need some help with a unique problem

Hope more knowledgeable folks can give me some direction. Looking for a hand gun or at least a caliber of handgun for both personnal protection and target shooting.
A few years back I broke my right (shooting) wrist pretty bad and although it is reconstructed and works well, it's made up of stainless steel, pins and re-fitted bone. I cannot experiment with recoil on a hand gun and "try" a few rounds to see if my wrist breaks or gets out of line.

Basic question is what caliber / gun(s) would you recommend to someone who wants the biggest effect but with the least recoil.
As a base line I can shoot a 22LR pistol without a problem but, like I said, cannot afford to experiment without some info on the expected results.

Caliber? barrel length? gun type? Any help would be appreciated. You can contact me off the forum if you'd like, my mail is open to members

thanks

Ed

My recommendation is a 6-inch .38 Special revolver, or .357 Magnum revolver and shoot .38 Specials in it. Recoil is mild and you should be able to handle that without problems. No pun intended. That cartridge has put away many bad people over many years.

i second that recomendation. a 38 special has a very light recoil to it, especially out of a 6" barrel. this will be harder to conceal at this length though, if this is an option for you. a full sized 9mm is pretty easy to handle too, probably a 4.5" to 5" barrel with a steel frame to help absorb the recoil. the beretta 92fs might fit your needs, maybe even the brigadeer version which is slightly heavier in the slide for better recoil reduction.

The 38 in 4 or 6" but would also suggest a wrist brace as well just for added support until you are sure about your wrist.

I 4th that. 38 Special will be the best round either firing through a 38 +P or 357 revolver. If standard 38 feels good you might go up to 38+P, but I would definitely stay away from 357 ammo.
Best of luck with your choice.

Yet another vote for a steel-framed .38 firing a light-bullet HP. I had a 4" heavy-barrel S&W Model 10 for years that had very minimal recoil with 110-gr JHPs.

If you prefer autos, a full-sized steel-framed 9mm has little recoil. My wife's CZ75B just sort of pops in my hand when I shoot it, and the slide runs back and forth. Ditto my buddy's 9mm 1911, which is only marginally harder to shoot than a .22.

Have you considered training your other hand? It may be dumb, but it can learn new tricks with practice.

WM

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Originally Posted by Wandering Man

Have you considered training your other hand? It may be dumb, but it can learn new tricks with practice.

WM

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That's a valid suggestion. I shoot weak-hand every time I train. It's not that hard with some practice. If you can't take the recoil of a .38 or 9mm, this is something to consider.

I would go with the 9mm in 1911 as that is a soft shooting combination even with defense type ammo. Plus with a good holster you can carry it without to much discomfort. Wandering Man has it right too as everybody should practice with their off hand. That's something that a lot of us fail to do on a regular bases. Good luck.

My vote goes for the .38
also practice with your laft hand......alot!
I'm lucky, I am left handed, I shoot mostly right handed.
I can shoot with either hand, My only problem is I'm right eye dominate

Ed, how far out from repair are you?? If given the okay's from the Doc to start again, I think you should really consider {2} firearms.

One for constant practice and one for self defense,,and as much as I hate to say this it can be had in one firearm the Glock -17.

By spending some extra cash and buying the 22lr conversion upper you could practice to your heart s content, and switching over to the 9mm upper you would be able to shoot standard velocity 9mm and or target loads.

Several working bud's of mine swear that the polymer frame does help in recoil.

And no matter what I would wear a bowlers brace or some thing close during any practice runs for added support

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Originally Posted by Dave James

One for constant practice and one for self defense,,and as much as I hate to say this it can be had in one firearm the Glock -17.

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I find my wife's CZ75B recoils much less than my Glock 17. You can get the Kadet .22 conversion for the CZ. Ditto the 1911.

the recoil of a 5" 9mm on a steel 1911 frame is negligible. Try shooting one.

While many have suggested a .38 Revolver, and, revolver man that I am, I'd hesitate recommending a DA revolver unless you're sure your forearm muscles can handle the stiff DA trigger pull.

I'd suggest a full-frame steel .380 ACP.

Bob Wright