S&w 340pd .357

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tpaw

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On the barrell it says " No less than 120 grain bullets". What would happen if you used less? Lets say 110 or 115 grain .38 Special or .38+P in less than 120 grain? And did not want to use .357...
 
The restriction applies to .357 ammo only, and is due to the possibility of crimp jump, which will "tie up" the revolver, preventing cylinder rotation and giving you, in essence, a Scandium rock.

The .38 Spl rounds are shorter, and even if they jump crimp (they won't because the recoil from a 38 is also much less) the overall length is not sufficient to tie up the cylinder.

Short answer: No problem with the lightweight .38 Spl ammo.
 
my understanding is it has to do with the short bullet not sealing the cylinder gap and the end of the cyl getting damaged.I'm pretty sure this doesn't apply to 38 loads and +p should be ok.I think I would err on the side of caution and not use the "treasury" load 110grn +p+ as in my experiance its very close to wwwb 110grn .357.
 
The restriction applies to .357 ammo only, and is due to the possibility of crimp jump, which will "tie up" the revolver, preventing cylinder rotation and giving you, in essence, a Scandium rock.
I don't think so usually crimp jump occurs with heavy bullets.the with the 340 M&P with the steel cyl does not carry the warning.
 
I thought it was because the 340pd has a Ti cylinder, and if you shot light 357mag bullet weights, the unburned powder would lead to cylinder face erosion over time. They use a stainless cylinder on the 340M&P and they don't have the bullet weight restrictions on them like the 340PD has.

Yep, found it.

from here: http://www.thegunzone.com/sw340pd.html

ALL SCANDIUM REVOLVERS FIRING MAGNUM AMMUNITION
WARNING: DO NOT USE MAGNUM® LOADINGS WITH BULLET WEIGHTS OF LESS THAN 120 GR. THIS WILL REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF PREMATURE CYLINDER EROSION.
– S&W Manual of Modern-style Revolvers
 
MrTuffPaws

Extremely interesting article, thank you. What ammo would you use?

tpaw
 
If you are considering buying one-try it before you buy it...

Good idea, but the opportunity is not usually presented. Most stores or gun shops do not have accomodations for that......:(
 
I called Smith & Wesson about this before I bought my 340 PD.
They said the bullet weight minimum pertains ONLY to 357.
They said I could use any weight in 38 Special.
I've tried different bullets from various manufacturers.
My 340 is loaded with Corbon DPX.
The first 2 up are DPX 38 +P.
The last 3 are DPX 357.
For me, the DPX has much less recoil than
Speer GDSB in either caliber.

coach22
 
How is your shot recovery? Do you find it necessary to readjust your grip or are you able to empty the cylinder and stay on target?
 
S&w 340

I feel my follow up shots remain well placed when using 38's not so great with 357. The 340 with Crimson Trace sure is nice though!
 
I have a M&P 340....

and like the .38 spl SGD 135 gr for short barrels. Designed for snubs. They also have a .357 version in a 135 gr, I have not tried it yet.

http://www.speer-ammo.com/products/short_brl.aspx

I also like the Buffalo Bore 20C, standard pressure, short barrel, low flash heavy .38 spl (non plus P). It's a soft lead SWC-HC@850 fps. At a $1.00 per round it is a bit pricey but what the heck, I'm worth it. I like the unfair advantage.
That's what my 642 and 340 are loaded with.


http://www.buffalobore.com/ammunition/default.htm#standard38

Give this a read you may want to try the plus P.

P8050029-1.jpg
 
Owned one; here's what happened.....

I had my 340SC sent back to the factory due to cylinder face erosion. I also had some 125 gr rounds jump their crimp and jam up against the forcing cone when the cylinder was rotated. I then switched to Proload 158 gr JHP's and all the above problems were solved.

I could shoot any .38 spcl load through the gun with no apparent problems and with accuracy and comfort. Not so with .357 loads of any kind! Mind you, I am not recoil sensitive but after 20-25 rounds of shooting any .357 loads, the web of my shooting hand would ache for almost a week.
Recoil was violent and very snappy. In a real-life situation, I wondered if I would be able to keep this thing on target.

You can't beat the size, weight, and shootability of the 340 when carrying only .38 spcls. However, beware of shooting 357's through this lightweight!
 
Lightweight

I wanted something I could pocket carry that weighed under 14 ounces. Plus P is more than adequate, I don't care if I ever put a .357 round through it, but I may give it a shot one of these days. I might make it round 5 though. :rolleyes:

The M&P with the stainless cylinder and an extra ounce supposedly eliminates the crimp jump and flame etching. No restrictions on the .357s.
Gotta love the Tritium sights too. Better than blades and pipes IMO.

P5210019.jpg
 
...and like the .38 spl SGD 135 gr for short barrels. Designed for snubs.

I like it as well. This is the round that I carry in mine.

...They also have a .357 version in a 135 gr, I have not tried it yet.

I've tried it, and I like it. It's definitely hotter than the .38 +P (and makes me less accurate on follow-up shots with it, which is why I'm not carrying it and won't until I get enough practice to feel just as comfortable with it) but it's far more manageable than the full-house 125gr rounds that I can't shoot more than a single cylinder's worth at a time.
 
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