Best .38 Special and .38 Special +P for my brand new S&W M&P 340CT .357 Mag. Revolver

[AFSteve]

Best .38 Special and .38 Special +P for my brand new S&W M&P 340CT .357 Mag. Revolver

I bought the 340CT for concealed carry and wanted a revolver for reliability. My plan is to start practice with .38 Special then move up to .38 Special +P. Because of the light weight and relatively small Crimson Trace Laser Grip it comes with, I don't currently plan to shoot .357 Magnum. It was all the other features which compelled me to get this particular handgun. Inasmuch as I have had a Ruger LCP .380 semi-auto for awhile, I am somewhat familiar with the substantial recoil of small "carry" pistols. I don't plan to use the 340CT for fun shooting, I have another handgun for that. QUESTION: I would really appreciate current information about reliable .38 Special and .38 Special +P ammo for my 340CT. I have a box of Hornady Critical Defense 110 Gr. FTX JHP .38 Special (1010 fps) and a box of Hornady Critical Defense 110 Gr. FTX JHP .38 Special +P (1090 fps) but haven't fired a round in the gun yet. I have to wonder if the 110 Gr. bullet coupled with the relatively high velocity would produce too high a recoil for effective follow-up shots. Anyone know about similar Cor-Bon ammo for the 340CT? I'll be grateful for any and all help on this.

 

[ContinentalOp]

Everybody is different in terms of how they perceive recoil and how it affects their controllability for follow-up shots. For instance, I've tried Buffalo Bore .38 Special +P 158gr LSWCHP in my 642. After 5 rounds I realized I would never try that again! However, there are people who carry this load in a lightweight snub and are confident in their abilities to deliver accurate fire quickly. I think the only way you're going to figure it out is to try different types of ammo for yourself to see what works. I do think starting with standard pressure loads before going to more powerful +P loads is a prudent method for evaluating ammo. I can't help you with the Hornady or Corbon ammo as I don't have any experience with them. However, I have heard good things about Hornady's loadings.

Personally, I carry 125gr Federal Nyclads in my 642. They kick about the same as typical 130gr FMJ practice loads, so I can carry the Nyclads while practicing with the FMJ. Speer's .38 Special +P 135gr Short-Barrel GDHP has some kick, and isn't too difficult to control when fired from my 642, but I was noticeably slower on follow-up shots than when firing Nyclads. For me, the Nyclads work as a primary carry round, while I carry the SBGDHP in strips for reloads. I like that they both have pretty good track records in stopping violent attacks.

I'd also recommend investing in some snap caps or dummy rounds and do A LOT of dry fire practice with your snub. The CT grips should be very beneficial in terms of skill development.

ETA: The single most important thing in terms of ammo selection, after reliability, is your ability to get good, consistent hits quickly. Anything after that is just icing on the cake, imo.

 

[OKFC05]

That can be a fun gun to shoot with 148gr wadcutters.

After you learn to shoot it comfortably (what I call, deciding it is your gun), I recommend practice with 25 wadcutters followed by 5 Speer Short Barrel 135gr +P, and carry the Speer loads for SD.
Practicing with defense loads in a light stubby gets tiresome quickly.

 

[badge 851]

Re: Best .38 Special and .38 Special +P for my brand new S&W M&P 340CT .357 Mag.

There is a lot to be said for the standard pressure Nyclad™. It performs far, far, far better than paper ballistics indicate. It is particularly suited for those shooters not very recoil tolerant. My wife, 62, has arthritis in her hands; and can't manage any +P ammunition. She has carried the 125gr Nyclad™ round for the last 8 years and can shoot very well with it. It is very well made.

 

[Old cop]

Nyclads are the way to go. I keep them in my 1968 Cobra.

 

[wnr700]

Recoil and comfort is rather subjective. Nothing I tried in my 442 made it enjoyable.

One solution was adding a K frame snub to my range bag.

They offer many of the same challenges but more forgiving in the recoil department.

Always shot about 2/3rds K frame and the rest in the little monster J frame.

 

[CatnPhx]

Speer Short Barrel 135gr +P, and carry the Speer loads for SD.

Agree - this is what I carry in my S&W 640-1 .357 ... it's a good load.

 

[AFSteve]

Thanks for the info, ContinentalOp. I already have some Snap Caps and I'm working on barrel movement via trigger pull (the Crimson Trace Laser Grip has been a big help with this). I'm trying to learn how to "stage" the trigger on my 340CT. I will certainly try the Federal Nyclad and Speer.

Cheers

 

[ContinentalOp]

Thanks for the info, ContinentalOp. I already have some Snap Caps and I'm working on barrel movement via trigger pull (the Crimson Trace Laser Grip has been a big help with this). I'm trying to learn how to "stage" the trigger on my 340CT. I will certainly try the Federal Nyclad and Speer.

Cheers

I'm glad I posted something of use to you. FWIW, I think you'd be better off learning to pull the DA trigger straight through. I used to stage the trigger, but I found that learning to pull the trigger straight through helped me shoot more accurately at a higher rate of speed, particularly when point shooting at close range. It requires a little more work, and may take longer to develop proficiency, but I think it'll pay off in the long term. Again, just my opinion.

 

[off road]

I have tested Hornady Critical Defense on lots of different media, and conclude that it works as adventised. It is what I carry on the street.

For home defense, only the Glaser Safety Slugs make any sense to me. They create a devastating shotgun style wound in flesh, yet will break up on wallboard and not kill your family who are in the next room.

 

[AFSteve]

Thank you all for the great info

My thanks to ALL the guys who were thoughtful enough to share their knowledge and personal experience about ammo for my new S&W M&P 340 CT .357 Magnum revolver. I paid attention! I now have five different kinds to try out to decide which will suit me best for practice or carry or both, and they are (in random order and no preference, yet):

. Hornady .38 Special Critical Defense 110 Gr. FTX JHP 1010 fps/249 ft-lbs muzzle.

. Federal Premium .38 Special Personal Defense 110 Gr. Hydra-Shok JHP 980 fps/235 ft-lbs muzzle.

. Federal Premium .38 Special Personal Defense 125 Gr. Nyclad HP 850 fps/191 ft-lbs muzzle.

. Hornady .38 Special +P Critical Defense 110 Gr. FTX JHP 1090 fps/290 ft-lbs muzzle.

. Speer .38 Special +P Personal Protection 135 Gr. Gold Dot - Short Barrel HP 860 fps/222 ft-lbs muzzle.

I'm indebted to you all.

 

[off road]

Keep in mind that manufacturers quote velocities from longish "test barrels", so those velocities do not reflect the reality of what you will actually get from a snubby!

In a lot of cases, shooting a .357 from the snubby will actually get you somewhere in the ballpark of the velocities quoted for a hot .38+P from a "test barrel".

 

[AFSteve]

Thanks OFF ROAD. Roger on the Test Barrels

You're right on target (pardon the pun) on the test barrels. I believe only the Speer I listed was tested on a 2 inch barrel, hence the name Gold Dot - Short barrel. I also observed the velocities and ballistic energy at the 25 and 75 yard tests, which, admittedly, doesn't actually provide any additional validity of "snubby" performance. Although I didn't put it on the list, I also have a box of Hornady .357 Magnum Critical Defense 125 Gr. FTX JHP 1301 fps/470 ft-lbs muzzle. Maybe someday, after I've built up my hand/wrist/arm muscles, and sufficient intestinal fortitude, I will try one of them out on my 13.3 Oz. Smith. If I survive, I'll post it on the S&W Forum.

Cheers

 

[coach22]

My 340 PD is loaded with Buffalo Bore 125 gr. 38 +P's.
I prefer jacketed bullet in a Scandium gun.
Prior to those, it was loaded with Corbon DPX 110 +P's.

 

[AFSteve]

Great info, coach 22

Thanks for the info. Let's face it, S&W was able to develop the 340 series thru the use of super-expensive scandium (@ six-figures per pound) blended with aluminum to produce an extremely light-weight (13.3 Oz.), easily concealable, and inherently reliable - as are all revolvers - handgun for personal protection ONLY. Sport shooting is not for this kind of a weapon. Indeed, for those in need, it can even handle the 35,000 lb. pressure of a .357 Magnum. Amazing! And, as you are no doubt aware, they ain't cheap, but then, they ARE for personal protection. I have made the choice, so my next step is to do my very best to select the best possible ammo for ME from among all the very good stuff out there. Yes, I'll have to spend some dough up-front trying out the various ammo, but I consider it to be a necessary function to achieve the desired result, i.e. effective, last resort, personal protection. This is why I am so grateful to you and the other forum members who have shared your knowledge and experience with me. It will save me a bundle, and perhaps much more. I first checked the Corbon 38 +P 110 gr DPX on their website and I agree that it is a preferred all-round choice for Law Enforcement/Military for it's metal/glass penetration as well as deep body penetration capabilities as would be expected for them to encounter. However, when I checked the Buffalo Bore website for the 38 +P Low-Velocity JHP I can certainly see why this is your present "carry" ammo. Other than the Speer Gold Dot Short-Barrel 38 +P, the Buffalo Bore is the only one with good specs from a 2 inch barrel, and I really like the specs. I will definitely try some of these. Thanks for the help.

 

[coach22]

Steve,
Thank for the kind words. I did leave out one thing.
I use one of these.
Mika's Pocket Holsters - Custom Made Pocket Holsters, Waistband Holsters, Vest Holsters, Tactical Pocket Mirrors And Much More.
Best I've found. The first day, it feels bulky,
After a few days, it conforms to the gun.
It won't come out when you draw your gun,
and it's easy to re holster without removing it.
Affordable too.
The Uncle Mike's version costs about $10.
Works pretty good, but they lose their shape in about a year.

 

[AFSteve]

I checked the Mika Pocket Holsters website as you suggested and liked what I saw, especially the favorable comments from LEOs, both on the Mika website as well as elsewhere on the www. Inasmuch as the $29.95 price is very reasonable for what you get, and due to my various pants pockets being about evenly split between square and round types, I ordered one of each type holster online yesterday, June 4th. This morning, Sunday, I received a call from Mr. Mika, who is a retired police officer, explaining the details of his holsters and letting me know when I could expect to receive mine. Now how about that! This is a far cry from me having to call a company to complain to someone in Calcutta, India speaking barely understandable English about a poorly made Chinese product that has failed. What a pleasure it is to deal with an American company! Maybe there's hope for us yet. Thanks again for the info.

 

[photoman]

Mr. Mika is a real stand up guy and will take care of you.

 

[breakingbad]

Hornady makes some of the best mass produced factory ammo, if not the best ammo, in the world. Both those ammos you mentioned are excellent.

Try the Speer Gold Dot short barrell .38 ammo

Lastly, Buffalo Bore probably makes THE BEST ammo - check out their offerings in .38 special. They have about 8 different offerings and a good description of each.

CorBon is, IMO, too hot of a load

 

[riverrat38]

Speer makes their SB in magnum, also. Same bullet, but more velocity. I know you don't want full pressure magnum ammo, but the Speer loading is more like plus P plus. About another 100 FPS, if I remember correctly.

Rick