps you in the head")
all a matter of degree
for me the li'l KelTecs and LCPs are a prime example
they ain't broke
they don't malfunction for me, but I have seen quite a few shooters new to them who limp wrist 'em "every time" until they realize why
and that includes a lot of guys who shoot a lot of full size 9s and 40s and 45s
(I just naturally grip 'em tighter than I would a full size 9, just because there is so doggone little handle to hang onto, different than a "full size" all steel 380)
but I think I hold a full size 9 differently than I do a 357 revolver, not because the recoil is less or more, but because the recoil is naturally "different"; it is not something you think about, just something you get used to
YMMV