Recoil of 9mm vs 380

[Mike J]

I've only ever shot 2 .380 handguns. One was a Kel-Tec P3AT. It is a nasty little bugger. The other a Shield 380 EZ. The 380 EZ is soft shooting. Of course, there is a huge difference in size & weight between those 2.
I am another that believes there are more factors to be considered than just caliber.

 

[JCSC]

I have a G43 9mm and a G42 380

the 380 has a perceived snap to it, due to the small size. It’s very manageable.

The 9mm has considerably more snap with 115gr ammo. 124’s shoot nice.

I would go with a 9mm, just based on the prices of ammo vs 380, although a mid framed 380 would be a sweet shooting little gun.

 

[dweis]

From personal experience, I went from 9mm to 380 because the arthritis in my hands made reading my Ruger Security 9 Compact extremely difficult. When it was clear to me that clearing a jam might be so difficult I decided to go to 380. I went to a Ruger Security 9 Compact to the Security 380, it is a lite rack gun with locked breach and very little recoil. For me it is a life saver. I load Underwood Extreme Defender ammo into my 380 to avoid the possibility of no expansion of JHP. I am happy.

 

[Pistolay]

From my personal experience, the SIG P365-380, Glock 42, Shield EZ 380 and SCCY CPX-3 are all very soft shooting. The LCP II and LCP MAX, not so much, but manageable for (very) short range sessions, even with my arthritis.

 

[hoardingthemanual]

I used to think 9mm had a lot of recoil. It would beat up my thumb joint. Then I practiced a lot with rifles. The other day I used my Shield and I was much better with it. Recoil wasn't as bad. It's tough to say which has less recoil. Obviously "the numbers" say 380 but subjective body types (which this is what it comes down to) can say the same about 9mm too. Since you probably want a 380, get the "best" 380.

 

[cfullgraf]

Recoil is personnel thing in my opinion.

I do not find any 9x19 guns objectionable to shoot because if recoil. But they are all larger with for the most mark are locked breech designs.

380 ACP guns run the gambit on action designs from locked breech to blow back actions.

In general, I find a Walther PPK/S (Blow back) and a KelTec P3AT (small pistol but lock breech) have disturbing recoil impulse. Locked breech 380 ACP pistols such as the Colt Mustang are much more comfortable to shoot, I've had a Mustang since the mid-1980's and I can hit 8" metal targets at 50 yards or so with regularity although through carful site alignment.

This provides me with confidence I can make reliable hits at short ranges. While I like the Mustang, I have come to appreciate the Kimber Micros as well.

Finally, I have a Beretta M84. It is a blow back action. It is a dream to shoot 380 ACP but it is a big, heavy pistol for the small cartridge.

 

[Leon tP]

Anyone? I haven't had a chance to try a 380 yet but if there's enough diff it could sway my choice of gun buy. I figure either will stop an invader in their tracks sufficiently.

Perceived Recoil will depend on all the factors already mentioned. So while the numbers will say 380 recoils less (all other factors being held equal), things rarely are that simple.

My question is, what's going to be the role of this new pistol? If it's for home defense then perhaps another caliber in a larger, heavier gun could fill the role. For conceal carry or if medical necessity makes a larger firearm impractical then I would recommend a trip to a local range that let's you test different models and calibers. It really is important to find the right fit for you (grip, shooting style/technique, recoil tolerance, etc) and not just settle for, "it'll work."

 

[.308 Norma]

Anyone? I haven't had a chance to try a 380 yet but if there's enough diff it could sway my choice of gun buy. I figure either will stop an invader in their tracks sufficiently.

Only 380 I've shot was a S&W shield ez. The recoil was much less a shield 9.
Everyone perceives recoil differently.

Exactly!

Perceived Recoil will depend on all the factors already mentioned. So while the numbers will say 380 recoils less (all other factors being held equal), things rarely are that simple.
My question is, what's going to be the role of this new pistol? If it's for home defense then perhaps another caliber in a larger, heavier gun could fill the role. For conceal carry or if medical necessity makes a larger firearm impractical then I would recommend a trip to a local range that let's you test different models and calibers. It really is important to find the right fit for you (grip, shooting style/technique, recoil tolerance, etc) and not just settle for, "it'll work."

Yep.
I’ve told this story many times here on THR. So, the following is the condensed version of the difference in recoil between a .380 and a 9mm when they’re both fired in nearly identical firearms - or at least the perceived difference in recoil between the two if you ask two different, adult women.
My wife’s and my 40-something daughter traded her Smith M&P .380 Shield EZ in on a Smith M&P 9mm Shield EZ, and she says, “It doesn’t kick any harder than the .380 I used to have.” So, my older and much more experienced wife (with an arthritic right thumb joint) borrowed our daughter’s 9mm Shield EZ and gave it a try. And she says, “It DOES TOO kick harder than my .380 Shield EZ!”
On the other hand (no pun intended), my wife loves her Sig P239 9mm. And a few years back when she ran the required 100 rounds through her Sig P239 for the Idaho “Enhanced” Concealed Carry Class we completed together, her right thumb joint didn’t act up one bit.
However, as you probably know, a Sig P239 is larger, heavier, and harder to conceal (for a 5’1”, 120lb woman) than a Smith M&P Shield EZ - like the .380 Shield EZ my wife still carries. Our 40-something daughter will probably continue carrying her 9mm Shield EZ. But then again, our daughter doesn’t have arthritis in her right thumb joint - yet.

 

[eddiememphis]

Sig P232SL.

Fixed barrel, 19 ounces with unloaded magazine.

Very snappy little gun. It feels like it comes straight back, jamming the wrist instead of rolling up upon recoil.

Not necessarily unpleasant or painful, just different, whether due to the barrel or the light weight, I don't know.

I do not have a 9mm of equal weight to compare. My CZ P-10S is 25 ounces and "feels" like it has less recoil.

 

[CapnMac]

It's complicated. The gel tests of 9x17 and 9x19 cause endless rancor and fractious debate--and that among those largely in agreement over all.

The sizes can be deceptive, too.
So, let us consider the Colt Government 380--which is very similar to the Star D, or the Baby Rock 380

It's a comfortable pistol, a three-finger grip, 7 rounds in the magazine.

For all that, it's nearly the same size as a SIG 365X

As in less than 5mm difference in any of the dimensions.
Other than the SIG is a compact, three-finger, pistol with a 12 round magazine.

Naturally, neither are even close to "full size 'service' pistol:

There's inches of difference, not mere millimeters, and the "hand feel" is going to be correspondingly different, too.

Personally, I find them all similar to shoot. That does have caveats: I have near a 50 year history with 45acp in 1911; easily 30 years with the 380 government; only a few scant years with the SIG (if no where near my 1st 9x19).

So, maybe the "missing" component is the hardest one to get quickly: experience.

A person can get good, real good, with the 9x17. I used mine to score a 98 on the TX LTC Instructors test. So, it's possible.

Would it be my first choice if I heard a bump in the middle of the night at home? No, the M4 gets picked then, and for a ton of reasons (many based in experience). That Government 380 has gone on the road with me a time or twenty.

You have to do you. We, in the "gun community" live in a golden age-we can find exact "goldilocks" solutions that fit each of us to as close to near-perfect as possible. (Ok, so, we are like to wind up with several pistols, holsters, and the like--but just how horrible an outcome is that, actually? )

 

[12Bravo20]

Yes size can be deceptive. Here is a photo of a few of my EDC pistols.

Front left to right and tp to bottom: Sig P938, RIA Compact 1911 (45ACP), Glock G43, and a Star Firestar M43 (9mm)



And a side by side comparison of a Glock G43 and Sig P938




The Sig P938 is the exact same as the Kimber Micro and Springfield 911. Those, along with the Colt Govt. 380 are all the same size and all based off the Star Model D. I have shot the Sig P238 380 and the P938 back to back. While the P238 is slightly smaller than the P938, recoil was quite manageable.

https://www.handgunhero.com/compare/sig-sauer-p238-vs-sig-sauer-p938-nitron

 

[12Bravo20]

And I was wrong about the Kel-Tec P3AT when I said it was blow back. It is definitely a locked breach pistol. But due to how small it is and how light it is, the recoil is definitely noticeable. A fully loaded P3AT is only 12 ounces.

 

[AUhiker]

I use to own a p3at and it most definitely was a snappy little bugger. I can shoot a glock 43 much better and faster than the p3at even though it was a 380. From my experience a 380 can have less recoil than 9mm or more recoil depending on the firearm.

 

[Skribs]

The question is whether you want a "fair" or a "realistic" comparison. For example, an LC380 vs. an LC9 is a very fair comparison. However, when comparing a Ruger LCP to a S&W M&P9, the M&P is much softer shooting, because it has a much better grip and weighs a lot more.

With that said, the Ruger LCP is annoying to shoot. The LCR is just painful.

 

[12Bravo20]

The question is whether you want a "fair" or a "realistic" comparison. For example, an LC380 vs. an LC9 is a very fair comparison. However, when comparing a Ruger LCP to a S&W M&P9, the M&P is much softer shooting, because it has a much better grip and weighs a lot more.

With that said, the Ruger LCP is annoying to shoot. The LCR is just painful.

I have a Kel-Tec P3AT and PF9. Both are light and easy to conceal all day long. But neither is fun to shoot more that a couple of magazines through at one time. The PF9 is a little better only because it has a big grip that fills my hands more.

Size, weight and how a pistol fits the shooter's hand definitely effects things as does blow back versus locked breach. I have no desire to own/shoot a Walther PPK and I don't shoot may FEG PA63 very much because both are blow back and recoil quite a bit for their size.

 

[GEM]

Depends on the gun, a Glock 42 is easy. I found a Sig 230 obnoxious.

 

[SDGlock23]

In the same size gun a 380 will recoil less for sure. Will an LCP recoil less than a G17? No. But in smaller guns the 380 will recoil less, of course the tradeoff is that it's less potent. Sure it can kill, many grown men have been put in the dirt with 380, but many, many more have fallen to 9mm. If the gun has to be very small, the 380 is an acceptable option.

 

[film495]

what do you want to do with it? I've fired a few .380 ACP smaller pistols that peopel brough to the range, and they work, but I did not find them any fun to shoot really, very snappy. They are small and that makes them easy to bring with or stick somewhere, but as a range gun for trigger time, outside of actual real practice I would not have a smaller .380 ACP outside of actual defensive carry. for home defense I would have a larger pistol in 9mm, and I do. I have an older CZ-70 and it is .32 ACP, easy to shoot, fun range toy, but snappier than one might expect with the direct blowback, and it is an all steel Walther PP size firearm, so - a little heavy and smallish, but not tiny. I would not really want to shoot something smaller and lighter with a cartrdige .380 ACP that kicks more. A friend of mine just got a .22 Mag semi auto - forget what it is, but it holds like 17 rounds and I think he got it as a woods gun. Seems like a bit of an odd duck to me, but there are a lot of options out there, so check everything out. you might end up with a .38 Special revolver. Just look around and check stuff out and think about what you really want to do. If you're not carrying it, size quickly becomes sort of a non factor, in terms of smaller having any benefit IMHO.

 

[WYO]

I have a Sig P365 9mm and a Sig P365-380. I also have a Glock 42 .380 and used to have a Glock 43 9mm. All are locked breach firearms. The .380 versions of the guns have substantially less recoil than the 9mm versions. Consequently, they can be fired much more rapidly and with the same or better accuracy. (I should add that the 9mm P365 has a dot sight and the .380s have open sights.) The recoil margin narrows if I load a .380 with Underwood XD 68 grain that has an average muzzle velocity of 1273 fps out of the Sig, but the .380 is still faster and the recoil lower.

If I had to use standard cup and core or even bonded lead core bullets in the .380s, I would rather carry the 9mm and forego the speed advantage with the .380. With the high performance .380 ammo, the choice is not as obvious.

Once you start talking about blow back .380s, I'l take the P365 9mm any day. I also don't go smaller than the Glock 42 in .380.

 

[Tallball]

My PP in 32acp is fun to shoot. The PPK in 380 takes concentration to shoot well. They're both blowback.

I've never shot a 9mm pistol roughly the same size/weight as my Colt Government Model 380 that has less felt recoil. The Colt is steel with a locked breech.

Blowback pistols aren't necessarily hand killers. I have a (blowback) Makarov in 380. It's steel and fits my hand fairly well. The recoil is NBD, certainly no worse than a similarly-sized 9mm pistol.

 

[hemiram]

I'm always shocked when I read or hear someone say that a Beretta Cheeta or Browning BDA 380 is "snappy". A BDA 380 was my first semiauto, and have one, along with an 81, 84, and 85. My S&W 6960 is snappier than an 84, but not by much.

 

[KevininPa]

Exactly!

Yep.
I’ve told this story many times here on THR. So, the following is the condensed version of the difference in recoil between a .380 and a 9mm when they’re both fired in nearly identical firearms - or at least the perceived difference in recoil between the two if you ask two different, adult women.
My wife’s and my 40-something daughter traded her Smith M&P .380 Shield EZ in on a Smith M&P 9mm Shield EZ, and she says, “It doesn’t kick any harder than the .380 I used to have.” So, my older and much more experienced wife (with an arthritic right thumb joint) borrowed our daughter’s 9mm Shield EZ and gave it a try. And she says, “It DOES TOO kick harder than my .380 Shield EZ!”
On the other hand (no pun intended), my wife loves her Sig P239 9mm. And a few years back when she ran the required 100 rounds through her Sig P239 for the Idaho “Enhanced” Concealed Carry Class we completed together, her right thumb joint didn’t act up one bit.
However, as you probably know, a Sig P239 is larger, heavier, and harder to conceal (for a 5’1”, 120lb woman) than a Smith M&P Shield EZ - like the .380 Shield EZ my wife still carries. Our 40-something daughter will probably continue carrying her 9mm Shield EZ. But then again, our daughter doesn’t have arthritis in her right thumb joint - yet.

The .380 Shield EZ is about 4 ounces lighter than the 9mm EZ. Maybe that's why your wife felt the difference? I have the 9mm version. Which is way snappier than my all steel Astra A70. I'd like to try the .380 EZ and maybe purchase.

 

[wayneinFL]

I have a P238, a Glock 42 and a Star that's proportional to a 1911 downsized for 380. The steel frame Star has almost no felt recoil for me. My kids shot it at 7 or 8 years old and had no complaints. I have little more recoil from the aluminum framed Sig or plastic framed Glock.

I have a couple of Micro 9s, a Glock 43, Ruger LCP, Beretta, etc. None of these are unmanageable or painful, but they definitely have some felt recoil. You have to hang onto them.

 

[Jimfern]

The only 380 I ever shot was a Browning BDA and it was heavy on recoil, so much so, I decided I'd rather be shooting 9mm

 

[gunny2]

Getting back to this and thanks for all the replies! Of course there are various factors like gun size etc, I meant all things being equal. But the various examples and experiences you gave are helpful.

FYI 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.

In fact, ironically, I'm now considering the Ruger 57. Despite the bullet caliber, it's known for having a low recoil.