So this winter despite reading reports concerning ILs, snappy recoil and the high price of scandium framed models I added two new revolvers to my safe. The first is a used 342PD I found when I walked into the store intending to get a new 442, the price was almost the same and the weight was 2/3. Since this was going to be my new CCW I jumped on it. The second is a new 329NG I traded a nice but usless (to me) .38 perfected for. this gun big, light and cool looking, and I have been waiting all winter to shoot it. I found a range halfway between my house and work and have been stopping to shoot off 3 cylynders at a time almost every work day for a couple of weeks. The 342 is flawless with no issues regarding the lock shooting 125g FMJs from underwood. I have been getting 75% of my shots on a paper plate at 15-20 yards rapid fire. Not bad for a new gun and DA only, the recoil is easly controled and not as snapy as everyone said. This morning I stopped and ran off 18 rounds of PMC 180g SJHPs with the 329NG single action, WOW does this thing have a light, touchy triger! I managed to get 12 out of 18 on the plate in rapid fire. It seemed the first shot or so from each cylinder would go before I thought I had put enough pressure on the triger, very light. Recoil is no worse than the 38 and will be a great shooter once I am used to the trigger. I did change the grips to houge to help with the trigger guard hitting my middle finger. On both guns all my shots seem to be down to the right and the ones off the plate are not by much. I shoot fast to get the best real life lesons from the guns and as soon as all the shots are on the plate I will move back further. I was always a good shot with my .45acp and other steel S&Ws so its only a matter of time and $$ and both will be confidant accurate shooters. I will shoot some 240g through the 329 and see how the recoil and acuracy is then.

Y'all made some good purchases there. Ya might wanna bring it in to 5 to 7 yards for the 342, if that is gonna be yer CCW. Self-defense will most likely be done within that closer range.

My EDC is either my M&P340 or my 340PD and I try to get in as much practice as I can at 3 to 7 yards. I stoke my EDC with Speer GoldDot 135-gr for short-barrels.

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GA Carry member
Vietnam Vet

I have a recently purchased 329NG. I find the double action trigger pull to be horrendous, but single action is fine. The stock Pach grips go a long way in redusing recoil, but the price for me is a longer reach to the trigger which makes the hard double action trigger pull even more of a problem. Still, I would never put the Hogue grips on it (unless your are talking X-frame grips), because that would leave a bare metal backstrap which would be insane.

I have never figured out that this "trigger guard hitting my middle finger" thing is all about. Never happened to me on any gun shooting any load. Can't imagine it ever being a problem.

Last night I stopped and shot off the rest of the box of 44s. I tried a couple DA and had the same results as the 342, about 4" low and to the right. Obviously my lack of recent shoting has gotten me out of practice. My trigger on DA feels good, unlike off roads described above, but the single action is dangerously light in my opinion. I did the last cylinder of rounds real slow and got a 3" group at 15 yards. Two things I noticed maybe someone can comment on. After shooting my 5 shot 342 so much i thought the 329 was empty, when i ejected the shells i found that one casing had dislodged the bullit about 1/2 mm, not a miss fire, just forgot to pull the triger 6 times. was this from the recoil? The while putting the 329 away I noticed a rattling inside, no external parts loose and it was not the IL, it sounded like a screw inside the handle, i will find out this weekend when a complete cleaning for storage will be done, I am going to continue the 38 CCW practice for this summers outings on the bike. I have also noticed no real problems with the Houge grips on the 329 with a partially exposed back strap, I like the way my hand sits lower on the gun and with the 180g loads there is no pain, sometime later this summer I will try 240s and then I'll see how bad it can get.

These light magnum revolvers are great kinetic bullet pullers.

That rattling would be a cause for concern for me. I'm too OCD to not immediately break it down and determine the cause.

Let us know what you find.

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Stu

I'm sitting here, shaking my empty 329PD next to my right ear. I hear a very distinct "rattle" from the transfer bar.

Is that what you're hearing?

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matt

Transfer bar rattle seems to be one of the most common newb questions in every forum! Think about it....you want a transfer bar to be loose. If it were tight, it might bind and disable the gun.

After doing a Google search i see that is a big question out there and is probally whats up with mine. As a former machinist working at tolorances of + or - .0002 thats seems wierd, however the heat the
329NG was putting out after 30+ rounds was high and would have metal doing all kinds of movement and would sieze under tight tolorances. And of course it came out of my car after a hot day hear in the east before shooting.

Sorry it has been so long for my follow up. its a busy summer. So after realizing the rattle on the 329NG was probaly the transfer bar, I decided to shoot off another box (50) before putting it away. I shot the box over two days and the last day proved to be the best. It seems either my hand moves the same way every time or the sights are off but I had 2" groups at 15 yards aiming 2" high and left. I am getting more use to the light triger and I think that helped. This weekend I did a complete storage clean and found more causes for rattles, the cylinder latch screw was loose and almost falling out and both screws holding down the rear sight were loose. I can't believe I did not see this. As i said I did a detail cleaning so nothing else is going to fall off but holy cow. Should I use a blue loctite? or just snug them down and keep an eye out? The 342PD continues to be a "blast" to shoot and I am very happy with it after about 300 rounds. I stop at the range at least once a week so I hope to get even better with it. I am finding it to be a little big for some sumer activities so I may look at getting a SW 380 bodyguard. I like wheel guns but the small autos seem easy to put in your pocket.
Shoot em' if ya got em'!

Are you a southpaw? Low and right is typical for lefties. Low and left is typical for righties.

The SA trigger pull isn't "light" - it just doesn't have any creep. You'll appreciate it the more you shoot.

I don't recommend that you shoot CCI Blazer in the 329 as the bullets will pull and possible tie up the revolver.

Hey dla, no I am a righty, and no creep is the perfect term. There is no movement from the trigger before releasing. And your right, the more I shot it and expected it the better groups I saw. Never used CCI for anything but thier shot shells. they dont seem much cheaper and I would like to have mine reloaded. I did see some creep on one PMC bronze 180 grain but not much. I think i stole the PMCs, I saw them on Ables ammo for $16 a box of 50! bought 6 boxes, wishI had more $ I would have bought alot more.

I am posting for the first time and I am interested in the S&W 342 p.d., and need information on price and simply everything about the weapon that anyone can tell me. Thanks

Hello majorjim and welcome,
The 342PD is discontinued as a 38, but lives on in the 360PD? as a 357. As for price, like any other scandium model they are new at around $800. I was lucky and found mine used for $500 the day I went to the shop to buy a new 442 for $400. I have been very happy with the 342, it is light and cheap to shoot and is my daily carry weapon in a Aleissi deep cover holster. Because of the long trigger and double action, acuracy takes a good bit of practice. I have about 400 rounds through it and am just starting to feel very confidant with it. This is in contrast to the Taurus 738 TCP i picked up used and had 2" groups with the first magazine. But issues with reliability bring me back to my J-frame. Good Luck looking for a 342. I am now looking for a 315 night guard, (k frame scandium 38)

Also, unless you are dead set on the titanium cylinder which puts the gun at 10.2 ozs, there was a nice 342M&P on gunbroker that has a stainless cylinder and weighs in at 11.5 ozs I think. That would be a nice gun also, if I had extra $ it would be mine.