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S&W M&P340PD...Worth the Money?
- Thread starter Bigtuna
- Start date
I have one...it doesn't have the Crimson Trace grips, but I love it...keep it in my front pocket, it's so light sometimes I forget it's there. I'll take my pants off and throw them on the floor and CLUNK...oops...LOL....Haven't shot it much, and have only shot .38 and .38+P...I have been told to not even try .357 out of it....but I am curious...hehehe...
yanici
NES Member
Give JimB a gold star! You can buy two 642s for the price of one 340PD and some ammo to boot.
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2009
- Messages
- 220
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- 18
I have a 340PD with a green front night site, I like it a lot and have shot it with .357 and its not bad, that being said its a defensive gun and not a range plinker why not load it for effect. Non laser grips and its like $700.00. I would buy one again.
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I've wanted one for awhile for backpacking/hiking. I shot one with 158Gr 357 mag, I think the MagTech semi jacketed. It's not as bad as people say. I would shoot a few rounds at the range and be done with it, just like I do with my LCR with .38 +p. It is not a range gun. I'd say it's a little worse than shooting a 4" 629 with full house 44 mag loads.
Thanks for the responses guys! I did check out the 642 and it's definitely cheaper, but it's also not a .357. I was looking to add a big bang gun to the cabinet. The 340 caught my eye due to the pocket gun appeal in a .357 caliber. I'd also have the option to use .38 sp for some extended range time.
It looks like MFL has a 340 rental I can check out. Maybe I can get down there next weekend and give it a test drive.
Warrior102...Do you carry yours with .357 or .38sp?
It looks like MFL has a 340 rental I can check out. Maybe I can get down there next weekend and give it a test drive.
Warrior102...Do you carry yours with .357 or .38sp?
It's great if you like pain (IMHO these little guns will hurt your hand far more than a typical big bore revolver with hot loads in it) and a 50% chance that it will blow up. At least two people on NES have had a 340 blow itself up, and I know a 3rd person not on the board that has also blown one up. Either the line that produces them suffers from QC problems or they're just not that durable. My vote is the former, as most people I know that have gotten them fixed by S+W didn't have any problems going forward.
If I was ever going to carry a .357 magnum in my pocket again it would be an SW640. Yeah, it's well over a pound, but they generally don't blow up, they cost a lot less, they hurt your hand a lot less, and you can use it as an impact weapon when you run out of ammo...![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
-Mike
If I was ever going to carry a .357 magnum in my pocket again it would be an SW640. Yeah, it's well over a pound, but they generally don't blow up, they cost a lot less, they hurt your hand a lot less, and you can use it as an impact weapon when you run out of ammo...
-Mike
I'm just wondering if all the ones you mentioned blowing up were the std 340 with the titanium cylinder. The M&P has a stainless cylinder. Does anyone know if S&W ever responded as to the cause?
I hear some say the recoil is manageable and others say too much. It can't hurt to try a few rounds in a rental, or maybe it can
.
I hear some say the recoil is manageable and others say too much. It can't hurt to try a few rounds in a rental, or maybe it can
.
Mass-diver
NES Member
I don't think it's worth the money. However, I own one and I love it. My dad has had one for years and never blown it up. I've shot a bunch of .357s (125gr) and I find the recoil brutal. But, the ballistics (.357 vs .38+P out of a snubby) are significantly different.
I'm not sure if there is a difference between cylinders and whether or not they are linked to failures. Most of the ones I see are the titanium cylinders. That said, the cylinder itself is fine... its that the frame cracks, or other weird things happen.
S+W, like any other gun company, won't admit endemic defects in a given product line. They just fix it and give you your gun back, just like Glock and others do.
I hear some say the recoil is manageable and others say too much. It can't hurt to try a few rounds in a rental, or maybe it can
![[rofl]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/013.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
If you can rent one I definitely would, before buying. You will either not make it through the first cylinder full or you will love it. -Mike
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2009
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The 642 with +P rounds has plenty of "bang." (And not fun bang either. I have one and 20 or 25 rounds at a time is about as much as I can stand.) Get the 642 and start saving up for a 686 or something like that if you want a .357 for the range. (Actually if you buy used and find deals you might be able to buy both for the price of the 340....)
I have the 340PD CT and it's wonderful for pocket carry. It's amazingly light and you won't even notice it's in your pocket. But.... It's definitely not a range gun unless you want your hand to throb for a week. Shooting .357 through it is just plain brutal. It's not a wrist snapping tear your arm off type of brutal. Basically the butt of the grip kicks so much back into your hand that it feels like you just slammed your hand with a hammer. Now I broke my hand a long time ago and never realized it so it wasn't set properly when it healed, and that may have something to do with why it's so brutal on me. I've had people with small mitts shoot it without an issue as well as people with long skinny hands that had no issue. It seems people with big mitts feel it a lot more. Another thing to point out is that the CT grips seem to be a lot harder than the regular grips (I've never shot the version without the CTs, but I've held it) especially in the area along the back strap. So this may be contributing to the pain as well.
With all that said shooting .38s isn't half as bad as shooting the .357s. Eventually your hand will hurt, but not after the first shot.
With all that said shooting .38s isn't half as bad as shooting the .357s. Eventually your hand will hurt, but not after the first shot.
I love recoil. When HardJeepGuy, or EddieCoyle hand me their .460's or .500's with their nuclear payloads on board, I am happy as a clam. I also am pretty skilled at proper grip. That being said - I found the M&P to be among the most unpleasant guns I have ever fired - and I love .357 snubbys. For me personally, (not judging anyone), it's just a stupid gun.... If I wanted a .357 snubby, I'd go for a Model 60 or a 640....
Mass-diver
NES Member
Both the model 60 and model 640 are really, really cool little revolvers. However, they weigh twice as much as the 340PD. This makes them pleasant to shoot (my uncle has an model 60), but a lot less comfortable for pocket carry IMO. I think they cost almost as much as the 340PD too.
The 340PD is definitely a niche gun. It's stunningly light to handle. I can put it in the back pocket of my scrub pants, when I'm not at work
and not really even notice it. For me this gun was the solution to me being lazy and not carrying enough. spent the extra money for the .357 for 2 reasons 1.) like I said before I think it has more stopping power out of a snubby (vs a .38) 2.) I'm not worried about controllabilty, this revolver is for point blank range 3.) It's fun to see people's reactions to the recoil at the range.
I have to add,the other day I was the range with my 340PD and my SOCOM 16 and I got a few looks (and questions) that basically implied "don't you read the internet, both those guns suck!" Oh course, everyone still wants to handle and shoot both of them
Cool little article:
http://www.snubnose.info/docs/38-snub_vs_357-snub.htm
An alternative might be the model 60... I've got a model 60 pro-series that totes 5 rounds of 158gr .38+p or .357 just fine. Works great with all ammo types, stainless body tames the recoil, and it has a Trijicon front night sight to boot.
The 637/442/etc. lightweight snubbies seem to be tailored to .38+p quite well...
The 637/442/etc. lightweight snubbies seem to be tailored to .38+p quite well...
I have an M&P340CT and I carry it everyday in my front pocket with 2 speed strips in a carry pouch in my other pocket. I can't even tell that either one is there. I reload all of my range ammo but my carry ammo is either cor bon 110gr high velocity or speer got dot 135gr short barrel. I have never run .38 sp through it. It definitely kicks a lot but with a bit of experimenting with grip and technique, it becomes manageable real quick. I can certainly feel it but I wouldn't say it's "painful". It is by far the most effective carry gun for me simply because I now carry it everywhere! I highly recommend it.
Great feedback on the M&P340 and alternatives! Looking at the Ruger LCR .357 and it sure in heck is a lot cheaper then the 340, looks like it can be had for $450 or so. Similar sized footprint (maybe 3.5 oz heaver) and has great trigger from what's been posted about it. Anyone familiar with the .357 LCR?
I paid $500 for my 340PD, look for the guy with the black and blue hand and he'll sell it to you cheap. Don't spring for the CT grips...your not gonna be plinking with it and any defensive shooting is going to be done at pointing range. Load it with the hottest heaviest load you can find/make, fire off a dozen. Reload and put in pocket.
Cheapest I can find without the CT grips is around $700. If I can find a place that has both the LCR and MP340, I'd like to see them side by side. The LCR in .357 may be what I go with.
