M&P 340 review and opinion

[sui-juris]

Just recently acquired a M&P Smith and Wesson 340. Has the XS night sight, scandium frame and SS cylinder.
The previous owner stated he had shot it a grand total of 2x before deciding to do a trade w/me. Upon getting it I originally had a set of large Hogue monogrips but felt that they were a little too big for concealment. So I went w/the Hogue bantam grips and have been very happy w/those.
I have only shot reloads to date w/this.
The break down is this-
125-.38 spl 158 gr-loaded close to max w/Clays.
15-.357 125 gr JHP loaded mid range w/H110.
50-.357 158 gr LSWC loaded on the light side w/Bullseye.

The .38 spl loads were very easy going, I could shoot all day w/those. Accuracy was decent and will be my target load for practice.

The H110 loads were quite brisk and powerful. I'm not shy about recoil, i used to own a Taurus .44 Mag tracker w/2.5 " barrel but the H110 loads were more violent than that gun w/factory 44 mag ammo. Ouch. Could only take about 15 rounds of punishment and I'll save the rest of those rounds for another gun. I was flinching quite a bit and learned quickly that no hot .357 rounds for me.

The 158 gr .357 loads were much more to my liking. Accurate and more powerful than a +p .38. Definately more like it. Will be carrying those.

Pros of the 340-
-Weight, 13.5 ozs approximate. You really do forget it's there.
-The XS trituim sight and the deep U notch make for really good sights on a snubby. No need for a laser in my eyes.
-The trigger pull was not that of the LCR's I've played w/but better than my old SP101, even w/the wolff springs i had put in it.
-I liked the option of shooting 357's and .38 rather than getting a 337 or 637 etc.
-Can pocket carry if I want too. Haven't tried yet but may.

Cons-
-I hate the look of that damn ILS zit on the side.
-The finish looks nice, but already I have one mark where it got scratched on the trigger guard.
-A little on the pricey end, not sure if the value was worth it. I could've gotten a LCR and used Security six and had best of both worlds..

But all in all, very happy w/this gun.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[can2boy]

had one but i traded it for 2 guns! shooting .357 out of lightweights was just too much for me. now i have sp101 and sig P250. happier days ahead....

[Big Larry]

Nice gun, I've been considering one. Everywhere I read people say the .357 is just plain nasty in it, and therefore carry .38 +p . That being said I have a LCR and I'm not too sure the .357 capability would justify the extra price for me.

[Quicksabre]

-A little on the pricey end, not sure if the value was worth it. I could've gotten a LCR and used Security six and had best of both worlds..

Since you mentioned it, what was the price?

Good data here, I'm considering a snubbie and think I might like the option of more ammo availability (.357) but then I read about how bad .357 beats you up in the ultra-lights...

[sui-juris]

Since you mentioned it, what was the price?

Good data here, I'm considering a snubbie and think I might like the option of more ammo availability (.357) but then I read about how bad .357 beats you up in the ultra-lights...

I traded a well used Sp101 3" and a used P345 for it.

Downloaded .357's are the way to go in my opinion. Stronger than +p and not so uncontrollable that you can't get a quick follow up shot.

[tdd78]

Nice review, thanks for the post. I have found the 340 M&P to be a very nice little revolver that I really enjoy carrying. I usually carry either 110 or 125 grain JHP, I think the recoil from those are very managable. I tried 158 grain .357 and I thought it was way too much for that snubbie. If the lighter grain .357still gives too much recoil for your liking, you can always put .38 +p. in it.

[jwhite75]

Love mine....great pocket gun. Pair of cargo shorts and a t-shirt with a speedloader and I am well armed.

[Patria Povo]

I love mine. Carry it in a pocket holster with a seed strip, whenever I have clothes on! Load with +P Gold Dot .38s - the magnum load looses energy from the short barrel and is unpleasant to shoot, IMO. I like the Crimson Trace grips - as much for the backstrap air pocket cushion as the sights themselves.

Best snubbie on the market, I say!

[ChuckAZ]

Just sold me a few weeks back.. I had the 340pd. I was at the range shooting 38 spl. I had about 30 rounds down range total in the gun 5 of them .357's. The gun jammed, trigger was stuck. After I fiddled with the gun lock key at home, it finally started to work again. Shot about 30 more rounds the next range trip and never had an issue. But it always stuck in the back of my mine how my gun just locked up..


I recommend reading how to take out the internal lock. I just didnt want to mess with it and went back to my HK as my main carry weapon.

[sui-juris]

edit

[harley2007]

Here's some pics of a couple of my boys trying out the 340.
They were shooting at a box about 7 yds away. They are shooting .38 spl wax wadcutter bullets, which have very little recoil and not terribly loud. The trigger is a bit heavy for them but they got a few hits.

Eye protection????? Ear protection (maybe it is there, cannot see it though)....had to be the first to say it!....but form looks ok!

[1gunsnowbird]

After nearly three miserable years of experimentation with just about every major brand of mouse gun .380s, I finally bit the bullet (so to speak) and bought a 340 PD Airlite Scandium. It weighs only 11 ounces empty and I don't CARE that it brutalizes my hand when I shoot a couple rounds of Double Tap bonded hollow points (125 grain I believe). The whole point is that the gun always goes bang and when I hit something with that round, it's going to pay attention and probably be down and out for the count. I hit it twice any where near center of mass, and it's all over.

That, my friends, is why we carry concealed weapons.

I don't think I'll EVER get rid of this gun. When I take my morning walks, this little revolver goes into a jacket pocket and I literally forget it's there.

[DIABLO9489]

I'm still waiting for mine to come in. It's been a while since I've ordered it.

[REVMAN]

Good review on this gun. Thanks for all the info. I also have been looking at this gun.

[GM]

Thanks for sharing!