Can anyone explain the M&P 340/360 PD offerings? is the .357 capability the big difference? They appear more expensive. Do many opt for the 642 because they probably wouldn't shoot .357 out of the J anyways?
Is the whole hair-trigger-court-issue one of the reasons people like to use the style with the internal hammer or is it mostly just to prevent the snagging?
I really like the classic look of the M36 but if the hammer is a liability then seems pointless for self defense.
S&Wfan has something of a point. However, I'd like to explain the other side.
It is possible to find .357 Magnum loads that are while not full power, considerably better then the .38 Special. I've found Fioochi 148 grain JHP's go 1131 fps out of my
360PD.
A similar recoil, and effectiveness load is the 158 grain lead HP .38 Special Plus P from Buffalobore, 1040 fps out of my gun. If you are going to shoot a gun a lot, the extra safety margin with the gun being designed for .357 makes a bit of sense. Or if you are going to consistently shoot Plus P loads.
At self-defense ranges, read 7 yards or less, the ammo I'm using makes this a center of mass shooting type gun, not a headshot gun. Also, the lighter guns have really HORRIBLE, heavy triggers. My 360PD started at 16 gritty pounds, and, the best my gunsmith could do was smooth it out to about 11 pounds. That trigger, the small frame, and the light frame, combined with heavy recoil makes this a REAL handful.
It is, however, as much as you can get out of a 12-15 oz gun, period, ballistics wise.
The 360PD and the 340, are the lightest pocket gun I can think of with a powerful punch. That comes at a price.
The .38, to me, is much more accurate, but, it takes enough of a performance hit
that if I was to carry .38, I'd probably use 125-130 grain FMJ or flat points, as fast as I can get them, which is around 950 fps1000 fps.
The question becomes do you want an absolute pocket gun you can carry all the time, and pick the .38 or .357 of your choice, or, do you want a true .357 magnum capable CCW gun, that requires a holster?
If that's the case, a 3" Model 60 would be my choice. Most of the time, there is a pretty big jump in velocity between 2 and 3" barrels in .357 Magnum, and even more with a 4".
The heavier guns are nearly double the weight of the 360/340 scandiums, and, that
pretty much cuts the recoil speed in half, meaning you can use ammunition in it that is unshootable in a scandium gun.
As for DA, I've pretty much gone over that these guns usually have VERY heavy DA triggers. Being able to pull a hammer back, and aim is going to make accurate shooting MUCH easier, but, the hammer gets in the way of many kinds of carry, so you need to decide how, and where you are going to carry your firearm.
Hair trigger is NOT an issue in a shooting. If the shooting was justified is the key to walking away from having to use your gun. In other words do 12 arm chair quarterbacks, sitting in one of the safest places on the planet, a jury box, in a court house, find your actions justified, while your life was threatened by a threat that scared you enough you shot it?
