S&W 340PD .357 Worth it?

rrg991981

rrg991981

Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Messages
778
So I have been hooked on and obsessed with a Smith and Wesson model 340pd revolver in .357 Magnum with a Scandium frame, Titanium cylinder and the high Viz front sight. i want a super ultralight carry revolver and at under 12oz it fits the bill in spades whill packing a major punch. Any one own one? Are they worht the $$$? I can pick one up for arround $700.

Ryan
 
Go for it. I'm hoping to get my paws on one soon. At that price I'd buy 2.
 
Just my opinion but I wouldn't want a .357 scandi frame. I wouldn't want more power to weight than an aluminum .38 with +P rounds. If I really wanted punch in a small, light package, I think the 9mm's like the Kahr PM9 or Kel-tec Pf9 offer better control and more rounds.
That said, if it's what you really want, you can always shoot .38 out of it and those revolvers seem to hold value so it's a safe buy.
 
The scandium frame 357 mag will kick your ass when you squeeze off 357 mag rounds. If you want a shootable 357 go with a steel frame smith or the ruger sp 101.
 
I bought one a few years ago just for the heck of it and to go with some new ultralight backpacking gear. I have a Freedom Arms 454 Casull, a custom 500 Linebaugh and some other hand canons so I am no stranger to recoil.

The 340PD is pleasant for me to shoot with regular 38 loads. Hot 38+P loads produce some perceptible recoil but aren't terrible. Hot 357 loads, like Cor Bons, are truly brutal. Although the gun is surprisingly accurate with hot 357 loads on a 7 yd self defense target, it is extremely punishing to shoot. The only worse gun I've shot was a 4-barrel 357 derringer. Same type of snap but the barrels were off of the center axis so it torqued in your hand. Just awful.

I normally practice with 38s and 38+Ps and enjoy the gun. I think that good 38+Ps are probably adequate against most bad guys, if you hit them well. The only time I carry the 357 loads is while sleeping in black bear country, where I use jacketed rounds. Even for that application, some sturdy jacketed 38+Ps or handloads with hardcast bullets would likely do the trick.

If you are planning to carry a J frame for self defense, you can probably get an alloy frame suitable for 38+Ps for a lot less. However, if you have the money and want the 340PD, what the heck.

I put the Brownells spring kit in mine to reduce double action pull and had a gunsmith friend tweak it a little. After shooting mine, he bought one. The thing sits in your front pocket like it isn't even there.

DancesWithKnives
 
It is GREAT for CCW. :thumbup:

BUT . . . when you go to the range, use .38 FMJ to shoot and get accustomed to it. Put a 50 rd box of 38s thru it to see where they will hit. THEN shoot a cylinder of 357 to see how much it will hurt. Shooting 357 thru a scandium will hurt. BUT it is nice to know you have that capability. 115 gr 357 hollowpoint is very effective. And it is light. I was CCWing a model 15 Dan Wesson snubbie and it felt like a brick.
 
Last edited:
i've got the 360pd.


as everyone has mentioned, it i wonderful to carry for CCW. especially if you've been carrying for a long time. convenience and comfort count.

but it's not enjoyable to shoot on the range. or shoot at all.

nonetheless. there's a 360PD on the bladeforums "for sale : gadgets and gear" for less than 700.00 ;) :D
 
I have a S&W model 36, from about 1969 and I love it, its my first wheel gun and I love it for carry but I really want one with an internal hammer for comfort.
 
I agree that the internal hammer is a nice feature for pocket carry. The revolver draws very smoothly without any hangups. With the lighter springs and a bit of trigger work, I don't think it is significantly less accurate at 7 yd. self defense range than an external hammer model would be.

DancesWithKnives
 
I have the 360 PD, and I think that it is a great carry piece. I do shoot .357 at the range (in addition to .38), and it is not pleasant, but it is not torture either.
 
I hear .38 and .38+p are very tolerable and the .357's have a lot of snap to them and you don't want to spend a day at the range with only .357's

Guys that have them what do you carry as a defense load?
 
They say that shooting one feels like shaking hands with the devil. I considered one as well, but decided to go with a 442 Airweight. I saved a bunch of money, and I suspect that 5 rounds of .38+P Gold Dots are sufficient to change someone's behavior at close range.

Mine has ridden in my RF pocket for a couple of years, though a Kahr PM9 and Ruger LCP get about 10% of my pocket time.

You know what it looks like. The rounded profile carries better (IMO) than the Kahr. But everything is a tradeoff:

Sept27.07005Medium.jpg
 
The 340PD is 12 ounces. My wife's 642 Airweight .38 +P is 15 ounces. If you're going to carry .38s, you might as well save yourself $500 (retail) and get the Airweight for just 3 ounces more weight. Meanwhile, my all-stainless Model 60 .357 is 22 ounces, much less painful to shoot than either of the lightweights, and about $250 cheaper than the 340PD. I carry it IWB with a Clipdraw, and I don't even know it's there.
 
i would go for the .38 "J" vs a .357 "J" the .357's are a handfull as some have mentioned, probably the most unpleasant pistol i have ever fired and i have fired some pretty big stuff (ie 454 casull, 50 S&W & lots of 44 mag and 41 mag).

its certainly not a plinker lol, though ya can carry .38 in 'em too though that kinda defeats the prupose imho.
 
powernoodle said:
I considered one as well, but decided to go with a 442 Airweight. I saved a bunch of money, and I suspect that 5 rounds of .38+P Gold Dots are sufficient to change someone's behavior at close range.


Sept27.07005Medium.jpg
Click to expand...

LOL!!!! I just picked one of these up this weekend for the reason it's already disappeared in my pocket... Was carrying a G-27 IWB... but this doesn't seem to present any more weight than my Multi-Plier and extra bits.. And at close range, this is a perfectly acceptable solution... :D
 
Shooting 357s from my SP101 is enough fun for me, I don't even want to think about shooting them from a Scandium! Ouch!

But hey, more power to ya!
 
I have a 360 M&P (.357 Mag scandium snub nose). At 13 ounces, it's a dream to carry. For range work, I mainly shoot 38 Special +Ps. For carry, I go with a light .357 Mag load such as Speer's short barrel rounds (they are just 130 feet per second faster than the same bullet in Speer's 38 +P short barrel load).

You are going to pay a premium for a scandium revolver and I don't think you will gain much advantage over a 38 +P by using .357 Mag cartridges unless they are relatively hot loads with the associated downsides of a blinding flash and some really uncomfortable recoil.

Personally, I like having the option for using .357 Mag cartridges in what has become my primary carry piece. I especially appreciate the light carry; after all, this is something I do every day. The revolver's higher cost was not a decisive purchase factor for me. You will have to make your own assessment whether the .357 Mag scandium snub nose is worth it for you.

Here is a pic of my 360:

gun_MP_360.jpg
 
charlie moore is right on . i have fired the 357 and 38 +p out of a 360 over a chronograph and had less than 10% difference in velocity[ 75 fps]. personally i would get a 442 because money is an issue . but if it was not id go for the 360 in 357
 
rrg991981 said:
I hear .38 and .38+p are very tolerable and the .357's have a lot of snap to them and you don't want to spend a day at the range with only .357's

Guys that have them what do you carry as a defense load?
Click to expand...

I have spent an "entertaining" Sunday at the range shooting 250 rounds of .357 out of my 360 PD. My hands are not especially callused, and I felt it afterwards, I can tell you.

On the other hand, on an average day at the range, I can fire 50 rounds of 357 without trouble. It will never be a fun gun to shoot, but that is not the purpose.

I like Cor-Bon 125 gr DPX.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top