S&W 340PD--Comments

[usnavymasterchief]

I own an S&W 340PD (.357 Magnum) it is a fantastically light, easy to carry, dam hard to shoot well, very expensive CCW piece WITH FAULTS!!!
I have carried mine every day for about a year, it has about 1000 hurtful full power Cor-Bon 125gr .357's run thru her.
I am one fussy SOB when it comes to my handguns, I keep them surgically clean and properly lubricated.
Now for the 340PD's faults. We all know that the Scandium Airlights in .357 are bear to shoot, so we won't beleager that point. My primary complaint is with the black "PD" finish, keep in mind this gun is less than a year old, it was a Christmas gift last year. I carry the gun in a soft Uncle Mikes IWB or Pocket Holster, in less than a year, it shows wear on almost every sharp corner. It scratches easily and scratches really show thru the black finish. The barrel has turned a different shade of black from the rest of the gun, presumably from the heat generated by the .357's. The side plate is beginning to show a different shade of black also as time goes by. If you hold the gun muzzle up when clearing spent brass, the cylinder rubs against the frame leaving an ugly white metal spot. The titanium cylinder is beginning to discolor also, presumably from heat.
For a gun with an MSRP of over $800.00, that finish should not look as bad as it does after 11 months of relatively gentle carry.
I love the little gun for all the right reasons and I have mastered her sharp recoil BUT as I said earlier, I'm one fussy SOB when it comes to expensive guns and I am totally disappointed in the black PD finish as it looks today after less than a year.
Anyone else experienced similar problems? I haven't written to S&W about this yet, I'm almost certain that they will say the wear is my fault, not theirs but believe me when I say I have taken really good care of this little gun. Maybe I'm a little too fussy, who knows? My only regret is that I bought black instead of matte stainless.

 

[JCM298]

340

usnavymasterchief,

I have the 340SC, which is the silver colored version of your gun. I looked at the PD but the two I saw didn't impress me but that's personal choice.

You named the good points of the type. I've had mine since February and have noticed wear spots on both sides of the frame at the point where the barrel screws in. I carry mine in either an Uncle Mike's pocket holster or a Wild Bill's Covert Carry IWB. It is carried 7 days a week.

I considered having Robar put NP3 on mine but Smith said they do not recommend and coating on the Sc/Ti's. Robar's price quote was also much higher than I expected.

Check the S&W Forum and see what is said there, although I haven't seen too much about it.

By the way, I put a set of the new-style Crimson Trace grips on mine and they help tame recoil and don't really create a problem with carrying it,

John

 

[E=MC^2]

Wow, it seems nearly every fault you mentioned deal with cosmetics. This seems strange considering you purchased the version with the subdued "PD"(personal defense) finish that is primarily designed to be less visible to human eyes.

I have carried these PD versions for around 3 years now. My current model is the 340PD. Previously it was the 342PD. I can tell you they wear no faster than a blued carbon-steel model under the same carry conditions. Also, the same complaint is said about firearms with half the MSRP($400). "A gun costing $400 shouldn't wear this fast". I guess I could say the same of my Colt Gunsite 1911 that lists for around twice that of the 340PD. It's finish wore very quickly when compared to my 340.

I don't know what examples of anodized titanium and scandium-alloy you've came across that resist wear better than these S&W's. I've seen tons of NHRA racing parts made of both metels that aren't finished half as well.

Considering they are anodized finishes, I'd say they're probably the best you'll find. When you write S&W make sure you include examples of titanium and scandium-alloyed anodized products that they could take lessons from.

This is an anodizing process. I doubt there's few people that think anodizing is a permanent finish. It seems more like common knowledge that it's not.

Jewelry is for show, while a CCW firearm is for work. It's not designed to be veiwed frequently by others. Some say it should never be.

"Fear the man with the well-worn revolver. He probably knows how to use it."

 

[44]

I carry a 340PD in a Kramer pocket holster. The finish is wearing about as fast as my 442 did. Not too bad. I used to touch up the 442 with aluminum blackener. Haven't tried it on the 340 yet.

I shoot the full-power Federal 357B in mine. Dreadful recoil, but I'll never go back to the 38 Special.

 

[goober]

I was reading this thread and have nothing to add regarding the wear and tear on your revolver. I have a question regarding the S&W Model 329PD.

Your comments regarding the discomfort (for lack of a better term) involved in shooting a featherlite .357 magnum makes me worry to think about shooting the .44 magnum. A review in On Target didn't make it sound terrible, but I am wondering if any of you have shot the 329PD.

For those not in the know, the 329PD is a 4" barrel Scandium/Titanium AirLite model from S&W in .44 magnum.

Greg

 

[Albert Shear]

I carry a 329PD as a belt gun now and two 340(one in each pocket) as backups. In the 340 I found Federal 130gr Personal Defense 357mag HydraShok somewhat easy to shhot and very accurate with no bullet pulling. In the 329 I use 44 special Speer Goldots, 200gr.
PS-the retail on the 340 is now around $600-620.

 

[usnavymasterchief]

Hi ALBERT SHEAR, Man you either live or work in a high crime area to carry that much fire-power around. You are right on as far as the retail price goes, BUT if you check out S&W's literature and the price tag on the guns case, you will see that S&W has placed an MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price) of $822.00 on the little jewel. My point is a simple one. That being, if a manufacturer produces a piece to sell for $822.00 then there should be some durability engineered into the product if they intend to market it for a high price.
I have a 40 year old Colt Detective Special, nickle plated, that shows no wear what-so-ever. Also, I have a 3 year old cheap ($299.00) Taurus Model 605 that has been carried a lot that shows no wear. Then there is my old blued Ruger Security Six that used to be a Troopers belt gun for years that is still good as new. Why can't S&W meet or exceed the much less expensive competition?
One doesn't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out why S&W almost went "Tits Up". I try to buy American made products when I can but unfortunately the Europeans are producing a better product for less money, why is that?

 

[Albert Shear]

Yup, I run one of the largest pawn shops in VA. Cash,guns&jewelry.
MSRP is just a fictitious amount provided by the manufacturer so the retailer can sell below and tell customers they saved. All manuf. do it for everything from cars to electronics.