RevolverJockey Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Seems like I see more and more 940s coming up for sale. Is there one that is better suited for carry? 9pm pressure cause problems with erosion? I currently have a 442 no lock but found a 940 no dash for sale and makes me wonder. Any have or shot both? Any thought would be appreciated. Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
50GI-Jess Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Yes, I have both models. Got the 940 because I won it in a match. My absolute favorite among J-frames is the 642. The 940 is heavier, and doesn't really make sense to carry when you can go with the lighter models. Ok, if one had free 9mm to practice with...hmm from somewhere, that would be another deal ha ha. Jess Christensen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ede Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 i have a 3" 940. i bought it for a bootleg BUG match and never used it. tried selling it and didn't get any takers. gun is heavy and i wouldn't want to carry it. for the same weight, more or less, you can carry a .357, or .38. other than shooting cheap 9mm ammo, if you can get it, i'd go with a .38/.357 in a lighter package for carry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaredr Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Seems like I see more and more 940s coming up for sale. Is there one that is better suited for carry? yes - the ones that aren't being offered for $1,000 because they're "collectors items" serisouly, others have already called out the same pros and cons I'd recount. terminal ballistics (at least through the chrono and on paper which is all I have experience with) are not much different between self defense 9mm and .38 special +P rounds. won't stray into what is "better" for self defense, but the 642 is very reasonably priced ($350 or less retail) and +P 38 special is all I would want to practice with. The current 640's are rated for .357 magnum, but that's not real pleasant to shoot our of a J-frame, even a steel one. The super-trick scandium revolvers are also rated for .357, but I found firing a full-house .357 magnum out of them very unpleasant, certainly wouldn't want to practice with that on a regular basis and they're several hundred dollars more than a 642. my $.02 - i'd get a 642 if I was choosing amongst J frame revolvers, best value and chambered for a caliber that won't beat you up too badly if you're going to invest the practice time it will require to become proficient with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Sinko Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I have a 2" 940 and I carry it every day. I shoot it a lot too. Nowadays most high performance 9mm ammo is better than the vast majority of factory loaded so-called +P or +P+ .38 Special. In a 2" barrel and with proper handloads, the 9mm doesn't give up much if anything to the best .38 Special loads, including Buffalo Bore's esteemed .38 +P load. It is a bit heavy for a pocket gun but I don't mind the extra weight. Moonclipped 9mm reloads are faster and less bulky than .38 Special in speedloaders. The moonclips are as thick as .45 ACP moonclips, which means they don't bend when carried in a pocket. People are paying a lot of money for these revolvers, but I don't know if they buy them to actually use them or just hide them in a safe. Mine is definitely a keeper. If I had the money, I'd buy that 3" 940 in a heartbeat. Then I'd take it to Pinnacle and have him shorten the cylinder and screw the barrel in deeper and make it a 2" gun. I don't know if he has ever done this to a 940, but I figure it can be done. Oh yeah, and 9mm CAN extract properly and easily from a revolver cylinder, provided S&W takes the time to make everything right. Dave Sinko Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaredr Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Nowadays most high performance 9mm ammo is better than the vast majority of factory loaded so-called +P or +P+ .38 Special. i wasn't aware of this. can you advise where you found this information? i'd like to know more about how the different 9mm and .38 special self defense loads fared in comparison to each other. thanks in advance, jared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anachronism Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 (edited) I had a couple of 940s and found them lacking. First of all, the moon clips for the reloads would bend in my pocket. My guns would not function without moon clips, which I also didn't like. I felt they were just a bit light for the purpose. Second, the recoil, while not heavy, was annoyingly sharp, and the muzzle blast was uncomfortable. Finally, I felt the guns were a bit heavy for the performance level available. As for the 9mm itself, I grew to believe that more bullet weight is a good idea, so I bartered off the 940s & went to a 640 .357 mag, and a 649 .357 maq. The bad thing about them is that they both shoot their best with full power .357s, which add a new dimension to pain, if you have small wooden grips on your revolvers. We're currently experimenting with 158 38 Spl +P lead hollowpoints, which seem to be working okay, and they have a good street record. While I respect others opinions, I'll never believe the 9mm loads will out perform properly designed bullets in the 38 Spl. Edited February 20, 2011 by anachronism Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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