Recoil of 9mm vs 380

[Tall]

Unless you are a very small woman, or perhaps handicapped or very old and feeble I don't see any difference. Neither has any significant recoil so long as the weapon is fair sized. Maybe if you are using a pistol that weighs 18 OZ or less empty.

Compare it to a 44 AUTOMAG - those have recoil worth mentioning.

 

[gunny2]

We'll agree to disagree, as do others who have replied already. But as others have also said, it's subjective.

 

[Tallball]

A large metal 9mm will have very little recoil if it fits your hands well.

My daughter doesn't like recoil at all, but she got bored one day and shot her grandpa's 9mm 1911 just to try it.

She put a mag through it and told me it was "no big deal". I think she was nine.

 

[Tall]

A large metal 9mm will have very little recoil if it fits your hands well.

My daughter doesn't like recoil at all, but she got bored one day and shot her grandpa's 9mm 1911 just to try it.

She put a mag through it and told me it was "no big deal". I think she was nine.

Exactly.

 

[CapnMac]

Familiarity will affect perceptions of recoil, too.

Fire 1000 rounds through Pistol X, and you will have a subjective "muscle memory" of how that feels to shoot.
Fire 1000 rounds through Pistol Y, and you will have a separate perception of that recoil.

Fire the same caliber is different sizes of the same firearm--each will have their own "signature." 45acp through a Colt Officer's is a touch different than a Commander, is a touch different than a full size. Is the one better than the other? Only you can decide that.
Ditto 9x19 through the various sizes of Glock. So much of this is subjective. Hand feel matters, a five-round string through a loan at the range is different. But each of us is the judge of that.

I know I've shot pistols and thought "well that's a bear" on one occasion, and "Oh my, a creampuff" on others. Ammo matter,s too.

The harder part is getting over the sorts of ingrained prejudices we "gunnies" can build up.

 

[Pistolay]

Neither has any significant recoil so long as the weapon is fair sized.

This is true, but it also underscores the fact that there are multiple variables involved. When I leave my home, I carry 100% of the time, unless it's illegal. That means I carry small guns (P365 size or smaller) most of the time, because to me, concealed means exactly that. At 16oz or less, the difference in recoil between 9mm and .380, as long as they're both locked breech, is substantial.

 

[jstert]

380acp is softer, smaller and pricier than 9mm, proven (to me anyway) by owning the s&w shield ez pistol chambered in both 380acp and 9mm. changing platforms will yield different results but only on the margins.

if being forced to consider 380acp because of some physical infirmity please consider that, past a certain age, you will never fully regain your former strength and recoil tolerance. find a 380acp pistol that appeals to you, stash ammo as you find it at decent prices and practice more. if, at this point in your civilian life, an accurately employed 380acp pistol is insufficient for your protection, you should reassess your locales and routines to reduce encounters with potential threats, and worry less about your choice of handgun.

 

[jstert]

this is for home defense only, I don't give a flip about concealed carry, so yeah a bigger gun overall is better. In a crisis situation, I may not have the luxury of firing with both hands, so I figure the less recoil the better.

a home defense handgun choice is a bigger issue than 380acp or 9mm.

indoors? consider reducing noise and flash.
going from fast asleep to employing a handgun? consider a simple manual of arms.
one handed operation? no easy way to rack a slide.
at home with others? intuitive use if they must pick up your handgun to save themselves.
recoil? switch up ammo and grips.

these issues point me to a steel, 4” or 6” barreled, double-action 38sp revolver with pachmayr or hogue grips and a choice of ammo from wadcutters to +p.

 

[Tall]

a home defense handgun choice is a bigger issue than 380acp or 9mm.

indoors? consider reducing noise and flash.
going from fast asleep to employing a handgun? consider a simple manual of arms.
one handed operation? no easy way to rack a slide.
at home with others? intuitive use if they must pick up your handgun to save themselves.
recoil? switch up ammo and grips.

these issues point me to a steel, 4” or 6” barreled, double-action 38sp revolver with pachmayr or hogue grips and a choice of ammo from wadcutters to +p.

Exactly why my nightstand has a Model 37 S&W in the drawer loaded with factory Winchester wadcutters.

 

[LeftyRed]

Comparing apples to apples, my G28s have significantly lower recoil than my G26s. As does my 365-380 vs the 365-9mm.

Awaiting on the arrival of the G25 so I can compare it to my G19. That’s going to be fun!

 

[Tallball]

If recoil is might be an issue, for HD I'd want something made of steel. As heavy and large as I could comfortably hold and use. The recoil on a 9mm like that is minimal, and a 380 like that is very rare.

 

[wayneinFL]

I can't think of a full size pistol for which recoil would be an issue at all in either 380 or 9mm. Small pocket rockets, there's a difference.

I have a dozen or so small pistols in 9mm and 380.

Glock 42, Star, P238, 3AT, PPK in 380.

Beretta APX Carry, LCP, Micro 9, P11, Glock 43, and a 940 in 9mm.

9mm has more recoil than 380. Perceived recoil depends on action type, frame material, weight, grip, the fit of your hand, your mind, etc. None of the guns I mentioned above are an issue for me- I have relatively small hands. The only one that's uncomfortable is the revolver.

I think you need to try a few guns.

 

[Mosin Bubba]

I don't like blowback 380s at all. Those suckers have a fast, punchy snap that's way out of proportion to their caliber, even in a steel gun. They almost feel like shooting a K-frame 357.

I am not a big fan of compact 9s either. But I would shoot one of those before I shot another PPK clone or a Beretta 84.

I see the appeal of them - the Beretta 84 in particular seems like a great carry pistol - but they are not for me.

 

[gc70]

9mm has more force creating recoil than .380 ACP.
Heavier guns offset or 'absorb' recoil more than lighter guns.
Bigger guns distribute recoil force over more hand area than smaller guns.
Recoil is experienced more suddenly in a blowback gun than in a locked-breach gun.

My .380 Remington RM380 pocket pistol weighs 12.2 oz. and has 4.21 ft-lb. of calculated recoil.
My full-size 9mm Beretta 92A1 duty gun weighs 34.4 oz. and has 4.33 ft-lb. of calculated recoil.
And the pocket pistol feels like it has more recoil because the recoil is concentrated in so much less surface area in contact with the hand.

 

[BushMaster-15]

9mm Kurtz or Short in German as well as other meanings .

Walther PPK/s .380 and Never look back , owned it before Alexandria ,Virginia Interarms imported or contracted to build via Ranger .

Undoubtedly one of the most accurate 2.7/8" barreled pistols the World has ever seen . YES it shoots extremely accurately ,I've shot mine so often I can elevate the muzzle and hit a paper plate #5-6 times out of #7 shots at a 100 yards . I practiced for Years doing that very thing ,because one CAN'T see the target as the pistol barrel obscures it . Inside #50 yards it's a serious target magnet ,IF one can point their finger YOU can shoot a Walther ACCURATELY ,it's just an extension of your finger
I should have also mentioned a .380 uses 88 ,90, 95, max for ME anyway and 100 gr. are about any serious limit as far a bullets . I've put 115 gr. in mine but lackluster results ,so I don't anymore . My 9mm's I favor 124 and 135 gr. velocity for muzzle energy is right in alignment . IMO 115's are too light in 9mm's and 147's too heavy ( unless they're +P for carbines ) or if someone is lucky enough to own an MP 28, 34,35,38, 40 or 41 then their Good . I highly caution anyone foolish enough to run that +P in a MP 18 or those converted sardine can MP3008's ,it will cost you far more than a collectors weapon ,DON'T DO IT !.

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