I have seen a model 940 revolver, but was wondering if SW ever made a light weight or air weight 9mm revolver?

According to SCSW #3, they made one prototype 942 in 9mm and shipped it to Wiley Clapp. Lucky bum.

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"I also cook."

The only other 9mm S&W revolver I'm aware of is a Model 547 made from 1980 to 1985 and approximately 10,270 untis were made according to SCSW #3.

Some members of this forum have taken a 642 and installed a 9mm cylinder. They have reported favourable results.

I took a scandium j-frame and made a 13oz 9mm. It's perfect.

I had a Model 637 converted to 9mm by TK Custom. This is my daily carry gun.

after about 50 rounds in my 940, I am beginning to feel the recoil/ sting...maybe I am a wimp...but I do not long for an AirWeight 9mm revolver. but I don't carry either, at least not yet, so I do not have a problem with those that do long for one...

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Ed

Anyone converted a bigger gun to 9mm? Like a model 10?

Thanks,

dale

Could be, i have never heard of it, but the 547 gives you a K frame, and some were heavy barreled. Good heft.

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Ed

I think S&W perceives a lack of demand for larger frame 9mm revolvers. The competitive shooters are the ones who are screaming the loudest for 9mm moonclip revolvers, yet S&W does not seem to think we are a large enough market. They proved this by eliminating the 5" full lug 625 from the lineup. That particular revolver has always been adored by the USPSA shooters and is not too shabby in the field either. And the "typical" J Frame snubby has always been a .38 Special. Who would want a 9mm J Frame when you can buy a Glock 26 that holds over twice as many rounds? I'm one of the very few, and we "very few" don't move the marketplace very well.

Dave Sinko

+1 The 940 has more than enough recoil to satisfy me!

At least a couple of guys have converted K & L frames to 9mm. I'm sure they'll be around.

One thing I'm liking about my gun is the variety of ammo I can shoot in it now. Because it was rechambered to 9x23 (that's how Pinnacle High Performance does it) I can shoot 9mm, 9x21, 9x23, .38 Super, and still .38spl (all with moonclips). I have quite a bit of 9mm and .38 Super ammo and can load my 360 with either to back up whatever primary I choose to carry. Plus any surplus or foreign stuff I come across cheap can be used for practice.

I love my 940, it was my daily carry until I saw how much they were selling for. I now carry my Smith 649 38spl as my daily carry. As far a 9mm revolvers go Ruger also made the speed six in 9mm, but they to are going for pricy sums. I lucked out when I found my six.

thought I'd bring back this old thread and ask a question.......today at a local gun store they had a smith 649 with a 3 inch 9mm barrel,i assume a 940 cyl. bead blasted,no box,rubber grips..looked sweet,they were asking 649.00 for it and would take 500 otd.......what is a gun like that worth?

$500 OTD What's it worth? More than $500 IMO.
I'd snatch it up BUT have a look threw the cylinder with an eye loupe into the light looking for reamer marks..
If it has some deep ones it could still be a good one & just need the use of the cylinder hones to cure it..
That reminds me that I need to mail those 9mm cylinder hones out to another forum member who has just come into a 940..

That would be me
Thanks for the reminder sqhead!

thanks headknocker.........I've been reading about the 9mm conversion.This smith 649 had been rebarreled w/ a 9mm barrel.is that normal.?is it better than the 38 barrel it replaced? thet didn't know it was a 38 to 9mm conversion and I think the price may come down...guess i'll have to go back....funny part is i'll be receiving a 940-1 in a day or two from a forum member here.

Although they've already come down in price quite a bit, I think I'd try to get it lower. It's lost all of it's collectable value and, although ORIGINAL 3" 940's usually sell at a premium due their rarity, 3" Centennial's are impractical IMHO. My 2" 940 had a blown barrel and I purchased a .38 spl. barrel after giving up on finding a 2" SS 9mm barrel. Fortunately my G/S hadn't started on it when a forum member offered me one for sale in 9mm. It's a good little shooter, but will never be original. I would check to see if a 9mm shell will headspace in that cylinder. It might be my situation in reverse, where the previous owner wanted a 3" SS barrel in .38 but could only find one in 9mm as the bores are virtually the same . After all that, I'd probably buy it anyway

9mm Revolvers:

Can it be done - - - - YES

Has it been done - - - YES

Does it make a whole lot of sense to me - - - NO!

Other than an excuse to sell more guns, I really do not see the need. Putting Auto Pistol cartridges in a Revolver is just asking for a problem to happen.

The 9mm cartridge can do nothing that a Buffalo Bore or Gold Dot 38 Spl. can't and will not even do it as well. But hey, I guess it was a challenge and I'm sure there are guys out there who had to have one. Probably makes a great conversation piece, but I personally see little practical use of one.

You really have to admire the engineering of the extractor on the 949 revolvers....I will admit I did not enjoy having to hone the cylinder chambers on my 940...I tried them both, and both are gone, along with most all of my snubs, I only have a m60 and m66 left, plus my m15 snub, and my newly acquired Governor, but that is a small percentage of what used to be. I am no longer tempted. Very much...

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Ed

Given the relatively large number of moon clipped revolvers chambered for auto-loader cartridges (.45 ACP, .38 Super, .38/.357, 9mm) for which I've not heard of any "problems," you have me wondering what potential "problem" could happen.

One thing the 9mm (and other auto cartridges) can do that the .38 Spec (and other rimmed cartridges) is eject and reload faster and more positively.

I don't have a 9mm revolver.

But I do have (and shoot/compete regularly with) a M625 .45 ACP and M627 .357.

I use .38 Short Colt ammo exclusively in the M627 - the .38 Short Colt is virtually the same as the 9mm.

So, I can certainly see the usefulness of a revolver chambered for 9mm.

I've never quite understood the reluctance to accept moon clipped revolvers. If one values positive ejection and a speedy reload, moon clips are THE way to go. Speedloaders simply cannot compete.

As someone who just picked up a 929, there is only one practical use I see. Competition. I shoot 3-4 matches / month, usually steel with a Revolver and a Limited gun.

Until now the best Revolver for the games I play was a 627 8 shot with 38 Short Colt or Long Colt brass. Probably still a bit better than the 929 in some ways, but the 929 has one major advantage. Economy in reloading. No more sorting extra brass, keeping another type of bullet around, etc...

Id probably pick up a 9mm J Frame for the same reason. I already load too many types of ammo - a chance to reduce one is welcome.

I'm thoroughly familiar with 9mm semi autos, owning five and I carried a revolver for most of my LE career. At the risk of a bit of thread drift, what advantage does the 9mm revolver pose over the .38 Spl. revolver?

If using 38 Short Colt, wouldn't 9mm outperform by a wide margin? Maybe we're loading that way down too.

Case size and capacity is very similar.

Interesting, but I note that 9mm is a tapered case, especially strong near the rim (web).

While not tapered, the 38 Short Colt brass most competitive shooters run is also thick at the web. The Starline brass is essentially cut down .357 and capable of withstanding similar pressures.

Folks are not loading it to Blackpowder specs.

I'd be all over a 9mm Airweight/Scandium, 2X's. Come on Smith, do it.

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Sure you did

I have found one useful niche for my 940 with a change in my carry guns. My EDC has been a G33 for a long time, but I have recently started carrying my 19L (17 cut down to 19 grip frame size) in a Fricke Nehemiah IWB. Works great, easier to shoot, 15+ 1 and a 17 round spare mag. While I do not really enjoy shooting my 940 (and I'll pass on an airweight version, thank you VERY MUCH), even with the CT 405 grips, when I am traveling by air, I can simplify my logistics by using one type of ammo for both primary and BUG/fanny pack sidearms. It's a lot less of a gluteal discomfort than carrying the G33 and my 296 or 442, with ammo for both.

In addition, proven duty ammo for the 9mm is a lot more common and easier to validate than for a .38. Any performance difference in ammo performance is modest at best. Since I still find the 442 not much fun to shoot, there is no incentive to carry the 442 unless weight is critical.

I recently had the cylinder honed by Gary (headknocker) but circumstances have prevented a test session. It at least LOOKS like great work.

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NHI, 10-8.

federali,

most guys I have heard will tell you they like the 9mm revo for several reasons:

can extract and reload faster than speedloaders,

as much or more zip as +P 38s,

accessibility to 9mm ammo, for commonality if used as a back up,

abundance of cheap 9mm ammo,

the cool factor.