M&p 340

[kkebs]

I had returned my MP340 to SW twice for the revolver not firing and and on the second return for the cylinder also not rotating and locked after firing a .357.
Customer service was excellent and they sent me a replacement which I have not tried out yet. If this happens again to this new MP340 I will again return the new one and then sell it. I really love the MP340 for size, etc. and accuracy but if I can not trust it.... what good is it..

 

[DAdams]

I was told that it was the first time he had a return on a 340 M&P. Either he was full of it or the several that have had problems that posted on this board are full of it.

The Board sees all; knows all. Yeah I'm sure this is the first one they have had come back....:banghead: NOT.

I really love the MP340 for size, etc. and accuracy but if I can not trust it.... what good is it..

Don't blame you there. As I indicated I had a brand new 642-2 that had to go back and a Kahr PM9 after over 250 rounds. I liked them both well enough to make certain they were repaired or replaced and got sufficient rounds through them to be comfortable. That said I don't care if they fail on round one or 5001 sooner or later they will break. I hope when they do it happens at the range.

 

[jc650]

Range time with the 340

I went to the range today and was pleasanty surprised by the accuracy of this gun. I was worried by some of the things I had read about the recoil even with .38's.

First I used my carry ammo, the Speer 135 gr sb +p's. Those do have some kick to them but nothing that you cant make a fast follow up shot with. The rest of the time was WWB 130 gr and that didnt feel bad at all.

I didnt have any broken skin or anything and I think next time Ill try some 357's too. I do expect that I may have some soreness in the webbing of my hand tommorrow as I fired about 60 rounds total from the 340 and a bunch of .40 with 2 Glocks.

I can say that I was accurate out to about 50 feet with this gun. Which is more than acceptable for me as I cant see a reason for ever using this gun at a farther distance.

I know everyone has different levels of recoil sensitivity but Im not that experienced of a shooter and found the 340 to be more than acceptable.

I did find the link showing how to hold the snubbie on page 6 (I think) of this thread very helpful.

This was with the stock grips which my friend found to be less than ideal but that I had no trouble with.

Just wanted to say how happy I am with the 340.

 

[olav_a]

I just shot my M&P 340 for the first time.

I bought a box of American Eagle .38 special and a box of American eagle .367 mag 132 grain.

The .38 special wasn't too bad to shoot. I was shooting yards and hit the x on a B27 and consistently got in the 9 zone or better.

The .357 I only shot one round and put the box away. It's like using an aluminum baseball bat on fence post.

My friend tried the gun out and felt the same.

I picked up the .45 after that and it was a cake walk.

All-in-all I really like the gun though.

I'll be shooting it more in .38 and occasionally in .357 to get used to it.

 

[Storm]

I haven't shot my M&P 340 yet but really wonder if .357 is a good idea out of this gun. I just put a M638 Bodyguard on layaway and I'm wondering if I shouldn't loose the M&P 340. I have shot/owned a 642 plus P and find that to be more than adequate in all regards, so maybe the 340 can go. I like the night sight, but it's not really that big of a deal. Right now the only plus I'm seeing on the M&P 340 is that it's 1.7 ounces lighter. I could keep both, but then I already have a 2.5" 686 Plus for .357.

Thoughts?

 

[357Mag]

340 Work

Smith and Wesson called me today and said that they fixed the revolver by reseting the barrel. The guy said that the guy at the warranty service center was not up to speed and that they at the factory fixed it. The warranty service guy had recommeded that the factory replace the gun. Any thoughts on this? Should I take a brand new M and P 340 back that a warranty service center recommened be replaced.

 

[Dollar An Hour]

Until now I was carrying Speer SB 135 gr Gold Dots and of course practicing with a fair amount of 130 gr FMJ.

Today I hit the range with the .38 Gold Dots and some Remington .357 Golden Sabres. These are noticeably louder than the .38's, and do have a sharper recoil, but it is not unmanageable. 30 rounds in a session was enough though.

These rounds were plenty accurate and will be my new carry load.

 

[Dollar An Hour]

Should I take a brand new M and P 340 back that a warranty service center recommened be replaced.

357Mag - I'd take the factory at their word. If they say they fixed it, I'd believe them. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[DAdams]

Should I take a brand new M and P 340 back that a warranty service center recommened be replaced.

I would take it back. I would inspect it thoroughly, and make any notes and perhaps take photos for documentation purposes.

If you have subsequent issues again, S&W does pay shipping both ways and they have always made products right. I know it is frustrating to have to go through this..and frankly you shouldn't have to.

I suspect that if you have further issues (certainly hope not) they will probably replace it and I wouldn't doubt that if you are that disgruntled they would work something out to your satisfaction, maybe even refund your purchase price or workout a trade for a Night Guard???

 

[Saabman]

can I join the club?

Got a new S&W 360 38 special very close to your revolvers. I really like the little light weight , it shoots great!

 

[DAdams]

Saabman

Consider yourself a card carrying member. You are in.



Did you try a few .357 just for the hoot of it?

 

[J.R.W.]

In anticipation of some hand surgery, I thought I'd buy a .22 to kill some time at the range and practice shooting one handed. I ended up with a 340PD. After 300 rounds of 158gr .357 Magnum's, it is brutal. I put it away after today's session when I started bleeding and switched back to the Kimber Tactical Pro. It's sad when a .45 feels that mild.

 

[Simpleman04]

Im new as well and picked up my M&P 340 CT. The laser grips are awesome. I haven't shot it yet but I'm carrying my 158gr Hydra Shocks from my 686 and will hopefully shoot it soon. By the way, how many rounds to break it in?

 

[Marvin KNox]

Simpleman04

No break in is required. Just dry fire a lot as well as range work. That'll smooth out the trigger much quicker. I've dry fired mine thousands of times.

If you have a laser, you'll want to do that a lot at home anyway to learn trigger control. It really helps.

The strong double action portion starting at up to 18 pounds followed by the single action breakover at around 5-6 pounds takes a little getting used to.

Practice holding it steady while stroking through the entire trigger stroke. Some people even try balancing a coin on the barrel while stroking the trigger.

Snap caps are what I use. But some say it isn't necessary.

 

[Simpleman04]

thanks for the info. this morning I used my paint scale to weigh the gun without ammo and it came to 430 grams --15.1678 oz. Is the added weight really the lasergrips? Then loaded it came to 522.7 grams --18.4376 oz. any Idea's here. I thought it was supposed to weigh 13.3oz.

 

[Erik]

"Mine went down and is currently in the hands of S&W. It locked up on the range the other week. Very disconcerting. Time will tell what the official evaluation brings."

"Problem: The lock work is frozen. You can manipulate the cylinder release, allowing for a single trigger pull and cylinder rotation; then it is back to frozen. I've got approximately 800 rounds through it. A colleague of mine experienced the same thing approximately a year ago with a 642 with approximately 200 rounds through it. All in all, very disappointing, considering one of the selling points of such revolvers is their reliability in time of need."

Update:

My 340 was returned a few weeks ago in operable condition. The yoke had been replaced, a portion of it having chipped out near the retention screw. No comment one way or another except that the yoke had been replaced. Service was prompt and free of charge.

 

[tommyo]

Does the crimson trace grip on the 340 lessen felt recoil?

 

[Dollar An Hour]

Does the crimson trace grip on the 340 lessen felt recoil?

Yep... It's quite a bit bulkier than the standard Hogue Bantam grip, so it lessens felt recoil, and adds weight and bulk. Grip choice is all about trade-offs.

 

[tommyo]

I held one yesterday and it really didn't feel much bulkier, but I noticed the "air pocket" in the grip at the web of the hand. Also since I have "older" eyes the laser was a nice addition. Any idea how much weight they add. On the web site they have the same weight I believe.

 

[tommyo]

I just ordered mine! Ordered from Shooters of Jacksonville. Best price I could find thanks to this thread! Comes with the Crimson Trace grips. Can't wait to get it!

 

[ordinaryguy]

Thanks for the info overload!

Wow, I've been trying to decide between the 340PD and the M&P340, and googled reviews and got this thread, and hours later, I've just about decided on the M&P. What a lot of great info here. Just waiting to sell my Super Redhawk, then off to the store to order one. I have a 386Sc Mountain Lite, 3inch barrel, which I love, but am wanting a pocketable version. Thanks again, all of you, for this great resource!

 

[Simpleman04]

ordinaryguy

I'd get the M&P, oh wait I'd did. Shot it saturday for the first time and am very pleased. 158gr Hydrashocks are bearable, but range grade 38spl. is alot easier. By the way the 386 is my next gun, your in the right direction of scandium frames.

 

[DAdams]

Welcome

to all the new members. Happy New Year.

After over a year of pocket carry, my M&P 340 with CT 405 grips is still the first revolver I reach for. Mika Roundcut Pocket Holster is operationally very good and, while waiting for the Mika, get a DeSantis Nemesis to tide you over.

Hand strength is key for control and operation of these long heavy DAO snubs so don't forget to exercise.

For OWB carry you can't beat the price an delivery of a Blackhawk Speed Classic from Optics Planet. Although you may find something you like later for OWB the SC is a good place to start.

Don't forget your SGDFSB .38 Plus P or BB .38., and a couple packs of Bianchi Speedstrips.



Although you may not find the Hogue Mongrips a permanant carry solution if you have the time, for less than $20 they sure are fun when shooting those .357 loads. If you decide to OWB permanantly and decide to forgo the Crimson Trace grips they may be about ideal IMO.

 

[Storm]

I ended up trading away my M&P 340. I had bought an M368 Bodyguard and the M&P became redundant. I realized that I would never shoot .357 in the M&P so it really had nothing over my 368 other than being 1.7 ounces lighter and the night sight. Plus, the Bodyguard can be fired single action. While I shoot DA quite a bit I found the DA trigger of the M&P to be heavier than it needed to be and the Bodyguard's more in line with what I like. The M&P is a slick little gun, but with +P from the Bodyguard I see no need to subject myself to magnum loads from such a featherweight as the M&P.

 

[Shortbus]

M&P 340 Broke!

First, I am a newbie here. In looking for information on a S&W 340 M&P I found a lot of good info here as a lurker. Ended up getting one for Christmas and just got to shoot it for the first time yesterday. After reading about the recoil I started off with .38 specials. I fired three with no problem and it was quite comfortable. Then I loaded 3 110 grain .357's. Again, no problem although a bit more recoil. Finally I loaded it with 158 grain .357's and after the 3rd shot it quit working.

The trigger won't engage the hammer or spin the cylinder. The cylinder will free wheel in a counter clockwise rotation. The gun is not locked. It's just the opposite. The trigger will pull and the cylinder will turn but the gun won't fire. I did try locking and unlocking it to no avail.

Called the dealer I got it from and he told me I would have to deal directly with S&W. They are closed until Monday. He did tell me that he had never heard of the problem as I had described it to him.

Does anybody have any idea what may have happened? Anybody with any experience dealing with S&W's customer service?

Any imput would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.