I have fired my Texas Defender several times, first loaded with .38 Spl rounds because I was concerned about recoil. Of course I had to try it with .357 Mag also and was pleasantly surprised. I wouldn’t want to shoot .357 Mag in it all day but ripping off both barrels can be done easily without flinching. I just purchased the .410 / .45 barrels and I am anxious to try the .410 in both 2.5 and 3″ shells.