Anybody Else Here Like The S&W 3913?

T

taco

New member
I know S&W is a dirty word these days but they really did something right when they came out with the 3913 back in 1980's. Of all the pistols (not revolvers) made by S&W, 3913 is the only one I've liked enough to actually own and carry. Yet, I rarely hear anybody say anything good about these pistols.

My particular pistol was purchased back in 1988 and it is everything other S&W pistols are not... totally reliable, very accurate, great trigger and ergonomically perfect. In particular the DA trigger was very smooth and it has gotten better with time. I have yet to feel a stock factory DA pistol with better trigger. Mine has fired over 10,000 rounds now and it has malfunctioned only 3 times with my reloads and only one malfunction with factory ammo (Cor-Bon). In the beginning I was able to get groups under 2" without too much problem and it will still shoot under 3" (I think larger group is due to my failing eye sight). Nothing on the pistol has ever broke and only thing I have replaced was the recoil spring (every 3,000 rounds) and magazine springs (just for the hell of it). I will be replacing all the springs on the gun when my order comes in from Wolff next week.

For concealed carry the light weight and small thin size make it very easy even under just a tee-shirt. For almost 4 years this was my primary concealed carry pistol and remained as my backup concealed carry pistol for about 4 years more. My taste in pistols have changed to single actions pistols (various 1911 models) but I still have my 3913 in the safe and have no plans to get rid of it any time soon.
 
The S&W 3913 is one of the best CCW 9mm handguns on the market. It is the last of the line of longest production 9s in the US. Smith did thier homework. They took the best of the custom 9 pistol mods from the '70s and put them in production form. Not all the mods just the ones that could be manufactured at fair market value. I have an ASP or I would own one. My retirement job is in a gun store I reccommend three 9s for CCW. The 3913,3913 Lady Smith, and the Beretta 92c. The Smith is always reccomended first. I have yet to have any complaints.

You do not need to hang your head or back down to anyone.

Cheers,

ts
 
Taco,

I think if you search the archives here you will see that the 3913 is one of the most respected compact 9mm's around. I too have a 3913 as my primary CCW weapon (occassionaly I switch to my 6906) and it is a near perect weapon and has unreal accuracy.It consistantly shoots under 2" at 25 yards and last week I put a full mag of Cor-Bon 115 +P's into just over half an inch. it has never choked on any ammo that I have fed it. It is just a great gun..plain and simple. We may not agree with S&W these days but you cannot deny that they have made some of the truly great guns. The 3913 is one of those on the greatness list
 
3913 is a fine piece. I selected a 4013 as my first carry gun because I prefer the .40 to the 9mm. Same configuration and compact feel as the 3913 (S&W really screwed up the 4013 when they introduced the TSW version). Every gunshow I attend I keep an eye open for a good second hand 3913 for my wife.
 
I too, agree with the positive comments on the 3913 here. I had a 3913LS without the LadySmith logo on it that I had originally picked up for my daughter in law. When she showed no real interest in it I began shooting it and came to really appreciate it's performance.

I replaced the grey grip with black, put Meprolight nite sites on it and carried it often. Picked up a used 6906 with nite sites and found that to be a superb double stack version of the 3913.

I very stupidly sold both and regret it to this day.

I also had a 4516 that shot superbly but sold it because it was too heavy to carry for a full day for me.

A few weeks ago I picked up a mint condition 4013 that probably was an "overrun" on a production contract for the Colorado State Patrol. This is a two tone pistol (matte grey aluminum frame with blued steel slide), nite sights, the Colorado State Patrol emblem on the slide, and every edge beautifully radiused without a sharp edge anywhere.

This is a .40 cal that feels like the 3913 when fired and will likely become my primary carry gun when shot enough to "prove out".

Like one other in this thread I feel S&W screwed up going to double stack configuration on the 4013TSW.

Bruce Foreman
 
I had the 6906..basically the same gun...good shooter and very reliable...i just fell in love with the P7 for carry and got rid of it...but it's a fine gun....
 
Taco;

Being a fan of the old model 39 and 39-2; yes, I certainly like the 3913. But for some reason it has escaped and evaded being captured by me? When this model first came to light, I was on
a Sig buying frenzy; I guess that explains it doesn't it?

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, Life Member N.R.A.
 
Have a 3913 TSW. Probably the worst pistol I own. Couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with this thing. Sent it back to S&W and received all new parts on the same frame. Shoots better now but is not as accurate as my 19 or 26 or P232.YMMV :D
 
I bought a 4014 (the black version of the 4013) back in 94. The design makes it a great concealed carry gun and the workmanship is as good as any gun I've ever own (and that includes sigs, hk P7 & USP, PPK, Kahr). Out of 2500-3000 rounds I've had one failure to feed and that was my first time out with the gun back 7 years ago.

I think you dont hear much about it simply because it's been around now for a while and there's nothing particulaly remarkable about them. I think most folks who know guns have a lot of respect for it. Smith sold a ton of them.

BTW, why do some of you folks think they ruined it by coming out with the TSW? I dont know much about them but they look like nice guns.
 
My brother owned a 3913, which he used in the practical part of the exam for his concealed carry license. It did what he needed it to do. However, he's not a big semi-auto fan, so he sold the gun to me (I guess this was about ten years ago). It became my concealed carry gun for quite a while, until I got into Glocks. ;) Anyway, I still like my 3913--it's a keeper.
 
Taco, I would love to own a 3913 but one hasn't came my way at the right price. A friend has one and I really like his. Regards, Richard
 
SMITH M3913

The M3913 redefined an entire genre' of 9MM pistols. It was also acurate far beyond what was nessessary and mine has a SA trigger pull far lighter than it should be for a self defense pistol. It has a DA pull many revolvers would die for. There is/was no better 9MM pistol for concealed carry.
Mine has never malfed a round since I got it back in 1988, if memory serves.
 
Great gun............

I have a 3913. The only thing that I changed is the trigger spring so that the double action wasn't as hard as the factory trigger. I can't seem to jam it and it feels soooo right in my hands. Smith & Wesson did a woderful job with this pistol. Mine was a Moorestown Police Officer's off duty weapon. He wanted to carry .40 cal instead. The gun looked hardly used when I purchased it.
 
Ed2, I don't like the TSW because they made it wider to accomodate a double stack magazine. IMHO the nice thing about the original 3913 (and 4013) was the slim, single-stack configuration. Going to the TSW they added what, two extra rounds? What's the point? And gave up the nice slim profile in doing so.
 
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