Felt Recoil of Kahr P9 vs. Kahr P40
- Thread starter dkochan
- Start date
I have a thought on the recoil of .40S&W.
Had I read all the talk I've read in these forums about how nasty the recoil of the .40S&W cartridge is I would never have bought one.
I had the "pleasure" of being completely surprised by the recoil the first time I fired my Steyr M40...but you know what...it's still significantly less then what one would think it would be if they read the comments in this forum.
Yes, the recoil is harsher then a 9mm, but frankly it's not worse then .45acp...it is different but not worse (the .40 is a very fast recoil whereas the .45 feels more like it's pushing).
Additionally, had I read all the discussion of the "nasty" recoil of the .40 after I bought my Steyr but before I fired it, I imagine I would have had a serious case of flinch from the very beginning.
Yes, the .40 will have more recoil and muzzle flip then a 9mm, but it's not like you're firing a .50BMG out of a handgun or anything. It's quite manageable in my Steyr and I image it is in the Kahr too.
Don't psych yourself out...if possible fire one (and keep an open mind and try not to flinch
)
Remember that felt recoil is primarily in your head...not your hand.
Had I read all the talk I've read in these forums about how nasty the recoil of the .40S&W cartridge is I would never have bought one.
I had the "pleasure" of being completely surprised by the recoil the first time I fired my Steyr M40...but you know what...it's still significantly less then what one would think it would be if they read the comments in this forum.
Yes, the recoil is harsher then a 9mm, but frankly it's not worse then .45acp...it is different but not worse (the .40 is a very fast recoil whereas the .45 feels more like it's pushing).
Additionally, had I read all the discussion of the "nasty" recoil of the .40 after I bought my Steyr but before I fired it, I imagine I would have had a serious case of flinch from the very beginning.
Yes, the .40 will have more recoil and muzzle flip then a 9mm, but it's not like you're firing a .50BMG out of a handgun or anything. It's quite manageable in my Steyr and I image it is in the Kahr too.
Don't psych yourself out...if possible fire one (and keep an open mind and try not to flinch
)Remember that felt recoil is primarily in your head...not your hand.
I agree that .40 recoil is made out to be more than it actually is. I've shot quite a few rounds through a G27 and had a great time. I kind of enjoy harsh recoil.
But the Kahr MK40 is so small, I wonder if the snappy recoil makes it hard to hang on to, especially in a stressful, self defense situation.
But the Kahr MK40 is so small, I wonder if the snappy recoil makes it hard to hang on to, especially in a stressful, self defense situation.
I can't comment on the P9 and P40, since I've never shot either. But I do have a K9 and K40. The K9 is a pussycat -- you can shoot it all day with no discomfort. The K40 is another thing entirely. I find that I get something of a impact in the web of my hand (between the thumb and index finger). It even turns red. I now concentrate on holding it very tightly and have also added a Harrts recoil reducer. With those changes, I can go about 100 rounds at a time with the K40, tops.
I suspect it may be due to how it fits my hands. I have medium to large hands. I've heard some folks with smaller hands say it doesn't bother them at all. Or perhaps I'm just a wus
M1911
I suspect it may be due to how it fits my hands. I have medium to large hands. I've heard some folks with smaller hands say it doesn't bother them at all. Or perhaps I'm just a wus
M1911
The MK40 is a sweet little bugger. No problem with recoil at all with 180gr loads, a bit snappish with hot 165gr loads.
Still nothing compared to +p loads from an Airweight J-frame, which sting a bit.
I'd recommend the K40, though, as it has the full grip. IMO, the MK is too heavy to carry in a pocket, and if it's on your belt the extra little bit of grip won't matter at all for concealment, but gives you better control and one more round.
Still nothing compared to +p loads from an Airweight J-frame, which sting a bit.
I'd recommend the K40, though, as it has the full grip. IMO, the MK is too heavy to carry in a pocket, and if it's on your belt the extra little bit of grip won't matter at all for concealment, but gives you better control and one more round.
I've owned and fired all the above... I had a P9, and traded for a P40. My wife has an MK9, and I originally started out with a MK40.
The P40 kicks more, but not a lot more. It's less than I expected. I don't know exactly how to explain it, but it recoils about the same as my old USP45, and has a little less kick than my Taurus .38 Special UltraLite with +P's. I once rented a Glock 27 to shoot side by side with my P40, and MY PERCEPTION was that the Glock had more muzzle flip, possibly because of the shorter grip.
As for the MK40, I could barely tell the difference between it and the wife's MK9.
I am very happy with my P40, and not at all deterred by it's recoil. I guess that the only way for you to decide (without shooting one) is this... If your P9 is a pussycat to you, than a P40 shouldn't be too bad. If the P9 is a bit of a handful, or just enough for you, then you may want to stay where you are.
The P40 kicks more, but not a lot more. It's less than I expected. I don't know exactly how to explain it, but it recoils about the same as my old USP45, and has a little less kick than my Taurus .38 Special UltraLite with +P's. I once rented a Glock 27 to shoot side by side with my P40, and MY PERCEPTION was that the Glock had more muzzle flip, possibly because of the shorter grip.
As for the MK40, I could barely tell the difference between it and the wife's MK9.
I am very happy with my P40, and not at all deterred by it's recoil. I guess that the only way for you to decide (without shooting one) is this... If your P9 is a pussycat to you, than a P40 shouldn't be too bad. If the P9 is a bit of a handful, or just enough for you, then you may want to stay where you are.
P40, baby!
I have a P40 and P9. I bought the P40 first and thought the recoil was pretty stout. During the 200 rd. break-in, it cut my hand(I don't recommend 200 rounds in one sitting with the .40)
. When I bought the P9 and compared the two, the .40 didn't seem so bad (I also broke the sharp edges of the .40 with the wife's nail file). I gave the 9mm to the wife and can now shoot the .40 very well. I would recommend the .40 (with a dehorn). The P40 also seems to be a better size/weight/caliber package than the nine, IMHO. YMMV.
Chris
I have a P40 and P9. I bought the P40 first and thought the recoil was pretty stout. During the 200 rd. break-in, it cut my hand(I don't recommend 200 rounds in one sitting with the .40)
. When I bought the P9 and compared the two, the .40 didn't seem so bad (I also broke the sharp edges of the .40 with the wife's nail file). I gave the 9mm to the wife and can now shoot the .40 very well. I would recommend the .40 (with a dehorn). The P40 also seems to be a better size/weight/caliber package than the nine, IMHO. YMMV.Chris
I have a Kahr K40 Covert - the one with the shortened grip - that I bought used. The recoil wasn't painful but I had a hard time getting a comfortable hold with the flush 5 shot mag. Bought the six shot extension mag so my little finger has a place to hold onto. Gun shoots just fine for me now. Can fire a couple of boxes of shells in an afternoon with no pain. BTW, the slight extra length of magazine doesn't make a bit of difference in how it conceals.
Raider
Raider