My Concealed Carry Students do not like the recoil in my SW340 at 11 oz using 38 Sp range ammo. So I am considering converting a Smith 642 @ 14.4 oz to 9mm. Will there be any improvement in recoil tolerance?

My students find the Sig P938 acceptable in recoil. Will any improvement using the 9mm jframe get to the comfort level of the P938?

Not much. There’s a reason the 9mm Ruger LCR is made out of Stainless steel. Alloy can handle the recoil but often the shooters can’t. If you want a 9mm snubby go buy the new Ruger Sp101 9mm or find a 940. Spending the money to convert an alloy framed snubby just isn’t worth it to me. Not to mention the accuracy issues as the chambwring and barrel dimensions aren’t exact between a 9mm and 38.

It isn't the round that causes the less gentle recoil, it is the weight of the gun, and to a lesser extent, the semi-auto action. 9mm and .38 aren't that different, unless you compare extremely light loads in one to heavy loads in the other.

The SIG is heavier, and the semi-auto action attenuates the recoil impulse by spreading it out over time.

Converting a .38 J frame will be expensive. Why not just buy an all-steel J frame? They weigh 7 ounces more than an Airweight, and that makes a huge difference.

A Ruger Sp-01 is all-steel as is a used Colt Detective Special.

Another thought is to look at the grips on that J-frame. Some of the little concealment grips make the gun harder to handle. Perhaps some bigger grips would help, too.

No, it will go the other way. Even standard pressure 9MM in a steel framed gun will demonstrate more recoil that 38 +P in the alloy framed gun. I have a 642 and a 940. Thing is,even with the short ~2" barrels, chronographed 9MM ballistics significantly exceeds any 38 +P ammo I've had the opportunity to test.

BTW, jhe888 is correct. Larger grips help with both calibers. Those little boot grips are all the rage for concealed carry. Not so much for actually shooting the gun.......

You could also consider a LCR in 38 Spl. I have a 642 with the larger CT grips, and the LCR I shot had noticeably less felt recoil for the same .38 rounds. That plastic frame plus the rubber grip really help soak up some of the recoil.

How about some cowboy loads to start in the J-frame?

As much as it conceals easily, J-frames are hard to shoot and not something I personally recommend as a starter carry gun.

9mm is between 38 Special +P and 357 Magnum recoil-wise in a revolver.

The older stainless steel 940 J-frames are not particularly fun to shoot. That caliber in an aluminum framed revolver like a 642 would be less pleasant.

quote:

Originally posted by KevH:
9mm is between 38 Special +P and 357 Magnum recoil-wise in a revolver.

The older stainless steel 940 J-frames are not particularly fun to shoot. That caliber in an aluminum framed revolver like a 642 would be less pleasant.

This, a friend of mine had a .357 Blackhawk with the 9mm cylinder. Regular .38 special was a lot softer shooting than the 9mm (9mm was the most fun and cheapest), the 9mm was indeed above .38 +p in the recoil department, but a good step below .357.

For a class, I'd get a K frame snub nose, it would eat up the recoil a lot better...….or put rubber grips on your J frame if it doesn't already have them.

I wouldn't give a newbie or occasional shooter a short-barreled, lightweight revolver except as part of a "what not to buy" demo.

I know it's a concealed carry class, but why such small guns? Wouldn't they be better served with something like a 3 or 4 inch steel revolver, or a medium sized pistol such as a P320 compact? They're still small enough to conceal, but much easier to shoot in just about all respects.

The S&W 340 shooting 38 specials will have less recoil than a 9mm j-frame. Why these revolvers at all? Keep the SIG 938 and add a 9mm S&W Shield. A single stack subcompact 9mm semi-auto pistol has less recoil than a j-frame.

If the 642 has the same trigger-pull-weight of the 442, you can safely hang laundry on it. 12-14 lbs(?) I like a decent amount of resistance, but to beginners (again, if it's anything like the 442) I'd go so far to speculate that they would be intimidated by the pull, and discouraged by never having staged a DAO revolver, and the resultant "pop-corn-ish" target results. The little ones are effective, but I'd not put them in a "comfortable to shoot" status for more than the recoil reason. And, SD ammo looks like lightning bolts out of that little pipe.
Sorry if I've veered away from OP's main thought.
The perfect scenario for the sadly discontinued P250 line... great DAO-inherent safety and super-smooth pull.

The alloy frame .38 Special was not intended for the pressures of 9mm. It is one thing to make the conversion and shoot it yourself, another to hand it to someone else to shoot.

quote:

For a class, I'd get a K frame snub nose, it would eat up the recoil a lot better...….or put rubber grips on your J frame if it doesn't already have them.

Be mindful of how they are labeled, too. Hogue makes identical grips in both hard nylon and rubber... gotta watch the details before ordering. (Don't ask me how I know...)Ha. The nylon grips are way more-harsh (harsher?)than even the factory J-round-butts, even if they are (Hogue's) longer/provide more grip.

quote:

Originally posted by JAFO:
You could also consider a LCR in 38 Spl. I have a 642 with the larger CT grips, and the LCR I shot had noticeably less felt recoil for the same .38 rounds. That plastic frame plus the rubber grip really help soak up some of the recoil.

Agreed. The rubber grips help. Probably some of the best rubber grips I've felt. (The latest Colt Cobra has a rocking grip, though...ha. That would be a heck of a ride, if the OP is sticking with wheelers). I shot the LCR and, while the grips did a *superb* job, in .38spl, it felt very whippy, to me.

Here's a thought. LCR in 22 and LCR in 38spl... start light, and move up.

Although, as has been said, little, light-weight revolvers, for first timers would be a pretty rough kick-start.

A cadet on a CZ makes a smooth transition, like any heavier caliber that can share a grip, frame and all ergo's with its heavier brethren.

I'm a huge fan of starting new shooters with the good ole 22LR.

Ha! Another pro-P250 plug.

Just my $.02.

Great thread!!!

String

Have you considered using .38 wadcutters? They are about the softest recoiling round outside of .22 lr.