[jboot]

Tolerance for recoil is difficult to predict and isn't always related to build or sex. Some small women can shoot .45s all day, and some large men will complain about the recoil after just one mag.

A real deal-breaker for anyone are the sharply checkered grips common on older handguns. Even shooting a .380 can get tedious if the grips are biting. I mind shooting a checkered .38 far more than shooting a smooth .45. I guess you eventually get used to it, or get gloves.

[uncommonsense]

"Tolerance for recoil is difficult to predict and isn't always related to build or sex."

Agree. And that reminds me to mention that it's best to start shooting with a low recoil gun to learn safety and accuracy first.

My step dad started me at 10 years old with a 12 GA Browning semiauto skeet gun that kicked like an Army mule. I developed a flinch because of the kick. Some smart instructors would load my gun with duds to see how smooth my action was - almost always reacted to whatever punishment I thought I'd take from the gun (but managed to still hit my target with a real bullet somehow).