M&p 340

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I have a 340 M&P on layaway I'm picking up neat week and was wondering if anyone here is concerned about or has modified/removed the lock in their M&P? I ask as part of my wants to remove the lock and part of me wants to leave it in for warranty reasons. I didn't let the lock stop me from buying this gun as I liked i that much. In your opinions am I reading to much into the lock failure stories?
 
I'd guess S&W would tell you not to do it, and that it would affect coverage of the warranty.

That said, a guy on youtube (snubby4ever?) does a lock removal video. The lock is not integral to function, and after watching the vid, it doesn't look like it's difficult to remove, with proper screwdriver, paper clip, twisty tie, gunsmith mallet, tweezers, and a dental pick. I think that's it. (the saf-T lock is essentially a flat piece of metal with a wire/spring that obstructs movement of the action when engaged).

M203sniper posted a link, you may want to find him and ask.
 
Personally, I think the lock 'issues' are overblown. There have been problems, but not for the M&P340 AFAIK. See the S&W forum for the latest discussion of the problems.

FWIW--I've shot my M&P 340 approx. 2000 times now. The cartridges have been mostly reloads, and they include some that are up into the MAX 357 range--e.g., a 158-gr. LSWC running over 1100 fps. (That's too much, BTW, but that's another story.)

The point is, the lock has never twitched.

So, personally, I don't worry about it--but I am sure that were I to ever shoot in SD, a handgun with a removed 'safety device' (irrelevant though it may be) would be an issue to the investigating parties or to a wily liability lawyer.

Jim H.
 
but I am sure that were I to ever shoot in SD, a handgun with a removed 'safety device' (irrelevant though it may be) would be an issue to the investigating parties or to a wily liability lawyer.
Click to expand...

Took the words out of my mouth. There is a lawyer somewhere who'd love to argue that case!

I'd expect more chance of a failure by messin' with the dang thing than just leavin' it alone and not using it.

I'm not a fan of the lock myself, but still would trust this gun with my life, even with the lock.

Just my two pennies worth.......

Brian
 
CLP is one of my preferred cleaner-lubricants on Scandium-framed firearms. For the rest, I follow S&W's recommendations--i.e., the Hoppe's "Elite" Products.

For (lead) removal from the cylinder face, I do use the typical cloth deleader product. It does NOT remove the finish, but the finish remaind stained a lead gray.

For bore cleaning, I use the Hoppes product--saturation, soaking for awhile, then bore brushes overwhich a Chore Boy patch is wrapped. I do NOT use a drill for the bore--a rod and back-and-forth only.

However for chamber cleaning, I use the Chore Boy patch over a HD nylon Rifle (long) bore brush chucked into a battery-powered drill.

I've had the sideplate off once, to inspect the guts at about the 1000-rd. mark. (See this thread for the pictures)--no cleaning needed. FWIW, I tend to run my guns wet with CLP (but not in the cylinders or bores).

Jim H.
 
Well I got my 340M&P today and took her to the range I have to say leading up to this I was expecting something completely different then what I found. First this gun is very well built,tight lock up,great fit/finish and the trigger on (mine anyways) is smoooth it kinda reminds me of the trigger on my vintage K-frame model 15. The sight system on this thing is really cool as well,I love the XS big dot night sight up front and the gutter trench rear sight.

I must say I was really expecting this thing to hurt when I shot it. After reading all the internet horror stories about this gun's recoil and how painful it was to shoot .357's in. I was a bit surprised pleasantly I have to say but how well this gun shoots and its accurate for a snub nose revolver as well. The bullets when where I aimed it grouped nicely as well. I think the pachmayr grips on it helped a lot with felt recoil and for me,with the cargo shorts I wear they don't inhibit pocket carry/draw either.

Now on to my questions on ammo for this baby,The blazer was aluminum cased stuff and had some crimp jumping issues,it was the only .357 ammo the range had so I had no other to compare it to.

My questions are for those who have tested different .357 load in this gun which ones DON'T unseat themselves? I though this was problem only confined to PD models due to their titanium cylinders?

I have federal hydra shock 158gr,Remington 125gr golden sabers and Winchester white box 110gr personal protection ammo to try in it tomorrow. Of the ammo mention has anyone here with a 340M&P tested any? If so was there any crimp jump issues with any of the above mentioned ammo? Are Winchester silvertips any good for this gun? My price for this gun OTD was $650 is this a good price on one of these?

The guy at range thought said the Blazer ammo probably did this because its aluminum cased and not exactly the best jhp ammo there is. What do you guys think?
SW340MPpics008.gif
SW340MPpics009.gif
 
Glad

you like the 340 Megatron. Since recoil is such a subjective reaction, I'm glad you weren't negatively affected by the 340 and various roundage.

It's enjoyable trying different types, loads, and projectiles to see what works best for you, the shooter for the range and personal defense.

I did not have crimp jump with the Speer Gold Dot For Short Barrels 135 gr in
.357. I don't recall what other .357s I have tried (maybe two more) for sure Remington Green box and I had no crimp jump issues.

The P'myers look good.

Thanks for the report.
 
That's a Good Question

DAdams I forgot to ask you i disabled my gun's lock does this mean S&W won't work on my if it ever needs it? Or will they do it but at my cost?
Yesterday 08:01 PM
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I don't have the answer to that one.

If you disabled it so you could put it back to "factory condition", perhaps it would not be known, hence no harm no foul. If it is "irretrievably" modified I would suspect they would repair, but on your dime. Usually they cover shipping both ways on warranty items. Knowing that they are very liberal on covered repairs, lifetime to any owner, hence personally I wouldn't want to jeopardize that just to disable a lock in a revolver (M&P 340) that to my knowledge has no history of failing to fire due to inadvertant lock operation. Just my opinions which a portion of are not steeped in fact.
 
Felt Recoil

A few days ago I went to the range to compare the felt recoil from several different loads. I should note that I have the M&P340CT, which has the Crimson Trace LG-405 (with the recoil pad on the backstrap). I grip the gun as high as possible on the backstrap, with the web of my hand right at the top of the recoil pad.

Before I started shooting I tried to calculate the Free Recoil of each type based on the published (or chronographed) muzzle velocity, bullet weight and estimated powder charge (which I later verified by weight difference—with some surprising results). To determine the amount of powder in each round I weighed the starting round and then subtracted the mass of the spent brass and the mass of the bullet.

I considered the following ammunition (in order of calculated Free Recoil):

  • 38 Special, Remington UMC, 130gr MC, 5.87gr powder, 675 fps muzzle velocity (estimated), 4.7 ft-lbf recoil (calculated)
  • 38 Special, Fiocchi, 130gr FMJ, 6.67gr powder, 843 fps muzzle velocity (estimated), 7.08 ft-lbf recoil (calculated)
  • 38 Spl +P, Buffalo Bore 20B, 125gr L.V. Gold Dot, 8.31gr powder, 1050 fps muzzle velocity (estimate based on BB data & jfh chrono), 10.32 ft-lbf recoil (calculated)
  • 357 Magnum, Buffalo Bore 19E, 158gr JHP (Sierra), 8.58gr powder, 1015 fps muzzle velocity (chrono by Tim Sundles @ BB), 14.45 ft-lbf recoil (calculated)
  • 357 Magnum, Buffalo Bore 19E, 158gr Gold Dot, 9.13gr powder, 1015 fps muzzle velocity (chrono by Tim Sundles @ BB), 14.78 ft-lbf recoil (calculated)
  • 38 Spl +P, Buffalo Bore 20A, 158gr LSWCHP, 10.50gr powder, 1010 fps muzzle velocity (chrono by jfh), 15.49 ft-lbf recoil (calculated)
  • 357 Magnum, Remington UMC, 125gr JSP, 19.58gr powder, 1000 fps muzzle velocity (estimated), 15.76 ft-lbf recoil (calculated)
Unfortunately, I do not have any Speer 135gr Gold Dot Short Barrel in 38 Special, but the calculated free recoil is about 8 ft-lbf (based on chrono by jfh and my guess about powder weight) suggesting that it is lighter than the Buffalo Bore 20B.​

Also note for 19E with Gold Dot I only shot/weighed one round (I'm saving those for home defense in my 686-Plus), for 19E with JHP I weighed three rounds, for UMC 125gr JSP, I weighed 7 rounds. For all 38 Special I weighed 10 rounds. Numbers shown for powder weight are averages.​

Based on Felt Recoil I rank the rounds as follows:

  • 38 Special, Remington UMC, 130gr MC: as expected this was very light
  • 38 Special, Fiocchi, 130gr FMJ: I’d say this was slightly more recoil than UMC 38 Special, but still very light
  • 38 Spl +P, Buffalo Bore 20B, 125gr L.V. Gold Dot: This was significantly more than Fiocchi, but very controllable. Should be no problem for follow-up (i.e. the Quad-Five drill).
  • 38 Spl +P, Buffalo Bore 20A, 158gr LSWCHP: More recoil than 20B, but less than UMC 357 Magnum. Really not too bad. With a little practice I should be able to do the Quad-Five drill with two hands…not so sure with one hand, or weak hand.
  • 357 Magnum, Remington UMC, 125gr JSP: This was stout, noticeably greater recoil and report than Buffalo Bore 20A.
  • 357 Magnum, Buffalo Bore 19E, 158gr JHP or Gold Dot: I’d say that this is a little more than UMC 357 magnum, but pretty close. It is likely more than I want for M&P340.

Based on the calculated Free Recoil, the greatest recoil should have been the Remington UMC 357 Magnum followed closely by the Buffalo Bore 20A 38 Spl +P LSWCHP, with the Buffalo Bore 19E 357 Magnum third in line. This was not the case. Both .357 Magnum rounds had felt recoil that was significantly more than the Buffalo Bore 20A. The recoil of the two 357 magnums was very close, with the BB 19E having a slight edge. The recoil of the 357 magnum was definitely uncomfortable (i.e. somewhat painful) but did not have any lasting effects (no tingling, no numbness, no bruising, etc.). My 15-year old son shot the same rounds and concurs with my assessment (also note that this was his first time shooting a J-frame). That said, I think that shooting 50 rounds of either 357 magnum might cause some lasting tenderness, but there should be no problem shooting the standard pressure 38 Special all day. Either Buffalo Bore 38 Special +P should be OK for extended practice (assuming you can afford it). The 20A has enough recoil that it may cause some fatigue, but I’m fairly confident that I could shoot a lot of the 20B with no ill effects. I don’t know how I would feel about shooting without the benefit of the recoil pad on the LG-405.

A few words about the mass of powder in the rounds: I was surprised to find that the Buffalo Bore 20A (38 Spl +P) had more powder than the 19E (357 Mag), but I was really surprised to find that the UMC 357 Mag had more than double the powder of the 19E. This mass of powder in the UMC really skewed the calculated free recoil—I’m guessing that the bullet exits the barrel before all that powder is burned, which may really decrease the estimated muzzle velocity, and could also decrease the “effective” mass of the powder (assuming that the calculation should only count that portion of powder that burns before the bullet exits the barrel).

Hope somebody finds the information useful.

If anybody has any chronograph data on these rounds from a 340, I’d be interested in seeing the numbers.
 
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PA, that's some review you got there.
I haven't fully parsed it yet, but hope to soon.

Another question, since this version of the club
seems more active than the one on another campus.

I'm considering "trading in" my x42 for an m&p340
(assuming I can scrape up the cash; may take some months).

My x42 wears full sized Hogue Monogrips. Love it.
But then, I don't pocket carry, and value the extra control.
I know that would be true with .357 mag loads.)

So, to my question. Anybody know if the Hogue monogrips on my x42 will fit an m&p340,
or does the latter require a different model of Hogue's?
 
Nematocyst the hogue monogrips will fit the M&P 340 its a standard round butt J frame. In fact any grips for a round butt J frame will fit the M&P 340. I may try these myself one of these day right now I have the pachmayr compac grips on mine they handle very well,even when shooting .357's out of this 14oz snubby. I may go back to the stock boot grips as they accommodate deep concealment better. Although the recoil of .357's with these grips is quite stiff,but manageable.

Any grips that cover the gun's back strap will help recoil and control big time. With the pachmayr compacs I can easily get through a few boxs of even full power .357's but with the stock boot grips the gun came with can only get through a few cylinders and my groups open up a bit as well. However being I wear cargo shorts a lot with their deep wide cut pockets the pacmayr compac grips don't really hinder pocket carry of this gun for me.

I think a lot of people don't realize with a gun like the J frame revolvers grip matter and they do make a difference in control shooter comfort and control. Yes you give up a little bit in concealment but I believe its worth the trade off the for the control you gain.
 
Hey guys, new member here. Wow, it took awhile to read the whole M&P thread. Great stuff! I have been looking for the M&P with CT grips for awhile and can't find one. One guy " talked to said, S&W only makes these twice a year and if it's a hot item in high demand they will make more next time. Is this true? Does anyone know where i can find one? Ready to Buy! Thanks
 
Does anyone know where i can find one?
Click to expand...

Welcome to THR!

Occasionally, barely used models turn up on http://www.gunbroker.com when a new owner realizes the recoil is too much for them. Check the classifieds in your local papers, the buy/sell/trade found at the bottom of the main page of this forum, cruise the stores in your area, and google for guns for sale in your state to see if there are other internet resources you can use.
 
Thought

I would kick this back to a better position....especially with the thread...
less than impressed with lightweights getting such attention. :neener:
 
Love it

This is my favorite ccw. I have put about 300 rounds through it, no problems at all. The recoil is o.k. for me. In fact my wife likes it so much she now keeps it most of the time. I think I will need another.
I bought mine for $650. last year.
No fun at the range since it is accurate out to about 3 feet (lol). Maybe I should look at the crimson trace handgear. How does that effect concealability?
 
NO effect on concealability at all. You can get the stumpy set (surprisingly enjoyable for me even with a pinky dangling) or a set that fills the hand a bit more (I forget the CT model numbers). There is the SLIGHT chance is may effect holster fitment, but I just told Kramer I had a laser and they adjusted the mold to accommodate (just a couple millimeters' change near the top). On a side note, do some more work with your iron sights and consider a trigger job. With a lighter trigger, I can hit almost as well as my 4 inch bbl revolvers out to 10 yards. Master the sights and THEN graduate to the laser. ;)
 
another discussion about porting

Over in the 642 topic. It starts on page 133, post 3305.

At post 3316, there is a link to a PDF file that is apparently part of a revised 2009 S&W Catalog showing the latest Pro models.

Otherwise, just a bump--

Jim H.
 
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