M&p 340

[bad4dr]

Thanks, DAdams. And you're partially correct that the LEO Program is why I'm having to wait. There are several gun stores in my area, but only one offers LEO pricing on S&W and Glock. Through that program, I'm able to get the M&P 340 for $600 brand new. The same dealer has a civilian 340 for $779. It's worth it to me to wait and save $180. That's money I can use on ammo and a pocket holster No other dealers in the area can even ORDER the M&P 340; they say that it's unavailable from their supplier. This includes Bass Pro Shops and a military base BX, so I'm not dealing only with mom-and-pop stores. Also, no other dealers in the area will match the LEO pricing (strangely, not even the BX will match it). These factors, combined with the fact that a 340 is a WANT, not a NEED, tell me that it's in my best interest to play the waiting game. And to answer another of your points, I put money down on my order already, so I'm at the top of the list. The very next 340 that comes in under the LEO program is mine!

I've looked at some of the online retailers that have the 340 in stock. However, then I'd have to pay full price PLUS the FFL fees...thanks for the search though!

EDIT: The shootersjax site has it for $650. If I didn't already have the deposit at the local store, I might consider that. But in the end, I'd still pay about $100 more after their $35 FFL fee.

 

[DAdams]

These factors, combined with the fact that a 340 is a WANT, not a NEED, tell me that it's in my best interest to play the waiting game.

OK.

That's a great price and I would wait too.

If S&W would put the XS Dot night sight on a 340 PD I would probably buy one of those too. Lighter is better in my book when it comes to pocket carry and I run .38 spl plus P for carry so the recoil isn't a big factor for me.

And a .22 MAG would be fun.

Mine is never too far from reach and is still my primary J Frame Pocket Carry, although I have a couple of small semi-autos I carry when the situation dictates.

Here maybe these will keep you occupied.

 

[bad4dr]

Yes, they helped. But no, they didn't help That's a fine pistolero, my friend!

One of my first purchases when said gun DOES come in will be the Hogue monogrip. I've heard good things; since you have one, what's your take? As much as I like the CT grips, those are a little rich for my blood right now. I can get the Hogue for about $25, so those seem to be the way to go.

 

[racuda]

bad4dr, if they would give you back your deposit, wouldn't the FFL fee and the $50 higher cost be partially offset by not having to pay sales tax?

I bought mine from Shooters. It was a good (and fast) experience.

 

[DAdams]

bad

by all means put a set of Hogue Monogrips on the 340. Shooting .357s with those grips is just an amazing experience and like a trick on a stick. Note the target above was SpeerGDForShortBarrel .357. PN 23917.
I turned a couple of friends on to the revolver with those and they were amazed. They tame that 340 like no body's business with Plus P. And with .38 spl make it a pussycat.



I liked them so much I put a set on my 686.



Downside, none unless you plan to pocket carry, then they are somewhat limiting. Switch to Hogue Bantams in that case.

Here is IWB, Hogue Monogrips and Uncle Mike's el Cheapo Holster. Just experimenting with some alternate carrys a few years back.

 

[bad4dr]

Racuda, I would still have to pay sales tax because I live in Florida. Also, I've done all my gun business with this particular dealer and they've come to know me, so I'd prefer to keep it local. I like to support the local shops when I can.

DAdams, I do plan to pocket carry on occasion. I'll be sure to grab a set of Bantams as well. And be honest; .357s really aren't that bad through that gun, are they? Just like a 12-gauge won't REALLY pop your shoulder out of socket

 

[DAdams]

.357s really aren't that bad through that gun, are they?

It would be easy to be flippant and say no, but since felt recoil is such a personal thing I will defer that to your actual experience. It was not pleasant with the stock grips I can tell you that!! With the Monogrips and the Crimson Trace 405s things smoothed out and it was much more palatable. Again I have stayed with Plus P, but it is nice to know you can run any of the three rounds through it in a pinch. I refreshed my memory the other day with some Remington UMC .357 just to make sure I could still "man-up". Two cylinders were quite enough thank-you very much. A glutton for punishment I am not. I get enough of that with my Seecamp .380!!

 

[BillS340]

Ok, all you 340 MP owners, ive just read all 1332 posts on here AFTER i purchased one of these little lightweights , and you guys sure dont give me any warm and fuzzies on shooting .357 loads from these things, so why did i buy a .357 if it hurts shooting??

 

[jfh]

BillS340: Well, you ask an eminently fair question. Right now, the only reasonable answer is to say that the M&P 340 / 340PD is currently the only way to get a DAO lightweight with a Scandium frame.

As you may recall from your reading, one of the real advantages of the Scandium-framed guns is superior QC, finish, and arguably / possibly a better trigger OOB. Prior to buying mine, I researched the Scandium frame characteristics and decided the greater strength / potential longevity was a major factor for me. When I was at the store, comparing the Airweight series guns (38 Special) to the 340 guns showed the additional features (dot sight) and the better QC.

S&W appears to be opening up the scandium-framed market slightly with the addition of their cheaper 360 version (see about page 49, I think, for my comments on this 38-Special Scandium lightweight)--but it is SA/DA. But, my guess is that they will continue to niche-market the DAO as a 357 chambering. It keeps the price higher, obviously.

Jim H.

 

[BillS340]

Well JFH, if u were to use .357 rounds , do u have any recommendations on ammo to reduce the recoil???

 

[JoeShmoe]

Well JFH, if u were to use .357 rounds , do u have any recommendations on ammo to reduce the recoil???

I would start with the Hornady Critical Defense. I have found the recoil to be stout but manageable, and I'm shooting the lighter 340PD.

That being said, the primary reason I bought the 340PD was because it's the lightest available. Even if I were to forgo 357 ammo, and use the 38Spl Gold Dot Short Barrel, it would be worth it to me to have a lighter gun. By the way, those are very manageable. I should also mention that I'm using the CT LG405 lasergrip. The rubber cushion certainly helps.

 

[jfh]

For factory ammo, I have a hunch JoeShmoe is possibly on to something, e.g., the lower-weight bullet. I haven't looked at the Critical Defense 357 specs yet--but if they are doing something less than full-house 357 lightweight-bullet loads, it may be a good round. The only 'less-than-powerhouse" rounds I am aware of are the GDSB 357 135-gr. JHP round (about 970 fps), and IIRC, the Win 146-gr. Silvertip is not full-house. I've tried both--I find the Speer 357 'obnoxious,' and the Win 'too much.'

Personally, I have always found the "faster" recoil with lightweight bullets to be more obnoxious than the "fuller" recoil of the heavier bullets. That was true for me when my hand was not well-conditioned, and I still prefer the 158-gr. loads' slower recoil when it is conditioned.

If you are in to reloading, then it is a whole-nother-ballgame. I started building '357-light' ammo--and, using the criteria of doing two Old Fuff "quad fives" back-to-back before real discomfort, I found that a 158-gr. LSWC round with nominal ballistics of 900 fps from a lightweight 2" barrel to be about all I wanted to shoot. 900 fps with a 158-gr. bullet may be a bit of a sweet-spot ballistically for 2"-barrel revolvers. The LSWC-HP bullets by Speer and Hornady are hard-pressed to NOT lead up a barrel much above 900 fps, if one is inclined to use them and load carry ammo. OTOH, BHN-11-14 bullets shouldn't lead at all with the right powder--so one could load those up noticably higher.

One other variable here--i.e., comfort under recoil--is the grip type. Grips are intermittently discussed throughout this thread, and a real favorite tends to be that longer Hogue. See DAdams' pictures a couple of posts above this one. I'll agree--the longer grip of the Hogue makes it easier to shoot these short-barreled guns--it's the grip I used when I ran full-house 357 reloads (ca. 1120+ fps) through the 640. No real issues. FWIW, most of my short-barrel-reload testing was done with either the CT405 / boot or the CT305 (full-hand) grips.

However, I discovered that the S&W grip on the K-frame (Night Guard 386) was really super in how it fills my hand. This grip fills my hand better than any other grip I've tried; the Hogue provides the finger contact but doesn't quite fill my palm / hand well. That NG 386 grip is a S&W-logo'd Pachmayr 'Compac' grip. I ordered a Compac J-frame grip out (Midsouth has the best price); it just arrived. It feels every bit as good as the K-frame version: It covers the backstrap, and at least for me, The little-finger notch pushes my hand up into as high a hold as I can use on a SA/DA j-frame. I haven't shot it yet; it just arrived an hour ago, and I just put it on the 360 (see page 49). Another post may have some pics and a comparo with the NG 386.

The point is, I have little doubt the Compac grip would allow higher-test rounds to be shot. The trade off is, of course, a bigger lump in the pocket, and possibly more drag on the draw. Because it is soft, flex under recoil may impact accuracy--but it should be more-than-good-enough out to ten yards, I would think. It strikes me as the ideal grip for a j-frame NOT pocket-carried. It's the one I'll put on the 640 to try underarm carry with.

Now, if S&W would just build a 3" M&P 340 and do a 'Pro' version with their branded Pachmayr Compac, I'll have died and gone to heaven.

Jim H.

 

[DAdams]

BillS340

you guys sure dont give me any warm and fuzzies on shooting .357 loads from these things, so why did i buy a .357 if it hurts shooting??

Welcome to the fold and...
As I stated back in post 1303 and I belive much earlier...

In my mind (.357 capable) that ranks down the list to number 3 of why I have a 340.
1) Weight 2.5 ounces less than the X42 which in pocket carry is a big deal to me, but that's just me.
2) XS standard dot and night sights is IMO the best sighting system on a snub. Better than a blade, better than a light pipe.
3) .357 capable. (or if you will 100% of the genre, .38 spl, plus P and .357). Not 1/3 not 2/3 but 3/3.
That's alot of versatility.
4) Finish.

Heck if I were loaded with money I would buy a 340PD and have the XS sights put on. Lighter yet (12 ounces) and I would be running Plus P in it just like I do my M&P.

Again I bought the M&P 340 for the weight, XS sight system and stainless cylinder primarily.

BTW it only hurts for a little while... If you have to use it with .357 in a PD situation you won't notice it anyway.

I'm mostly going through life (carrying) these days with a 340 and a Seecamp .380. (you want to talk about a buster) I don't really have time at this point in my life to get in as deep (as I would like) as during my initial handgun personal defense research stage that I was in a few years back. Hence I let guys like Jim (JFH) do the gritty fun stuff and follow their lead.

Now, if S&W would just build a 3" M&P 340 and do a 'Pro' version with their branded Pachmayr Compac, I'll have died and gone to heaven.

See what I mean. What a great idea.

If you don't want the S&W M&P quality, night sights, warranty and a .357 might just as well look at the new line from S&W and Rugers (LCR). Less money, laser grips and Plus P.

I'm still going to get some Hornady PD .357 and wring it out though.

 

[jfh]

Some j-frame grip comparisons

1.

2.
The Compac grip makes a j-frame about 1/2" taller and about 3/8" longer. That's significant for (pants) pocket carry.

3.



At any rate, these pictures ought to give j-frame shooters, and the lightweight carry-ers in general, some sense of how the shape and size of aftermarket grips can differ. It'll be awhile before I get to the (outdoor) range, as we are now heading into our springtime breakup on the road. As a result, I'll have to post impressions of the effects of these two grip types. One thing for sure: these two grips, with their over-the-backstrap cover, will fit people with bigger hands better.

FWIW, these were taken with a Nikon D80 using the on-camera flash and a slave unit located at about 4:00, 45-degree high. I did tweak them more than usual to get good contrast on the grips.

Jim H.

 

[bad4dr]

You guys are making me anxious to get my 340!

 

[joe_security]

Those Compacs have been taming J-frame recoil for the last 30 years.

 

[DAdams]

This item arrived today and it is of very nice quality and well constructed for the intended purpose.

When lying out in the open, you can't see the rounds so you really don't know what it is without opening it.

You can set the Speedstrip up in the jt1 2x2 format leaving the two center rounds in the case if you need to come back for them later. Or all 6 can be inserted in the strip.

Accomodates .38spl, plus P and .357 Magnum rounds.

Price was right, although the shipping at almost $10 (should be 5) was onerous.

The design is effective. Molded leather to fit the rounds and keep them secure. No sloshing around, no noise. Heavy duty snap which can be opened quietly and it surprisingly small with a 3.125 X 2 X .50 inch pocket footprint. The photo is almost actual size.




I'll give the Speedstrip Wallet a 5 out of 5...and definitely would recommend it to a friend. Beats the heck out of carrying a loose Speedstrip getting all tangled with other EDC goods.

I have no affiliation with Dillion or IHL.

 

[NateMO]

Decisions Decisions

This is my first post on a gun forum, so here it goes. I'm trying to decide on a revolver for CCW:banghead:. A LEO friend of mine let me shoot his 340 and I loved it, but it's pricey. The recoil on the .357 was significant, but I only fired a few rounds so no problem, and the .38 was very manageable. not sure what the load was on either. The hardest part was getting used to the long trigger pull, I wanted to anticipate the shot. (I'm used to firing semi-autos. Glock 22 was my first gun which I inherited from my LEO buddy and my carry is a Glock 27. Both good guns, but I'm getting into this a little more and looking for some more options.) You have any advice for picking out a good revolver at a gun shop/range. Just what feels right at the time while shooting and good in the hand or is there a better method? Also, what is the best way to break the anticipation of the shot habit? Just practice or focus or what? You guys have an expansive forum here so I was hoping you could either direct me to a good prior post or give me some good pointers. Based off of my limited search so far, I'm looking at the MP340, SP101, and the LCR. I want a good accurate shooter and a good carry gun so these seem like the best options. thanks and I'll keep reading.

 

[jfh]

Nate: like you, I reviewed the criteria carefully. However, I took the advice of two friends--one a gunny with a carry permit for three years before I got mine the second time, the other a local cop--both who told me: "if you plan to carry, then plan to carry all the time it is legal to do so--and to do that, get the lightest gun you feel comfortable shooting with practice.

That lead me to the lightweights; reading in forums like these lead me to pocket carry, and that lead, eventually to the M&P340.

Jim H.

 

[JoeShmoe]

This is my first post on a gun forum, so here it goes. I'm trying to decide on a revolver for CCW:banghead:. A LEO friend of mine let me shoot his 340 and I loved it, but it's pricey. The recoil on the .357 was significant, but I only fired a few rounds so no problem, and the .38 was very manageable. not sure what the load was on either. The hardest part was getting used to the long trigger pull, I wanted to anticipate the shot. (I'm used to firing semi-autos. Glock 22 was my first gun which I inherited from my LEO buddy and my carry is a Glock 27. Both good guns, but I'm getting into this a little more and looking for some more options.) You have any advice for picking out a good revolver at a gun shop/range. Just what feels right at the time while shooting and good in the hand or is there a better method? Also, what is the best way to break the anticipation of the shot habit? Just practice or focus or what? You guys have an expansive forum here so I was hoping you could either direct me to a good prior post or give me some good pointers. Based off of my limited search so far, I'm looking at the MP340, SP101, and the LCR. I want a good accurate shooter and a good carry gun so these seem like the best options. thanks and I'll keep reading.

An M&P 340, or 340PD, may be pricey, but a semi-auto of similar size, that works, is pricey also. I have a Kel-Tec P11 which is similar in size and weight to my 340PD. The 340 works, the Kel-Tec, not so much. I was shooting my Kel-Tec today, and it jammed up so tight, I cannot move the slide. I'm going to have to send it to the factory. I've had numerous FTFs and just don't trust it.

A reliable, small, autoloader is going to be close to the cost of a 340.

 

[bad4dr]

Okay, I just got a call from the dealer. They got an M&P 340 in today, and it has the CT 405 grips on it from the factory. Asking price is $819. I'm gonna go look at it today; is that a good price? I was hoping for the plain one, but this is the first one they've gotten in months, and they ordered it almost a year ago!! I'll be moving in a month, so this may be my only chance to get one through this dealer at the LEO price.

For those in the know, is $819 a good price for a CT 340?

Edit: I hope so, because it followed me home

 

[bad4dr]

Still haven't made it to the range with my new 340 yet, but I will soon. I snagged a box of God Dot .38 +p, and I'd like to bring along my friend and his GP100 (as he usually has both .38 Special and .357 Mag) so I can try all my caliber options. Pics and range report soon!

 

[BillS340]

Bad4dr , thats an excellent price i paid $965 for mine at cabela, supposedly on sale but cabelas isnt known to be cheap, but it was in stock and i didnt have to wait for it either

 

[DAdams]

bad4dr congratulations on the new family member.

For those in the know, is $819 a good price for a CT 340?

Edit: I hope so, because it followed me home

FWIW I paid $779 340 with CT405s including shipping when they first came out two years ago, Based on todays prices you did well.

Good move.

 

[bad4dr]

Thanks! I went to the NW FL gun show today and picked up two Bianchi speed strips to go along with my new (and first ever) snubbie. I think tomorrow I'm gonna take this girl out and see if she can dance!