342PD is here/pics

[Bob79]

Well I didn't get it until about 7:30PM tonight, but o-well. Shes a beauty though, cyclinder locks in tight w/ almost no play, and light won't shine thorugh the cylinder gap. I got some S&B .38 special at 158 grain, maybe a little too much punch for practice, but I couldn't pass up the price. I also got 3 boxes of the Speer GD 135 grain+P stuff to try out. I'll post back on after I come back from the range, which should be next weekend at the latest! I'm pretty happy thus far

And I have a few pics.

 

[Bob79]

Another Pic

Heres another.

 

[Marshall]

Bob, someone needs to teach you how to take a PIC man!

Here ya go......my new .45 Colt Mountain Gun as an example.

Love your 342! Very nice PIC's too!

 

[jpIII]

I bought a 342pd about a year ago.

Great gun!

But, I've begun to notice a bit of rust on the tip of the ejector rod, and also a bit on the cylinder release button.

Interesting note: these parts are both "checkered" so I think perhaps the moisture from my skin lingered longer. (I sometimes carry it in a belly band)

So don't think just because its scandium, it cant rust!

 

[gunslinger387]

I bought mine when they first came out so I'm sure you got a better price than me. I put crimson trace grips on mine but the one thing I never got used to is the long, heavy and gritty trigger pull. It is by far the worst I have felt.

The kick is stout. I like recoil but I would rather shoot my .44's than that when it comes to fun. I shoot it enough to stay proficient but not much more. It is easy to carry but not fun to shoot.

 

[Damon]

Nice pics.

 

[41mag]

Nice pic.Fun gun to shoot.Mines a 340pd.Loooong pull then BLAM!

 

[Bob79]

1st range session

Just got back from the range, all shots were about 10-15 ft away:

65 rounds of S&B 158 grain FMJ, no failures, recoil manageable.

10 rounds of American Eagle 130 grain FMJ, no failures, recoil was nothing.

40 rounds of Gold Dot 135 grain +P HP, no failures, recoil was rough, but manageable.

By the time I left my index finger was cut and bleeding, and my forearm a little sore, but I also fired about 60 rounds through the Seecamp 32 also.

100% reliable after 115 rounds, good start!

 

[Spieler]

Very nice indeed. Thanks for sharing the pics.

 

[FPrice]

Bob79...

Nice looking revolver. My dealer has one he is holding for my decision. I take it you would recommend this revolver to someone else?

 

[Bob79]

Yes

Yes I would recommend it, and if I were you I'd buy if I were looking for small revolver. They don't make this particular one anymore, and its slightly lighter than the new .357 Airlites (.357 mag is CRAZY in this gun). The results on the 135 gr GD +P's were excellent that someone had posted, and they were shot out of a snub nose. This is the 4th S&W revolver I have owned and shot about 400-450 rounds through them and it has gone bang flawlessly on every shot, not one failure of any kind.

Everyone I show it to is impressed, and at about $450 you can't go wrong, I love this gun, and will NEVER sell it!

 

[JNewell]

Frosty, they're really fine little examples of the J-frame. Scarey light -- you could almost forget you have one with you. Recoil is not bad in .38 Special +P. (.357 Magnum would be another matter.) I would take the plunge if it's a 342 -- they're a little smaller than the .357 flavor IIRC and, more importantly, have a great track record, which does not seem to be as true of the .357 Magnum models.

 

[FPrice]

Bob79 and JNewell...

Thanks for the info and the recommendation. I think I'll get it. The only problem is I made the spousal unit a promise that I would sell one gun every time I get a new one. The most likely candidate right now is an older S&W M60. Nice gun but I don't use it.

(big sigh)

 

[JNewell]

Frosty, ehhhhhh, you are blowing my next suggestion, which is to match the 342 with a 640 or 60 so that you can get lots of range time with the all-steel gun and reduce the wear and tear on the joints firing the 342. It is not bad, but I wouldn't go to the range and pop off a couple of hundred rounds of +P. I have done that with a couple of hundred rounds of "mid-range" wadcutters, though. (Perhaps you have other J frames lurking in the corners; I find they multiply when I'm not really looking! ... or so I tell my wife! )

 

[FPrice]

JNewell...

"Frosty, ehhhhhh, you are blowing my next suggestion, which is to match the 342 with a 640 or 60 so that you can get lots of range time with the all-steel gun and reduce the wear and tear on the joints firing the 342."

Not a bad idea. I (ahem) DO have a 640 lying around here somewhere which I could use for that purpose I suppose.

 

[FPrice]

Well, I brought in a S&W M60 and walked out with my 342. Here it is with the Uncle Mike's Pocket Holster it will reside in. Currently using Fed 110 gr HSs but will check out some other loads also.

 

[JNewell]

IIRC, based on prices I've seen, I think that you did very well on a straight trade. The 342s are usually pretty exotically priced. Let us know how you like it. They are kinda unique. Too bad the .357 models drained the market demand for this great J-frame.

 

[The Real Mad Max]

Are the 342s still made? I don't see it listed on SW's website.

 

[JNewell]

No, discontinued.

 

[Bob79]

50 more

I shot 50 more rounds of American Eagle FMJ 130 grainers, and not one problem at all. Thats about 160 rounds, and 100% reliable. I love this gun.

Yes they are discontinued, because now they have the 340PD which is pretty much the same except its about 1 oz heavier and can shoot .357. I sometimes hear about a few problems sometimes though with the newer ones. But heck the Gold Dot 135 grain +P rounds pack just about as much punch as I want to handle!