Comparing S&W 340pd and R9

[Bob79]

Fudster-10.8 vs 14.3 is 3.5 ozs.

[Bob79]

also "the only advantage" is the weight?

What about reliability?

How may failure to fires or malfuctions with your R-9 vs. the S&W?  

My 342 has never misfired over 150 rounds and counting...

[DDGator]

From my personal experience, my 342, 442 and R-9 functioned exactly the same from a reliability perspective:  100%!

[Fud]

During rapid fire sessions at the range, my 342 has seized up with less than fifty rounds through it.

[DDGator]

Wow.  From what?  Excessive fouling or bullet pull?

[dnmdcm]

I'm new to this forum.  In fact I just discovered the Rohrbaugh today.  

Some thoughts.  I've owned a S&W 340 PD with an OA sights big dot sight for a couple of years.  

Recoil:  It is quite a handful when full of .357 mag, but it is not uncontrolable.  Every time I go shooting, I make it a point to put 5 rounds through the little gun.  It beats me up, but by forcing myself to consistently fire a small number of rounds through it, I am maintaining proficiency.  I'm also now pretty used to the recoil.  While I can't exactly double tap, my follow up shots can be pretty quick now.

Is it a pocket gun?   Absolutely it is.  I have a Kahr PM9, previously the smallest and lightest 9mm.  I've found that the weight of the Kahr makes it impractical for pocket carry.  In contrast the Jframe is so light that it can go in the front pocket of my jeans easily.  Also, while it is thicker than a semi auto, the lumpy shape of the revolver breaks up its silhouette.  Someone said that for it to be a pocket pistol it had to fit in the back pocket.  That seems strange, I dont' know anyone who carries a gun in their back pocket.  

With thiat said, I'm really interested in theis new Rohrbaugh.  It will not replace my Kahr.  I can shoot an IDPA qualifier with the little Kahr and do reasonably well (almost can shoot expert level with it).  I think the Rohrbaugh is going to be too much of a handful for that.  

Finally, my way of dress is such that before all these great little powerhouses came out, I stuck with my Seecamp.  I typically wear jeans, khakis, shorts with a dress shirt or polo shirt.  I don't wear vests or suits.  So I have little opportunity to carry conceiled durring work unless it goes in my pocket.  These are great times.  The R9 looks like another great tool to keep on hand.

Don

[Fud]

DDGator, I think it had to do with the heat. The cylinder just refused to turn. Even manually. I couldn't even open it. I started packing up and was getting ready to leave the range when I tried it again just before putting the gun away and it was movable again. I decided to continue shooting.  Put another 20-30 rounds through it in quick fashion and the gun once again seized up just like before.

As a result, the 342 has become my 'house' gun.  A gun that I carry in and around the house, the backyard, when I'm taking out the garbage, cutting the grass, shoveling the snow, etc. It is a gun to buy me some time if the situation ever arises, to reach one of my other guns.

[GeorgeH]

Hi dnmdcm:

I'm the rear pocket guy. I got into to pocket guns years ago with a Seecamp 25. I carried it for years in a Galco wallet holster. Over time converted to the Seecamp 32 (I now own 3 Seecamps), then the NAA Guardian 380 and 32, and now the Rohrbaugh. My personal test as to what is a pocket gun and what is not, is the guns ability to be fully concealed in the rear pocket of a pair of slacks.

The PM 9 and a J frame are both compact firearms, but they do not fall into my definition as a pocket gun. Granted, they may fit in some pockets, but that was not the original intent of the design.

On the other hand, the Rohrbaugh was intended to be a 21st century version of the derringer. A true pocket gun. The Rohrbaugh just barely meets my personal definition.

By the way, you should consider rear pocket carry. It is a very natural and easy way to carry a BUG. I've had people notice when I've carried firearms in other places, but no one has ever made me with a firearm in my rear pocket. People just don't expect to find a gun there.

[GeorgeH]

Hi Bob79:

The quality of the Rohrbaugh is unreal. I cannot think of a more reliable self-loading pistol out-of-the-box.

In April I transitioned from a J frame to a Glock 36 as my primary defensive firearm. I love wheelguns, but I love my Glock. If Kahr came out with a 45 ACP plastic framed pistol, I'd jump on it in a heart beat.

I only own 1 Kahr, and that is a K 40 Covert with a Black Diamond coat finish. I love the way the gun shoots, but I do not carry it.

[Bob79]

I think its odd your 342 seized up due to heat, what happened when you called S&W/sent them the gun?  Really I've never heard of that.  How fast were you reloading?  Was it a constant quick fire 5/reload/fire 5/etc?   I have put over a hundred rounds through my 342 at the range in one session, granted I didn't reload very fast, just a casual dropping of the casings, and reload by hand each round at a time.  I never carry extra rounds w/ me anyways, so I have no need to quickly reload.  

I have no doubt the R-9 is an awesome gun, I just have NEVER known one shooter with experience firing both semi-autos and wheelies, and said that the semi-auto was more relaible (including myself).  I have both type of handguns, and if I knew for sure I was headed into a gunfight, and had a choice, it would be the wheelgun.  

BTW-my 342 loaded w/ 5 GD 135+P weighs 13.5 ozs, and stats show that in the VAST MAJORITY of shootings, less than 5 rounds are even fired.  

[Fud]

I didn't say that the semi-auto was more relaible than wheelies. I said that in this particular case, I found my R9S to be more reliable than my 342. I've got a 640 that has not had this problem.

While I agree with you that most gun battles last less than 5 rounds (I think the average is 2.3 or 3.2 or something like that) and that should make a five rounder sufficient, I wouldn't want to be one of those 5% of case where a reload ([i[or miltiple reloads[/i]) is require and then discover that the gun isn't working.

That's why the 342 is now my "around the house" gun. It's small & light enough to throw into a pocket and forget about it. I can go about my business in the backyard, frontyard, answering the door late at night, etc.; without too much concern knowing that I am armed. In the event that I need to use it, I have fairly good confidence that I can get at least one cylinder fiired without a problem and if more is needed, those five rounds will buy me enough time to reach another one of my firearms. However, I do not have enough confidence to relie on it as being my sole means of defense.

[doctordun]

I have a 357 340sc and a R-9. Both had problems out the box. Both were sent back to the manufacturer and both returned and worked fine. I carry the one I feel like on any given day and have no second thoughts about reliability.
My 340sc does have significant recoil and the only time I put a full 50 rounds of 357 thru it, I ended up with a blister on the web of my hand. It did not show any difference from the first shot to the last.