S&W M&P340CT 357, Good, bad or just plain ugly?

[nutnless220]

..........

[RyanB]

If you can catch the ball right off the bat five times in a row with your bare and and not flinch, it's the gun for you.

[Drew78]

The only snubbie I own is a Ruger LCR in .38 spl. Even with +p's it is manageable in the recoil dept for fairly rapid, controlled, follow up shots.

While at the range about 1 month ago, the gun next to me had the exact set up you discussed. We got to talking and decided to swap guns for a few cylinders. Umm, well lets just say I had to FORCE myself thru an entire cylinder with that damn thing! The recoil was just plain stupid, follow ups were a joke at best. In a SD situation I would not want it unless I was much more skilled with it which means more range time. The guy gave me back my LCR with a huge smile on his face and questioned the merits of his 340 vs the .38.

Just my experience...

[montanadave]

Mighty nice but I decided to accept the extra 10 or 12 ounces and go with a Ruger SP101. More money in my pocket and more manageable recoil. With the right holster and belt, there's not enough weight advantage FOR ME to justify the added expense.

And I've got a LCR for an "extra light" carry when desired.

[John_Wayne777]

In general J frames with CT grips are a good thing.

I know that a lot of people like the idea of a pocket magnum, but to the best of my knowledge (and I freely admit I could be wrong here) you don't really gain much of a terminal ballistics advantage by having the .357 shot out of a 1 7/8" barrel vs. a .38 spl +P round.

Personally speaking, I would stick to a cheaper option like a no-lock 442, put a set of CT grips on it, and use the extra money saved to buy ammo.

[LockenLoad]

340 is a hand smacker,with the stock grip, put some wood grips on mine and it helps, but you want the laser, the new 405 crimson trace, has more padding I believe, the best advice is one of those new 442's with no lock, and +p's, I like my 340 now that it has wood grips, magnums were the only rounds that hurt.

[C4IGrant]

I'm thinking about purchasing a S&W M&P340CT 357 for summer carry. At almost a grand for a snubby, I'd like to gather as much info as possible before taking the plunge. This one has the XS front sight and CT laser grips.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/39_72/products_id/43697

Anyone have any experience with this pistol or know something I should know?

Probably the best snubby revolver made to date.

That price is high though. Shoot us an e-mail for better pricing.

We also have 442's in stock with no internal lock. ;)


C4

[Sam]

I'd shoot only .38 special loads in it.

[TY44934]

"13.3 oz + .357 Magnum" Think about it.

Are you getting the message that the recoil is stupid heavy on this gun?

I own & carry a 340PD.

But, before you dismiss the recoil advice you have been given - try shooting any snubby under 14 Oz.

Typical guy gets all macho about the topic of recoil & thinks "Heck, I'm manly enough to take it!" My advice? Put your manly ego in check on this one and think twice.

Honestly, these lightweight 357s are about the most unpleasant guns to shoot that you can imagine. If you have a regular practice routine and you feel the need to only use your exact carry load, this gun is probably NOT for you - it really is THAT BAD.

I practice mostly with .38s with mine - including shooting an entire ICORE from the very pocket holster I carry; the extraction is sticky with the alloy cylinder on my early 340 (later ones went back to steel).

Now, if you are OK practicing with 38s or plan to carry only 38s (but have the 357 as an option) this gun is fantastic.

I LOVE carrying mine. The fact that I have 5 of the .357 Magnum 125 grn JHPs on tap is comforting as far as it being a sufficiently powerful handgun round.

[nutnless220]

.........

[LockenLoad]

with pachmayr Decelerator Grips I could shoot .357's painless but the rubber grip made the gun too bulky and sticky in your pocket, also I would have the habit of squeezing the soft rubber affecting my aim, the wood grips slick in and out of holster and easy on the hand. I do want to try a CT laser would like to shoot a 340 with the new 405 grips.

http://www.crimsontrace.com/Home/Products/SmithWesson/LG405/tabid/235/Default.aspx

[gtmtnbiker98]

If you can catch the ball right off the bat five times in a row with your bare and and not flinch, it's the gun for you.
I would have to agree! I owned one and installed the CT grips with the rubber overmolding (can't recall item #) and it was still too painful to shoot. IMO, why carry a .357 to only carry .38 when you can buy a 442/642 for half the price and still be able to carry the same ammo. YMMV.

BTW, do you really get .357 ballistics from the short barrel to warrant the pain? The guns should come with a T-shirt stating to the bad guy "don't worry, this is going to hurt me as much as it's going to hurt you." Caveat Emptor.

[mgraff]

I shoot and carry one alot, 38 special +Ps are easy to shoot, 357s are manageable, I wouldn't shoot 50 of them in a row..but it is manageable. Guessing my gun has around 2000rnds thru it now, lock is disabled and have had zero issues with this gun. Great ankle/ pocket gun!

[Reddevil]

I love mine. It's an on duty BUG and off duty primary. Shooting magnum loads are very manageable with the Hogue Monogrip. I carry IWB so a longer grip does not bother me. I have to carry 38+P on duty but carry GD short barrel .357 off duty under my CCW. If you don't plan to shoot magnum loads through it, I would suggest looking at the Ruger LCR. I rented one and found it had less perceived recoil than my 340 with GD 38+P and it's almost the same weight and side by side they are the same size. The LCR can also use replaceable front sights from Big Dot and HiViz. BTW, $1000 is a bit overpriced. I paid $550 for mine w/o laser grips last year when S&W did the $50 rebate. Add $230 more for grips and you're still paying too much.

[fourXfour]

I love mine. It's my on duty back up and what I usually carry off duty. Great gun. Easy to carry, plenty of holsters and the most reliable gun I have ever owned.

[woody d]

my brother had a 360 PD and that thing with the factory grips was the most abusive handgun ive ever shot. it quickly became a .38 with the possibility of shooting .357s. i will admit it was a hoot to stoke with full bore ammo and hand to the "machos" and see if they could fire all 5. :D. i personally like the CT grips on a J-frame, but its a pricey combo.