Softest Recoil 9mm for $300

Piko · December 28, 2017, 02:04 PM

I have some significant carpal tunnel issues in both hands. What is the lightest recoil 9mm handgun currently available for about $300. Basic physics tells me that the best way to combat recoil is to increase mass which is fine with me as I don't intend to carry this weapon.

From my research, many seem to recommend a CZ 75 as a low recoil reliable gun. However, this is currently over my budget. I've seen some polymer CZ clones available for $250, but I'm not sure how these stack up against the full steel CZs as far as recoil is concerned - any opinions from those who have experience with both?

Any other low cost 9mm options that I should consider? I would really prefer to stick with 9mm, but if there is a .380 pistol that offers significantly less recoil, then let me know. I'm not considering revolvers at the moment.

zukiphile · December 28, 2017, 02:47 PM

Piko, if you insist on a centerfire pistol, the Walther PK380 has a comically light recoil. In the one I had, accuracy wasn't too great and I thought it was sort of a piece of junk.

The mildest 9mm I recall shooting was a Ruger P95. It was also quite accurate.

I've helped shooters who wanted to shoot something, but had a medical reason to limit recoil. In each case they found that nothing is as kind as 22lr.

Piko · December 28, 2017, 02:55 PM

Zukiphile, thx for the reply. The main function of the gun will be for home defense and the extremely rare instance where I may carry it with me. For this reason, I'm ruling out 22 caliber and prefer to stick with 9mm.

Lohman446 · December 28, 2017, 03:39 PM

Slide manipulation would be a concern it would seem as well. Some guns have a smaller or tapered slide or simply a heavier recoil spring which makes slide manipulation more difficult.

zukiphile · December 28, 2017, 03:51 PM

Do you have anyone willing to reload for you?

I've a 45ACP with ammunition tailored to just cycle it. I am very recoil sensitive, but have printed some of the best scores of my life with that pistol.

If you have a reloader willing to help and experiment, you could find the least expensive/best deal in a used pistol, then have low recoil ammunition made for it.

I wouldn't like to be shot at all, but I think my feelings would be hurt more by a 200gr 45acp at 750fps than a .380 at full power.

arquebus357 · December 28, 2017, 03:59 PM

At $300 you might consider a Spanish Star BM. Right now they are once again plentiful. These are fine pistols that weigh a hefty 34 OZ. My wife has commandeered mine because it's my only 9mm she can tolerate firing.

Ricklin · December 28, 2017, 04:16 PM

Weight is the key. Do you have a local range that has a variety of rentals?

blchandl2 · December 28, 2017, 04:24 PM

The Arcus 94 or 98 DA models have light recoil and are in the $300 range. I have the 98DA and it is one of my favorite guns to shoot.

Piko · December 28, 2017, 04:24 PM

That Spanish Star BM sounds like an interesting candidate. Any idea how this compares with recoil of a full size CZ clone?

Lohman - yeah slide manipulation is likely an issue, but not as much as the debilitating effect jarring recoil has on my hands.

Zukiphile, that reloading option will probably not work for me. However, I'll add that Ruger P95 to my research list.

Piko · December 28, 2017, 04:28 PM

blchandl2 - hadn't even heard of Arcus... are those CZ clones?

The gun range near me had the standard mainstream rentals, but no CZs or their clones and I doubt they have any of the other more obscure guns.

zukiphile · December 28, 2017, 04:45 PM

The Arcus is a Browning high power pattern.

I know you wrote that you aren't considering revolvers. You might be overlooking an excellent option.

TailGator · December 28, 2017, 04:51 PM

There are some used 92 series Berettas that come on the market around that price point sometimes. They may show wear, but they are durable pistols and usually are mechanically sound. The big Beretta is a pretty soft shooting pistol.

If you get really lucky and pick up a used Beretta PX4, the rotating barrel makes it quite a soft shooter, too, if anything a bit softer than the 92. They are not terribly common, though, so you would have to enjoy a stroke of good luck to find one used at your price point.

KyJim · December 28, 2017, 04:57 PM

Wikipedia lists the Star BM as weighing 25 ounces which is a bit on the light side if you are trying to minimize recoil. Instead, look at the Star Model B Super which weighs about 38 ounces empty. I have one and it not only has little felt recoil, but it is a good shooter. I see them listed on Gunbroker for under $300

DubC-Hicks · December 28, 2017, 04:59 PM

I always thought the SR9 was pretty soft recoiling, and 17+1 capacity is hard to beat. And the 9E can be found for $250 these days.

MandolinMan · December 28, 2017, 05:36 PM

As mentioned above, the Ruger P89 might fit the bill. They can be found on GunBroker under $300 and are light recoiling pistols.

DanPop · December 28, 2017, 05:59 PM

I would look for a pre owned Beretta PX4 Storm 9mm, New is going to run about 400 to 450 but I suspect you can find used for your budget. The PX4 has a rotating barrel design which greatly reduces recoil.

subhuman · December 28, 2017, 06:03 PM

It will be more than$300 but if you can find a police trade in p228/229 in 9mm it is a very smooth soft shooting pistol, when luck is with you the 229s can be found between$400-500 range which is a great deal on a $1000 pistol, also pursue sales on the berreta M9/P92 tarde ins

tallball · December 28, 2017, 06:25 PM

Others have mentioned these. I got all three of them within the past few years. They were military surplus or police trade-ins. They were under $300 apiece OTD. I would recommend any of them.

I got a Star Super B a few years back. It is roughly the size and shape of a 1911. It is nice and heavy. The recoil is light. It was the first 9mm pistol that my recoil-averse daughter chose to shoot.''

I got a Star BM a couple of months ago. It's very similar to a Super B, but the barrel and grip are both a little shorter. It's still plenty heavy and the recoil isn't much. I surprised myself by shooting it every bit as well as the larger model.

Yeah, the Beretta PX models have low recoil. It's not quite as big and heavy as the full-sized Star, but its rotating breech seems to help a lot.

rodfac · December 28, 2017, 06:37 PM

All 9mm's are "soft shooting", even the alloy or plastic framed models. But if you go to a steel frame, while the recoil may be minimal, the gun weight is 6 oz. more...it's a trade off. Rod

xcc_rider · December 28, 2017, 07:09 PM

This is slightly off target but,
By "significant" do you mean untreated carpal tunnel issues or post surgery issues?

Around 20 years ago I was tested and had severe damage in my right hand and moderate in my left. I found a good surgeon and had surgery on both hands and I have nothing but good to say about it.
I currently shoot 45acp, 40s&w, 9mm, 357mag and 9x18 mak out of a jarring P64 with no issues at all.

So if untreated then I would recommend having it corrected so you can shoot whatever you want.

If the issues persist post surgery then perhaps some type of compression foam can be added to a smaller size grips to soften the jarring.

arquebus357 · December 28, 2017, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Wikipedia lists the Star BM as weighing 25 ounces which is a bit on the light side if you are trying to minimize recoil.

Sorry, but Wikipedia is WRONG. The Star BM does indeed weigh 34 oz. They may be, mistakenly, thinking of the alloy frame version, the BKM. Do you really use Wikipedia for reference ??

Piko · December 28, 2017, 07:41 PM

xcc_rider - I haven't had surgery, but I had visited an orthopedic surgeon several times, had some MRIs completed of the neck and shoulder area. The surgeon had initially suspected the issue was due to pinched nerves in the neck/shoulder area, but this proved not to be the case. He wanted to then go ahead and get an MRI of my brain at which point I decided to hold off. I've since learned to manage the issue and avoid certain activities. Perhaps in the future I'll get it looked at again.

I posted a similar thread in a CZ specific forum asking about CZ clones and their relative recoil. Someone suggested I should look at the Canik clones. What would be informative to me is if someone with experience firing multiple of these guns commented about how the recoil differs between some of the models mentioned in this thread. If the difference is insignificant, I'll just choose the cheapest option.

Here are the guns I'm currently considering. I'll add to the list if anyone has other suggestions. I've already eliminated a few of the models mentioned in this thread for various reasons.

Canik S120 or P120
Star Super B
Beretta PX4
Beretta 92 (I've seen some surplus 92s models available)
EAA Witness or SAR B6 CZ clones (preferably steel, but these seem difficult to find at a reasonable price)

**Spats McGee** · December 28, 2017, 07:55 PM

Welcome to TFL, Piko.

Weight is certainly a large factor in recoil, but I have to say that I've been pleasantly surprised at the soft recoil of an XDs in .45 that I got to shoot as well as my own 9mm Shield. I'm no engineer, but I suspect that there's some flex in polymer pistols that absorbs some of the recoil.

Also, I know little or nothing about Star pistols, but I did notice that Aim Surplus has the BM model on sale for $199.95 right now: https://www.aimsurplus.com/product.a...BM+9MM+Handgun

cosh · December 28, 2017, 07:57 PM

I use batting gloves for range practice. IDK if I have carpal tunnel issues but the gloves stop numming hands for me. I have a Canik C-100 and like it a lot, especially w batting gloves. The S-120 should even be less recoil.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Cosmodragoon · December 28, 2017, 11:47 PM

Piko, I think softer recoil is good for everyone because it makes shooting more controllable and more fun. Like you, I have health issues that increase the value of such a feature. (Another one is good ergonomics.) Having owned and shot a variety of handguns over the years, I have to recommend that you expand your budget and maybe start exploring the used market. Consider that you'll have ammo costs after you buy it anyway and prepay your way into some more options.

For instance, that Beretta PX4 Storm is an amazingly soft shooter in 9mm. The rotating barrel system favorably changes how recoil is distributed in the hand. There are lots of soft-recoiling 9mm handguns out there but this one has to be my favorite. Honestly, I'd take it over more popular DA/SA options from Sig or CZ any day.

December 28, 2017, 02:04 PM	#1
Piko Member Join Date: December 28, 2017 Posts: 16	Softest Recoil 9mm for $300 I have some significant carpal tunnel issues in both hands. What is the lightest recoil 9mm handgun currently available for about $300. Basic physics tells me that the best way to combat recoil is to increase mass which is fine with me as I don't intend to carry this weapon. From my research, many seem to recommend a CZ 75 as a low recoil reliable gun. However, this is currently over my budget. I've seen some polymer CZ clones available for $250, but I'm not sure how these stack up against the full steel CZs as far as recoil is concerned - any opinions from those who have experience with both? Any other low cost 9mm options that I should consider? I would really prefer to stick with 9mm, but if there is a .380 pistol that offers significantly less recoil, then let me know. I'm not considering revolvers at the moment.

December 28, 2017, 02:47 PM	#2
zukiphile Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2005 Posts: 4,457	Piko, if you insist on a centerfire pistol, the Walther PK380 has a comically light recoil. In the one I had, accuracy wasn't too great and I thought it was sort of a piece of junk. The mildest 9mm I recall shooting was a Ruger P95. It was also quite accurate. I've helped shooters who wanted to shoot something, but had a medical reason to limit recoil. In each case they found that nothing is as kind as 22lr. __________________ http://www.npboards.com/index.php

December 28, 2017, 03:51 PM	#5
zukiphile Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2005 Posts: 4,457	Do you have anyone willing to reload for you? I've a 45ACP with ammunition tailored to just cycle it. I am very recoil sensitive, but have printed some of the best scores of my life with that pistol. If you have a reloader willing to help and experiment, you could find the least expensive/best deal in a used pistol, then have low recoil ammunition made for it. I wouldn't like to be shot at all, but I think my feelings would be hurt more by a 200gr 45acp at 750fps than a .380 at full power. __________________ http://www.npboards.com/index.php

December 28, 2017, 04:16 PM	#7
Ricklin Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2008 Location: SW Washington state Posts: 2,013	Yup Weight is the key. Do you have a local range that has a variety of rentals? __________________ ricklin Freedom is not free

December 28, 2017, 04:45 PM	#11
zukiphile Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2005 Posts: 4,457	The Arcus is a Browning high power pattern. I know you wrote that you aren't considering revolvers. You might be overlooking an excellent option. __________________ http://www.npboards.com/index.php

December 28, 2017, 02:55 PM	#3
Piko Member Join Date: December 28, 2017 Posts: 16	Zukiphile, thx for the reply. The main function of the gun will be for home defense and the extremely rare instance where I may carry it with me. For this reason, I'm ruling out 22 caliber and prefer to stick with 9mm.

December 28, 2017, 03:39 PM	#4
Lohman446 Senior Member Join Date: April 22, 2016 Posts: 2,192	Slide manipulation would be a concern it would seem as well. Some guns have a smaller or tapered slide or simply a heavier recoil spring which makes slide manipulation more difficult.

December 28, 2017, 03:59 PM	#6
arquebus357 Senior Member Join Date: December 19, 2016 Location: Atlanta, Georgia area Posts: 455	At $300 you might consider a Spanish Star BM. Right now they are once again plentiful. These are fine pistols that weigh a hefty 34 OZ. My wife has commandeered mine because it's my only 9mm she can tolerate firing.

December 28, 2017, 04:24 PM	#8
blchandl2 Senior Member Join Date: November 1, 2008 Location: TN Posts: 526	The Arcus 94 or 98 DA models have light recoil and are in the $300 range. I have the 98DA and it is one of my favorite guns to shoot.

December 28, 2017, 04:28 PM	#10
Piko Member Join Date: December 28, 2017 Posts: 16	blchandl2 - hadn't even heard of Arcus... are those CZ clones? The gun range near me had the standard mainstream rentals, but no CZs or their clones and I doubt they have any of the other more obscure guns.

December 28, 2017, 04:51 PM	#12
TailGator Senior Member Join Date: May 8, 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 3,787	There are some used 92 series Berettas that come on the market around that price point sometimes. They may show wear, but they are durable pistols and usually are mechanically sound. The big Beretta is a pretty soft shooting pistol. If you get really lucky and pick up a used Beretta PX4, the rotating barrel makes it quite a soft shooter, too, if anything a bit softer than the 92. They are not terribly common, though, so you would have to enjoy a stroke of good luck to find one used at your price point.

December 28, 2017, 04:57 PM	#13
KyJim Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2005 Location: The Bluegrass Posts: 9,142	Wikipedia lists the Star BM as weighing 25 ounces which is a bit on the light side if you are trying to minimize recoil. Instead, look at the Star Model B Super which weighs about 38 ounces empty. I have one and it not only has little felt recoil, but it is a good shooter. I see them listed on Gunbroker for under $300

December 28, 2017, 04:59 PM	#14
DubC-Hicks Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2009 Location: Backwoods, Northern MI Posts: 1,031	I always thought the SR9 was pretty soft recoiling, and 17+1 capacity is hard to beat. And the 9E can be found for $250 these days. __________________ ”Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars.” ~Unknown

December 28, 2017, 05:36 PM	#15
MandolinMan Senior Member Join Date: May 8, 2013 Posts: 339	As mentioned above, the Ruger P89 might fit the bill. They can be found on GunBroker under $300 and are light recoiling pistols.

December 28, 2017, 05:59 PM	#16
DanPop Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2015 Posts: 116	I would look for a pre owned Beretta PX4 Storm 9mm, New is going to run about 400 to 450 but I suspect you can find used for your budget. The PX4 has a rotating barrel design which greatly reduces recoil. __________________ EAA SAR k2p 9mm Beretta px4 storm Taurus pt111 g2 9mm Sig Mosquito 22lr Sig Sauer P250 9mm full size Walther PPS m2 9mm S&W Bodyguard 380 Ruger LCP 380

December 28, 2017, 06:03 PM	#17
subhuman Senior Member Join Date: April 21, 2013 Location: Alabama Posts: 383	It will be more than$300 but if you can find a police trade in p228/229 in 9mm it is a very smooth soft shooting pistol, when luck is with you the 229s can be found between$400-500 range which is a great deal on a $1000 pistol, also pursue sales on the berreta M9/P92 tarde ins

December 28, 2017, 06:25 PM	#18
tallball Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2014 Posts: 2,444	Others have mentioned these. I got all three of them within the past few years. They were military surplus or police trade-ins. They were under $300 apiece OTD. I would recommend any of them. I got a Star Super B a few years back. It is roughly the size and shape of a 1911. It is nice and heavy. The recoil is light. It was the first 9mm pistol that my recoil-averse daughter chose to shoot.'' I got a Star BM a couple of months ago. It's very similar to a Super B, but the barrel and grip are both a little shorter. It's still plenty heavy and the recoil isn't much. I surprised myself by shooting it every bit as well as the larger model. Yeah, the Beretta PX models have low recoil. It's not quite as big and heavy as the full-sized Star, but its rotating breech seems to help a lot.

December 28, 2017, 06:37 PM	#19
rodfac Senior Member Join Date: January 22, 2005 Location: Kentucky Posts: 3,624	All 9mm's are "soft shooting", even the alloy or plastic framed models. But if you go to a steel frame, while the recoil may be minimal, the gun weight is 6 oz. more...it's a trade off. Rod __________________ Cherish our flag, honor it, defend it in word and deed, or get the hell out. Our Bill of Rights has been paid for by heros in uniform and shall not be diluted by misguided governmental social experiments. We owe this to our children, anything less is cowardice. USAF FAC, 5th Spl Forces, Vietnam Vet '69-'73.

December 28, 2017, 07:09 PM	#20
xcc_rider Senior Member Join Date: March 25, 2016 Posts: 169	This is slightly off target but, By "significant" do you mean untreated carpal tunnel issues or post surgery issues? Around 20 years ago I was tested and had severe damage in my right hand and moderate in my left. I found a good surgeon and had surgery on both hands and I have nothing but good to say about it. I currently shoot 45acp, 40s&w, 9mm, 357mag and 9x18 mak out of a jarring P64 with no issues at all. So if untreated then I would recommend having it corrected so you can shoot whatever you want. If the issues persist post surgery then perhaps some type of compression foam can be added to a smaller size grips to soften the jarring.

December 28, 2017, 07:41 PM	#22
Piko Member Join Date: December 28, 2017 Posts: 16	xcc_rider - I haven't had surgery, but I had visited an orthopedic surgeon several times, had some MRIs completed of the neck and shoulder area. The surgeon had initially suspected the issue was due to pinched nerves in the neck/shoulder area, but this proved not to be the case. He wanted to then go ahead and get an MRI of my brain at which point I decided to hold off. I've since learned to manage the issue and avoid certain activities. Perhaps in the future I'll get it looked at again. I posted a similar thread in a CZ specific forum asking about CZ clones and their relative recoil. Someone suggested I should look at the Canik clones. What would be informative to me is if someone with experience firing multiple of these guns commented about how the recoil differs between some of the models mentioned in this thread. If the difference is insignificant, I'll just choose the cheapest option. Here are the guns I'm currently considering. I'll add to the list if anyone has other suggestions. I've already eliminated a few of the models mentioned in this thread for various reasons. Canik S120 or P120 Star Super B Beretta PX4 Beretta 92 (I've seen some surplus 92s models available) EAA Witness or SAR B6 CZ clones (preferably steel, but these seem difficult to find at a reasonable price)

December 28, 2017, 07:55 PM	#23
Spats McGee Staff Join Date: July 28, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 8,821	Welcome to TFL, Piko. Weight is certainly a large factor in recoil, but I have to say that I've been pleasantly surprised at the soft recoil of an XDs in .45 that I got to shoot as well as my own 9mm Shield. I'm no engineer, but I suspect that there's some flex in polymer pistols that absorbs some of the recoil. Also, I know little or nothing about Star pistols, but I did notice that Aim Surplus has the BM model on sale for $199.95 right now: https://www.aimsurplus.com/product.a...BM+9MM+Handgun __________________ I'm a lawyer, but I'm not your lawyer. If you need some honest-to-goodness legal advice, go buy some.

December 28, 2017, 07:57 PM	#24
cosh Member Join Date: August 14, 2013 Posts: 39	I use batting gloves for range practice. IDK if I have carpal tunnel issues but the gloves stop numming hands for me. I have a Canik C-100 and like it a lot, especially w batting gloves. The S-120 should even be less recoil. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

December 28, 2017, 11:47 PM	#25
Cosmodragoon Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 2013 Location: Northeastern US Posts: 1,869	Piko, I think softer recoil is good for everyone because it makes shooting more controllable and more fun. Like you, I have health issues that increase the value of such a feature. (Another one is good ergonomics.) Having owned and shot a variety of handguns over the years, I have to recommend that you expand your budget and maybe start exploring the used market. Consider that you'll have ammo costs after you buy it anyway and prepay your way into some more options. For instance, that Beretta PX4 Storm is an amazingly soft shooter in 9mm. The rotating barrel system favorably changes how recoil is distributed in the hand. There are lots of soft-recoiling 9mm handguns out there but this one has to be my favorite. Honestly, I'd take it over more popular DA/SA options from Sig or CZ any day.