.357s in your 340 pd?

[jayoh]

I have a 340 pd hiviz, I carry fp.38s in mine. Does anybody carry .357s in theirs? I do when Im in bear country, but thats about it. A little bit dangerous to carry on the street I think, let alone the control issues on getting quick .357 shots off out of a 12 oz. gun.

Ive also heard of the 4x.38/1x.357 setup. I dont think that means a lot. It seems more like a novelty or something cool to tell your friends about.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[NY27]

I got rid of my 340 because I couldn't get my head around having an internal lock. I have shot mags through it and it was not fun. In the heat of the moment in a combat situation I don't think that the massive recoil would bother you. If you are getting good COM hits than go for it.

Before trading it I had downgraded from the mags to .38 135 gr +p Speer GDs. This is a good defensive load as well and will allow better follow up shots.

If you really want to carry mags you could get larger grips also.

Good luck.

[kpw]

I thought about buying one to replace my .38 with. After I got the chance to shoot one, I changed my mind. My snubbie is my one hand, weak hand gun and that gun turned me into a wimp after a cylinder full.

[SIXTO]

I'm not sure why one would pay the premium for a 357 if they are not going to use it.

[SelfDefense]

I have a SW 340 and carry .357s. I regularly practice with the .38SP +P, with a couple of cylinders of .357.

I don't know about the 4/.38 - 1/.357 carry, but I did that at the range once and while I could tell the difference the .357 magnum wasn't the horrendous experience that some people have.

[surprise]

I carry .357 and practice with both calibers.

[stmcelroy]

So far all I have been firing through mine is Winchester 145gr Silvertips, but I am considering changing to something else soon. I've been looking at the Speer Gold Dot 135gr load and the Double Tap 125gr Gold Dot loads.

I'm not sure why one would pay the premium for a 357 if they are not going to use it.

Maybe because S&W doesn't sell a scadnium .38special anymore?

I only paid $500 for a lightly used 340PD, so it was worth it for me. Now i'm not sure I could pay $700 for the same gun new.

[Coach]

I'm a 2 then 3 guy.
2 Corbon DPX 38+P's for a fast double tap.
Speaking of Double Tap, the last 3 are their 38+P.
I've been comfortable for many years
with either a 640 (38) or a 442.
I bought the 340 PD for the lower pocket weight.
The DPX +P's allow me to get 2 shots off quickly
and the Double Tap velocity/energy numbers
are very impressive. (1100/330 from a 2 inch).
I also do 2 +3 in the 640.
First 2 are Buffalo Bore standard pressure 158's
followed by Buffalo Bore 158 +P's.
Same reasoning as the way I load the 340.

coach

[PShooter]

I carry .357s and practice with .38s and two or more cylinders of
.357s, depending how my wrist is feeling on that particular day. It is
similar but harsher than my 629 Mountain Gun with full power loads. Some days it seems doable and some days I just put it down and go for another hogleg. I could go either way on carry ammo. I think I can shoot +P .38s twice as fast as the .357s, but I like the thought of the terminal effectiveness of the .357. I figure it is a up close and in your chest weapon that, once emptied, I'm hauling butt anyhow, so, .357 is comforting, especially if I'm not carrying a reload at the time.

[Gideon]

Can't imagine a .357 in such a light gun! I've considered buying a 640 (looks just like the 642) so I could carry .357's in a heavier package (23 oz) but I'm not sure how that would feel! I've shot some strong .38's out of my 642 that hurt but I do like the idea of .357 in an up close gun with only 5 shots so long as you can achieve COM.

Anyone have, shot a 640?

Anyway, the 340 sure is a good looking weapon!

[S.D.]

I only carry .357 in mine when I am deer and elk hunting or backpacking (black bears around here). Otherwise, around town I carry .38+p+. Its really not to too hard with follow up shots. Its a great BUG though.

[jayoh]

I only carry the power in the wild. Im too worried about a round going through the zombie and into gramma. Ill tell you what too, .357 through 14.1 ounces (when loaded with 357s) is a mother. Unless you're just really into the light carry weight, get the 642.

I second though. The best BUG around. Thats why I got it.

[edw8ri]

I don't use .357's. The recoil is too great. I'd rather have a fast second shot of hot .38. Although it must be said that if you shoot something with a .357, it stays shot.

[pogo2]

I have noticed that very small revolvers firing very hot ammunition, like the S&W 340 firing .357 magnums, have a tendency to jump quite high on the recoil. Bringing the gun back down to the target is very time consuming compared to heavier guns. I have never timed this, but I would think that a double tap would be quite slow on such a gun.

Often it is important to get off several shots quickly in a defensive situation. Your first shot might miss, or not have the desired effect. Or you could be facing two assailants. I think you might be at a big disadvantage with the small .357 magnum under those conditions. I'd rather have a heavier gun and/or lighter ammunition so that I could deliver several accurate shots in quick succession.

[jamz]

I was scared of the recoil too, at first, but really like the light weight of this gun. I bought it after I found a REALLY good deal on a new one. With larger grips, .357 is quite doable, and I'd consider it reasonable to shoot and carry.

I have a little 5x5x5x5 rule though, 5 shots in 5 seconds in a 5 " diameter circle at 5 yards, and I can do this with 135 grain .38 +p, but can't quite get there with .357 rounds due to the movement of the gun. Thus, I carry .38+p.

I like a few things about this gun though that made it worth the extra $150 or so over a 642, for me:

1. the lighter weight
2. the thought that it's really a "state of the art" product
3. the replaceable front sight
4. the color.