How do you feel about the S&W 5906?

J

jasmith85

New member
I've been wanting to buy an older Smith & Wesson semi-auto for a while and just learned today that my lgs has a 5906 trade in up for sale. I have not been able to go look at it yet but I did call the shop and was told it is in excellent condition. The finish is still perfect and it does not look to have been fired all that much. They are asking $325 for it. It sounds like a pretty good price to me but I am not very knowledgeable on any of the older S&W semi-autos so I do not know their usual prices. Should I jump on it or could I expect to be able to find similar prices anytime I want?
 
The 5906 was the first semi auto hand gun I bought. Found a like new used one at a gun show and bought it. Very nice gun. Built like tank, accurate, reliable, very light recoil. A bit on the heavy side but you won't go wrong with one. Jump on it at that price!
 
The price is good. Have you held one before? It is a FULL size pistol and as such is very, very easy to shoot.

You didn't really say what you wanted it for. Just having one is a good enough reason.

Everyone should have a 3rd Gen Smith and Wesson auto for the collection.
 
+1. (+4?) :) IMHO prices of full-size, double-stack, metal-frame S&W centerfire autos have been artificially depressed for quite some time due to a market awash with LE trade-ins. However, there are signs that the LE trade-ins are drying up, and more shooters are simultaneously realizing how nice these pistols really are. :) They are NOT going to get any cheaper.
 
It is a very fine quality pistol. Grips and mags are common.

If you don't like it, you can probably sell it for more than you paid.


No downside to this one.
 
I like mine immensely, its the gun I trust the most to go bang every time and keep on going and going like the energizer bunny. I'd certainly buy one for that price if it showed up in the LGS, and if you end up not liking it, you won't have any problem finding a 3rd gen S&W freak to take it off you hands. Only thing I don't care for on the gun is the mag disconnect, but otherwise its a winner.
 
I will definitely be going by to check on it as soon as I can after hearing all of the love for them. I am just looking to buy it because I'd like to have one in my collection so the size and weight will not be a problem.
 
Great guns, heavy for CC, but very nice guns. I've bought {and still own} 5906, 4006, 4506 and my most recent purchase, a 3904.

If your into cold steel, $325.00 is a fair price. The only problem with these guns is S&W no longer supports them.
 
Great pistol for the price. I have the older 659, but have fired a 5906. I like the fact that I can swap out grip panels on the 659, but the 5906 fits my hand better.

The one thing I don't like about either the 659 or 5906 is the trigger. I'm sure it can be tuned, but out of the box, it has too much take-up, feels gritty and sloppy, and doesn't break cleanly. That's my only complaint - everything else is exceptional.
 
Skans said:
Great pistol for the price. I have the older 659, but have fired a 5906. I like the fact that I can swap out grip panels on the 659, but the 5906 fits my hand better.

The one thing I don't like about either the 659 or 5906 is the trigger. I'm sure it can be tuned, but out of the box, it has too much take-up, feels gritty and sloppy, and doesn't break cleanly. That's my only complaint - everything else is exceptional.
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To me the 5906 breaks like a revolver in DA. There is less of a defined break and more of a roll through the trigger travel. There is some slop in SA. However the reset on those guns is good enough to give a SIG with a SRT a run for its money.

I have had a 5903 as well as a 6903. All very reliable guns that were fun to shoot. Hard to go wrong.

Edit: assuming the condition is excellent, that is also a great deal. I have seen them go for a lot more.
 
Skans said:
I like the fact that I can swap out grip panels on the 659, but the 5906 fits my hand better.
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For the OP's benefit, I'll add some explanation here. :)

The plastic wraparound grip unit on a 3rd-gen S&W is retained by a pin at the bottom rear corner. The grip unit itself doubles as a mainspring retainer; the mainspring and hammer strut are supported by a metal cup that sits in a recess within the grip, above the retaining pin. Since the grip is complex in shape and is crucial to the function of the gun- it's not just two slabs of wood or plastic with screw holes in them :)- there are not very many replacement options. AFAIK only Hogue offers aftermarket units today, and they're fairly bulky, which can be problematic on a gun that's not exactly svelte to begin with. ;)

I find the stock wraparound unit to be shaped nicely, but it's rather slippery. Due to the slim aftermarket, I recommend adding grip tape, a wraparound sleeve, or a DIY sleeve made from a bicycle tube.

The previous generations of 59-series pistols used traditional screw-on grip panels and a separate 1911-style backstrap mainspring retainer. The downside is that the older grip shape is rather blocky, and is generally awkward for shooters with small hands. The 3rd-gen grip is considerably more ergonomic and comfortable IMHO.

Other 3rd-gen 59-series tidbits...

Three styles of rear sight were offered- a simple drift-adjustable blade, a slanted Novak unit that replaced it ca. 1990, and a fully screw-adjustable "hooded" or "eared" unit that's wonderful at the range but is quite large and unsightly. The three types are NOT interchangeable because the dovetails in the slide are different sizes. The entire slide can be swapped over, but I've described this as the proverbial tail wagging the dog. :rolleyes:

If you dislike the mag disconnect, it's easily disabled, although this requires drifting the rear sight halfway out. Field-strip the pistol and look under the rear of the slide; you'll see two buttons, a metal one and a white plastic one. (I don't have a S&W handy, and I can never remember which button is on which side.) The metal button is the firing pin block; the plastic one is the mag disconnect, which works by simply pushing the trigger drawbar downwards when the mag is out, thus disconnecting the trigger. To disable the disconnect, drift the rear sight towards the firing pin block button, and lift out the disconnect button and spring as the sight clears them. Drift the sight back to center, and you're done. (I don't recommend doing this to a defensive pistol, but I wouldn't hesitate if it's solely a range toy.)

Later-production S&W 3rd-gen pistols used MIM hammers and triggers, which can be readily identified by their dark grey color, a step at the top of the trigger, and cutouts in the sides of the hammer. However- contrary to the constant "MIM Is Evil!!!" grousing you'll often hear in reference to S&W revolvers and 1911-type pistols- many 3rd-gen fans like the MIM parts, because the trigger pulls on MIM guns are generally more smooth and consistent out of the box.

The DA pull on an earlier-production M5906 can be lightened by replacing the stock 20lb mainspring with a 16-18lb Wolff spring. The 18lb spring is almost 100% reliable, and S&W reportedly switched to this weight late in production. OTOH the 16lb spring may yield ignition problems with certain ammunition in some guns; YMMV. (The same defensive pistol disclaimer applies.)

30rd mags from a Marlin Camp 9 Carbine will work in the gun. :D
 
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Great guns. Cheap, reliable, all metal, and now collectable. Although I've never owned one I have shot a friends 2nd generation 5906 (with the angled triger gaurd) and I loved it. The sights are nice and the trigger was great too. At 15 yards I could get nice groups just point shooting. The only issue I'd have with it being in Texas weather is the weight being to heavy for CC. If I were to buy one it would just be a range toy. But I'd still recommend the 5906 without hesitation to anyone asking.
 
These may be relatively inexpensive guns today but when they came out in the late Eighties they retailed for civilian sales in the mid 700's. I thought they were worth it then. My 5906 and 4516-1 are going nowhere. No to mention my second gen 669, 659, and 645.
 
I agree with Que - you can't buy guns like the 2nd/3rd gen S&W autos for anywhere close to what these guns sell for. The reason so many look awful is because they were old police carry guns. Talk about torture tested - these guns were carried, knocked around, shot and abused for years by cops. If you have one in nice cosmetic condition, DON'T SELL IT!!!
 
3rd gen S&W's are truly yummy :)

Don't worry about S&W no longer fousing on them as far as parts goes,
they've still got a couple million out there in police land,
so places like Numrich will always have a few parts about...

and Aftermarket...springs found at J&P Springs, mags all over the place,
holsters all over, and any metal parts needed at the various parts houses...

if some things are needed, I'd bet on smart aftermarket guys making them...
after all, if you can get a replacement trigger guard & target trigger for a Marlin 795,
S&W parts will be a breeze ;)

If there's a buck to be made, some joker with a CNC Mini-mill robot is gonna make it.
:D
 
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