A friend has a 340PD that he wants to sell. Original owner. Never fired. He thinks it's about ten years old. He has the box, etc. I'm thinking about it. Never thought I'd consider a gun with a lock, but here I am....just trying to help a brother out.

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'Merica!

I am pretty sure that can be bought without lock

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wayno

I own a 340M&P, very similar gun. light as a feather but with that said when you shoot mags out of that gun it will get your attention. They are designed IMHO to be carried a lot but not shot a lot at least with full power .357 rounds. I think most shoot +P .38 specials and that's what I carry in mine. In other words BUY IT. Especially if its lower than new price. look on Gunbroker to see what there going for and offer him the same. If you buy it and need a carry holster look at simply rugged holsters. I have 2 of them. the model with the belt slots and loops. So inside or outside waistband carry. post pics if you get it

They’re... fun

Don’t plan on shooting 100rds per session.

I have the 340 M&P and the PD. They are a handfull.
You Might consider getting some oversized replacement grips to help tame it down a bit. Low recoil ammo helps also. And lastly......practice, practice, practice..

What's the difference between the M&P and the PD?

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'Merica!

The gun I'm looking at looks pretty much like this one except it reads "Airlite PD" on the side and has more of a traditional red ramp front sight.

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'Merica!

I like mine for carry because it is so light and easy to carry in my pocket, I will have it when I need it. At the range, shooting 38 is ok, but 357 is no pleasure; but I practice frequently and shooting them will be a lot better than receiving them if I ever need it.

Attached Images

357 Mag SW Model 940 PD.jpg (56.0 KB, 76 views)

I had one, sold it, never should have! Idiot.
lbm

Near as I can tell the difference between the PD and the M&P is that the M&P has a stainless cylinder and the PD has a titanium cylinder. I have an M&P340 and love it. The issue I've heard of with the titanium cylinders is that the titanium gets eaten up if you fire bullets lighter than 120 grains which is not really a problem. Saw a rant on here a few years ago by the owner of one of the titanium guns who complained that after his instructor had fired a box of 110's through his pistol the front of the cylinder was pretty badly eroded. In his pics you could plainly see where it said on the barrel to use 120 grain or heavier bullets. Nice instructor. Obviously a lot of help for that guy. By the way, the airweights really don't recoil very badly. What they do is transmit the shock to your hand pretty efficiently. While it is unpleasant, the gun itself is NOT bucking around out of control making follow up shots difficult which I think is what a lot of guys envision. I notice in the pic above that there is no warning on that barrel. It looks like an earlier version so maybe they hadn't come with the warnings yet.

The gun I'm getting says nothing less than 120gr on the barrel.

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'Merica!

I’ve been carrying the PD for 12-13 years now - every day. It sits in a Mika pocket holster. While they are a handful to shoot, the lightweight, small size advantages far outweigh the negatives (felt recoil, long range accuracy).

I learned long ago to practice with 38’s and maybe a cylinder of 357 carry ammo which for me is Speer Gold Dot 158 g SB. I shoot mine with a CTC laser not only for the laser, but also the soft padding on the back side right where you need it.








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Pass it on.
Mark

The weight directly relates to the bullet length. The shorter bullets exit the cylinder while pressure/temperature is still high enough to erode the cylinder face..

There's some interesting info/photos in this old thread:
Disappointed with the 340 scandium

I've owned a 340Pd for almost 10 years and shot it ONCE with the factory 1-1/2 finger grips and 158gr magnum loads. If you want to know the sensation, smack your trigger finger with a ball peen hammer. Mine was purchased used for $450 after the previous owner bought it new and took it to the range!

It makes an excellent carry gun with .38 Special +P loads. If you can pick it up for less than $600, go for it!

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"I also cook."

My brother carries a 340PD as his EDC. He’s pretty stout, but he says you don’t want much of it with .357 loads. I believe him . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

If the Frame is Aluminum, it will have the clear coat and that has durability issues & the Ti Cyl. you have to clean with like something like M7 Pro, or the finish on that will come off and then the erosion comes in both the cylinder and the frame. Also, my 342 says jacketed ammo only because the recoil can unseat regular +p lead loads.
The 148gr Wadcutters, or the 110gr Hornady +p JHP Flex Tip are what I use. I changed my Front pinned sight to a lower one to hit with the 110-125gr loads.
Just watch what you clean the gun with and you will be ok if it's an Aluminum Frame & Ti Cylinder. Nice to carry & even with the 110gr +p not user friendly- .357 forget about it. No Ballistic advantage to .357 in a 2-3" barrel anyway- .38+p is better for or that role IMO.
If this is not a really good deal, then I would probably get a M&P Scandium Frame with a Stainless Steel Cylinder knowing what I know now.

I believe this is the scandium frame with titanium cylinder.

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'Merica!

FYI... I recently aquired a used 342Ti and use Rem Oil to clean the cylinder. Works just fine and looks better than when I bought it.

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Centennial Every Day

The original 340PD's had a Scandium frame with a titanium cylinder and a red insert front sight. About 11oz. As with any new gun there were people that used the wrong chemicals and damaged the Ti finish and sent the gun to S&W and I believe S&W put a stainless steel cylinder as a replacement for the Titanium.
On mine I have the Crimson Trace LG 405 grips and the little pocket at the backstrap helps with felt recoil. I have absolutely no problems shooting factory 38sp. loads 100 per session at distance 30'-150'. A week back a customer brought his 360PD with a stainless cylinder and big dot front sight. Even with the exposed backstrap the gun was no problem for either of us recoil wise.
We both felt mine with the ramp sight was a bit more accurate as the Big Dot is great for point shooting but at 25 yds. pretty much useless on a standard 50' bullseye target.
I carry Speer 135 gr, gold Dots and they shoot POI at 30'. Yes I have shot .357's and they are doable but followup shots are not that easy and what's the point anyway?
I have a lock and it does not bother me in the least. As a RSO I have seen hundreds of thousands of rounds fired from S&W's with the lock and never once a failure or problem of any kind. I would expect bullet jump to be the most probable problem but factory ammo or roll crimped handloads should never be of concern.

If you’re launching full house .357 Magnums outta these Ti/Sc pocket rockets, be advised that not all cartridges are created equal...

It’s called “jumping the crimp” and can lead to a jammed cylinder.

So far, I’ve found Winchester Silver Tips to be reliable.

I’ve found Speer Gold Dot to be unreliable and that’s before I put in the titanium cylinder.

^^^^what he said. I also have both PD and M&P versions. The M&P with it's steel cylinder can use the 110gr JHP magnum loads that recoil less than heavier bullet rounds. Unfortunately, the 110s are a no-no in the PD guns. Sad.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

I brought my new 340PD home today. I can't believe how light it feels, even compared to my 649 no dash. Pondering whether or not to get a plug and also wondering how to remove the rubber grips....

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'Merica!

Congratulations! Your Gona love it! Go pick up some short barrel GoldDots and carry it with confidence. No hard cleaning of the ti cylinder. As in use a nylon brush and Hoppes elite or Mpro7, I have Two of the 340s and wouldn't trade them for any other pocket carry option. The one is a 340PD and the other is a MP340 that I swapped in a ti cylinder. Love both of them and can't recommend these Airlites enough, just a whole lot of power in such a shoot able tiny package. Get out and shoot and the accuracy will come. Keep yer booger hooks away from the gap especially with magnum rounds though, they'll rip up your skin in a hurry.

I’ve had my no lock 340PD for about a year and nothing carries better in the pocket. I keep mine loaded w/+P b/c the magnum rounds are too much for accurate follow up shots. The no lock models are hard to find, I had to order mine from an FFL and wait for it to come in.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

I will be on the lookout for some of that. Thanks!

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'Merica!

I purchased a new M&P 340 about 2 years ago and sent it to Gemini Customs to turn the revolver into a two-tone (polished stainless cylinder and thumb piece) finish and have a complete action, point of aim sighting job done, along with having the cylinder cut for full moon clips. I added Spegel grips to it and it has been my everyday carry gun since I got it back from Gemini Customs. I shoot Critical Defense 38 specials out of it, since full power 357 loads are a bit rough to handle with the alloy frame.. The M&P is pictured with a new Sig 365.

Man those Spegals look just fabulous! I really just have to bite the bullet and get on the waiting list..I really like how high the grips go..all the way up.

Which do you like better for pocket carry, the M&P or Sig 365?

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

My buddy said he paid about $800 new for the 340PD about ten years ago. Is that about right?

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'Merica!

I’ve had the 340PD since they came out. Very light and very accurate, but you “know it” when shooting magnums.

****I’d say yes, I paid around that amount years ago.

With all due respect, to me shooting .357 Magnum ammo from an eleven ounce gun with a two-inch barrel smacks of masochism. And the operative word is "smacks".

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Oh well, what the hell.