Low recoil for concealed carry??

[acroreef]

Dear Folks:

I am in the market for a top quality gun for concealed carry. Does anyone make a semi-auto with very low recoil in anything larger than a .22? (I currently have a Smith airweight and it is no fun to shoot at the range). Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[ELCruisr]

Acroreef, welcome to the forum. I used to have two tanks full of acro myself!

Consider something like a Bersa Thunder in .380? Also you might try the 110 gr. low recoil defense rounds in your airweight, mine is pretty tame with 'em.

[PaulBk]

You have plenty of choices and you will get many opinions. If you can live with .32ACP, there are many metal framed pistols with neglible recoil. Medium to full size 9mm are also an option.

Recoil is perceived and as such subjective.

-Paul

[tanksoldier]

Most small light guns like the Airweight revolvers are meant to be carried a lot, shot a little. One solution to that problem is to get another gun similar to your carry gun that is all-steel or something. It makes practice at the range more comfortable, but the manual of arms and feel of the gun in the hand is very similar. You'll still want to fire a few rounds thru the carry gun so that you are familiar with the differences, but youy shoot the majority of your practice with the heavy gun. This is probably the best option if you're willing to buy a new gun anyway becauase it allows you to carry a substantial caliber.

S&W also makes several J-frame revolvers in .22 Magnum and, maybe, .32 H&R Magnum. I've never fired either of those calibers,, but I assume there would be less perceived recoil... though perhaps greater pyrotechnics from the short barrel.

In semi-autos you have the same problem. The smaller the gun, the greater the perceived recoil. Taurus makes their Millemium Pro line in .32 ACP and .380 ACP. It's a small gun but not as small as your Airweight. The Bersa Thunder .380 is a nice pistol, if a bit large for the caliber, but that shouyld help solve your recoil problem. North American Arms and KelTec each make small, well-regarded pistols in .32 and .380. If $$ aren't a problem and you're willing to look around there's Seecamp, probably considered the highest quality maker of this type of firearm.

[tapout1003]

I'd look at the bersa .380. I have one and so do 2 of my friends. It's reliable and fairly cheap for a handgun (249.00. Recoil is light in my opinion. Sig makes a 230 or 232 depending on material in a .380 that is also a great choice but double the price.

[pgrass101]

Dear Folks:

I am in the market for a top quality gun for concealed carry. Does anyone make a semi-auto with very low recoil in anything larger than a .22? (I currently have a Smith airweight and it is no fun to shoot at the range). Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

You can try a steel frame .38 spl instead of the alloy frame airweight.

That would make a surprising difference in felt recoil. Just remember the lighter the gun usually means more felt recoil.

[Schwebel]

I'd vote a Sig P232, it's a .380, it's small, heavy enough to soak up recoil but light enough to EDC. It's a Sig, so you are pretty much assured it's well made. It is also one great looking gun in stainless.

[Tom G]

I feel that the steel frame 38 cal would fit your needs

[gddyup]

Something a little more up the scale from .380 and along the same lines of .38, how bout a Kahr MK9 in 9mm? The MK is all steel and literally will fit in your pocket. IMHO, it's a sweetheart when it comes to recoild for such a small handgun. My wife is somewhat recoil sensitive and she has no problems with it at all. Her defense load is Speer GDHP 124gr standard. That gun is like a kitten.

Just another option for ya to consider.

[havegunjoe]

I carry a Kahr Arms P9 9MM. Very concealable and easy to carry gun. Anything larger gets you into more recoil. It's a trade-off, the smaller the gun, the higher the caliber, the more recoil. Experiment and see what works for you.

['75scout]

In 380 I like the Bersa Thunder and Sig 232. I personally prefer the Sig 232, but both have negligable recoil. A steel framed J-Frame has alot less recoil. I've shot both the airweights and steel frames and there is a huge difference. Also any 9mm Kahr will be relatively light in recoil. I've only owned 40cal Kahrs and the recoilw as stout, but not too bad. The MK9 is probably the most concealable 9mm with very light recoil (the Rohrbaugh is smaller, but recoil is said to be higher).

Good luck with the choice. I haven't been able to find a small/pocket sized gun that I like and is reliable. So now I'm going to get a Rohrbaugh and a Seecamp. It will take a while to save for them but I don't want to waste money with guns I don't like and are unreliable.

[AgentX]

Any 9mm auto will have a heck of a lot less recoil than your Airweight...I'd look at a SIG 239, as it's a pretty weighty piece with a nice, slim, concealable shape. I don't think you'd need to restrict yourself to .380 or lighter. Check out the 239 and the Glock 26 at the range and see what you think.

And, as others have said, the steel J-frames (or a Ruger SP101) might do it for you if you want to stick with a revolver and perhaps keep your leather gear in use.

[pogo2]

Recoil depends more on ammo used and the weight of the gun than anything else. Heavier guns with lighter ammo are usually the best combination to minimize recoil.

In a semiauto, 9mm is the lightest caliber most people will use for serious defense, and if you combine that with an all metal gun like the Sig P229, which weighs 32 ounces empty, you won't have much recoil. I have a P229 in .40 caliber, an energetic round, and it is not bad. If you buy the gun in 9mm and shoot regular velocity ammo, you don't have much recoil at all. And the gun is small enough to be easily concealed in the right belt holster.

[Redneck Repairs]

I dont feel i have enough info to make a recommendation at this point. If i may ask the OP to post experience with handguns and shooting , any physical disability , over all handsize ( not physical stature ). dress code , ect .. then i will attempt to help .

[acroreef]

Thank you for all of your responses. What is the largest capacity mag in a .22 mag, .32 or 380 in a high quality gun? Thanks again for the assistance.