Has anyone had any experience with the S&W M&P 340? How does it compare to the LCR, 640, and 642?

Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by Angio333:
Has anyone had any experience with the S&W M&P 340? How does it compare to the LCR, 640, and 642?

Thanks!

I own both a 340PD and a M&P340.



I carry a 357 Magnum (or 356TSW) J-frame on a daily basis. I have been doing so for more than two decades now

I do not now, nor have I ever owned a Ruger LCR. It is not for me.

Comparing to the 642 is unfair since one is a 357 Magnum and one is a 38 Special.

That begin said, any of the three revolvers that you mentioned are more than suitable for a concealed carry personal defense firearm. Accuracy and reliability are comparable

I will often carry one of my 640s if the way I am dressed allows me to. The heavier gun is always preferable when you are talking about a 357 Magnum revolver.

The 340s allow me Magnum carry in situations where my attire is not suitable for a 24 ounce steel revolver.

Make no mistake about it, a 357 Magnum pocket pistol is not for everyone. You will hear Internet Horror stories about hands that sting for days or bleeding fingers or ringing ears, etc. . . . Don't put faith in any of them, try one and make up your own mind.

357 Magnum J-frames are NOT fun to shoot, but then again they are not intended for fun . . . They are intended to save your butt when you walk into a situation you were not expecting. On that note, I want the absolute most power that I can control in the smallest package.

Over the many years, more than 100 State Troopers borrowed my 340 to shoot the off duty qualification course. Many of them finished with qualifying scores but not all of them wanted to carry a 357 Magnum as their BUG. Like I said it is not for everybody.

The 357 Magnum does require practice to be proficient with

Lightweight, not enjoyable for me to shoot in any caliber. I'm a wuss so the LCR has been my choice if someday I decide to leave the semi-auto at home. The polymer used as part of the composite frame does dampen the recoil pulse with effectiveness. It doesn't make it go away entirely, but for me the LCR .38SPC+P is infinitely more shootable than an Airweight or lighter J-frame. The heavier .357 LCR is slightly better still, at least until you run .357MAG.

It's taken a fair number of rounds and plenty of dry fire, but my LCR finally has a nice action to its trigger, something that you normally would find right out of the box that my example didn't quite come with. But both still are better than the usual factory J-frame trigger.

It's nice to have the option of carrying .357 mag in an extremely lightweight handgun, even if you usually keep it loaded w/ 38 special.

You may find that heavier lead bullet loads won't work very well in it though-the bullets may try to creep under recoil.

I carry a 340 often. Mine has no internal lock. Best combination of concealability and reliability on the market in my opinion. Summer shorts, winter jacket, goes everywhere and not even noticeable.
I shoot it often. Very accurate. I never have, and never will put .357 magnum through it. .38 +P is as high as i go and in summer i just carry standard .38 -usually Federal 110 gr. Hydrashoks. I actually enjoy shooting .38 through it.
If you are looking for a carry everywhere reliable pocket gun with plenty of power you cannot go wrong with the 340.

Great J-frame - mine came with an IL but I removed and plugged it. The replaceable front sight is great so it can take night sights, etc.

They are pricey but deals are out there.

I put a cylinder of 357 through it but I wont again - I'm not recoil shy but DAMN. As mentioned above it's completely tolerable in a 640 (all stainless weapon), which I owned for a time as well.

38s are fine and its a great lightweight pocket or ankle J-frame. I also have a no lock 442 and you can feel the slight weight difference between the two.

My M&P 340 is my go to for pocket or ankle carry. I had TK Custom cut the cylinder for moon clip usage. It works great! The loaded clips load and unload faster than speed loaders.

I tried full house mags in it one time. I have small hands and it hurt like hell. Accordingly I keep 38+p’s in the 340. No issues with those.

I haven’t shot it past 15 yards. No need for that small of a gun. Groups well. More then accurate enough for what it is.

Oh, my 442 is essentially retired now that I happened upon my MP340 (dude was selling off a portion of his collection and I got it for $450). I wont sell the 442 since it's a great pistol, has no IL, and could be useful someday.

If you can afford the 340 and do not want a plinker, get it.

I have it and loaded with 357 in aluminium cases to save another ounce of weight plus the Crimson Trace laser that has the air pocket cushion to reduce recoil.

Not a fun gun to shoot, but a fun gun to carry.

I had one for a few years. For me, the pros were the excellent front sight, light weight and ability to shoot .357 magnum if you wanted to. When shooting .38 Specials, I didn't notice any difference between the M&P 340 and my 442, 642 or 637 airweights. I also didn't notice any difference in the felt weight when carrying in my pocket. The M&P 340 carried and shot (.38 special) just like the Airweights even though it was slightly lighter, at least in my opinion. Shooting magnums out of it was not much fun. With a solid two-hand grip, it doesn't really hurt or anything. It's just not pleasant. I practiced mostly with .38s.

I shoot standard pressure stuff only out of mine. Shooting magnums for me has done nothing but broken the front NS vial repeatedly. Not worth having to continually send it back.

quote:

Originally posted by Angio333:
Has anyone had any experience with the S&W M&P 340? How does it compare to the LCR, 640, and 642?

Thanks!

I sold off a LCR (too big and un-pocketable), and 642 for the lighter weight 340SC. The 11 ounce monster with the scandium/titanium cylinder. The new 340's come with stainless cylinder I believe, which adds an ounce or two.

I like the 642, but just prefer the 340 that is about 4 ounces lighter. You can really feel the difference in your pocket. And considering the 642 can be had for $350, but my 340SC with the laser grips, is an almost $1000 gun. I pay dearly for those 4 ounces, but it has always been worth it to me.

I carried that 340 for years and years and as a backup when I was a patrol officer. I do occasionally still carry it, but I have gone to an autoloader these days due to the greater capacity and quicker reloads.

I'm old-style I carry a model 40. Standard pressure loads. After all, it's a get-off-me gun, not a 50 yard shooter. The gun could probably do it, but I can't.

I had a 340 Scandium...It was the nastiest gun that I have ever shot. Much worse than a Thompson Contender in 44 mag.
Never regretted trading off that gun....

YMMV , of course ....mike