OK I have questions.. I have the Ruger LCP 380 but the recoil is awful..  It is hard for me to load the clips.  cj I think it was metioned the Tomcatt 3032  I hear it has less recoil. Is it a smaller  type ammo?  I have questions please help!!!

If it's difficult for you to load the clips (magazines) you might want to consider going to a revolver.  I bought a S&W .38 Special (Stainless Steel, 4" barrel) for my wife many years ago and it works well for her.

IMO you really don't want to go down less than a .38 or 9MM.   Any lower and you stand the chance of them getting back up and coming after you.

bballfan wrote on Jun 11^th, 2010, 3:30pm:

Just keep in mind that the weight of gun reduces felt recoil.

I'm an NRA Instructor and have had to fit women with pistols before and while a heavier gun might sound undesirable, the reduction in recoil allows you to practice with it and that's when it is effective.

The reason you can shoot the blackhawk in .357 is because of it's weight.  

Keep trying different pieces and you'll find a fit.  I totally agree with BD regarding caliber.  I would never recommend anything smaller than 9mm for self defense so I actually believe .380 is too small but if that's what you can handle, .380 is better than nothing at all.

Mrs. SUBVET is a Size 1 and we're still looking for the right gun.

I'd like to add some of my own experiences training my oldest son to shoot handguns.  Since I don't know your particular situation some of these may or may not apply, so I offer this just as general information.

I started my oldest son (current active duty military) shooting handguns about 5 years ago.  I have several handguns to chose from, but there was only one logical starting point, my S&W 6" .22 revolver.  I myself started shooting a .22 revolver over 40 years ago and went on to compete in various .22 caliber events.  Of course the advantage of the .22 is little to no recoil and ammunition is relatively cheap compared to center fire ammunition.  This allows you to shoot thousands of rounds without focusing on recoil and instead focusing on handgun shooting fundamentals, namely a relaxed but focused mindset free of any outside thought.  Concentrate on the slooow squeeze of the trigger, so you don't really know when the gun will go off.  And focusing on the front site lined up with the target along with good follow through after the shot breaks.

After shooting thousands of rounds of .22 he had the fundamentals so drilled into in that it was easier for him to move to larger calibers as the fundamentals never change.  The ability to clear you mind and focus on trigger control, the sights and target is also a great a aid to reducing felt recoil as your mind simply not thinking about it.

Over the years my son has progressed to higher powered calibers as well as shooting at longer distances.  His current favorite handgun is a Glock 32 in 357 Sig.  So how does he shoot today?  Well at a recent range trip near his base he shot a 5" group with a two handed hold in the standing position.  Eventually other ex-military personnel at the range who were all shooting 7 yard drills came for a look and were amazed at what he could do with a completely stock handgun shooting Winchester White box ammunition.  He's done even better with his completely stock Beretta M9 at that range, with his best group running under 3 inches at 25 yards.  Do I think he can do better?  You bet I do!  But handguns are always a journey that never ends and with practice anything is possible.

Who do I give the credit to for his shooting ability?  Why those thousands of rounds of .22 long rifle in the old S&W revolver, and of course the old man giving him constant instructions along the way.  He doesn't know it, but he can now shoot better than me even on my best day!

Hope this helps forum members develop their handgun skills.

One more thing, recoil is in part both actual and perceived.  You can reduced the perceived recoil, in this case the loud noise a gun makes when it fires, with good hearing protection.  In my case, I use both foam earplugs and good ear muffs.  Using both really cuts down on the sound of the gun firing and thereby reduces perceived recoil. Hope this helps.