Saturday, May 05, 2012

My Favorite Baby Wheelgun for Personal Protection




Smith& Wessom 340 PD Air Light .357 Magnum
Chicago, IL—On the mean streets of the Windy City carrying a defensive weapon is a real necessity.  Politicians here have satisfied their political whims and desire to control the law-abiding folks with unconstitutional gun bans.  The actual written criminal defense of, “Necessity” along with the Bill of Rights trumps these political parasites.
Chicagoans need to commute to work, shop and maintain social relationships as they seek out food and entertainment.  The Chicago Police Department is undermanned, outgunned and totally demoralized.  Self-help for survival is really the only choice these days aside from moving from this bankrupt metropolis. 
It is very simple when you’re threatened, you must learn to shoot, scoot and stay mute.  Don’t feel sorry for your dead or wounded cowardly attackers since they made their wicked choice to victimize you. 
The pictured five-shot revolver is equipped with Secret Service Kirenite grips.  The little gun itself is the S&W #340 Air Lite PD in .357 Magnum.  This small ultra-light little item is highly concealable and comfortable to carry.   I will warn you that it is no substitute for a modern large caliber, semi-automatic pistol but it may get you out of a real life threatening jam.
This revolver is hammerless and designed not to snag the pocket of your expensive Burberry trench coat.  You could shoot through the pocket but what a shame it would be to ruin such a nice coat. 
The last time I checked this little gem was running about $800.00 and the exquisite grips are available from www.eaglegrips.com for $140.00
A concealed weapon is just a piece of safety equipment like a seat belt or helmet. Why would anyone walk around unnecessarily unprotected?

More on the Secret Service Grips:


21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice gun,but $$$ for most folks.S&Ws regular guns like 638,642,442 are great lightweight J-frame guns that are the minimum for personal defense.Avoid the BG38 at this time.

A small gun carried all the time is better than the wide-bodied hi-cap gun left at home.

Anonymous said...

i want to buy a bodyguard and the tv shows and the a couple of buddys said keep the resting hammer chamber empty , isnt that for old sa revovers.. four shots is not enough what about a .380 ,,,, thanks

Ed Skinner said...

I've got an old Model 36 that I pocket in an Uncle Mike's holder to both coneal it better and give the hammer something it won't snag upon. Not oerfect, true, but better than bring a knife to a gun fight. 38 hollow points, in case you're wondering. 357 would be better but, damn, that's gonna give your arm a good thump in an ultralight!

Paul Huebl Crimefile News said...

A .380 is just too underpowered for self-defense. It beats nothing but frankly I'd rather have a knife than a .380.

The recoil of the little #340 is not much more than it's steel counterparts. A snub-nosed belly gun is not for sustained fire anyway.

Mt Greenwood Hillbilly said...

I learned to shoot with a SA wheel gun and I am reluctant to carry any DA only revolver.

Anonymous said...

Times are tough, and many formerly hard working folks cannot find work through no fault of their own. I'd like to see affordable guns, even if they are not the choice of the 1% - like that unobtainium Benelli shotgun yesterday was. Just a thought.

Anonymous said...

A short barreled .357 produces excessive muzzle blast and flash.Its looses most of it velocity.
Better off running .38 +p in it.

Anonymous said...

.380 will get the job done.Modern .380 ammo moving about 950-1000fps in 90-95gr weights exact same diameter as a 9mm(.355).

If your older .380 auto will feed the newer bullet designs great,if not just run ball and go for maximum penetration.

Seen plenty of folks in da hundreds dropped like hot rock with .22,.25,.32 etc and some that soaked up 9mm,.40/45 like a sponge due to poor shot placement.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Paul love the site

Chris Sullivan said...

"...a couple of buddys said keep the resting hammer chamber empty , isnt that for old sa revovers.. four shots is not enough what about a .380 ,,,, thanks"

That is unnecessary since the Smith has an internal hammer block. If you can find a cutaway or exploded diagram you can see it.

Anonymous said...

Do you consider the .357 magnum a marginal caliber for self-defense? You don't need anything bigger, unless you're getting mugged by a Kodiak bear.

Anonymous said...

Modern DA revolvers by S&W, Ruger, Taurus etc. can be safely carried with all chambers loaded - they won't fire if dropped on the hammer. I don't much care for these ultra-light wheelguns, however - they tend to bite the hand that wields them. Go with the standard steel J-frames. They aren't that much heavier and soak up recoil much more effectively.

Taiji218 said...

It's a pretty snubby but for less moolah, equivalent concealability and maybe less weight I go with the Ruger LCR loaded in .38 Critical Defense ammo. The LCR is available in .357 but, as a previous writer said, with such a short barrel the .357 creates enough muzzle blast and flash, it more or less negates its firepower advantage over the .38 +P or the Critical Defense. Additionally, the LCR's grip is exceptionally shock absorbent.

Paul Huebl Crimefile News said...

Some “gun expert” comments seem to be coming from the Twilight Zone…

I have deleted many comments and have approved others holding my nose because of old wives tales and blatant misinformation.

Lets deal with the most common issues:

The incredibly lightweight #340 Air Lite is not meant for laying down a sustained field of fire. It’s meant for some close range belly shots or the intimidation factor to get you to safety. Firing five or less shots with his revolver is not taxing especially for experienced shooters.

This is a modern safe revolver and you should carry every chamber loaded with a round.

The .357 Magnum cartridge is no bear stopper. You’re lucky if you can stop a dangerous human with this especially fired from a shot 1 7/8 inch barrel. If you fire this gun at contact range you will inflict a very nasty wound with just the excessive muzzle blast in addition to the bullet’s movement through the body. Most gun battles are in close quarters and don’t involve many shots. You are either quick or dead.

The .380 is a great round for shooting mice and small rats. I’ve seen many a man shot multiple times keep on ticking with as many as 12 rounds for the more powerful 9 MM. This kind of a gun is the minimum protection needed. If you are in a dangerous area or are expecting trouble keep a shotgun and a large caliber semi-automatic handgun with you.

Paul Huebl Crimefile News said...

What is amazing about the Kirenite grips is that they stick to your hands somehow. They are not slippery at all. It’s great material that’s incredibly strong and impervious to scratching or breaking.

Bob Robertson said...

As the t-shirt says, "If I expected trouble I would have brought my rifle."

Just Frank said...

I note engraved on the barrel it states:
"NO LESS THAN 120 GR BULLET"
I had never seen such a warning before, may I ask why that is stipulated?

I do so enjoy reading your reviews, most helpful in advising others about choices.

pdxr13 said...

+1 "If you are in a dangerous area or are expecting trouble keep a shotgun and a large caliber semi-automatic handgun with you."

Real trouble demands a rifle squad. One person is lucky to get out intact regardless of how many or what kind of pistols are in-hand (number of firearms should always be >0 per useful person). You can double your firepower by getting wife/GF and teenage children trained in how to save each other with what is available and to "move-move-move!".

Old timer advice: "Avoid dangerous areas, whenever possible".

Cheers.

Anonymous said...

If one uses lighter loads, the inertia of firing will cause the bullets to separate from the case thereby causing a malfunction.

J. Harp said...

I prefer smaller guns when in the city. This .357 tops my list. It is easy to conceal so as not to provoke criminals. I suggest using exploding targets for more exciting practice shooting.

Anonymous said...

Two young Salvadorean thugs attempted to strong arm a local businessman while he was about to enter his van...yet, were dissuaded when he pulled out a .25 cal Beretta single action pistol.

Compared to seeing a suspect literally eviscerated by a .308 NATO round, of course a .25 cal mouse gun epitomizes, puny...HOWEVER, the memory of seeing those two strapping criminals turning tail and running when the bitty .25 came out popping still makes me smile.