Smith & Wesson 5906 Question

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YankeeIronSights

New member
Hi Everyone:

I would like to know if S&W 5906 semi-auto pistols are the type of guns that increase in value over time. I know most pre-lock S&W revolvers do.

I also know that they are great reliable guns and that repair parts may be scarce.

Your comments will be greatly appreciated.


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So value is a matter of perception and is often relative. What's worth something to me is not what it will be worth to someone else, and vice versa. Case in point, I saw a P228 with the original box and papers sell for $1500 a few weeks back on gunbroker. Now to me those are mass produced pistols made from aluminum alloy and folded and welded carbon steel and while very nice are not worth that price. But someone still paid that price (assuming the deal went through, which isn't always the case on GB).

S&W made a lot of 59 series pistols over ~10 years. You can still go on gunbroker and find them for sub $400 pretty regularly in very nice condition. Will that change over time? Maybe. But in owning a pre-lock S&W Model 19 and drinking that Kool-Aid a 5906 is neither as nice a shooter in DA or SA nor does it look as iconic and attractive as one of those revolvers (I'd also add it's nice that with revolvers you don't have to hunt for magazines no longer in production). I'd also imagine that the number of 59 series pistols exceeds that of the pre-lock revolvers simply as a function of production methods over time. To me the 59 series represents well built American made pistols that sort of mark the end of an era in terms of police sidearms (and yes I know both SIGs and Berettas in DA/SA and DAO are still carried today.

Maybe as time goes by and it becomes harder to find them for cheap or the nostalgia factor comes into play for a lot of folks from that time and they want one again then we'll see the prices shoot up. However, that wouldn't be my guess. But as always I'm one guy. I never thought I'd see people buying Mosins for $270, and yet here we are.
 
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I have a 5906 but no expert, some rare Model 3rd Gens and Tactical versions may increase in value. 5906 barrels and OE curved grips are discontinued and some of the parts are getting expensive. Prices are slightly higher from when I bought mine couple years ago. $368 with box and Mags
 

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I think these pistols will be regarded as functional and workmanlike for a long, long time. With so many modern options to them, I don't see huge dollar signs. But then I don't really "get" collector guns at all with few exceptions. Those exceptions being...exceptional guns.

I considered making an offer on a 659 that is well known to me before I bought an M&P semi-auto. Its only value though would have been that of a functional gun.
 
I was amazed how much of a following the 5906 has. I carried one for 2 or 3 years out of my police academy, and I liked it since it was the best of the S&Ws I could choose from at the time.

My complaint was that it was heavy. On traffic stops in my early years, I'd exit my unit, grabbing my side handle baton and a large flashlight as I did. Sometime during that stop, I'd have both of those items hanging from my belt. The pistol plus all of that and more really weighed me down, especially on foot pursuits. I eventually went to other pistols after that and to lighter/smaller equipment.

The above may seem trivial, but working part time duties where I was on my feet for many hours at a time, that 5906 weighed a ton.

The other problem was that it clanked or rattled when you shook it side to side. There was just too much play between the slide and the receiver. I sold it to another officer whose 5906 was stolen in a home burglary. I saw him a couple of years ago on a traffic stop, and I asked him about it since I was about to retire. He told me that he had sold it to a sergeant on our force, and when I later asked that sergeant, he told me that he had sold it to a family member.

I really wouldn't go out and purchase one, but I wouldn't have minded having a shadow box with my first and last duty weapons displayed in it. Other than the original one, I find no value in another 5906.
 
I own a 4006 I enjoy it as a shooter at the range.
Way to heavy and bulky to ever CC it.
Ive found spare mags at local gun show and it is a solid shooter.
Dont shoot it enough that Im concerned with wearing out or breaking it. And as a former LEO gun I picked up for 250 I really have enjoyed it.
I scan all the Gen3 smittys at the shows never know whats around. G3s are good solid guns.


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Just my take: despite some pockets of popularity, the third-gen Smiths have fallen out of favor.

To the extent that Smith semis are sought, I'd say right now it's the early ones (say, Model 39, 59, and 52) that collectors like. After that, the rare ones (Model 952) or the just-right odd-balls (3913 Ladysmith). I'd have to add the Model 61, old 41s, the 1913 .35 Auto and the 1924 .32.

As to which guns future collectors will like, who knows? If you have a pristine example, your chances improve. Maybe I'd bet on strangeos like pistols in .356 TSW, especially the Performance Center ones.
 
YankeeIronSights said:
I also know that... repair parts may be scarce.
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I would not be terribly concerned with this. The 9mm full-size double-stacks (along with the 9mm compact single-stacks) are likely to be among the last S&W metal-frame pistols to lose factory and aftermarket support. Also, new-production Model 5946s have been spotted in the wild recently, so S&W is presumably still making many of the parts.
 
carguychris said:
I would not be terribly concerned with this. The 9mm full-size double-stacks (along with the 9mm compact single-stacks) are likely to be among the last S&W metal-frame pistols to lose factory and aftermarket support. Also, new-production Model 5946s have been spotted in the wild recently, so S&W is presumably still making many of the parts.
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Those could be from newly produced parts, or from leftover stock.


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I doubt the 5906 and others of that ere will ever gain much in value.

Changes to revolvers, like the lock, are perceived as a negative, which increases the demand for the older revolvers and thus their value. Another example is when Colt just flat out stopped making revolver.

On the other hand, semi-auto's are normally a little different. Each new design series is a little better than the next, which makes the old version less desirable and cheaper to buy. Semi auto, especially polymer framed ones, are also much cheaper to manufacture which drives down the price of older guns like the 5906. Why pay a premium for a 20 year old firearm when you can buy a brand new one for $400?

I do think that the metal framed guns will hold their value better as they age than polymer framed guns. While I wouldn't have a problem owning and shooting a 50 year old 5900 series, I might hesitate on a 50 year old Glock.
 
YankeeIronSights said:
I would like to know if S&W 5906 semi-auto pistols are the type of guns that increase in value over time.
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Yes, 5906 pistols will increase somewhat in value over time. They are not rare collector's items that will command astronomical prices, but they are incredibly robust guns of a type that is becoming less common and, therefore, more valuable.

The 5906 was probably S&W's most common 3rd Generation pistol sold to law enforcement. Surplus sales of LE guns have kept 5906 prices depressed over the last decade, but that market factor is disappearing.

Far fewer all-stainless (or even all-steel) pistols are being made today than when the 5906 was produced and those guns typically command premium prices. For many buyers, modestly bidding up prices of 5906s will be an attractive alternative to paying 2X or 3X as much for a new Browning Hi-Power or stainless SIG P226.
 
Sure they will increase in value, since the supply is finite and the future has the potential for more people that want an old S&W classic.

You used to be able to get older Smith wheel guns dirt cheap, but their prices have steadily risen over the years. If you peruse the S&W Forum, I believe the same thing is starting with the autos.

Will they command the same prices as discontinued Colts? Probably not, but I don't think you will lose money on a well maintained example.
 
^^^^^ That is kinda the way I feel.

I have the 5906 and the 4506. I don't shoot them much but they are rock solid and quite accurate. I would not care to part with either of them. I have no regrets buying them.
 
I will agree they will probably not skyrocket but i believe they will go up as time goes on. Its getting tough to find an all steel weapon these days. I bought 3 of them when they flooded the market a few years ago, one for me and two for my sons. They make solid range/home defence weapons and in thoes roles, weight is not a problem and I dont feel out gunned with 15+1 on tap. If I run ou of bullets I can always use I as a club.:D
 
I EDCed a S&W 39-2 for years. It was totally reliable, nice looking, heavy and a great shooter. I wouldn't think the 3rd gens will go up in value a great deal and probably not the 2nd generations either. I would get one if I wanted it for shooting but not as a collector piece.
 
I own eight S&W 3rd gen pistols (457, 908s, 910, 915, 1076, 4006, 5904 and 5906). I picked up my first one (M910) 10+ years for ~$200. The 1076 with a half dozen mags is my most recent addition and it cost me a whole lot more than $200;) I didn't start collecting 3rd gen Smith's with an eye on future value, but I'm pretty confident they are not going to drop in value like some of the tupperware striker fired guns being sold nowadays.
 
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I don't currently own any 3rd gen. Smiths, but have a high regard for them. I went to a rather large gun show today and saw some of them around the show. At one point I have seen the 5906 cop trade in's for under the 300 dollar mark, but now they are approaching the 500 dollar mark and some are asking more than that for nice ones. Granted the shows tend to overprice stuff, but a good solid shooter like one of those will continue to appreciate. They will always have a following..
 
The only parts you'll likely ever have to replace are springs, extractor, & maybe a firing pin. I have a number of them and hadn't had to replace anything but springs and sights on them. Sights only because the night sights went dim.

If you're concerned about parts, buy two. :)
 
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