Not every pistol is built with comfort in mind. Some designs focus on compact size or high power without thinking about how all that force translates into the shooter’s hand. If you’ve ever walked away from a range session with sore palms, stinging fingers, or even a cut from a sharp edge, you know the kind of pistols I’m talking about. They aren’t unshootable, but they can make practice sessions short and unpleasant. A good pistol should balance power with control, but these models gained reputations for being rough on the shooter.
Kel-Tec P3AT
The Kel-Tec P3AT is one of the lightest .380 pocket pistols ever made, but that weight savings comes at a cost. With almost no heft to soak up recoil, every shot snaps sharply back into your hand. The small grip doesn’t give much purchase either, leaving fingers dangling under the frame.
After just a couple of magazines, most shooters feel the sting in their palm and struggle with follow-up shots. It’s a pistol meant for deep concealment, not for comfort at the range. While it served as inspiration for other pocket pistols, it’s well known for beating up hands when used beyond its intended role.
Smith & Wesson Airweight .38 Special
The Smith & Wesson Airweight revolvers are famously light, but that lightness makes recoil unforgiving. Firing +P loads out of an Airweight can leave even experienced shooters with a sore hand. The narrow grip concentrates recoil instead of spreading it, making every shot feel harsher than it should.
In theory, it’s a great carry option—easy to pocket or holster. But when you actually shoot it, the recoil snaps hard, and after a few cylinders, your palm can feel tender. Many shooters end up practicing sparingly, which isn’t ideal for a defensive pistol. The Airweight is reliable, but comfort definitely isn’t its strong suit.
Ruger LCP (First Generation)
The original Ruger LCP carved a place in the pocket pistol world, but it came with punishing recoil for such a small .380. Its ultra-thin frame offered little protection from the snap of each round, and the minimal grip surface made it hard to manage.
Shooters often complained about sore hands after short practice sessions, and the long, heavy trigger didn’t make things easier. While later generations improved ergonomics, the first version is remembered as one of the harsher pocket pistols to actually shoot. For carry, it worked. For extended range sessions, it quickly wore out your hands.
Glock 27 (.40 S&W Subcompact)
The Glock 27 packs .40 S&W into a subcompact frame, and that combination creates some harsh recoil. The short grip doesn’t allow a full hold, so the snap of the .40 round is felt sharply in the shooter’s hand. Many people found that the recoil made practice unpleasant and accuracy harder to maintain.
While it delivers power in a small package, the tradeoff is comfort. Extended sessions often left shooters with sore palms and fatigued wrists. Even fans of Glock admitted the 27 was one of the less enjoyable models to shoot. For concealed carry it offered power, but at the range it punished more than it impressed.
Walther PPK
The Walther PPK is iconic, but shooting it isn’t always enjoyable. The small grip and sharp edges around the slide make recoil more noticeable than you’d expect from a .380 pistol. Many shooters experience “slide bite,” where the reciprocating slide cuts into the web of the hand.
It’s sleek and historic, but not exactly shooter-friendly. Even with standard loads, the recoil feels snappy, and extended shooting sessions often leave your hands sore. The PPK’s reputation as a stylish sidearm sometimes overshadows its less comfortable shooting experience, especially for those with larger hands.
Kahr CW40
The Kahr CW40 tries to deliver .40 S&W in a lightweight, compact package, but the end result is a pistol that feels rough to shoot. The narrow grip channels recoil directly into the palm, and the small frame gives little leverage to control muzzle flip.
Many owners reported discomfort after just a few magazines, making it more of a carry gun than a practice pistol. While it’s reliable, it simply isn’t fun to shoot, and that’s a major drawback if you want to put in the training time. The CW40 highlights the challenges of pairing a snappy cartridge with a small, lightweight frame.
Taurus TCP
The Taurus TCP joined the crowded .380 pocket pistol market, but like others in its class, it proved harsh on the shooter’s hand. Its thin polymer frame transmits recoil straight into the palm, and the grip length leaves the pinky finger without support.
Shooters often complained about soreness after short sessions, and the long, gritty trigger didn’t make control any easier. While it was an affordable option for concealed carry, few owners found it pleasant for extended practice. Like many ultra-light pocket pistols, the TCP worked in its intended role but was punishing at the range.
Kimber Solo
The Kimber Solo had a lot of buzz as a premium micro 9mm, but shooters quickly discovered it was tough on the hands. The small size combined with the 9mm chambering made for sharp recoil, and the short grip didn’t give enough surface to manage it.
Even though Kimber marketed it as a high-end carry pistol, many owners struggled to fire it comfortably. After a couple of magazines, most shooters had sore hands and less confidence in follow-up shots. The Solo’s reputation suffered because it delivered more punishment to the shooter than its price tag suggested it should.
AMT Backup .45 ACP
The AMT Backup in .45 ACP is one of the most punishing pocket pistols ever made. With such a small, heavy-recoiling frame, every shot slams into the shooter’s hand. The short grip and poor ergonomics only add to the discomfort.
Even experienced shooters often found it nearly unbearable to shoot more than a few rounds. While it packed serious power into a tiny pistol, the tradeoff was brutal recoil that left hands sore and sometimes bruised. The AMT Backup earned a reputation as a gun you carried more than you ever actually wanted to fire.
Colt Mustang (Original Models)
The Colt Mustang is a compact .380 with plenty of fans, but the older models were known for delivering sharp recoil. The small grip and light weight gave little cushion, so every round felt harsher than expected.
Slide bite was another common complaint, with many shooters ending range sessions with sore or cut hands. While it looked like a scaled-down 1911, it didn’t handle nearly as smoothly. For concealed carry, it worked fine, but for extended shooting, the Mustang was more punishment than pleasure.
Seecamp LWS .32
The Seecamp LWS .32 is one of the smallest carry pistols around, but its size makes it punishing to fire. The grip is barely large enough to hold, and the recoil feels snappy even though it’s chambered in .32 ACP.
Shooters often find it unpleasant after only a few rounds. The gun was built for deep concealment and close-range defense, not for comfort. Still, anyone who tried to run multiple magazines through it at the range quickly learned how uncomfortable it could be. The Seecamp is respected for its concealability but dreaded for its recoil experience.
Charter Arms Bulldog (.44 Special)
The Charter Arms Bulldog is lightweight for a revolver chambered in .44 Special, and that lightness makes recoil severe. While the cartridge isn’t extreme in a heavier gun, the Bulldog’s small frame amplifies every bit of the recoil impulse.
Many shooters report sore palms and tender fingers after firing just a few cylinders. While it’s praised for packing serious power into a carry-sized revolver, its harsh shooting experience keeps many from practicing as much as they should. The Bulldog is reliable, but it’s notorious for punishing the shooter’s hand.
Kel-Tec PF-9
The Kel-Tec PF-9 is one of the thinnest and lightest 9mm pistols ever made, but those traits make it punishing to shoot. Recoil is sharp, the grip is minimal, and the long trigger pull doesn’t help with control.
Many owners admitted that while it carried comfortably, it was downright unpleasant at the range. A couple of magazines were usually enough to leave hands sore and shooters frustrated. The PF-9 fit the bill for concealment but became infamous for being one of the harsher-shooting 9mm pistols available.
*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.
