By Jason Vincent
Very few guns offer the light weight, compact carryability (new word) and firepower as a snub-nosed .357 Magnum. Even fewer are more miserable to shoot with full-power defensive loads. If you like carry guns and you have a pain kink, this review is for you.
Smith and Wesson’s J-frame guns have been around since 1950, but their snub-nose revolvers have been in service since the late 1800’s. The concept remains relevant because they just fit their intended concealed carry purpose so well. They’re small, they can be extremely powerful, and they will not jam.
Around 12 years ago, a co-worker showed me his ankle carry gun – a Smith 340 M&P. I liked the incredibly light design, the lethality of .357, and the tritium front sight was a bonus. I immediately purchased one. I went home, grabbed a box of .357 Magnum rounds from my ammo locker and walked outside to my backyard gun range. Holy shit.
A Heavy Hitter
Shooting .357’s will wake you up no matter what size gun you’ve stuffed them in. In a light snub nose, they’re downright painful. I describe shooting them from this gun as being akin to swinging a steel pipe at solid concrete on a cold winter day without gloves on. It’s the same level of shock to your hands.
That first range session humbled me. I had to be slow and deliberate to be on target at 15 yards. I decided immediately that this was a close-range rocket launcher, which for a backup gun is fine. Reaching for it on the ankle would likely mean I’d failed to retain my primary weapon in a fight, and I needed a backup option at contact distance.
I’d really like to see the course of fire detectives in the 80’s had to pass to qualify on the range with their snub-nose .38’s. They had to be much different than our qualification tests, because most of us would’ve had a hard time qualifying at some of our shooting distances with the 340.
S&W M&P 340 EDC
Over time, and with practice, I got better with the J-frame and started carrying it as one of my concealed carry guns when I was out and about. The size and weight just made it disappear on my waist, and I knew it would function reliably.
These days Ron Dan is our go-to revolver guy, and he carries a J-frame a lot. It’s hot here in the South, so he’s often wearing shorts and a lightweight shirt. His J-frames go completely unnoticed, and he’s just a little bit cooler than the rest of us for concealing a classic design.
He’s rubbed off on me and the 340 is back in my carry rotation as a result. It’s the model that has it all: power, light weight and a low-light front sight. Plus it looks great with Hawaiian print (or a Gin Shirt).
Cost: $979.
Pros: Reliable, light, powerful, tritium front sight.
Cons: Not easy to shoot accurately beyond 10 yards. Five-round capacity.
