How do you feel about the S&W 5906?

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?
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Obviously, this thread is turning in to a "love fest" which is fine by me because I'm a dedicated fan of all the Smith & Wesson metal framed pistols that comprise the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Generation guns. To the immediate subject, I divide the 5906 in to two distinct classes of pistol when the subject of buying a used example appears.

Those different classes are simple: former issued duty gun or simply a retail, personally-owned used gun?

And the truth is, Smith & Wesson views them the same way. They will honor warranty claims on these guns, but not if they were sold in a contract to be issued as a service or duty gun. (and S&W has the serial number records, so they will know even if you do not...)

And I make no statements about the end quality or serviceability of the pistol you end up with either way, but the "value" or price should reflect it's life to that point, in my opinion. Duty/issued/agency owned pistols tend to see a much harder life, certainly in physical exterior condition, but also often in the amount of shooting and handling it's had. Conversely, a duty/issued gun has sometimes also been maintained/updated by a certified armorer who was tasked with keeping that lot of pistols functional, would can be looked at either way, but as for "value" or buy price, a non-issued gun simply should, IMNSHO, carry a higher "value" or buy price.

That you found one at $325 means, also in my opinion, that you cannot lose either way. :) But if it were a pristine example, barely fired, in original box with kit, with hardly-touched OEM grip and no marks on it whatsoever, it's the kind of pistol that would Gunbroker for $500 and up.. If it's a former duty/issued gun with the kind of wear and goo in every crevice that we've come to expect, $350-$400 is a fair buy price in most markets.

FWIW, I own just one 5906 and my gun is one of the Bud's guns and as such, it was issued to some agency and saw some manner of service. I would love to know which agency, big or small as I love a tale behind any of my guns. When it came to me, it was in great shooting condition but you can tell it had been carried a lot. It wore a Hogue rubber grip that had rotted and that I had to remove in pieces and chunks, and left residue that I had to scrub off. With a NOS OEM Delrin grip, the pistol looks FAR better now, but the finish still has a level of wear that is in sharp contrast to the new-condition grip. It's a hard workin' gun that runs always.
 
When I still lived in California...

I bought my 5906 new in 1990 and paid $550.
The ONLY reason I bought it was because even back then, there was the constant threat of banning "high capacity" magazines. Then, the 5906 came with two 15 round magazines :)

I had the action worked on and double action is like it's on ball bearings.
I don't shoot it much. Being a double stack its a handful for my hands.

I escaped to Nevada in 2003,
so the ability to own anything my heart desires and my wallet can afford is just a purchase away :D
I no longer have to buy something for fear some day it may be banned.

I wonder how the 15 rounders would be treated now that only 10 round neutered magazines are legal in CA.

I do go to see family in CA occasionally, but the 5906 and its magazines stay in Nevada. I'm not willing to be the test case of legally purchased and owned in CA; 15 round magazines.


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SpareMag said:
Not to hijack the thread, but how is a Gen3 identified?
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3rd-gens have a one-piece plastic wraparound grip unit rather than separate wood or plastic grip panels. (However, 1st and 2nd-gen pistols with an aftermarket Pachmayr grip look similar to a 3rd-gen at first glance.)

Any S&W centerfire pistol with a 4-digit model number, or any subcompact with a "CS" prefix, is a 3rd-gen. 1st-gen model numbers are normally 2-digit, and all 2nd-gen models have 3 digits; however, S&W offered a 3rd-gen "Value Series" line consisting of the 410, 410S, 411 (rare), 457, 908, 908S, 909 (rare), 910, 910S, and 915, along with a handful of Performance Center models, the 845, 945, and 952.

3rd-gen front sight fits in a dovetail rather than being integral with the slide.

All 3rd-gen RH-side decocker/safety levers attach with a subtle-looking flush-fit tab; if it's attached with a huge (and ugly!) Philips or Allen-head screw, the gun is a 2nd-gen. However, not all 3rd-gen and 2nd-gen pistols have ambi decocker/safeties, and tab attachment was also used on very late 2nd-gen guns.

All DAO models, 10mm Auto or .40S&W models, subcompact "CS" or "Chief's Special" models (see above), pistols with a SIG-style frame decocker, factory 9mm single-stack compacts, and mid-size or compact .45's are 3rd-gen. [EDIT] To put this another way, all 1st and 2nd-gen Smiths are DA/SA or SAO with slide-mounted safety levers; the first generation consisted solely of full-size 9mm's and a single .38Spl target model (the 52A), while the second generation saw the introduction of double-stack 9mm compacts and full-size .45's. Any other chambering and/or configuration is most likely a 3rd-gen pistol; a few aftermarket conversions exist, notably cut-down 1st-gen M39-based 9mm compacts, but these are rare.
 
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Ah, well...now I know why I have been so confused!!

Thanks for the explanation...I doubt I will remember any of it...:rolleyes:

I do then appear to have a 3rd gen Chief Special (CS9) which is a very nice piece, so I see the attraction.
 
SpareMag said:
Ah, well...now I know why I have been so confused!!

Thanks for the explanation...I doubt I will remember any of it...
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I feel your pain. The S&W metal-frame centerfire model lineup is so complex that it boggles the mind. :eek: I'm convinced that S&W product planners realized this in 20/20 hindsight, and that this is the reason why the M&P line is so straightforward.

The easiest things to remember are the grips and the front sight. Other than the Performance Center models, a 3rd-gen will have a one-piece plastic wraparound grip, or a full-wraparound aftermarket replacement. All 3rd-gens have a dovetailed front sight. A 1st or 2nd-gen pistol will have separate grip panels with a metal backstrap, and an integral front sight.

As I wrote in the previous post, a wraparound Pachmayr grip was available (and popular) for the earlier guns, but it doesn't completely cover the metal backstrap; this is obvious on close inspection. It also has a pair of screw holes per side, whereas 3rd-gen grips attach with a pin or one screw at the lower corner.

Oh yeah, another minor difference is the orange dot that is uncovered by the LH decocker/safety lever when it's in the FIRE position. On a 2nd-gen, it will be on the slide; on a 3rd-gen, it's on the frame. The trouble is that not all 2nd-gens have the dot. :rolleyes:
 
I will take issue with this:
The easiest things to remember are the grips
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It's been my experience that if you REALLY need Smith & Wesson pre-polymer pistol information, and you also frequent TFL Forums, simply search carguychris and find the information you seek. That's quicker, easier, more direct and more enjoyable than attempting to search elsewhere.

However, one tip I'll add to the above quoted text that worked well for me before I began learning many of the intricacies that Chris has explained so well in his posts was quite simply that on the all the 1st Gen and 2nd Gen guns, you can easily see, with even casual observance, the stamped metal part on the rearmost and top of the frame, left side, DIRECTLY under the manual safety. This small piece interacts with the slide stop to hold it in place and while it is present on all 1st, 2nd & 3rd Gens, you simply cannot see it on any of the 3rd Gen pistols.

Because of this, I had always thought the 3rd Gens did away with the little piece. In fact, it was merely the 3rd Gen grip that covered the piece, it is still there and you simply can't see it because of the completely redesigned one-piece grip. For me, for a long time, spotting that little piece was the quick-clue that it was NOT a 3rd Gen pistol.
 
That is a good price for a 5906 in very good condition. I have one already but if I came across another like you have described for that price, I would buy it. Not sure what I would do with two lol, but it is a nice gun.
 
I hate my 6906 if that's any indication.. lol

Not to say it's not a good handgun, the trigger pull just sucks IMHO. I'm a fan of a nice clean, smooth, noticeable brake when pulling the trigger. Most DA/SA guns don't have it for me. It's like you pass a line and the hammer drops. Other than the CZ 75 i've yet to hold and pull one i liked.

Lots of people love them though.
 
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