I'm thinking about buying a M&P 340 but having a hard time with the cost compared to 442.
Is the more powerful round worth the price? I would carry the 357 in areas with bears and cats and 38s as my primary carry.
Looking for some help!
Mixed bag for answers. Depends on the individual's desires.
I own a couple M&P340's (from the early production run and then a later one w/o the ILS). I also own a pair of 642-1's, a 37DAO (made on the older 37-2 frame) and some others.
I've fired a few hundred rounds of assorted Magnum through my M&P 340's, but it's not something I care to do very often. I really only did it for the first couple of qual sessions to demonstrate a point to the other instructors. I also wanted to check some assorted Magnum loads for signs of bullet pull, and to compare the felt recoil using various bullet weights. I much prefer to shoot standard pressure and +P loads through them. (The bulk of my subsequent training/drills and quals have been done using various +P loads which I like to carry.)
Now, if it were
me ....
While I'd not have much concern carrying one of my M&P 340's (using either +P or Magnum loads) for smaller feral animal threats like wild dogs, coyotes or mountain lions, I'd
much prefer to carry one of my regular sized Magnum revolvers (.357 or .44) for something like bears, even the smaller bears we have here in CA. More controllability, for one thing, which can be quite handy if you're running a rapid shot string against some
moving (toward you), thick skinned feral threat. For another thing, the longer barrels can add a bit more velocity, which might be handy, as well.
Sure, I used to carry an older SP101 2.25" DAO for some backwoods jaunts, which was much easier to control (due to its all -steel weight and Quad Porting, which MagNaPort wanted me to try, compared to their regular dual porting back then) but that wasn't in bear country. It was just a bit shorter and lighter than my 4" Magnum revolvers.
While I no longer own that nicely done SP101DAO (my brother finally talked me into transferring it to him), if I were going to look for a short barreled 5-shot snub to carry as a backwoods gun, I'd look at either a 3" version of the SP101, or a S&W M60 with a 3" barrel. Light on the hip, but all-steel to help with recoil management, and a little more barrel to help get some more potential oomph from the Magnum rounds.
Now, for everyday pocket holster options the 442/642's are pretty hard to beat. Shooting them with +P, however, is going to demand more of you. It's still not what most folks would call pleasant, especially if you use grip stocks that are more conducive to concealment.
I really only bought my M&P 340's because I looked at them as sort of "improved" 642's, meaning stronger Scandium aluminum frames, a blackened PVD stainless cylinder and better sights (XS front night sight). I'd have bought them if they'd have only been chambered in .38SPL +P.
(Comes to that, I vaguely remember when S&W briefly offered a version of the M&P 340 for purchase by LAPD cops, which only had a .38SPL cylinder, but I can't remember the model number.)
I like my M&P 340's. I also like my 642-1's ... older 649 Bodyguard, 37-2DAO, etc. They're nicely carried in pocket holsters. The slightly longer barreled all-steel 5-shot .357's are handy belt guns, though.