recoil?

[hwarang54]

Sigs are generally heavier by way of full metal builds and stainless slides, so the tend to have less perceived recoil. IIRC, the 238 and 938 are practically the same gun, one is chambered in .380 (238) and the other is ill (938).

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[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Str8upguy]

I have a bersa thunder 380 and have shot a p238 on several occasions. Both guns are very comfortable to shoot. There is recoil, but it's not bad at all.

[QKShooter]

One thing that you might find helpful would be to go to YouTube and search each gun that you may be interested in. Then scroll through those videos and see if there are any females that match your size, weight & build type shooting those handguns. You could then actually get some idea of how they handle.

You might get lucky on a few guns and get a good idea of muzzle rise and recoil impulse etc. etc.

[Dawn]

You guys are all awesome. Thank you so much for the input. Hmmmm...I hear guns are like Pringles, you can't have just one. Maybe I should get them all! Hahahahahaha! Yeah, eventually. Seriously, thank you all. I love this forum. Everyone is very knowledgable and helpful, especially to us novices. Makes us feel very welcome!

[ccw9mm]

Bersa Model Thunder .380 Conceal Carry, Sig Sauer P238, Sig Sauer P938 (is it true the grip is almost exactly the same size?), Sig Sauer P232, Kahr CW9.

It's hard to find a 9mm with a grip small enough for my hands ...

I've held the Bersa BPCC, Thunder 380 and Thunder Ultra Compact Pro 9mm. Good feel in the hands.

I've shot the SIG P232, Kahr CW9, Kahr PM9 and Kahr P380.

If you've got puny hands, the Kahrs might well be good options. My hands are small to medium, with smaller fingers. I hate really big handguns. The Kahr PM9 and P380 "mouse" guns fit my hand really well. And, when it comes right down to it, both of these (PM9, P380) tend to have just as pleasant recoil as any of the other, larger 380 and 9mm light/compact alternatives I have shot. The PM9 (or CM9), particularly. I've had several of each. The trick will be to find a reliable example, IMO. Many do just fine, though mine were a bit finicky. Compared to the Kel-Tec P3AT 380, IMO, none of the micro Kahrs kick anywhere near as hard.

The Kahr CW9 feels, at least to me, it has about the same recoil as the smaller PM9. I've owned both. The CW9 is a fine pistol. It's larger size and nearly full-sized grip allows the recoil to be easily handled. Depending on the size of your hand, you might find the pinkie finger extension floor-plates for the magazines to be a nice addition, as on the PM9/CM9 and P380. These can help control the gun during recoil, too.

If the ultimate smallest size or weight isn't your top priority, consider the all-steel Kahr K9 9mm. It's a fairly small compact, but it's friendly for smaller hands and, at ~25oz is fairly low on recoil compared to many of the lightweight alternatives out there.

The Bersa Thunder Ultra Compact Pro is often cited as being fairly easy on the hands, recoil-wise.

The SIG P232 is a joy. Particularly with the wrap-around Hogue grip, its recoil is fairly light. In the group you've mentioned specifically, I'd have to say that the SIG P232 is probably going to have recoil that's among the best of the group; easy to manage, reasonably light, easy to shoot all day long.

[CanuckQue]

You need to be careful with 1-dimensional recoil numbers. It's not just the peak force delivered to the shooter, it's also the duration of the recoil pulse that can make the difference between comfortable and painful. It's a struggle to resist the urge to get technical here, but it's akin to the argument about would you rather be hit with 5 pounds of feathers or 5 pounds of steel. I'd be happy to elaborate if you wish.

Wouldn't 5 lbs of steel have a higher peak force?

[Topsider]

As some others have already said, you really need to shoot them yourself. Make sure you have a proper grip, as managing recoil is probably more important than the recoil itself. You could probably shoot almost any gun or caliber once you got accustomed to it.

[CDW4ME]

My wife has a Kahr P9, it's been her favorite pistol for years.
She has had the opportunity to shoot other pistols including Glock 26/19 (9mm), but the grip on the Kahr is her preference.
A long time ago she had a Walther PPK 380; the slide was difficult for her to rack, and it was snappy for "just a 380", so she got the Kahr P9.
I'm going to label her (wife) as a casual, reluctant, recreational, shooter; if she likes the Kahr chances are other women might too.
The CW9 is essentially the same pistol.

Her 2nd most favorite pistol is an old S&W 3913, single stack 9mm; she would likely rate the Glock 26 with Pearce magazine base in 3rd place.

[NCSoxFan]

It would help if you referenced some pistols your familiar with and we could say if what it most resembles. I can say that my wife does not like shooting my LCP but loves her SR40c.

[ActAppalled]

Of the guns you listed, I've shot the P238 and P938 and I own a CW9. In terms of recoil, I would say that the CW9 hits the hardest, followed by the P938 and then the P238. I will mention that although I don't find my CW9 to be unpleasant at all to shoot, my wife does not enjoy shooting it. She is new to guns and fairly recoil sensitive, so your own experiences may vary. If deep concealment isn't your ultimate goal, you may benifit from a slightly larger metal framed gun. I had a P239 for a bit and my wife had no problems with recoil. Being a single stack, it also fit her hands very well with the finger groove Hogue grips.

[archer51]

There are several things that will influence recoil, beside the caliber of the gun. Gun size, gun material and gun design go into it as well. Generally speaking a smaller, lighter gun will have more felt recoil than a larger heavier gun. Fixed barreled blow back style guns like the Bersa Thunder, CZ 83, Walther PPK tend to have more felt recoil as well.

[ccw9mm]

You need to be careful with 1-dimensional recoil numbers. It's not just the peak force delivered to the shooter, it's also the duration of the recoil pulse that can make the difference between comfortable and painful.

As many know, too, recoil also varies with the relation of the bore axis to the position of the shooter's hand/arm, the surface area over which the initial recoil is spread (via the size/width) of the grip, the overall recoil-absorbing ability of the grip itself, and to a degree with a person's strength in the hand and forearm. Each gun design is going to feel a bit different, even if the same weight, and it's going to be a bit different from person to person.

[OldVet]

The only calibers I ever shot that had excessive recoil all had the word "Magnum" in their names. Otherwise, 9mm, .40, .357 Sig, .45ACP, they all seem reasonably teh same to me.

[Taurahe]

The CW9 is the best bang for your buck ...literally. Kahr makes a great gun and it is dead reliable.

[dangerranger]

My son carries the little Kahr as a back up gun while on duty. It is too small for me to get a good grip on and shoot well. I have owned in the passed a Colt mustang in 380 that was very easy to shoot. Its very much like the Sig in that its not a blow back action and didn't need a strong spring. That made it a good gun for my wife as well. She had trouble with the slide on some others. The Bersa has a nice hand size grip that I can shoot well too, So I wouldn't shy away from that one either. You really need to find a way to shoot them to decide. In a city the size of Indy you should be able to find more than one rental range. Good luck DR