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Thread: S&W 340

  1. #11
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    After installing the Apex spring kit in my 340, up to a 40% failure to ignite rate with CCI primers occurred. Usually OK with other brands of primers but usually isn't good enough. Swapped one of the springs back to stock and it's been 100% ever since, probably three years and lots of rounds. I've had no other issues with mine, despite lots of pocket carry.

  2. #12
    Member 23JAZ's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Salamander View Post
    After installing the Apex spring kit in my 340, up to a 40% failure to ignite rate with CCI primers occurred. Usually OK with other brands of primers but usually isn't good enough. Swapped one of the springs back to stock and it's been 100% ever since, probably three years and lots of rounds. I've had no other issues with mine, despite lots of pocket carry.
    You changed only one of the springs? Which spring was it and why only that one? I thought all the spring weights were interdependent on each other.
    212

  3. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jay23 View Post
    You changed only one of the springs? Which spring was it and why only that one? I thought all the spring weights were interdependent on each other.
    Originally I installed the entire Apex kit. In my particular M&P 340, it wasn't reliable that way with at least a couple of light strikes per every 100 rounds and a lot worse than that with hard primers. So according to my notes from January 2019, "Apex hammer spring replaced with factory spring because of light strikes." The Apex return spring and firing pin are still in there. And it's been 100% reliable ever since.

    I don't doubt that the kit was designed to function as a unit. However every piece of machinery is built within a tolerance range, and in my particular example of modern S&W manufacture... I will tactfully refrain from any further commentary on recent S&W QA/QC at this time... the kit as designed did not function reliably. I will not carry a weapon that can't go hundreds of rounds with complete 100% reliability. The original factory setup wasn't optimal either, a 12+ lb trigger pull on a 13 oz revolver isn't exactly conducive to good accuracy. Can't recall now who it was that recommended swapping out just one of the two springs, but it worked for me. The trigger pull is somewhere between original factory and full Apex, and it now goes bang every time.

  4. #14
    Give it a little more oil in the rebound slide area and shoot it some more. I sort of suspect that you may not have gotten the trigger return link properly seated when you reassembled, or in some other way created a bind with the rebound slide and or trigger. I'm guessing that whatever the issue was, that it may have cured itself when you were fighting with it, trying to unjam the trigger. Since you had a failure to function, you'll want to run it past a minimum 250 trouble free rounds before considering trusting it for carry.

    If I'm guessing wrong and it still binds, then try replacing the factory parts in the action and retest as above. If the problem still persists, send it back to Smiff again.

  5. #15
    Member 23JAZ's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 358156hp View Post
    Give it a little more oil in the rebound slide area and shoot it some more. I sort of suspect that you may not have gotten the trigger return link properly seated when you reassembled, or in some other way created a bind with the rebound slide and or trigger. I'm guessing that whatever the issue was, that it may have cured itself when you were fighting with it, trying to unjam the trigger. Since you had a failure to function, you'll want to run it past a minimum 250 trouble free rounds before considering trusting it for carry.

    If I'm guessing wrong and it still binds, then try replacing the factory parts in the action and retest as above. If the problem still persists, send it back to Smiff again.
    I found a box of Precision Delta 148 gr wadcutter reloads in the back of my safe. Shot them all with no issues this morning. I have another 250 coming this week. If I can get through 150 of those without an issue I’ll consider the gun good to go. So far It has 120 trouble free rounds through it.
    212

  6. #16

    Nix the apex

    Quote Originally Posted by Joe Mac View Post
    The Apex spring kit is just too light for a carry gun, in my opinion. The trigger return spring does not give a brisk return, and if there is a burr the rebound slide might be hanging up on it. The Apex mainspring gave me about a 2% failure to ignite Gold Dot. Just a big Nope all around...

    In 20 years of devoted J-frame use I arrived at the following formula: Wolff 14# trigger return spring (leave the other springs alone) and thousands of dry fire reps to slick things up.
    Same experience on my 340..noped the Apex springs, kept the extended firing pin.

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