[Bren]

How do you like it? What loads does it like? Chrono's? Any info would be appreciated. Bren

[denfoote]

No, but I want one!!! :D

[Brian Williams]

Yes, I have a S&W 940 2". It is a great gun, and very eaasy to shoot. I have been shooting Speer Lawman 115gr and gold dot 124gr with excellent results. I have to keep the gun clean as I could see potential for and have heard about extraction problems. It carries nicely and with the moonclips reloads fast. It is easily as potent as my G19 as it has almost the same cylinder & barrel length as the 4" barrel of the glock. I got mine for $300, if you can find on get it cause it is fun.

I fondled a Ruger in a shop and it was nice also but the 940 is better fit.

there are 3" barrels around but expect to pay more.

[Erich]

I love my 2" 940, though it's a bit heavier than I would like (I'd really love the same gun with a Ti cylinder and a Sc/Al frame!). I use Win 100-packs at the range, and some sort of +P+ Gold Dots for carrying. Blazers suffer from sticky extraction. It's not a lot of fun to shoot (it reminds one that a 9x19 is actually a decently powerful cartridge!), but it's better now that I've smoothed the corners off the trigger and adapted the stocks to my hand.

It's a terrific pocket gun. I chrono'd a snub SP in 9x19 years ago, but I have long since given up on finding that tape. My recollection (and the reports of a number of folks on various forums) suggests that the 9x19 does very well out of a 2" bbl - approximating what it would do out of a 3.5" semiauto.

[9x19]

I have Ruger SP-101 with 3" barrel.

It gets mostly handloads, using a Rainer FMJ or Master Match JHP, both in 115 grain weights.

It shoots good groups with both bullets and if I download the FMJs a bit, it would serve well as a small game gun, with minimal meat damage. As Skeeter once said: You could eat right up to the hole.

[BigG]

SW 940. Neat little pkg. Hits harder than the 38 Special. Seems more akin to 357 Magnum.

[Hugh]

I have owned three, still have two. They are great little guns but have their own distinct ammo preferences. My earliest, a 940 "no dash" will handle CorBon 115 gr. ammo but hates the 9mm Blazer practice rounds my 940-1 loves. The 940-1 will not even chamber the same CorBon rounds, much less extract them if I could get them to fit. Both revolvers work well with Remington 124 gr. +P Golden Saber bonded, Federal 124 gr. HS in +P and +P+ versions, and Federal Personal Defense ammo. I would love to use Ranger 127 gr. +P+ ammo in either, but both have extraction problems with this hot ammo. I also like the features of the Speer 124 gr. +P Gold Dots but had extraction problems in both guns with them (as I recall).

They both are very, very accurate if you do your part. I like the power offered by the 9mm +P rounds and think it was worth the effort to find ammo that (1) shoots to point of aim (2) is accurate and (3) extracts easily. I've settled on the Remington 124 gr. +P Golden Sabers in both as they meet all three goals. The "no dash" gets Winchester "white box" for practice, the 940-1 takes 115 gr. Blazer for range ammo. I really like the CorBon 115 gr. in the 940 but have found that round varies from production lot to lot in overall length. It's too much trouble to try all the rounds so I don't rely on it for carry purposes.

Both revolvers have the 2" barrels and wear Hogue Bantam grips. Not as light as my 638, they still work well in the front pocket of denim jeans in an Michael's cheap pocket holster. The quality of moon clips vary. I'm very happy with those sold by TK Custom, Ranch Products second, and factory clips 3rd.

Recoil, to me, is no greater than 158 gr. +P's in a .38 Airweight, and NOTHING like full-house 125 gr. Federal .357's in an all steel Model 60. It's snappy, but less objectionable than the heavier lead loads in the Airweight.
The fixed sights are higher and thus more visible than those on the .357 Model 60, but not as good as found on my 638.

Just my observations.

God bless.

[Drakejake]

I had a 9MM ruger SP-101. I sold it because the recoil was stiff and I didn't enjoy firing it. Regret: I should have kept it!

Drakejake

[Al Thompson]

Interestingly enough, there's GS here that has several boxes of 9mm Federal. That was a rimmed case, no idea if it would work in your wheelguns.

[CleverNickname]

FWIW, Taurus is coming out with a 9mm snubbie sometime this summer.

[Bren]

Thanks for the repies. I shot my 940 today and it did pretty good, the Win white box was getting a little sticky on eject. I got in in very nice condition for $265 and it's tight with no end shake.

Hugh, where can I get the good moon clips and how much are they? Also My gun has no dash so is it the first run? What year? Also a had one one funny looking primer strike where it cupped around the primer and the primer set back a hair with the w-box, whats up with that? Thanks Bren

[Bren]

Look at the primer on the left. Comments?

[Bren]

Ok I looked at the TK customs moon clips and they look like mine wich look like S&W's. Mine say "J9" on them.

[Hugh]

Bren - The best moon clips I have found can be purchased on-line at www.moonclips.com. I use their products in a 610, several 625's, a 27-7 and the 940's. Can't help you with the date of manufacture, but yours should be an early one. As for the primers...hmmm...a lot of people report primer "flow back" with these guns and some ammunition, particularly CorBon. What you are seeing is the soft primer cup actually flowing back around the firing pin and the hole in the firing pin bushing. If it is very pronounced (and yours looks to be far more pronounced than I have experienced) it will make it difficult to rotate/open the cylinder due to the increased drag. If you are experiencing this with normal pressure loads, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise with higher pressure rounds. If they hang up, you might want to talk to Smith and Wesson about replacing the firing pin bushing.

FWIW, I read a posting on rec.guns that said this problem is exacerbated by dry firing. He cited his own experience with a 940 and it was convincing enough that I don't dry fire mine, not even a little bit without snap caps.

As I said, these little rockets have very different personalities. Oh, let me add that you bought yours for a very good price.

God bless.

[WonderNine]

What I wouldn't give for a 9mm airweight (or even titanium) 9mm snub. Loaded with 124gr. 9mm NATO or 127gr. Ranger +P+ :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

[Bullet Bob]

Does a 3" K frame count as a snub? Here's a S&W 547 in its El paso Saddlery home - no moonclips required. Great gun.

http://www.fototime.com/FE76E3B8D100A3B/standard.jpg

[Bren]

Huge, thanks again for the wealth of info on these things. The FP bushing looks flush and the round was Win W-box, the rest were fine and I did shoot some hot loads with no problems. Thanks again!

Wonder 9, Taurus is coming out with one this year and also a 40.

Bullet Bob, please tell me more about that gun! Never heard of a 9mm K frame but would like to have such a gun since I've owned many K's including the M-18. Bren

[Bren]

Hugh, please take a look at this pic. I get powder residue around and above the the FP and the hand area, is this normal for the 9mm's? The pic is afer a wipe down/cleaning, notice the ring. Thanks! Bren

[WonderNine]

Wonder 9, Taurus is coming out with one this year and also a 40.

Yup, I know, but thanks for the info.

I had a Taurus titanium revolver once.

:barf:

Depending on what other people say, I might give them another chance though....

And beings they would be the only game in town for a new 9mm revolver anyways :rolleyes: ....

[Bullet Bob]

Hey Bren; in the early 80's, S&W developed a special extraction system for the 9mm round for a French contract that fell through. Each chamber has its own little leaf spring; hard to describe, but works very well. When the contract fell through, S&W sold them on the American market - the total production was around 3000 guns. Nobody wanted them; they were fixed sight, with 3 and 4" barrels - I had a 4" one that I could shoot better double action than any gun I've had before or since. Unfortunately, it was stolen in 1995. With the advent of the internet, you see them for sale more now than ever before, but demand and therefore prices have risen tremendously. I finally bit the bullet and bought the 3" one shown this year. Over at the smith-wessonforum.com, someone just posted that he found one NIB for $450.00, which is a decent price.

[Hugh]

Bren - That semi-circular residue looks normal to me. As for the firing pin bushing, I don't think it's the bushing protruding as much as it is the primer cup protruding around the firing pin and into the space between the bushing and the firing pin. At any rate, if your 940 handles hot loads OK, don't worry about it. None of my fired rounds have anything near the amount of cratering shown in your pictures, but they still won't handle Ranger 127 gr. +P+ or Speer 124 gr. +P Gold Dots without HARD extraction. If yours will handle these (or any of your chosen carry loads) , consider yourself fortunate and that gun a definite keeper.

God bless.

[Bren]

Ok, thanks again Hugh.

Bullet Bob, I'll keep my eyes peeled for one of them baby's. :D Is yours like the M-13 3" round butt? If so,,,,,,,, :what:

[9x19]

Bren,

Yes, just like the M13 round-butt.... here's a pic of the last one I owned.

I'm just not a K Frame man... much prefer the J frames,

[jarhead]

I love shooting my 940... I do have extraction problems - UNLESS, I use either nickel plated brass ammo or use brass sub-sonic (lower pressure)

[Jeff OTMG]

Yes, I have a 940, but now carry a Kahr P9 Covert more often in my pocket. The Kahr is easier to shoot, flatter, and holds 2 more rounds. When I chrono'd the 940 I also did it with a 3" mod 65. The 115 gr CorBon was faster than all but the 125gr .357 lods, and the .357's were only about 100-150 fps faster.

[GrandmasterB]

Does a 2 3/4" Speed Six count as a snub?

http://users3.ev1.net/~byronsimpson/guns/speedsix.jpg

[Hugh]

GrandmasterB - You betcha. And a very, very nice one at that.

[Bren]

GrandmasterB, Yep that counts! I passed one of those up a few years ago and am still kicking myself. :banghead: It was a comemoritive of someone (maybe skeeter?) Anyway I did pick up a snub Security six (357) unfired for $200. Very strong guns. :cool:

Thanks for the Chrono report Jeff, I had the Kahr covert but the frame rails warped on me, loved the size though. Bren

[PCRCCW]

Ok....I love 9mm's and snubs....a 940 or new Taurus is IN MY FUTURE...but
in a previous post......115gr JHP vs 125gr 357 only 100-150 FPS less......
Depending on the FPS in the comparison....that can DOUBLE your energy.
Thought it was worth mentioning................
Shoot well