Range report and advice needed on a 340PD

[dixiedawg119]

Well, I purchased a new-to-me 340PD, and finally got a chance to take it to the range today. I got it used with a little holster wear, but mechanically, it is in excellent condition. The trigger is smooth but heavy, which is what I expected. I started off shooting Win. white box .38 specials at 25ft. I was throwing up decent groups, and overall I'm pretty pleased with the way it shoots. I'd appreciate some input on front sights. I don't really like red ramp sights that much, but it worked fine on the range. I'm undecided as to whether I would prefer a hi-viz or a meprolight night sight. I originally thought I'd put an XS night sight on it, but after seeing those, I don't like 'em. So what do ya'll fellow J-frame owners have on yours and why do you like it?

So it shot good with .38's, but I just had to try a full-house, barn-burner heavy .357 just to see what it was like in a 12oz gun with a boot grip. Last time I try that with a boot grip on it. Popped off one round and decided it wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be...until I looked down at my hand. The recoil tore my skin open between my thumb and first finger. Blood starts pouring out of a half inch gash in my hand. You should have seen the faces of the guys behind the counter when I came walking out of the range with a hand covered in blood. Their eyes got real big, they thought I'd shot myself. So I figure the next time I shoot heavy .357's I'll have a bigger, softer grip on it.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the gun, and it's been great for pocket carry. I bought off Guns America, from Doctor Scents Outfitters in Lexington, KY. I was nervous about buying off of GA at first, but I did my homework on those guys and they really treated me right. It's nice to do business with people like that.

 

[Mr. O]

On numerous occasions, I have put a box of 50 rounds of factory 357 through my 340, and it can be unpleasant. Some factory loads are hotter than others. I'm kinder to myself now, and if practicing with 357, I wear a thin bicyclists glove. I find .38+p to be stout, but managable. That is mostly what I practice with these days. Winchester Silver-Tip in .357 is the most managable magnum factory load I have run across.

 

[coach22]

I tried a few 357's. Not good for fast repeat shots.
My 340 PD is loaded with Buffalo Bore 125 grain +P's.
Plenty of power for the range a gun like this
is carried for and no lead issues.
A close 2nd choice would be Corbon DPX +P's.
If you put bigger grips on it, you defeat the ease
of pocket carry. As a civilian, my thought is
if I need the gun to protect myself, it will happen
at a distance of 8 feet or closer.
A good 38+P, in my opinion, will get it done.
If you want to shoot 357's, get a steel J
or a Ruger, but you will give up the ease of carry.
I have a 640 (38) and although I love the gun,
and am able to shoot BB 158+P's with it,
the weight factor in my pocket was and is the deciding factor.
I went from a 49, to a 640, to a 442 and now the 340 PD.
P.S. It's carried in a Mika round cut.

 

[rjroberts]

I have a 340 myself, but with the green hi-viz sight. While I like it, I don't think it offers that much of an advantage in low light. So, I wouldn't miss it as much as I would have thought. As far as the loads are concerned, my small-gun rule is practice with the light (.38 special) loads and then shoot off a couple of .357s just for the feel, which I see you have. I carry mine with .357. I know it will hurt but I doubt I would notice in a time of need, nor would I care. A good hollow point .38 would also be fine in a close situation, though I like the idea of max power available as I can't predict all my circumstances.

 

[Cooperdisciple]

I agree with the OP, a 340PD with hot loads can get old pretty fast. I carry mine with CORBON 140gr. JHP's but practice with .38 SPL. +P's mostly. I didn't care for the front sight either, and installed an XS Big Dot. Much better, IMHO. I also eliminated that darn lock.

 

[pinkymingeo]

I alternate a 340PD and 360PD with bobbed hammer. Can't shoot either of them worth a nickle past 7 yards, but don't expect I'll ever have to. I find it difficult to shoot 12oz DAO guns very accurately. Both have XS standard dot sights, light springs, Apex firing pins and yes, the ILs are most certainly disabled. I carry and practice with handloaded 125jsp's at 930fps. Took a good bit of trial and error to find a load that will do the job, but is actually fun to shoot in the little guns. I've never found better than the stock grips for pocket carry, so that's what they wear.

 

[Hikertrash98]

Try shooting Gold Dot short barrel 135g .357. It's made for these guns and recoil isn't much more than their +P .38 rounds. I love the Big Dot front sight on my 340 and wouldn't want any other sight on it. It allows me to shoot quarter sized groups at 15 feet.

 

[dixiedawg119]

Yeah, I've got some Gold Dot SB .357's. I didn't get around to trying them before I tore my hand up. That was my plan for everyday CC, and I'll keep the boot grips on it. The only time I was thinking about carrying full house .357's is when I go hiking. And in that case, I'd use I larger grip that covered the backstrap, cuz size wouldn't be as much of issue. I think some one told me larger hogue grips would fit a RB j-frame.

Eventually, I plan on adding CT grips so that should help me out in low light conditions. So as far as the front sight, I just want something to help me out in regular light. I have night sights on my 686 not so much because I plan on shooting it at night, but it's easier for me to line up the dots than the stock red ramp.

The reason I didn't like the XS sight is that it didn't seem to me to go with the rear notch. I know people like them, but I don't think it's for me. I'd go with the meprolight front sight, but I've heard that lining up the dot in the rear notch causes you to shoot high b/c the dot is so low on the front sight. That's kinda what I was wondering about the hi-viz front sight. Does it aim naturally? I suppose the best thing would be for me to go hold a 340PD with the stock hi-viz, but I was interested to hear other opinions.

Thanks for the responses.

 

[Spotteddog]

Depending on what year of manufacture your particular gun is, trying to use the factory Hi Viz may be difficult. Your better off finding out ahead of ordering time what the shape is of the retention base system your gun's front blade. There were a few years where the mounting styles, methods and shapes came and went pretty quickly. I know this due to trying to retrofit a 3 year latter S&W Hi Viz to replace my 342PD's red ramp with. The R/R had a "woodruff key" style base, the newer Hi Viz used a trapezoid shape. I too, went with the A/O Big Dot for a time. But without opening up the rear sight channel for it, I found it too difficult to guarantee hits with at distance. This offers me yet another opportunity to get on my soapbox about Tru-Glo starting to make their combination Fiber Optic/Tritium front sights for guns other than Glocks. They keep saying "someday" I've been hearing that for 4 years about S&W revolvers and 1 year on the M&P line of autos now? Sorry for the sideways rant - but they really are the best solution to day/night sight visibility!

 

[luangtom]

I have the Meprolight sight on my 340PD and the XS-sight on my M&P340. I use them both. The Meprolight is not nearly as bright as the XS and is not as easy to pick up in daylight either. Were I to change either one, I would replace the Meprolight with a regular-sized dot from XS. That good white-outline is a must for me.

I stoke them both with GoldDot .38-SPL +P with the 135-gr GDHP for short-barrels. NOT the .357-Magnum.