Tell me about the 940 and 9mm revolvers in general

[Guevera]

As a fan of 9mm auto pistols, I am a big believer in consolidating calibers, so the S&W 940 has interested me for years. However, I never see one for sale and assume they must be scarce indeed. For those in the know, I have the following questions: how long was the 940 produced, and is there a gunsmith who can convert a J frame S&W to shoot 9mm ammunition?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts / assistance.

 

[manny25]

the 940 was made from 1991 to 1998 there is gunsmiths that can make ur gun 9mm some of them cut the cylinder on 38s and 357s to make them shoot 9mm and people have been puting 940 cylinders in there guns

 

[qballwill]

I just got my 940 in December. It seems you really have to look for them. I have never just come across one at a gun shop. I found mine on Gunbroker. There are gunsmiths that will ream out the chambers of nearly any 38/357 to accomodate a 9mm with moonclips. I have seen the cost between $200 and $250 for S&W J frames. Forum member HEADKNOCKER has one that he had reamed and seems to like it. Its not really any cheaper if you have to buy the 38 special and then pay to convert it than it is to just pony up the cash for a real 940. If you already have one that you want to convert, then you can save some money there.

 

[AKAOV1MAN]

I have a clutch of wheelguns that shoot semi-auto rounds; 9mm, 10mm, .40 S&W and of course .45 ACP. The short auto cases frequently are easier to eject fully from a snub with a short ejector rod, particularly true of 9mm and .45. Of course both of those rounds come in a whole lot of loadings, different bullet types and so forth, so selecting the right round for your purposes is easy. The 9mm is a nice snub load and you can get mild or fire breathing loadings from lots of ammo builders. The 40/10mm revolvers can really put out a hot round, particularly in the Smith 610. The 646 is an easy carrying service size gun due to its lightweight cylinder.
The real advantage for a service or HD revolver in an auto caliber is the quick reload with moon clips, also you can get some flexibility in caliber in the same cylinder, I have a 627 with 3 cylinders, with one cylinder I can shoot .357 Magnum, 9mm, .38 Super, 9X21mm, 9X23mm, .356TSW and even .380 auto-if one wanted to shoot such a lightweight out of a 627. I even have a Browning revolver (a Barracuda) that has interchangeable cylinders in .357/9mm.
My usual duty weapon is a Browning HP so my 940 makes a perfect BUG, carried in the off side pocket it draws easily from a pocket holster and can be reloaded if necessary by using the HP mag to feed the rounds into the cylinder-of course without a moon clip you will have to pick the empties out individually. Usually I carry 2 moon clips in a single small speedloader holder stacked one over the other.
The S&W 547s do not need nor can they use moon clips, they have an interesting extraction system that works well and HKS makes speedloaders for the 9mm for that gun. The 3 inch 547 makes just as great a carry gun as its K frame relatives the M10, 64 and 65.
I am currrently having an M60-4 and a 37-2 fitted with 940 extra cylinders, the 37-2 cylinder will be refinished to match the gun, thus giving me a lightweight J frame in 9mm, which is not otherwise available. I would do a 637 too, but I was able to get only 2 extra 940 cylinders.
The 37-2 just may replace the 940 as BUG and off duty revolver. Lately 9mm has been cheaper to shoot that .38 special, so I can get in range time even through the ammo crunch, which appears to be loosening up some lately.

 

[7shooter]

I had one of the early 940s. It was a disaster. I bought it because it seemed like a great idea to be able to use full moon clips for fast reloads and because I liked the idea of a 9mm in a snub. It would not eject the spent cases unless I took a small hammer and tapped on the ejection rod. I talked with S&W and they said I was using the wrong ammo but it happened with every brand I tried . After sending it in a couple times they called and asked if I wanted to trade for the 357snub. It turned out to be a great gun. It does sound like they have worked the bugs out ( pun intended) since I don't read complaints about the 940 on this blog.

 

[Guevera]

Interesting responses - thank you, gentlemen. Who can I approach to have a J frame converted to 9mm? I say this as I have about given up on ever finding a 940 for sale....

 

[TMann]

If you don't absolutely have to have a J-frame, the Ruger SP101 was also produced in a 9mm model. It, too, is discontinued and is somewhat hard to find.

TMann

 

[helilogger]

I have a couple of Speed Six Rugers chambered in 9mm. Have had a couple of SP101's, also. More of an investment for me that shooters.

Dave

 

[Jason68]

Patience...

All due respect, but you just need to wait a bit, I saw a 940 on Gunbroker.com in mid January, and I have seen them before as well. If you can wait, they are out there. That said, the guns (940) seem fine, but I hear the moonclips can wear out (get bent) after a few uses, they are the weakest link, not the gun. Keep checking gunbroker and gunsamerica, and you will find it, happy hunting.

S&W Smith & Wesson 940 NO DASH 9mm J Frame 640 : Revolvers at GunBroker.com

940 sold for $765 on 1-13-10

 

[HEADKNOCKER]

940s are great guns and can be found..
I came arcross both the ones I had when not looking for them..
The one I still have I found with only a couple of minutes left at a 2100 table gunshow on Sunday, The guy took it in trade & wasn't happy, I ended up tradeing a SP101 & got $100 to boot on the trade
I paid $175 for the SP101 so I figure I have $75 in the 940..
The second one I paid $550 cash at a small gunshow in Cave City, I later traded that one to another forum member here..
I had my cylinder reamed to accept the longer cartridges & haven't had any sticking case troubles except Winchester White Box which the 940 just doesn't like..
Anyone who is haveing sticking case troubles with the 940 needs to look inside the cylinders chambers with an eye loupe & I'll bet you see mill marks from the reamer, If so these can be smoothed out useing the Brownell's Flex Hones which I have two sets of & can loan to any forum member who pays the $5 Priority S&H..
940s also seem to have been made at a time when S&Ws quality control was in order & most have the smoothest slickest actions of any DAO revolver you'll ever handle, My personal 940s trigger pull is less than 5lbs & slick & has never had a failure to fire..
Keep an eye out & eventualy you'll come across one..
Good Luck!!
Gary
Sound Off Like You Gotta Pair!!
940 & 642/942 9mm Convertion Airweight

 

[NZshooter]

Don't flame me if I'm wrong, but what about the model 547? IIRC they don't require moon clips. That seems to be more a collector piece than the 940, but the OP may still be interested.

 

[Swabby]

I would be patient, they show up when you least expect it. Gunbroker has one 2" M940 and two 3 inchers listed right now. There are also three M547's listed currently. Oddly enough, all three of the M547's are 4" square butts. They are definitely more of a duty weapon. All the ones you find on national auction sites, however, are going to go for a premium. You would be better off finding one locally. A lot of gun shops don't realize what they have and price them the same as a used 38sp J-Frame (the M940 that is). There are a lot of stories on here like that. Mine is one. Be patient.

 

[David Sinko]

I bought my 940 with 30 moonclips from Cabela's for $299 about a year ago. I wasn't looking for one and just happened to see it. Mine is a Dash Nothing. The only ammo that will not readily extract is that which is loaded with inferior, soft brass or some of the +P and +P+ stuff that is loaded with too fast a powder. All standard pressure ammo from all reputable American manufacturers extracts just fine. Through careful handloading I can get 124 gr. cast bullets going to a verified 1230 FPS with easy extraction, which is not bad from a 2" barrel. Mine also has a very smooth action which fires any and all primers. As far as 2" barrel J Frames go, it's probably the heaviest that was ever made and many shooters don't like that. I do not mind it at all. Mine is very easy to shoot, even with the heaviest loads. It is also one of the most accurate handguns I have ever shot, producing offhand groups at 25 yards that are smaller than most service grade revolvers and autos I have tried. All considered, this revolver is best purchase I ever made.

Dave Sinko

 

[HEADKNOCKER]

David is right about the 940 being heavy compaired to a 640-0
The barrel is heavier & the cylinder has more meat ahead of the cartridges..
I'll have to say that my 940 has the slickest action of any DAO revolver I've ever seen, If they were all like this they wouldn't have any trouble selling them for sure..
I'll find a 3" M547 one of these days when the finacial advisers grace me with thier presence again..
Untill then I'll have to keep my 940 & 642/942 & shoot lots of 22lr from my Ruger MKII & 10/22..
Gary/Hk

 

[H Richard]

They are out there. I just bought one off Auction Arms 2 weeks ago. Paid a little more than I wanted, but as you have seen, they don't show up every day. I was actually looking for a Mod 34 at the time, but the 940 sucked me in. It has a very smooth action, almost as good as my Mod 60 which I have worked over. I just ordered a set of grips, Spegel's high horn, from our buy/sell forum. I don't care for the Uncle Mike's grips they come with.

Dave, what load do you use to get the 1230 fps. Do you have a good cast bullet load, in the 124 to 147 grain range?

 

[m41]

547

I would be patient, they show up when you least expect it. Gunbroker has one 2" M940 and two 3 inchers listed right now. There are also three M547's listed currently. Oddly enough, all three of the M547's are 4" square butts. They are definitely more of a duty weapon. All the ones you find on national auction sites, however, are going to go for a premium. You would be better off finding one locally. A lot of gun shops don't realize what they have and price them the same as a used 38sp J-Frame (the M940 that is). There are a lot of stories on here like that. Mine is one. Be patient.

"SPF" I have a 547 3" listed on the forum for sale right now and if anyone is interested I will email pictures.

 

[safearm]

Guevera,
I have a "937", a 637 that was converted to 9mm by TK Custom. Tom cut the cylinder for moonclips and rechambered from .38 Special to 9mm. Total cost was $225 and turn-around time was 10 days. There are other custom shops that do the same thing; this is just the one I used.

 

[WC145]

Guess I'll post a pic of mine again, since we're on the subject. For those that haven't seen it, it's a scandium framed 360J rechambered to 9x23, among other work, by Pinnacle High Performance. I usually load it with 9mm +P+. It is accurate, very light, and a pleasure to carry and shoot.

 

[st regis]

I carried a 940 on my ankle for about 15 years. Had the issued Federal BPLE +P+ 115's in it. Had a Tyler T and the original smooth stocks on it. Great gun. The 547 doesnt like the hot 9's too much. I keep some non +P gold dots in it.

 

[Jason68]

Also today I noticed that on Gunbroker a couple of revolvers in 9mm are for sale - if you're willing to try a Ruger Speed Six...
I recently bought a 4 inch Speed Six, but it's a 38 Special.