i recently purchased a texas defender in .45/.410 with a 3 inch barrel and i really did not know what kind of recoil it was going to have and wow what a pleasant surprise it was very manageable,my wife is 5ft7in 125 lbs and she handles it very well and likes it also. it is a excellent pocket gun ,excellent craftsmanship but the only fault i have with it is im 6ft5in with big hands but that is no fault of the of the craftsmanship ... the derringer handles well but as soon as i am able im going to order the extended grips. if you are looking for the best derringer on the market look no farther than bond arms. thanks again mr gordon/ your friend and satisfied customer jim nesmith