Smith Wesson 340pd and the M&P 340 357mag

[slabside2]

Where are they? I've check all the gun auction sites, gun shops and even did the WTB on forums and there's NONE to be found. Did smith stop making them or are they in such great demand? I found a couple but they are beat to death or the prices are crazy. Lots of 642,638,637
Mike

 

[kaaskop49]

Mike, same out here in the Vegas valley. The .38 Js are here but at what I consider inflated prices: $550-ish. Perhaps i'm unrealistic on this. But NO scandiums. My LGS last had one in June. Anxious to hear the skinny.

 

[Fred_Ziffel]

340PD

I bought a used 340PD in July. That is all I have ever seen.

Kent

 

[slabside2]

Wow! and I keep reading how most guys don't care for them. With the titanium cylender limiting what ammo you can shoot and guys saying shooting one is like getting hit in the hand with baseball bat and the cost of one you would think you would see more new or used out there. Oh well. Thanks for the replays.
Mike

 

[Autococker07]

I wonder if they get shot then thrown in a deep body of water LOL


I have noticed the same down here... had a buddy who bought a 360PD, and traded it in for $500 towards another pistol 1 week later.... I could have strangled him!!! I would love a scan/ti one around $500, but I can't get on board the $650-$700 for a used gun..... dunno why.... they certainly are not around in great quantity though.....

 

[bonjorno2]

i just traded for one, and they are out there just hard to find... My little trick to finding used guns is riverofguns.com

also try the 360 on gunbroker. Same frame just with a hammer. Have it bobbed if you wish and call it a day. they are sub 500 new.

I found a glock rtf2 on there brand new for a decent price. Just don't tell everyone about that site!

 

[deltabowhunter]

My dad picked a brand new 340 CT in .357 up this morning at the local gun show. It was brand new for $1000 OTD. He'd been looking for one for almost a year now. As an alternative I've seen several Ruger LCR .357 models for sale in the last few months.

 

[MP1]

Try looking for a S&W 360SS.... Scadium frame with the stainless cylinder in 357 mag.

 

[David Sinko]

I used to hate them too but then I discovered the dirty little secret: you don't NEED to shoot .357 Magnum ammo in these revolvers. Heavy .38 Special loads perform just fine out of 2" barrels. I have not fired a single round of .357 Magnum in my 340PD and I have no intentions of ever doing so. But if nothing else is available I at least have the option of using .357 Magnum. This way my hand stays uninjured and the gun stays out of the river.

Dave Sinko

 

[slabside2]

Bonjorno thank you for the link. I always here bad things about Armslist.
People getting ripped off. Gunbroker over the years has be great. Under 5 feedbacks I walk away.
Mike

 

[mclark202]

I've had my 340 M&P for a few years now and love it. It gets pocket carried regularly.

 

[Infidel_319]

Had one about a year ago, got it on GunBroker, shot it once and sold it. Recoil is truly hideous. Have a 940 9mm now and love it. Roughly same bullet weight and velocity out of a snub nose anyway. I've been shooting handguns since I was five and am not recoil sensitive, hated that gun.

 

[texasgreg]

I found one lightly used at an Austin Gun Shop this summer after looking 2 years for one. It looked like it had not had many rounds through it and was at a decent price. I agree with the others, it's great with anything up to 38+p. Although I could use a M642, several extra ounces does make a big difference when being carried on the ankle.

I use gun broker and have not had any issues there. I have not seen any of these on GB in a while.

 

[DR DICK]

I talked to a guy at S&W about the same subject ,he said the chimneys were running full blast .after that he had no idea were they are.
Ive got mine nib for less than 7 340 MP and i am keeping this one,I don't like the titianium cyl.On the front of the charging tubes,or cyl to hard to clean.Unless you a lathe then you just take .004 of the front all done ,maybe a .002 endshake bearing !

 

[Mister_Smith]

Where are all the 340's? I've got 'em, I got 'em ALL. I'm an evil single dude whose only goal in life is to buy up every last 340 in existence :-D

Hmmnnn... I have two brand new in the box 340PD's no lock, one has cosmetic defects and I intend to return it to Smith & Wesson for a refund, and I just bought another to replace it because the one with defects was a REPLACEMENT FROM Smith & Wesson to replace the first one with cosmetic flaws but the third one to replace the second one with cosmetic defects which was to replace the first one with severe cosmetic defects, has a defect.

I then bought a third one to replace the second one, and it has a CANTED (crooked barrel), so now I'm frustrated.

I most likely will send both back to Smith but desire to have one fixed and returned to me, not sure which is easier for them to fix, a crooked barrel or replace a crane on the second one.

I also have two NIB 340 M&P's, and one 340 M&P that has had ONE, yes ONE shot through it then I woke up and realized I just shot a NIB gun when I had two shooters.

I shot the NIB gun because it had crimson trace factory grips and I wanted to see how they felt.

I should say this, I have nine or ten 340's, some NIB.

The story goes like this, I bought one 340 M&P and it has a tiny sized hold in the frame near the side plate. The hole is the size of the eye of a needle. Also the area under the barrel, the front of the frame, it looks like somebody goofed big time with a file and the contours are way off. I was going to send it back to Smith but could not bear to be without it, so I bought a second and third at the same time.

The second has three tiny pits, pot holes in the front of the cylinder and an over punch on a barrel shroud pin, marring the shroud. I wanted to send this back to Smith for a new cylinder and shroud.

The third has a "double crown", does anyone know what I mean? Don't feel like explaining it now. I wanted to send this back too.

A fourth one came along, used, and I bought this 340 M&P in person, not online, when I bought it I examined it closely. Sadly when I got home, I noticed the frame was messed up, cosmetic, but the worst of the bunch, the left side below the cylinder is "stepped" and not flat, it's as if somebody goofed with a grind wheel.

Then I bought a FIFTH 340 M&P online, used, so maybe I finally could have a nice one? WRONG. They got careless on the rounded part of the frame, it looks like an amateur with a file messed up. Then a part of the barrel shroud has a kink in it.

Now, some of you may be thinking I am picky. Keep in mind, I paid $1100 for each of two particular 340 M&P's that came with CT grips.

I paid $1200 for one of my 340PD's. I paid $1400 for the most recent 340PD.

For $1400, DO YOU THINK I CAN GET A GUN WITHOUT A CROOKED BARREL?

How about a gun without a hole in the frame?

Or a gun that doesn't look like 5 year old kid with a file attacked it (mild exaggeration)?

Do you know what kind of beautiful Model 19 snub nosed I could get for $1100? For $1200? For $1400?

Am I being too picky by asking for a 340PD to arrive from the factory without scratches in bead blasted finish of the 340PD? On a $1400 gun? Even the MSRP is $1100.

Anyone still think I'm being too picky?

So anyway, one of my NIB 340PD's may be up for grabs, I intend to send it back to the factory, but maybe I should offer it on here first.

At this point, I cannot offer any of the PD's because I have not established which of the two will be easier for the factory to fix.

I will not part with ANY of the 340 M&P's because despite my frustration with their defects, the M&P is a magnificent little beast of a creation and and the one with the hole in the frame? That's what JB Weld is for, I'll mix it with some black paint and the crappy 340 M&P's will be my beaters.

By the way, I only included photos of a few of my 340's. One of the photos has a .22 version of the 340 series Centennials, best money I ever spent, also has ZERO DEFECTS. By best money I ever spent, what I mean is that little thing is a blast, cheap to shoot, lighter (but not light) trigger than the .357's, and perfect practice companion to the .357's.

If you ever get the chance to snag a .22 version, which is the 43C, or a .22 Mag version, the 351C, BUY IT.

 

[Mister_Smith]

Agreed, everything I read is about how much people hate these 340's, yet everyone wants one it seems. I called Smith & Wesson a year ago and asked if they will be making more, they said yes, in November of 2012 they'll make another run, and they did, maybe in December they came out. I saw them on gunbroker, for maybe a month, then they were all bought up. So much for everybody hating these little guns!!

Admittedly, the 340 M&P's are the more popular and sell the fastest, the PD's sell more slowly but they sell.

Given the popularity, I gotta believe Smith will run another batch, but something to keep in mind:

Around the time of obama's first term in '09, Smith had NO BACKLOG of guns on back order. Shortly after obama's election, Smith had a backlog of about $123 MILLION dollars worth of guns.

Some quarters later that backlog grew to over $200 million dollars worth. About a year and some months ago, the backlog was around $438 million dollars worth of guns on back order. Then it grew to over $600 million, and the most recent quarter or the one before that was over $860 million dollars of guns on back order, nearly ONE BILLION DOLLARS of guns on back order. Same goes for Ruger, not the same numbers, but the same magnitude, MASSIVE.

I hope they bring back the Night Guard series, but they weren't selling, so that won't happen, I believe. Shields are selling like hot cakes, and the M&P pistols are hot. I have to believe J frames are the second biggest seller for Smith and Wesson, as they should be, since the introduction of the J frame in the 1950's it has been a worldwide smash hit, and for good reason, as anyone who owns ANY J frame can easily understand. Three cheers for Smith & Wesson!! :-D

Wow! and I keep reading how most guys don't care for them. With the titanium cylender limiting what ammo you can shoot and guys saying shooting one is like getting hit in the hand with baseball bat and the cost of one you would think you would see more new or used out there. Oh well. Thanks for the replays.
Mike

 

[Mister_Smith]

The reason for the stratospheric price of a scandium alloy gun is the scandium, scandium is priced many many times the price of an ounce of gold. I don't recall the exact figure but a google search will provide that, it's shockingly high. Smith & Wesson could manufacture a scandium alloy paper weight and it would still cost nearly a grand. It's a function of the fantastically high cost of scandium used in the scandium alloy process.

I just wrote a good piece on why one should be a cheaper aluminum dedicated .38 Smith but I hit the wrong button and it vanished. I'll write it again some time. If you get a 442 or any aluminum J frame, you can shoot .38 +P through it and get MORE POWER than shooting THE SAME ROUND through a .357 gun. I'll write more about it another time.

Of course the 340 M&P is just an all around magnificent little creation, from its purposeful business like black PVD and Diamond-like finishes, it's tritium night sight (a HUGE selling point), it's ultra light weight, LIGHTEST OF ALL except for the PD version, and stainless cylinder.

Anyway, scandium metal is one of the rarest most precious metals, and that's why these little guns are so dang expensive...

I wonder if they get shot then thrown in a deep body of water LOL


I have noticed the same down here... had a buddy who bought a 360PD, and traded it in for $500 towards another pistol 1 week later.... I could have strangled him!!! I would love a scan/ti one around $500, but I can't get on board the $650-$700 for a used gun..... dunno why.... they certainly are not around in great quantity though.....

 

[BJoe]

$1400 is what I paid also, BUT mine is just fine.

 

[S&W1006]

I have always wanted a 340pd or a 340 M&P. I like the 2 tone look of the PD but there is only 2 ounces difference in weight and the M&P is cheaper. The local gun shop has a 340 M&P in stock now with a $800 sticker price. I want it but it's hard to justify spending that much on a snubby. I carry a Ruger SP101 .357 now and the M&P 340 weighs half as much. I know recoil would be nasty but in a self defense situation you wouldn't care. I know when hunting I never notice the noise or the recoil and I'm sure self defense would be no different. Cutting my carry weight in half would be nice I just have to decide if the price is worth it.

 

[slabside2]

Where are all the 340's? I've got 'em, I got 'em ALL. I'm an evil single dude whose only goal in life is to buy up very last 340 in existence :-D

Hmmnnn... I have two brand new in the box 340PD's no lock, one has cosmetic defects and I intend to return it to Smith & Wesson for a refund, and I just bought another to replace it because the one with defects was a REPLACEMENT FROM Smith & Wesson to replace the first one with cosmetic flaws but the third one to replace the second one with cosmetic defects which was to replace the first one with severe cosmetic defects, has a defect.

I then bought a third one to replace the second one, and it has a CANTED (crooked barrel), so now I'm frustrated.

I most likely will send both back to Smith but desire to have one fixed and returned to me, not sure which is easier for them to fix, a crooked barrel or replace a crane on the second one.

I also have two NIB 340 M&P's, and one 340 M&P that has had ONE, yes ONE shot through it then I woke up and realized I just shot a NIB gun when I had two shooters.

I shot the NIB gun because it had crimson trace factory grips and I wanted to see how they felt.

I should say this, I have nine or ten 340's, some NIB.

The story goes like this, I bought one 340 M&P and it has a tiny sized hold in the frame near the side plate. The hole is the size of the eye of a needle. Also the area under the barrel, the front of the frame, it looks like somebody goofed big time with a file and the contours are way off. I was going to send it back to Smith but could not bear to be without it, so I bought a second and third at the same time.

The second has three tiny pits, pot holes in the front of the cylinder and an over punch on a barrel shroud pin, marring the shroud. I wanted to send this back to Smith for a new cylinder and shroud.

The third has a "double crown", does anyone know what I mean? Don't feel like explaining it now. I wanted to send this back too.

A fourth one came along, used, and I bought this 340 M&P in person, not online, when I bought it I examined it closely. Sadly when I got home, I noticed the frame was messed up, cosmetic, but the worst of the bunch, the left side below the cylinder is "stepped" and not flat, it's as if somebody goofed with a grind wheel.

Then I bought a FIFTH 340 M&P online, used, so maybe I finally could have a nice one? WRONG. They got careless on the rounded part of the frame, it looks like an amateur with a file messed up. Then a part of the barrel shroud has a kink in it.

Now, some of you may be thinking I am picky. Keep in mind, I paid $1100 for each of two particular 340 M&P's that came with CT grips.

I paid $1200 for one of my 340PD's. I paid $1400 for the most recent 340PD.

For $1400, DO YOU THINK I CAN GET A GUN WITHOUT A CROOKED BARREL?

How about a gun without a hole in the frame?

Or a gun that doesn't look like 5 year old kid with a file attacked it (mild exaggeration)?

Do you know what kind of beautiful Model 19 snub nosed I could get for $1100? For $1200? For $1400?

Am I being too picky by asking for a 340PD to arrive from the factory without scratches in bead blasted finish of the 340PD? On a $1400 gun? Even the MSRP is $1100.

Anyone still think I'm being too picky?

So anyway, one of my NIB 340PD's may be up for grabs, I intend to send it back to the factory, but maybe I should offer it on here first.

At this point, I cannot offer any of the PD's because I have not established which of the two will be easier for the factory to fix.

I will not part with ANY of the 340 M&P's because despite my frustration with their defects, the M&P is a magnificent little beast of a creation and and the one with the hole in the frame? That's what JB Weld is for, I'll mix it with some black paint and the crappy 340 M&P's will be my beaters.

By the way, I only included photos of a few of my 340's. One of the photos has a .22 version of the 340 series Centennials, best money I ever spent, also has ZERO DEFECTS. By best money I ever spent, what I mean is that little thing is a blast, cheap to shoot, lighter (but not light) trigger than the .357's, and perfect practice companion to the .357's.

If you ever get the chance to snag a .22 version, which is the 43C, or a .22 Mag version, the 351C, BUY IT.

WOW! (I have nine or ten 340's, some NIB) Just WOW! You a lucky man.