Disappointed with S&W 340PD

J

JakeMate

New member
I just bought a Smith and Wesson 340 PD (.357 small revolver with the titanium cylinder) the other day and shot it for the first time yesterday. Three shots and it broke. I was shooting .38 special Winchester 130g rounds. I'm very disappointed. Something internal broke. Not sure what it is. Brand new gun.

It's good I went to the range and shot it before I needed to rely on it for personal protection. If I get it fixed, should I always doubt it now? How's S&W's warranty service? Any experience?
 
Don't think I could ever trust it 100% again. The fact that you mentioned it, makes me think you feel the same way to some degree.
Of course, there is a good chance that it's a easy fix and will never happen again. Smith will repair it no charge, but sometimes they are a bit slow getting it back to you. Your dealer might ship it for you or exchange it for another.
 
This is one of the reasons I avoid Titanium guns; I hear too many stories of easy breakage. I'm sure Smith and Wesson will repair it at no charge but I'd seriously consider getting an all steel gun next time, an SP101 for example. It might be heavier than what you want but it's reliable and doesn't come with an internal lock.
 
I have yet to find a gun manufacturor that doesn't ever have problems with its products.

S&W (as you have noted) is no exception, but DOES have the best customer service of any of them. Give them a call- they'll send you a free FEDEX shipping label, and I've always found them to be exceptionally fast on warrenty repairs.
 
What exactly was wrong with it?

I have seen one recently with a bad extractor star that was causing problems w/carrying up.

Incidentally, performing a basic revolver checkout at the time of purchase would have detected this.
 
Confidence

I just wanted to jump in and say THAT SUCKS! Also that if you are not confident with your sidearm because it is defective, get another. I have kept trouble guns and have almost payed dearly for that. For example, I had a .22 semi-auto NIB. Took it out and the safety did not seem to work right. I had the safety OFF and tried to pull the trigger but nothing happened. Odd. I went to open the chamber to unload it and remembered to put the safety back on as I was about to set the gun onto the shooting bench. Imagine my suprise when as the safety went ON the gun went BANG and nearly took out my windshield 10 feet away.

Well, the dealer did'nt think anything was wrong with it and would not take it back, so I thought maybe it was a fluke. Again went out to the range and experience the same. Put gun on SAFE and it FIRES every single time.

After that, I was not even interested in fixing it. The association of the words "defective"and "danger" with that gun made it impossible for me to be comfortable trusting it-ever. And you must be able to count on your carry arm. Plus, who wants to be mailing guns back and forth waiting months just to see if your faulty gun is less faulty.

Not I.

Anyhew, the Ruger SP101s that I have had (several) have been reliable backups. Never missed a beat. Now they are heavy and the triggers are kinda crude, but they can handle some punishment.

I am back to sticking with all steel wheelguns. They just seem to be better.

Shooter429
 
Shooter429,
I see you are here in WA. What was the .22 NIB that had/has the problem?
And, more importantly, who was the "dealer" that refused to take it back?
(I would like to avoid both)
Also, I see you said "had". What did you do with it?

Dean
 
The number 3 in a S&W product means trouble. I avoid them completely. Sad too. I would appreciate a 100% durable M325 in 45 ACP. The breakage and failure rate seems high in 3 series S&Ws.
 
Everything is subject to failure. Be it a handgun or the space shuttle. S&W will repair/replace your firearm for FREE. I suppose no other gun manufacturer has had a fatigue factor failure. Be thankful you didn't buy something made in a third world country. Your covered with Smith.
 
Wow. If only I'd known!

:rolleyes:

I have owned a 360, two 340s and a 325.
None of them has spelled "trouble" for me, although I have sold several (to buy another). Currently have a 340 and a 325, and until they make something better, I plan on keeping them.

Note: "Better", to my mind, does not mean SP101 or a 6-series S&W. YMMV
 
Most of these guns are completely trouble-free.

The 340 I've just mentioned is the only 340 I've seen that was problematic out of the box, which is why I asked the nature of the failure in this thread. If it was a problem with carry-up, then there could be a small run of the guns with bum stars.


FWIW, I carry a titanium 296 every day, and have for five years.



It's so much easier to throw out unsubstantiated generalities, though...
 
oh yeah,

and I'm looking to add a 396 to the collection.

Tamara, I'm sure the 296 is better from a hammerless perspective, but something about that 396 just speaks to me...

Oh well it'll be a while 'til I can afford one...by then everybody will want too much for 'em :rolleyes:
 
Thats interesting. I have a 360PD, carry it EVERYWHERE. I have several hundred rounds through it. Never a problem. I have seen some new Smiths that I would not buy, out of time right out of the box.
 
I have had a 340PD for about a year now with 700+ rounds through it with no problems. I have never had a problem with their wheelguns, but I would never buy their semi-autos.
 
Tamara:

The failure is a bit difficult to describe but when I pull the trigger, it feels different. It advances the cylinder but it feels like its not cocking the internal hammer all the way. The trigger definitely feels different.
 
JakeMate,

Okay... so far you've said that "it broke" and that the trigger feels different.

Does the gun fire every time? Is the trigger pull much heavier or lighter? Does it lock up when trying to fire? Can you be a little more precise in describing the problem?

It could be any number of problems but we can't even conjecture about it until we know more.
 
S&W's support is not good. After I bought my sw99 in 45 and realized it was not a 10+1 as their catalog and website said but rather a 9+1, I e-mailed them and complained, They did not return my e-mails. and as far as I know, they still have not changed their ad's eventhough everyone knows they're 9+1. Then I realized that they sent me 2 of the same size backstraps instead of 1 large and one small. I e-mailed them and they questioned my ability to measure the two, and pretty much implied that I did not know how to use a tape measure. Then when the little PLASTIC drift pin that is for removing the backstrap broke the 3rd time I used it, they were silent. But the gun is great so I have not gone cyclic on them yet
 
Then when the little PLASTIC drift pin that is for removing the backstrap broke the 3rd time I used it
Click to expand...

That will happen when you use the included plastic "magazine disassembly pin" to knock out a steel roll pin. (this is made clear on page 20 in the Walther manuals, but not so in their Smith equivalents.)

Use a round, flatnose punch of the appropriate size, and you will avoid damaging the magazine disassembly pin.
 
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