Most all .357 revolvers I have shot have more muzzle flip than 10mm. But the only pistol I have shot in 10mm is a 1911. I would say the10mm can be pretty robust if loaded to full potential though. I don’t think full house 10mm would be so easy to handle in plastic guns. I think Cindy has it about right.

 

There is no comparison. Even a heavy .357 magnum revolver will kick harder than a semiautomatic 10mm due to the difference in how they function.
The Glock 20 has a very soft recoil with Underwood performance ammo.

 

The only 10mm I ever shot was a Delta Elite I owned a few years ago. I also shot a fair amount of 45 Super out of my Glock 21 and Glock 30 and 45 Super has similar performance and recoil to 10mm. Killibreaux is spot on in his comparison of revolver versus auto. If you go with a 6" L frame, GP100 or Colt Trooper Mk V the felt recoil will be much closer but you'll also have a 43 to 46 ounce gun unloaded.

Since you are recovering from a hand injury I would recomend sticking with a Ruger Mk II or similar 22 LR, a mid to full size 9mm - like a Sig P229 or CZ75, or a K frame type 38 rather than 357 mag or 10mm. You'll have time for those after your hand heals.

 

I’ve picked up a j frame 357 that I’ll likely be shooting soft 38’s out of. I ask because I can recall, in my younger days, that 357’s weren’t bad out of a 2” lcr 1handed. After 4months of therapy it seems like 10mm and 357mag is really out of the question lol. The j frame I can easily hold 1h and is really for emergency situations like loading my kids in the car being approached by drifters. Happens everywhere now. Even the parking lot at their school.

Crazy world!

 

And thank you all for your feedback. It does paint the honest picture I should be looking at

 

Not exactly what you are seeking, but interesting data nonetheless: one day I had a 6" 686 357 Mag at the range, along with a 5" 1911 38 SuperComp singlestack (no tungsten or anything to add weight). Identical loads (bullet weight & velocity). The 1911 was wayyyyyy more controllable and soft to shoot. Like night & day.

 

unfortunately I can’t rack a 1911 anymore. At least not with great difficulty. Something with a secure optic I can manage.

 

One thing to consider with your new J-frame is full wadcutter loads. One of the folks at pistol-forum is a very experienced outdoorsman, former military and LE officer, as well as a commercial ammo manufacturer who hunts small and large game year round.

His recommendation is unless you go full magnum with relatively light bullets which produces hand stinging recoil in a J-frame, the full wadcutter with its large flat impact surface does more damage and is a better defensive round than than a conventional jhp or semi wadcutter jhp that isn’t being driven fast enough to expand reliably.

The full wadcutter is what I carry in my 642 which gets 90% of my daily carry. I do carry the Speer 135gr jhp for reloads as they are far easier to use with a speedloader or strip and can readily be used in the dark or by feel while you’re keeping an eye on other things. It’s a very easy round to shoot as an additional benefit.

 

After shooting .44's and .41 for decades without issues, recently at a range trip my 2023 Anaconda beat the snot out of my right thumb and connecting tissue. I'm still waiting for some imaging results and have yet to shoot it again but in anticipation of another hammering and possibility of a long term effect I changed the Anaconda grips to Pachmayr's and bought a few pairs of padded leather fingerless motorcycle riding gloves to shoot it and my other .44's with.

Anyone who claims a 10mm is only a "bit" more hot than a 9mm is:

A. An idiot.
B. Never shot one
C. Could not find any REAL 10mm ammo.
D. On medication

IMO, the only sensible way to "get a feel" comparing a .357 and 10mm is using similar launching platforms with similarly powered ammo. I had a Coonan .357 mag and Gold Cup Delta and yes, the felt recoil was very similar.

 

Too many variables in your request. Practice like someone else's life depends on your weak hand and make it your new string hand. Start low and slow and work basic mechanics over and over. After watching guys with no arms enjoy shooting with their toes, there isn't anything but excuses to not shoot well with the weak hand.

 

Given equal weights between the guns, you will feel more recoil from a double action style revolver than a semi-automatic as the semi has the aid of a recoil system to dampen. This changes with a single-action revolver as the grip is designed to slip through your hand, mitigating recoil somewhat.

However, recovering from a hand injury I wouldn't go beyond 9mm in either type of gun. For a revolver, I'd look into something that shoots 38 special with a full underlug (4 - 6 inches of barrel) and put a rubber grip on it that wraps around the backstrap. Like a Pacmayr presentation.

 

One easy fix for the recoil of REAL 357 mag loads is to have the gun ported. Knocks the recoil down substantially. Another issue is people do not grip the revolver high enough on the backstrap. If you choke up high, like you would a 1911, it really helps the recoil

 

I think that the 357, depending on the gun of course, has more recoil than a 5" stainless 10mm