Handgun shooting is not a pleasant sport for those that are recoil sensitive. Not only do you have a much lighter platform that does a terrible job of absorbing recoil, but you don’t get the benefit of a stock.
At a certain point there’s not much you can do about it. All the same, you don’t need to punish yourself by intentionally choosing a gun in a chambering that’s going to do a number on your wrists.
So, if you’re still in the searching and learning phase, make sure you jot down these calibers. They’re some of the lowest kicking out there.
.22LR
While you might not call .22LR a “handgun cartridge” there are a lot of semi-automatic handguns and revolvers that are chambered in it.
And why shouldn’t they be? This round is utterly ubiquitous, absurdly cheap, and produces next to no recoil. It’s by far the lowest on this list, and even the hottest .22LR rounds only produce a smidge of recoil.
Average .22LR recoil figures are laughably low. Take your average 40 grain bullet at 1165 FPS at the muzzle - it’s going to produce about .2 ft-lbs of free recoil.
In other words, you can’t even feel it when you shoot it through most rifles, and all it does is give a gentle “push” through most handguns.
That’s another thing. There are countless rifle manufacturers that make models chambered in .22LR, so if you go with a .22LR handgun, you can use the same ammo in your rimfire rifles, if you have any.
It’s also a very versatile round. You can use it for competition, for pest control, and even in limited applications for handgun small game hunting.
The one real drawback here is that .22LR is (usually) considered inadequate as a defensive round - but for price and low recoil, you can’t beat it for training or target shooting.
.25 ACP
To be honest, .25 ACP is only here because of its historical value. To be quite clear, we don’t even have any of it on our website at the moment, and only rare historical handguns are chambered in it.
Handguns like the FN 1906 that, like the infamous M1911, were designed by none other than the man John Moses Browning himself.
These ultra-compact vest pocket pistols needed a small cartridge, and the .25 ACP fit the bill. It’s a tiny centerfire round that produces around .9 ft-lbs of recoil energy - still several times more than the .22LR, but objectively, very, very little.
Still an interesting cartridge, even though it is rare.
.380 ACP
The jury’s out on .380 ACP. Some consider it the bare minimum of what you can consider effective as a defensive cartridge, others hotly disagree and contest that it is woefully underpowered for that application.
But, regardless of what side of the aisle you stand on, we can probably all agree that .380 ACP produces very little felt recoil.
Recoil energy usually ranges between 2.5 and 5 ft-lbs, with most being on the lower end of the spectrum. While that’s a lot more than .22LR, remember - this is a centerfire cartridge with a hotter powder charge and heavier bullets.
Plus, there are still a lot of handguns chambered in .380 ACP and as a centerfire cartridge it is far, far more accessible than its smaller cousin, the .25 ACP.
This makes it a relatively low-cost cartridge for high-volume target shooting, training, limited hunting applications, and depending on where you take your counsel, even for defensive carry.
.38 Special
You might not have expected to see the .38 Special on this list, but believe it or not it is generally not a particularly heavy-recoiling round.
Recoil energy usually ranges between 2 and just under 6 ft-lbs, depending on bullet weight and other load specifications, which actually puts it nearly on par with .380 Auto. They are the same caliber, after all.
This creates the same controversy - there are professionals who feel that .38 Spl is the bare minimum that should be accepted for defensive carry, others say it is a great round.
Either way, it is light-recoiling, fairly affordable, widely available, and great for training and target shooting - so if those are your pursuits, it might be a chambering to chase, especially if you love revolvers.
9mm Luger (We Carry 9mm Bulk Ammo, Too)
Surprise, surprise, 9mm Luger, arguably the most popular handgun caliber ever developed, is on this list.
Depending on bullet weight and other load data, you can expect recoil energy of between 4 and 8 ft-lbs from a 9mm ammo.
Sound like a lot? Well, to put it in perspective, your average .45 ACP round generates around 7-8 ft-lbs, and .40 S&W about 9 ft-lbs.
So, on the low end, there are 9mm rounds that produce scarcely more felt recoil than hot .380 and .38 Spl rounds, but the performance of 9mm Luger is far, far better.
Compare 9mm Luger average muzzle energy of around 480 ft-lbs with .380 ACP at 200-290, or .38 Spl at around 220.
The 9mm is a much more powerful round, which means that in addition to it being a great low-ish recoil handgun cartridge for target practice and training, it can also be effectively carried for defensive applications and, where legal, for handgun hunting.
Notes for Recoil Sensitive Shooters
Cartridge pairing is not the only thing you should take into account if you are a recoil sensitive shooter.
For one, avoid the +P rounds. These are loaded to higher pressures, and produce more recoil.
Also, consider the weight of the handgun. All else being equal, a heavier handgun will absorb more recoil energy than a light one.
On top of that, if you’re particularly recoil-sensitive, avoid revolvers. Semi-autos with recoil or blowback operation will kick much less.
Stock Up on .22 and 9mm Bulk Ammo
Hopefully, the tips mentioned here will help you settle on a handgun and chambering that together work for you.
The good news about 4 of the 5 cartridges mentioned here is that we carry them, and at competitive prices. If you need .22LR or 9mm bulk ammo, get it here and save.
Don’t miss a chance to check out our police trade-in specials and hot deals, either!