Is the Smith 340PD that special?

HighValleyRanch · January 25, 2018, 11:48 AM

All I know is that these are high priced, very lightweight and finnicky to the ammo selection. So are these specialized to the point of useless except for lightweight carry?

The reason I ask is that I have an opportunity to trade someone my rare glock gen 1 17 which are hard to find for a slightly used 340 PD. Not that I need another revolver other than my .357 LCR and 3" LCRX, but just investigating the facts.

bassJAM1 · January 25, 2018, 01:26 PM

You got it, super light carry. In .357 no less, just in case you like punishing your palm.

I have a S&W 337, which is even lighter than a 340PD and it's punishing enough with .38 +p. I also have a 442 and have discovered the weight savings of the Airlites is marginal in the real world over the Airweights.

Unless you find your LCR too heavy for CC, I'd skip on the trade.

disseminator · January 25, 2018, 01:28 PM

I almost bought a 329PD, but after a little research most opinions of the Scandium guns is that the "PD" stands for "Palm Destroyer".

Check out the vids on the Tube, they are mostly unanimous that these guns have brutal recoil. They ARE neat, but I'd rather have a gun I enjoy shooting than one that is lighter.

2damnold4this · January 25, 2018, 07:24 PM

I have a 342 (.38 +p) that I like but I sure wouldn't want to shoot .357s out of it. For me, it's not bad to shoot with the Speer 135 +p with the right grips on it. I can shoot it all day with my mild 130 reloads. I did take the cylinder assembly apart and used a stone to break the sharp edges of it to aid in reloading.

I like it for several reasons:

The pinned front sight let me easily change the sight I can see much better than the fixed sight on my 642.

The 342 is very resistant to corrosion. I have rusted some stainless guns from heavy sweating in the summer but not the 342.

The light weight is nice. It's by far the easiest firearm I own to carry.

Bob L. Swagger · June 19, 2018, 05:53 PM

The 340PD with crimson trace laser grips and a Kramer pocket holster is THE quintessential “always” gun. Mine is stoked with 140 grain Buffalo Bore short barrel formula 357 solid copper HPs. It’s not a range plinker. In fact, it draws blood at the web of my hand after a cylinder full of 357s of any kind. The only ammo in this recoil monster even remotely “plink worthy” that I’ve found is .38 special 148 grain wadcutters. And even they lose their friendliness after a few cylinders full. But that aside, if there’s a better “always” gun out there that I’d trust as much as this little savage beast, I’ve not found it.

Super Sneaky Steve · June 19, 2018, 06:33 PM

An LCR in .38 special is almost as light, but won't punish you as bad and you'll save a lot of money.

glenspen · June 19, 2018, 08:23 PM

Using a good quality ankle holster makes it the best back up

cslinger · June 19, 2018, 11:59 PM

As a .357........

Ok go out to your garage.
Open your car door.
Put your hand between the door and the frame
SLAM THE DOOR SHUT 5 times.
Ask yourself if you want to do this 5 more times?
If the answer is yes then you sir want a scandium Smith Jframe

Airweights or even steel 640s are no big deal to carry and don’t make you think you just pulled the pin on a grenade and are counting to 10.

I knew a guy who bought one of the early ones. When I asked if he still had it he said no. I asked why. His reply was......

“I figured one day I was gonna get mugged, and after he took my money I was probably gonna give him the Gun too and say take this damn thing too.”

Cosmodragoon · June 20, 2018, 06:49 AM

Quote:

An LCR in .38 special is almost as light, but won't punish you as bad and you'll save a lot of money.

Take this advice and run with it. If you are really itching for this kind of revolver, the LCR 38 is very light but less punishing. If you need to ditch the cushy grips for something sleeker to get closer to the 340 PD's carry profile, you'll lose recoil mitigation but I'll doubt you'll end up worse than the PD. You can do that, upgrade the sights, stick it in your pocket and take your favorite girl out for a bite; and you still might end up with more cash in your pocket than if you bought a PD.

It might not be as novel since you already have the slightly larger, slightly heavier LCR 357 but hey, at least you'll be starting off ahead of the curve with practice on the platform.

Scoits · June 20, 2018, 07:36 AM

Well one thing for sure, should you get in a real gun fight you will never feel the recoil of any handgun. So the only question [for me]is will you carry the “ others” at all times.
A cylinder a month to check accuracy and function for a close in SD weapon does not seem extreme.

Buckeye! · June 20, 2018, 11:37 AM

I like my Ruger LCR357 .. The polymer frame and excellent grip absorbs some of the recoil ..
My Charter Alumium framed 38spl revolvers weigh 12oz .. so thats my choice for pocket carry revolvers..

labnoti · June 20, 2018, 12:32 PM

It depends on the grip. I suppose some people could adopt the "carried a lot, shot little" POU, but I reject that. I shoot what I carry. Shooting a .357 in an 11 oz gun can do more than just hurt. With my hands, it will cause injury. When it "hurts" I can just work through it. When it's still hurting several days after I've stopped shooting, it's an injury. Recovery time interferes with my training.

I found Pachmayr grips work very well, but I wasn't able to buy one that wasn't defective. I also found the Crimson Trace grips work very well and the quality is excellent. I believe the key is a grip that spreads the recoil energy over a larger area with a wider backstrap, and that dampens the recoil to slow down the energy transfer with a soft material covering the metal grip frame's backstrap. Both of these features can interfere with concealment performance. The larger grip is harder to conceal or fit in pockets, and the softer materials are more likely to catch on clothing. So there is a trade-off.

Without the right grip, the 340PD is not practical except with lighter loads. If you only shoot lighter loads, you can use a 442/642. You can install a titanium cylinder on them to save 2 more ounces for hundreds less than a 340PD.

gnystrom · June 21, 2018, 09:02 AM

Having owned one for a lot of years I find it to be,

Perfect for pocket carry even in lightweight wool dress pants. Don't kid yourself a couple of ounces can make the difference if carry weight.

With practice, as accurate as you want it to be. I regularly shoot mine offhand at 75'

Recoil is subjective and I shoot handloads that equal factory loads, usually 50-75 per session with no painful after effects.

I save the last cylinder full for the laser on my Crimson Trace LG405 lasergrips which help a great deal in mitigating felt recoil.

I never shoot .357's as I may need a followup shot but I do like the thought of carrying something like Underwood's solid copper bullets. Currently I carry Gold Dot 135gr. Short Barrel loads.

I love that little sucker.

shurshot · June 22, 2018, 06:15 PM

Cslinger, your post had me laughing, pretty accurate description with the car door scenario... LOL! My 642 and 638 with + P loads are quite harsh, the thought of an ultralightweight .357 Magnum is terrifying.

TheDevilThatYouKnow · June 22, 2018, 07:03 PM

Aside from requiring bullets of 120+ grains to avoid bullet pulling and binding the cylinder... how 'finicky' can a revolver be?

Edit: It's apparently flame cutting of the top strap by still burning powder from .357 loads that is the problem, .38SPL seems to not require heavier bullets.

Rob228 · June 22, 2018, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Using a good quality ankle holster makes it the best back up

Ever try to draw from an ankle holster?

Sharkbite · June 22, 2018, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Well one thing for sure, should you get in a real gun fight you will never feel the recoil of any handgun.

I absolutely HATE this statement. Its not about feeling the recoil, its about it interfering with your willingness and ability to practice enough with the gun to be proficient in its use under stress.

I have one of the Titanium framed 38spl guns. It is unpleasant thru the first cylinder. By cylinder #3... im done. Thats only 15 rounds. Not nearly enough to ingrain the skills needed to be efficient with these hard to shoot guns.

Ive always viewed the J frames as expert guns. Like, you REALLY have to know what youre doing to shoot them well. These ultra-light versions are the tip of that spear

Ralph Allen · June 22, 2018, 09:18 PM

My wife carries a 340PD. I agree that shooting it with traditional loads are brutal, but I saw no mention of anyone using the new ARX lightweight and high speed bullet loads. Any of you who actually own a light J frame pistol should indeed check these out. Never mind the stamping on the barrel saying to not use any bullet less than 125 grains. Bullet pull does not affect these lightweight copper/polymer based bullets. No pricier than any other commercial ammunition. Almost a pleasure to shoot and terminal performance is outstanding. Don't believe it will stand up to the FBI's ammunition tests, but if you don't practice because it's too painful, then you just don't practice.
Ralph

Buckeye! · June 22, 2018, 09:50 PM

I like my Ruger LCR357 better than my 340PD

Rob228 · June 23, 2018, 06:07 AM

Quote:

absolutely HATE this statement. Its not about feeling the recoil, its about it interfering with your willingness and ability to practice enough with the gun to be proficient in its use under stress.

This is why I sold/gave away both of my J-frames.

glenspen · June 23, 2018, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Ever try to draw from an ankle holster?

No I have never been in a real situation where I needed to draw from an ankle holster. Got any advice?

My 340pd is my least fired gun and I probably wouldn't buy it again but I like the fact that it can be worn all day and forgotten about because it's so light. I follow the advice of fellow owners and never sell any guns so I'm happy to have it in my collection.

Firing it is hard on the hands but not too bad if you use lighter 38 loads for practice

wild cat mccane · June 24, 2018, 07:59 AM

Ankle holsters CAN be bad. Google ankle holster varicose veins.

I like neat things and have done the j-frame thing. However, 8rnds in the LCP is just a smaller package in the pocket. (8 stock mag with Magguts springs)

Obambulate · June 24, 2018, 12:02 PM

This is why my 11-oz J-frame is a .22.

Cyanide971 · June 27, 2018, 12:17 AM

Definitely increased the size a little, but these Pachmayr G10 grips on my LCR fill my hand better, definitely allowing for much better control and follow up shots. With that said, haven’t shot anything but 130gr .38 Special +P Ranger out of it so far.

HighValleyRanch · June 27, 2018, 09:26 AM

^^^^^^
Is that a .38 or .357 LCR?

January 25, 2018, 11:48 AM	#1
HighValleyRanch Senior Member Join Date: July 15, 2005 Posts: 4,066	Is the Smith 340PD that special? All I know is that these are high priced, very lightweight and finnicky to the ammo selection. So are these specialized to the point of useless except for lightweight carry? The reason I ask is that I have an opportunity to trade someone my rare glock gen 1 17 which are hard to find for a slightly used 340 PD. Not that I need another revolver other than my .357 LCR and 3" LCRX, but just investigating the facts. __________________ From the sweet grass to the slaughter house; From birth until death; We travel between these two eternities........from 'Broken Trail"

June 19, 2018, 11:59 PM	#8
cslinger Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2002 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 2,045	As a .357........ Ok go out to your garage. Open your car door. Put your hand between the door and the frame SLAM THE DOOR SHUT 5 times. Ask yourself if you want to do this 5 more times? If the answer is yes then you sir want a scandium Smith Jframe Airweights or even steel 640s are no big deal to carry and don’t make you think you just pulled the pin on a grenade and are counting to 10. I knew a guy who bought one of the early ones. When I asked if he still had it he said no. I asked why. His reply was...... “I figured one day I was gonna get mugged, and after he took my money I was probably gonna give him the Gun too and say take this damn thing too.” __________________ "Is there anyway I can write my local gun store off on my taxes as dependents?"

June 27, 2018, 09:26 AM	#25
HighValleyRanch Senior Member Join Date: July 15, 2005 Posts: 4,066	^^^^^^ Is that a .38 or .357 LCR? __________________ From the sweet grass to the slaughter house; From birth until death; We travel between these two eternities........from 'Broken Trail"

January 25, 2018, 01:26 PM	#2
bassJAM1 Senior Member Join Date: March 31, 2017 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 147	You got it, super light carry. In .357 no less, just in case you like punishing your palm. I have a S&W 337, which is even lighter than a 340PD and it's punishing enough with .38 +p. I also have a 442 and have discovered the weight savings of the Airlites is marginal in the real world over the Airweights. Unless you find your LCR too heavy for CC, I'd skip on the trade.

January 25, 2018, 01:28 PM	#3
disseminator Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2016 Location: Minnesota Posts: 960	I almost bought a 329PD, but after a little research most opinions of the Scandium guns is that the "PD" stands for "Palm Destroyer". Check out the vids on the Tube, they are mostly unanimous that these guns have brutal recoil. They ARE neat, but I'd rather have a gun I enjoy shooting than one that is lighter.

January 25, 2018, 07:24 PM	#4
2damnold4this Senior Member Join Date: August 12, 2009 Location: Athens, Georgia Posts: 2,526	I have a 342 (.38 +p) that I like but I sure wouldn't want to shoot .357s out of it. For me, it's not bad to shoot with the Speer 135 +p with the right grips on it. I can shoot it all day with my mild 130 reloads. I did take the cylinder assembly apart and used a stone to break the sharp edges of it to aid in reloading. I like it for several reasons: The pinned front sight let me easily change the sight I can see much better than the fixed sight on my 642. The 342 is very resistant to corrosion. I have rusted some stainless guns from heavy sweating in the summer but not the 342. The light weight is nice. It's by far the easiest firearm I own to carry.

June 19, 2018, 05:53 PM	#5
Bob L. Swagger Junior Member Join Date: September 5, 2004 Posts: 14	The 340PD with crimson trace laser grips and a Kramer pocket holster is THE quintessential “always” gun. Mine is stoked with 140 grain Buffalo Bore short barrel formula 357 solid copper HPs. It’s not a range plinker. In fact, it draws blood at the web of my hand after a cylinder full of 357s of any kind. The only ammo in this recoil monster even remotely “plink worthy” that I’ve found is .38 special 148 grain wadcutters. And even they lose their friendliness after a few cylinders full. But that aside, if there’s a better “always” gun out there that I’d trust as much as this little savage beast, I’ve not found it.

June 19, 2018, 06:33 PM	#6
Super Sneaky Steve Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 2011 Posts: 1,250	An LCR in .38 special is almost as light, but won't punish you as bad and you'll save a lot of money.

June 19, 2018, 08:23 PM	#7
glenspen Member Join Date: January 17, 2017 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 29	Using a good quality ankle holster makes it the best back up

June 20, 2018, 07:36 AM	#10
Scoits Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2017 Posts: 178	Well one thing for sure, should you get in a real gun fight you will never feel the recoil of any handgun. So the only question [for me]is will you carry the “ others” at all times. A cylinder a month to check accuracy and function for a close in SD weapon does not seem extreme.

June 20, 2018, 11:37 AM	#11
Buckeye! Senior Member Join Date: September 1, 2008 Posts: 849	I like my Ruger LCR357 .. The polymer frame and excellent grip absorbs some of the recoil .. My Charter Alumium framed 38spl revolvers weigh 12oz .. so thats my choice for pocket carry revolvers..

June 20, 2018, 12:32 PM	#12
labnoti Senior Member Join Date: April 2, 2018 Posts: 252	It depends on the grip. I suppose some people could adopt the "carried a lot, shot little" POU, but I reject that. I shoot what I carry. Shooting a .357 in an 11 oz gun can do more than just hurt. With my hands, it will cause injury. When it "hurts" I can just work through it. When it's still hurting several days after I've stopped shooting, it's an injury. Recovery time interferes with my training. I found Pachmayr grips work very well, but I wasn't able to buy one that wasn't defective. I also found the Crimson Trace grips work very well and the quality is excellent. I believe the key is a grip that spreads the recoil energy over a larger area with a wider backstrap, and that dampens the recoil to slow down the energy transfer with a soft material covering the metal grip frame's backstrap. Both of these features can interfere with concealment performance. The larger grip is harder to conceal or fit in pockets, and the softer materials are more likely to catch on clothing. So there is a trade-off. Without the right grip, the 340PD is not practical except with lighter loads. If you only shoot lighter loads, you can use a 442/642. You can install a titanium cylinder on them to save 2 more ounces for hundreds less than a 340PD.

June 21, 2018, 09:02 AM	#13
gnystrom Senior Member Join Date: July 30, 2006 Posts: 308	Having owned one for a lot of years I find it to be, Perfect for pocket carry even in lightweight wool dress pants. Don't kid yourself a couple of ounces can make the difference if carry weight. With practice, as accurate as you want it to be. I regularly shoot mine offhand at 75' Recoil is subjective and I shoot handloads that equal factory loads, usually 50-75 per session with no painful after effects. I save the last cylinder full for the laser on my Crimson Trace LG405 lasergrips which help a great deal in mitigating felt recoil. I never shoot .357's as I may need a followup shot but I do like the thought of carrying something like Underwood's solid copper bullets. Currently I carry Gold Dot 135gr. Short Barrel loads. I love that little sucker.

June 22, 2018, 06:15 PM	#14
shurshot Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2006 Posts: 1,819	Cslinger, your post had me laughing, pretty accurate description with the car door scenario... LOL! My 642 and 638 with + P loads are quite harsh, the thought of an ultralightweight .357 Magnum is terrifying.

June 22, 2018, 07:03 PM	#15
TheDevilThatYouKnow Member Join Date: November 22, 2015 Posts: 89	Aside from requiring bullets of 120+ grains to avoid bullet pulling and binding the cylinder... how 'finicky' can a revolver be? Edit: It's apparently flame cutting of the top strap by still burning powder from .357 loads that is the problem, .38SPL seems to not require heavier bullets.

June 22, 2018, 09:18 PM	#18
Ralph Allen Senior Member Join Date: January 21, 2007 Posts: 436	My wife carries a 340PD. I agree that shooting it with traditional loads are brutal, but I saw no mention of anyone using the new ARX lightweight and high speed bullet loads. Any of you who actually own a light J frame pistol should indeed check these out. Never mind the stamping on the barrel saying to not use any bullet less than 125 grains. Bullet pull does not affect these lightweight copper/polymer based bullets. No pricier than any other commercial ammunition. Almost a pleasure to shoot and terminal performance is outstanding. Don't believe it will stand up to the FBI's ammunition tests, but if you don't practice because it's too painful, then you just don't practice. Ralph

June 22, 2018, 09:50 PM	#19
Buckeye! Senior Member Join Date: September 1, 2008 Posts: 849	I like my Ruger LCR357 better than my 340PD

June 24, 2018, 07:59 AM	#22
wild cat mccane Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3,625	Ankle holsters CAN be bad. Google ankle holster varicose veins. I like neat things and have done the j-frame thing. However, 8rnds in the LCP is just a smaller package in the pocket. (8 stock mag with Magguts springs)

June 24, 2018, 12:02 PM	#23
Obambulate Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2011 Posts: 582	This is why my 11-oz J-frame is a .22.

June 27, 2018, 12:17 AM	#24
Cyanide971 Senior Member Join Date: June 1, 2014 Posts: 725	Definitely increased the size a little, but these Pachmayr G10 grips on my LCR fill my hand better, definitely allowing for much better control and follow up shots. With that said, haven’t shot anything but 130gr .38 Special +P Ranger out of it so far.