IMHO snubbies of any flavor are not a beginner's or novice shooter's gun and especially not the Scandium guns. I have had an M&P 340 for many years. I've carried it quite a bit and shot it little. I recently put it up for sale and purchased a 649-2 that I like a lot better. Being all steel, it is far more comfortable to shoot. I liked the M&P 340 for coat pocket carry in the colder months. The scandium guns are nice for the weight factor but that's about it.