Finally shot the M&P 340 today

[palmettosunshine]

Hello everyone,

Had an impromptu trip to the range today and finally shot my S&W M&P 340 J frame which is chambered in .357 Magnum. Now before everyone gets all excited, I only shot .38's in it because that's all I had with me :roll:

Federal 158gr LRN to be exact because I haven't started loading for .38/.357 yet and that's what I had left over from my first attempt at a light weight revolver in that class, the Ruger LCR. Now let me make this clear, I'm not a Ruger hater, but I HATED the LCR. I fired one cylinder of .38's in it and traded it the same day. I revisited the concept recently when I traded for the S&W. It was such a good deal I couldn't pass it up. Now I was wondering what in the heck was I thinking since I didn't like .38 in a lightweight compact revolver, what in the world would I do when I torched off a .357 in an even lighter framed gun???

Well, I still don't know that answer but after firing a couple of .38's I thought, really? I was all tense and nervous about that? It was such a non-event that I know the +P's will be fine and I won't hesitate or cringe to pull the trigger on the .357's either. I'll know for sure soon as I can't wait to take it back to the range with LOTS of different ammo.

I also could not believe how accurate this thing was/is. On a B-27 target, at five and seven yards, all five shots were in the orange. Slow and rapid fire. I'm more than impressed. I can also assure you what my new front pocket carry is. You'd have thought that in over 30 years of firing, carrying and handling firearms I'd have stumbled across this by now... I'm now officially a huge J frame fan.

Thanks for listening!

[subsonic]

Take band-aids when you try .357s for the first time.

They are pretty nice, but I find them to be on the limit of shootability, and I have shot very heavy recoiling handguns that did not bother me. There is just something about the rapid snap with no weight to slow it down that gets me. My 337ti with the wood grips on it will cut my index finger with the trigger guard. Hogue grips stopped that. The hammerless air-lite guns chew on my thumb with the cyliner release (hammer guns do not and I don't know why). I hope you have more fun than that with yours.

[MtGun44]

I shoot my S&W 329 no problem, but I have a 342 and with hot 158 gr it is a really
unpleasant gun. Works great, but very unpleasant. I would turn down an opportunity
to shoot a 340 with full power .357 loads.

No, thank you.

Bill

[palmettosunshine]

Bill,

You do realize, of course, that I'll just have to try that now don't you? I may of course regret it, and bow to your wisdom later, but I will have to try it.

Frederick

[crabo]

Bill,

You do realize, of course, that I'll just have to try that now don't you? I may of course regret it, and bow to your wisdom later, but I will have to try it.

Frederick

You need to do it every now and then, just to remind yourself why you don't do it.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

The j frames are great little guns. My 649 in 357 mag is my go to carry gun.

[Walt]

I relate shooting full house 357s in my M&P 340 as to having a handful of angry bees. For me and my J frame scandium 357...well.....357s will be carried and 38s will be practiced with. My little 340 is very accurate too.