Just placed an order for a 340PD it should come in 1-2weeks, I decided to buy around 200rds of "Remington Golden Saber - 38 Special 125 GR" and 50rds of "Remington HTP 357 Magnum 158 GR" but now I'm worried about cylinder erosion if I use the ammos above. Ideally I just want to avoid any headaches later and for whatever I'm feeling buyers remorse before I even have the gun.... I loved how light in my pocket so I'm hoping the possible erosion issue are enough of a trade off. How can i avoid a possible headaches with the gun if any? Thanks again.

Cancel it and get a Ruger LCR or LCRX. As I have said in many posts, Smith is done putting any real effort into the revolver business. Effort = quality.
LCR is 13.5 oz. with a decent trigger, sights, and no erosion worries. And its half the price.
I have 2 Shield + pistols and they are great. But cylinder erosion is only a concern if the gun fires and that's 50\50 from Smith these days.

Or get a M&P 340. You wont have to worry about erosion.

Neither of the loads you mentioned will cause erosion. Don’t use anything abrasive on the cylinder and you’ll be fine.

The ammunition warning is for light weight bullets in magnum loads and you probably won’t want to shoot many magnums out of a 12 ounce revolver.

The issue is actually the length of these light bullets, which corresponds to the weight. Shorter bullets exit the case mouth sooner, when pressures/temperatures are near their peak.

I’ve carried a 342 for decades and love it. I even have a spare stashed away, just in case… I owned a 340PD for a while, but magnum loads were more than I wanted to deal with and I sold it.

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"I also cook."

Thanks that gives me some peace of mind. I loved how light weight it felt and it really will be the perfect pocket gun to use in FL heat when a lot of the time I wear gym shorts

Pardon my shouting here, but THE ONLY REASON TO OWN A TITANIUM-CYLINDER REVOLVER IS MINIMUM WEIGHT, PERIOD. In almost every other regard, they are horrible little buggers: uncomfortable as heck to shoot, not as durable as a steel-cylindered gun, and they will literally self-destruct if you clean them as you would a steel-cylindered gun.

Were I scheduled for a stint aboard the Space Station and felt uncomfortable about being cooped up with Russkies, I might consider one; otherwise, no thank you...

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Pisgah

You won't be disappointed. I've had one (two actually) for ten years or more. There is no better pocket carry revolver in my opinion. You won't shoot it all that much, its not that much fun at the range, but it is perfect for its primary purpose. I have quite a few small revolvers and semi-autos but the 340PD is the one that goes with me most of the time.

As to concerns about cleaning, you shouldn't have any. I don't shoot mine much, clean it even less (the same way I clean all my guns) and it looks as it did when I bought it. . . .with a little wear around the edges of course.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

Re cleaning the 340PD: I read a recommendation for Hoppe's Elite to be used on these firearms. I've used it ever since. Very few rounds are customarily fired in the 340PDs (altho 1 member has fired his extensively) and mine have never needed vigorous cleaning. My homemade 'pajama' patches work well.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

30+ years of EDC in FLA. 20 of those with your new gun.

Just use Hoppe's Elite and a toothbrush on the cylinder face. Nothing else.

158 Gr Magnums are the way to go if you want to shoot .357's.

38's won't hurt it at all.

The ultimate pocket gun ever. If you shoot a bunch of magnums screws will loosen and sometimes the ejector rod. Blue Loctite them if it's an issue. Clean it often as pocket dust and grim will bind the cylinder sometimes. It's just like a Ferrari. It needs attention. The beauty of it is that you can load it as soft or hot as you prefer. Soft target 38's or crazy kicking Buffalo Bore 357 heavy loads. Enjoy.

A 340PD is my EDC. It is absolutely great and will not be replaced because it is so easy to carry. It can deliver 5 rounds of 357 on target at self defense/close range even with these old eyes. It is not meant for competition and 357 magnums are no fun to shoot, but more fun than getting hit if you need it, when you do shoot 357 they should be heavier, but 38 special is just fine. The best gun is one that you will have, these are so easy to carry that there is no physical reason for not carrying it.

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I’ve had my 340PD for years & hundreds of rounds of all brands of .38 and zero erosion. Great carry piece but not much fun @ the range.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

I would sure avoid the Buffalo Bore stuff (), but otherwise I think this is a good and fair summary of the 340PD. It is what it is! It’s not meant to shoot tin cans every Saturday afternoon. Use it for its intended purpose and take care of it as the manufacturer recommends!

I like the Winchester Silvertips in my 340PD, but it is a handful. If you have trouble with too much recoil with a load like that, switch to a “medium velocity” .357 load with 125 grain bullets, or one of the “short barrel” loads. Do not tempt fate by using lighter weight bullets than S&W recommends. I think most folks fire five .357s from their 340PDs and change over to .38 Special, which is fine - if you keep up with cleaning the chambers.

Initially the 340 took some hard knocks because all of the early guns incorporated the stupid lock mechanism, which is a very sore point on a gun of this type. I don’t like it any more than most, but I have had zero issues with my 340, and everyone I know who owns one says likewise. It’s a good revolver. Sort of like a Ferrari, except better!

Edit - I’d avoid the “blue Loctite.” Loctite has better products for this purpose than the blue one.

The two 340s I own would be replaced the same day if I ever had a problem, that said the loads you mentioned won't do harm to the cylinder at all. For some reason the 357 made by Hornady in 125gr have caused erosion is some revolvers(I haven't tried it in mine)..so lay off on that round. 158gr mags will be an eye opener for you, keep your support hand from sliding forward how ever you have to and keep from allowing your digits to get near the gap when firing...its gonna jump. Fire four and check fifth for bullet pull. GoldDots Have been fine if you can find em.
Your gonna love it for pocket carry! I pocket one every, all day and there's no other that compares. Don't go after the burned marks on the titanium and only use a nylon brush in the cylinder, bronze in the barrel never in the cylinder, Hopes elite or Mpro7 cleaner. It'll be a great companion for many many years. Your pocket carry has just got easier.

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I don’t post much, but I find this interesting. I’ve owned and carried a 340pd from the date of its release. Actually I like it so much I own two. From the date of the guns release there’s been a lot of scrutiny over its design, because of the size/weight/357 caliber, in a 11 oz non steel gun it raised a lot of concerns. S&W at the time put a lot of technical experience into this gun and its design. Keep in mind there concerns regarding liability. This gun is shrouded with some history, good and bad but also like any gun you need to stay within the parameters of its intended design. Lots of good guns out there today. But this one checks all my boxes for deep carry. It’s designed to handle 357 no common sense in that. I carry 38+P and use a nylon brush and barstools or a mild cleaning agent and you’ll have that gun along time.

Enjoy your new gun!

The weight difference between the titanium cylinder and steel cylinder, according to S&W, is 2 oz. I owned two otherwise-identical J frames, one of each steel and titanium cylinders.

If I picked up one and then the other (loaded), alternating back & forth, I could just barely tell the difference. In a pocket holster in my pocket, the difference seemed less. When I actually fired them with +P .38 ammo, alternating back & forth, I literally could not feel any difference in recoil; with the little Bantam grips they both hurt the same.

Using an on-line recoil calculator, the difference in calculated recoil between the steel & titanium guns was about equal to the recoil difference between the fastest and slowest rounds you could fire out of the same box of ammo.

I've converted three J-frames to titanium cylinders. In my case, it reduced their weight by 15%, and I can tell the difference. I just wipe the face of the cylinder off with a bit of oil and my thumb, leaving a nice smooth black patina.

Do the 340s have the little piece of spring steel wedged between barrel extension and frame to deflect the blast from B/C gap and keep from flame cutting the frame. My 325a, 396 and 296 have this piece. My 431 pd in 32 H&R mag does not. I have not noticed flame cutting yet, but have fired very few magnum rounds, using mostly 32 longs

Yes the 340-360 have the flame shield in the corner of frame window above the forcing cone.

These pocket rockets need some special attention - as others have pointed out.

Follow the guidelines from the OEM and you should be fine.

Real world issues beyond those guidelines are largely due to bullets jumping the crimp and preventing the cylinder from rotating.

Test your chosen ammo before trusting it to defend your life.

Here you go.
ETA these are in my 340PD. Their velocity is right in the Speer GDHP sweet spot.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk.

Could you post a picture of the Hoppes elite you use, I want to make sure I’m buying the right product. Thank you

This is it. Can get at Wally mart and such.

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