I have had a 27 since they first came out, and have used it as both an off-duty weapon and as a backup to my 23 which served as my duty weapon when I went from uniformed patrol to a plainclothes unit. Love both guns, as a matter of fact I've shot both on numerous occasions at GSSF matches and have done pretty good. I also have two 40 caliber to 9mm conversion barrels for both pistols. The recoil in the 27 is somewhat stout as they say, but nothing that cannot be controlled with a good grip and stance. I have heard stories about the gun beating itself up due to the heavy recoil and the .40 caliber itself, but as long as you change out that recoil spring on a regular basis, you'll be fine. I have covered plenty of shootings while "on the job" and always saw plenty of failures to stop thugs with minor calibers. That's why I went to a .40 caliber...