Bringing The 940 Back: Smith & Wesson & Davidson's Revive Classic Revolver

There are numerous advantages to chambering a compact carry revolver for the 9 mm Luger cartridge. The 9mm Luger is one of the cheapest centerfire cartridges on the market right now, meaning it’s affordable to put in the practice that these small handguns require. The popularity of the 9 mm means that there are numerous superb self-defense loads to choose from. Finally, from a short barrel, the ballistics of the 9 mm are comparable or better than the performance of other popular compact revolver cartridges. Smith & Wesson acknowledged these facts when they teamed up with firearms distributor Davidson’s Inc. to reintroduce the Model 940.

Originally introduced in 1991, the 940 was produced until 1998. The 940 takes its design cues from Smith & Wesson’s popular 640 revolver. Its J-frame design is made out of stainless steel, as is its five-shot cylinder and 2.17” barrel. A “hammerless” design, the 940’s hammer is concealed within the frame and the revolver can be fired only in double-action mode. To accommodate the rimless 9 mm Luger cartridge, the 940 uses a “moon clip” system for loading and unloading. Three “full moon” five-round clips are supplied with each revolver. 

The new 940 has many improvements over the original. Its barrel is fluted, and the sights consist of a removable XS front sight post with a tritium insert and a raised serrated U-notch rear fitted into a dovetail. Stocks are made of G10 material by VZ Grips and are their Tactical Diamond model with a “dark cherry” color. The new 940 does not have an internal lock.

The 940 has an overall length of 6.63”, a height of 4.38” and a width of 1.31”. It weighs 23.52 ozs. The Smith & Wesson 940 has an MSRP of $999. For more information, see the company’s website.