At 5'7, 145 pounds (after a big meal), I'm hardly what one would consider a big guy. With that said, I ordered an M&P 340 on Thursday to be my carry gun. I put a box of 135 grain Speer Gold Dot .38+P through it (as that will be my carry load) and it wasn't bad. I even put some Remington UMC .357 Magnum rounds through it as well. Granted, those aren't full-house self-defense loads, the recoil wasn't bad at all. Recoil is very subjective, though. What works for one person just might not do the same for another. Try it yourself if you can rent one.