How much recoil firing a 40 cal. Sig- P239???

[Sneaky]

I have a Sig P239 -9mm and I am considering stepping up to a .40 cal. in the same pistol. Trouble is that there are no ranges near me that have this pistol in 40 cal. to rent. I like the way this gun fits my hand when shooting. My question is - What does the felt recoil feel like firing 40 cal. Sig P239?
P.S.Thank-You for your input to this thread! My wife and I own a Glock 23-40 cal. pistol and because the gun is based on a 9mm frame the recoil makes this gun a little snappy so we rented a Sig 229-40 cal. and recoil was like a 9mm gun! ! Why am I leaning towards a Sig P239 in 40 cal.- Because the 9mm Sig P239 I own hits everything I aim at and I thought that this gun having more weight then the Glock 23 might have less recoil! Semper Fi!

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[SIXTO]

Its more stout... nothing major, but you will notice the difference. It probably the same amount of difference you feel between 9mm practice ammo and 9mm defense ammo.

I prefer the 239 in 9mm fwiw.

[prawls]

I traded my 9 in on the .40 SAS in my sig. I like shooting the .40 better than I did my 9. Recoil is not bad at all to me.

[pogo2]

I'll stick my neck out and try to quantify the recoil difference. I believe that pistol recoil is determined by conservation of momentum. The momentum of the bullet exiting the barrel (bullet mass times bullet velocity) equals the momentum of the gun backwards in your hand (gun mass times gun velocity). Gun momentum backwards in your hand corresponds to felt recoil, which is the unknown we are attempting to determine:

Gun momentum = (Bullet mass times bullet velocity)

Since the gun mass is the same with two P239s, the increase in recoil going from the 9mm to the .40 should be:

.40 recoil/9mm recoil = (.40 bullet mass times velocity)/(9mm bullet mass times velocity)

Let's say you are using 9mm ammo with bullet weight of 125 grains and velocity of 1200 fps, and .40 ammo with bullet weight of 155 grains and velocity of 1200 fps. This gives:

(155 x 1200)/(125 x 1200) = 1.24

So the .40 gun should have 24% more recoil than the 9mm. Obviously the type of ammo you use plays a major role here.

[Merc]

Very subjectively, I think the step up to .40 in that gun shouldn't be too dramatic. I'm a small, not so strong guy and shoot a G27. A few small hand adjustments and a few hundred rounds and I was feeling confident and accurate. The sig is a bit better balanced and heavier as well so for me it was not that big of a difference. Also, you will be very amp'd-up in the situation.

My recommendation though would be to find one to test fire and consider if you have a significant other that may have to pick it up and use it as well.

Also, to change the subject a bit; if you've ever fired a handgun at night in a dark hallway you are temporarily blinded by the flash and you loose your hearing. It gets worse after multiple rounds. A shotgun is worse. I only mention this to suggest you train under simulated duress and be aware of this. (This advice comes from some personal experience where training paid off and a great article in Police Chief magazine so I'm passing it along)

[fatboy97]

If you've shot any .40S&W you will have a really good idea how the P239-40 will shoot. The P239 has a nice weight, and the recoil is very minimal considering the size and weight of this gun.

I found that shooting larger grain (180gr) .40S&W rounds will lessen the recoil a little.

[Sneaky]

I traded my 9 in on the .40 SAS in my sig. I like shooting the .40 better than I did my 9. Recoil is not bad at all to me.

Was the recoil snappy?

[Freedomofchoice]

I have a P-239 in 40 cal. Recoil in my opinion is very manageable. To me, it doesn't feel much more than my Baby Glock G-26, 9mm. My airweight S&W snubby 38 recoils far greater and snappier and hurts more to shoot. Get the 40, you'll love it!

[Sneaky]

I have a P-239 in 40 cal. Recoil in my opinion is very manageable. To me, it doesn't feel much more than my Baby Glock G-26, 9mm. My airweight S&W snubby 38 recoils far greater and snappier and hurts more to shoot. Get the 40, you'll love it!

+1 on the recoil!
In aprox. 2 weeks I should get my pistol purchasing permit & Im excited to buy another SIG!

Happy Turkey Coma!

[Supertac45]

My wife shoots a 239 and loves it. The 40 is sweet.