A few months ago I bought a 4040PD in excellent condition and then about a month later I purchased a Ruger SR9. I enjoy both guns a lot and I savor their differences. On a Ruger forum I found a really well done post that exquisitely details stripping down an SR9 to almost its lowest level components, including everything in the fire control assembly. This fella goes well beyond a basic field strip and demonstrates how to take that pistol apart completely.

Here's the link, check it out: Josh Hearne over at the Ruger forum does a first class job (although his text colors are horrible, if you can ignore that the rest of the post is very informative...scroll all the way through):

RugerForum.com :: View topic - SR9 How-To (Multiple Inside) Updated 4/5/09 W/ Video!

Does anyone know if there's a guide like this available anywhere on the web (or on this site) for 3rd Gen. S&W pistols like the 4040PD? At the very least, I'd like to print it out and keep it for reference, particularly because the gun is no longer being manufactured. I really enjoy my 4040PD and I want to keep it running well for a long time to come, and a guide similar to this would be a big help and a good thing to have in the drawer.

Maybe someone here who has taken one apart down to the level of the SR9 thread can offer some suggestions and/or cautionary notes.

And yes, I am thinking about doing something similar with the 4040PD myself if nothing like that is available, but why reinvent the wheel if someone else is already rolling around, so to speak?

There is an excellent video out by AGI for detail stripping a third gen.
AGI - S&W Autos
On another note the 4040 is an excellent pistol, it is one of my favorite guns and one of my carry pistols.

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J.D. Roy

That one's not free but it's not terribly expensive either. It looks like a great reference for any 3rd Gen and is now on my "media to buy" list.

I still might make a capsule version and post it here. I also have a question about blueing but I want to do a search first before I ask.

I'm glad to see someone else recommend the 4040PD. When I went to buy it, I had the choice of three 3rd Gens. and it was kind of a tossup between them. Finally I decided: "Look at all of them again and go with your gut feeling" and I picked the 4040PD. I'm glad I did. The one I have was probably a backup pistol for a police officer and all the lockwork and componentry seem to be in great shape. The barrel is excellent. Now that I have mine, I'm kind of glad S&W didn't make more of them.