S&W 9mm - 547 and 940 ?

[valnar]

I'm interested in getting one of these, only because I have a couple 9mm autos, so it would go well. It also would be a great stopper between the .38sp and .357.

Is there any difference between them other than one is blued and the other stainless?

Was there a particular technical reason Smith & Wesson discontinued these models, or was it just sales?

Any problems with them? Which one is best to buy used (assuming they are a different make)?

-Robert

 

[Tamara]

Is there any difference between them other than one is blued and the other stainless?

Yes, there is. One is a K-frame and the other is a J-frame.

 

[BigG]

S&W Model 940:

 

[Billy Sparks]

The 940 uses moon clips where as the 547 uses a funky extractor star setup. The 940 comes in 2 1/8" and 3" barrels where are the 547 comes in 3" and 4 " barrel lengths. The 940 is DAO where the 547 is not.

 

[Brian Williams]

I have a 940 it is the little small stainless revolver in the upper middle of this picture and it is hammerless and a 5 shot. It can be used with or without the moonclips for it, but without you have to poke a stick in the cylinder to get the fired round out or have very good fingernails. The 547 looks very much like the blue revolver in the lower left of the picture and it is a K frame with an ejector star with little fingers that fit in the recess of the rim of the 9mm. No moonclips are needed with the 547. They have become a bit of a collectors item lately.

 

[valnar]

Nice pix. It looks like I want the 547. Thanks.

Why did they discontinue them?

-Robert

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Smith discontinued the 547 for the simple reason that it was a commercial flop. It came out at around the same time as all the wondernines.

M547s are cool but even S&W no longer has spare parts for the extractor setup. So, if it breaks you are pretty much out of luck.

 

[bubbygator]

It is interesting the the S&W site still uses a photo of that "funky" extractor as one of several rotating on it's home page. IMO it was a terrific piece of engineering.

 

[BigG]

Bubbygator: I don't think that is a 547 Extractor. Looks like a 45 ACP with full moon clips. The 547 had a larger center piece (ratchet) with individual spring fingers that engaged each ctg rim.

 

[bubbygator]

Oops, your right. I can read the .45 now... & the 547 protrusions are copper-colored. Here's the right pic (due to GLL on the S&W forum) that shows the little extractor tip thats slides out to catch in the auto cartridge recess.

 

[Tamara]

Nice pix. It looks like I want the 547. Thanks.

Why did they discontinue them?

Because not enough people bought them to make them profitable.

Like many cool guns, if all the folks that say on the 'net "I wish they hadn't discontinued the (547/940/Delta Elite/Whatever)" had actually bought one, then they probably wouldn't be discontinued...

 

[BigG]

Why discontinued?

The Model 547 was built in hopes of winning a French contract - where have we heard that before? (P35) - but lost to a native French design which became known as the Manurhin .357, IIRC. The extractor was a part of the French specs. The Model 547s produced were sold out on the open market and never made as a standard item, to my knowledge.