M&P 340 question

[imjin138]

I saw these in the catalog and I understand Scadium is light, I was wondering if anyone had one of these and has shot it. I can imagine the .357 Mag would be a handful but how are .38 Specials out of it and has there been any problems with the gun. Thanks

 

[s&wchad]

"Scandium" is S&W's trade name for their aluminum alloy frames that have elemental scandium in the mix. The small amount of scandium greatly improves the engineering properties of the aluminum, but the weight is comparable to other Aitweights or AirLites.
I don't have a M&P340, but I do have a 340PD. The PD has a titanium cylinder while the M&P has a stainless cylinder. The 340PD with magnum ammunition has the most severe recoil I've ever encountered, but it's entirely manageable with .38 specials. The gun torques in my hand and the bottom of the trigger guard thumps my trigger finger something fierce. It's like hitting it with a ballpeen hammer. The M&P is a bit heavier, so I suspect it won't be quite as bad... but I'm sure it's still brutal with magnum loads!

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

I have a 337. That is the airweight with titanium cylinder. It weighs 13.5oz loaded. It is the most brutal recoil I have ever experienced-and that's with .38's. Call me Mr. Wussy but I don't think I would ever want to shoot a gun that light with full house .357's

 

[M29since14]

If you search there should be a lot of discussion about this, particularly with the 340PD model. I agree with what S&WChad had to say though I might add that I do not find the 340PD nearly as abusive with 125-gr loads as it is with 158s. The recoil of the few Federal 158-gr .357 Hydra-shoks I have fired in my 340PD was...

I would think most dedicated revolver shooters could get used to light-bullet .357s in either the M&P or the PD models, but anything much heavier than 125s gets increasingly tedious - quickly!

I rarely shoot .38 Specials in my .357s but have made some light handloads in .357 cases which would approximate a .38. Recoil is about what you would expect - noticeable, but not severe.

There is no real difference in weight as a result of the Scandium alloy. As I understand it, the Scandium is mainly used to "fatigue-proof" the aluminum. The weight savings come from extra machining, and the Titanium-alloy cylinder (340PD model).

 

[Packard]

I think more people would be able to handle the 340 PD (which I have) if they take a progressive approach to the ammo (similar to progressive resistance weight training). I started shooting just target ammo from the weapon (25 rounds per session). After a few sessions I mixed in some full power .38s. After several more sessions I added some .38+ P.

I am now at the stage where I am comfortable with the .38 +P and I am shooting some .357 magnums each session.

Regardless of whether you decide to stick with .38+P or go on to the .357s I would suggest you shoot some .357s with each shooting session. It will make the .38+P seem mild by comparison. This is similar to the baseball player swinging a weighted bat so the regular bat will feel lighter.

In any case I think many more people could become proficient shooting a light weight revolver if they didn't jump right in with the full-house .357s.

 

[oneoff]

I think more people would be able to handle the 340 PD (which I have) if they take a progressive approach to the ammo (similar to progressive resistance weight training).
In any case I think many more people could become proficient shooting a light weight revolver if they didn't jump right in with the full-house .357s.

I tend to agree. I have an M&P 340 and like it very much. I think the modern .38+P loads are quite reasonable (& sufficient) in this little gun. A standard pressure .38 load is completely reasonable to shoot even for practice, and is still just pretty respectable for self-defense when weight is an issue. I can only parrot the above comments about .357 loads; they kick, & pretty good, & if nothing else follow up shots suffer severely in most folks' hands. But practice "within your skill-set & comfort-zone" can fix a world of troubles.

 

[Roadranger]

138, I use a M&P 340 as my primary CC gun. It fits in any pocket almost(especially my 511 pants pocket). I shoot 38's in it for practice and carry Hornady CD 125 ammo. Scandium is a rare earth metal found in the Ural mountains of Russia. The Soviets used it and still are in their space and aircraft programs. The 340 M&P has a SS cylinder coated with S&W's proprietary coating. It adds a little weigth and brings down the costs. They have SS cylinders by the thousand, titanium cylinders are much more costly and only save an ounce and a half weight. I ordered my 340 with CT lasergrips and no lock early this year for my 60th birthday. Last week I fixed my training problem with a M43C in .22 for a trainer. In my humble opinion, the M&P 340 is as good as it gets in a J frame CC gun, light and powerful, and easy to conceal. Bob!

 

[allglock]

I have two of them. I have shot .357 in them, and would ONLY shoot that for close personal defense. It is not that bad to shoot. Probably the best pocket carry gun out there.
Ever try shooting a Seecamp 380? Now that hurts!

 

[SWAT Lt.]

Standard 38 Spl are fun and accurate, 38+Ps are not too bad and are what I carry. 357 Mag SB rounds are tolerable in small amounts and full power 357s are painful and makes my hand bleed after several cylinders full. That said, I like the gun better than my 342.

 

[coach22]

340 PD here.
I TWO have shot 357's in mine. TWO. And never again.
But being built to take a 357, it is strong enough for any 38.
Mine is loaded with Buffalo Bore 125 +P's.
A close second choice would be Corbon DPX 110 +P's.
In my opinion, for the purpose this gun would be used,
fast repeat shots are most important and doable with +P's.
I also think a better pocket gun does not exist, all things considered.
Size, weight, reliability and power.
For those reasons, the PD and M&P rule.

Now if Smith & Wesson would just make the 351 C California legal,
I would be a happy person.
11 ounces loaded with either the new
Gold Dot Short Barrel or Hornady Critical Defense 22 Magnum ammo,
at 1050 fps out of a 1 & 7/8th inch barrel, with almost no recoil,
it's like a pocket 380 that won't ever jam.

 

[hdguy]

I have an M&P340. I have fired it with the stock S&W grips and also with Pachmayer "Compac" grips. The Pach's make a very big difference in shooting comfort and are still small enough that the gun can be carried in most pockets. It is still difficult for me to quickly fire an accurate second shot when using 158gr 357's. For another opinion look at S&W MP340 .357 vs Bond Arms Defender .mp4 - YouTube I normally carry the first 4 as +P's and the last as a 158gr .357

 

[Naby]

I have the 340 M&P CT. When I first got it I shot .357's out of it some as it was my carry ammo and practiced with .38 specials. Once I learned a little about ballistics I switched to .38 +P's. Although there may be a slight increase in muzzle velocity with .357's over .38 +P's the fact is that it is very minuscule especially compared to hot .38 +P's (such as these from Buffalo Bore Heavy .38 Special +P Pistol & Handgun Ammunition).

It is my understanding that .357 rounds need long (or longer) barrels to allow all of the powder to burn and to get their velocity. Shot from a short barrel that extra powder has not had a chance to fully burn and fully propel the bullet before it leaves the barrel. It still burns though, creating a lot of useless noise, flash, and recoil. The +P's are a better option in my opinion. Compare the velocity numbers of Buffalo Bore's Heavy .38 +P rounds to their Tactical Short Barrel Low Flash .357's and you'll see what I'm talking about. The performance is nearly identical for 2" barrels but from 3" and up the .357's start to shine. Don't even think about BB's heavy .357 rounds, they warn you right on their site not to in these light guns. Most factory loads are a little watered down as it is. BB's regular .38's are like most +P's, their +P's approach .357's, their Tactical .357's match most commercial .357's and their heavy .357's exceed most .357's on the market. Do your own research and look up data from people that have chronographed different rounds and you'll see that there just isn't a big velocity advantage shooting .357's from 2" barrels.

I just recently made the switch to their regular .38 loads (another brand's +P's would be equivalent, but I like their 158 grain LSWCHP's). I found myself having to readjust my hand on the gun after each shot and flinching even with their +P's. Some people say that with the adrenalin that would be present during the real deal I wouldn't notice the recoil. I believed that initially and I let my machismo dictate to me that I should carry the hottest round I could get regardless of recoil. I wonder if that really is true, never having been there I can't answer. However I believe in the idea of "train how you fight, fight how you train" and that any bad habits I develop during training will not only be carried over when it hits the fan but magnified by the stress of the situation. I don't get to train anywhere near as often as I'd prefer so I need every advantage.

Anyhow, it is a great gun and I have no regrets. The 340 PD with a good set of grips that cover the back strap would be a great option also, I doubt the extra two ounces on the 340 M&P make a noticeable difference with rocoil. There used to be a 3" barrel model 360. The recoil would still be bad but at least you'd get the better ballistics to go with it. The slightly longer barrel doesn't make it much harder to conceal except for pocket carry. I have a .357 LCR also and for what it's worth I prefer the 340. The extra 4 ounces in the LCR don't seem to make much of a difference either.

 

[Snowbandit]

I like my M&P 340 for CC but much prefer to use my 640 for practice and training. Recoil on the 340 is plain vicious. I shoot enough familiarization rounds with it to ace qualifications and figure that's enough abuse. Great back up gun though.

 

[Dump1567]

There's a lot of factors to consider when choosing a 340 .357 mag over a .38 spl. 442/642.

Are you ever going to shoot .357 mag ammo, or is .38 spl+p enough? Grips and load choice will help with recoil. Speer makes a GDHP short barrel load in .357 that is about 100 fps faster than there .38 spl load, but is about 200 to 300 fps slower than most advertised .357 loads from other makers.

The 340 will cost double the price of the 442/642 series.

Weight will pretty much be a non-factor depending on what lightweight grips you use. In fact, you may need a larger and heavier grip on the lighter 340 to handle the recoil of the .357 load.

The big dot night sight on the 340 is nice, but may not be necessary in the CQB environment this gun might be employed in.

The 442/642 is also available in the Pro series which is cut for mood clips. Moon clips aid in reloading and extraction, but don't allow topping off from a speed strip if needed.

Just some things to consider.

I have a 340 M&P, a 360 in .38 spl, and a 642 Pro.

 

[allglock]

Why would you buy an M&P 340 to shoot .38s? That is my question... Might as well get a 442 for half the price.
The M&P is made for .357, so thats what I use.
If your worried about ammo, make sure you use .357 short barrel ammo like that made by Gold Dot. It is designed for "short barrels"

 

[Old cop]

To Naby: Regarding your question about not noticing recoil during the "real deal" I can attest to the fact that you will not notice it (I found out a couple of times during my 30 year LEO days). That said, please continue to train/practice with the load you carry in the gun, and use the grips you have on the gun when carrying it. Range grips & ammo are OK for the bulk of practice, but make sure to shoot the gun often enough the way you carry it to build confidence and skill.

Best,
Old Cop

 

[Naby]

Why would you buy an M&P 340 to shoot .38s? That is my question... Might as well get a 442 for half the price.
The M&P is made for .357, so thats what I use.

I'm with you there but I'm still not sure there is that much of an advantage, at least for me. I bought it before I knew what I was getting myself into. That being said for those that can handle all of the recoil the advantage that is there, however small, is worth it when it's your life on the line. It and the 340 PD are still a few ounce lighter than the 642/442 I believe so that counts for something. That and since the 340's can handle .357's they might hold up longer than the 42's. These two reasons probably don't justify twice the price though. I know this is the S&W Forum but if I was just looking at a .38 special I would seriously consider the regular LCR. It weighs in at about 13 ounces and has a sweeter trigger than any J-Frame in my opinion.

 

[Naby]

To Naby: Regarding your question about not noticing recoil during the "real deal" I can attest to the fact that you will not notice it (I found out a couple of times during my 30 year LEO days). That said, please continue to train/practice with the load you carry in the gun, and use the grips you have on the gun when carrying it. Range grips & ammo are OK for the bulk of practice, but make sure to shoot the gun often enough the way you carry it to build confidence and skill.

Best,
Old Cop

Thank you. That is good to know from somebody that has been there. Once I have gained some confidence with the hot .38's I'll probably work my way back up to at least +P's.

 

[royal barnes]

I carry a 340M&P everyday in a pocket holster. I bought it to shoot .357's but learned very quickly that my arthritic hands did not like the pain. I have settled on .38 158 grain LSWCHP+P's for daily carry. Recoil is still stiff but follow up shots are quicker and more accurate for me than with the magnums. I also bought this model because of the excellent sights, shrouded ejector rod, and better fit and finish. I own a number of J frames and carry a 438 as a BUG to the M&P340 but I don't regret the additional money spent over the price of a regular J.

 

[Cold_DeadHands]

I picked up a M&P340 recently and shot a variety of loads thru it.

357 Magnum 158gr Federal Soft Point: The little gun had a ton of muzzle rise and twisted in my hand...so much that it was a challenge holding on to it.

357 Magnum 125gr Remington Golden Saber: Recoil was very manageable with a bit of muzzle flash.

357 Magnum 125gr Remington Golden Saber Copy from a local reloader: Same recoil as the original Golden Sabers but with muzzle flash you wouldn't believe.

38 Special +P 125gr Remington Golden Saber: Slightly less recoil then the Magnum listed above with less muzzle flash.

After shooting these different loads I've decided to carry the Remington Golden Saber in .357 Magnum.