I had the opportunity to pick up a 908 for a steal of a price so I jumped on it. I previously owned the second gen S&W 469, but had traded it off. My father in law got the 457, the 45acp version of this "Value Series", last spring for a great deal at a gun show (yeah, I know how often does that happen?).

Anyways, for $220 that included a total of 3 mags not to mention a less than desirable nylon holster, I picked up my first 3rd gen S&W auto. I'm a little thrilled that it's covered under S&W's lifetime warranty (from what I understand all 3G's are). It's a very slim gun! Slimmer than my Sig P239 and lighter as well. It's not quite as thin as my Kahr, but not many guns are. I still need to give it a good cleaning as it's barrel looks like it may have been a little neglected. It's definitely not a looker, but as a working gun it sure looks the part. Not as nicely finished as the 3913 and containing a few *gasp* plastic parts, the 908's still has a good feel. This week I'm planning on taking it to the range to give it a little workout and see how well it operates. If all goes well, it will then move into the rotation.

Pictures...of course...



My view is, if you can find a pistol in a fighting caliber from a name brand maker for under $250 that works then it's a good value. Any blemishes to the finish are marks of character.

***Range Report!!!***

Ok, just got back from my lunchtime range after running the 908 through the paces. I put a little over 100 rounds through it with a few hp's to check feeding. I came away liking it very much. I brought my Sig along to compare triggers and sights. I'm a big fan of the "dot the i" as with three dot sights I tend to miss the middle dot when quickly acquiring the target. The 908 lines up very instinctively so I didn't have too much of a problem with it when doing double taps. Accuracy was similar to my Sig. I'm no master marksman so both of these weapons are more accurate than I am. I can easily do head shots at 10 yards so take that for what it's worth.

The trigger is pretty smooth and very different than my previous 469 primarily in DA. Mostly because the 469 employed a half cock notch which you could feel as you pulled through DA. Compared to the Sig trigger it feels a tad lighter and just a hair less smooth, though it is a shorter pull than the Sig.

I wanted to go ahead and give it it's first carry day. I've been carrying a Sig P239 in a Crossbreed SuperTuck and since they are both very similar in size I figured why not try it out. The CBST's kydex is molded specifically for a P239, but since the backside is all leather the gun never "snaps" in like kydex-only holsters. I was a little worried that it might slide or wiggle around, but after trying it out...success!

Here are some shots.





It's always nice when an existing holster works well for different guns.

Overall, I'm very satisfied and think I got much more than my money's worth.

Nice report. I'm to the point where I don't like to use my nicer looking guns, whether for carry or hunting, and often default to the ones with "character".

I, also, have a 908 and a 457 and I love both of them. Your 908 was a great deal for the price you paid and it will serve you well.

Looks like it carries very nicely in the SuperTuck. Great info and pics.

Nice pickup, and good price. I had a Model 910 SA/DA with a decocker for a few years and was very pleased with it's performance. It did go full auto on me once and got sent back, but after that not a single failure. Enjoy.

Great piece and thanks for the range report. I was turned on to the 908 by a police officer friend who carried his Smith off duty. On duty, he carried his Glock .40 but much preferred the 908. I bought one based on shooting his a year or so ago.I found a private sale at a gun show. An older gentleman was selling his daughter's 908. it was like new with the case and all paperwork for $280 or so out the door. I never looked back!

Nice snag. That's a heck of a deal.

And don't forget that some of the plastic pieces on the 908 can be swapped out quite cheaply for metal 3913 parts. (*cough* guide rod *cough*)

Very nice deal on your 908 and thanks for the range report.A # of the plastic parts can be switched out with 3913 parts quite easily. MidwayUSA — Shooting Supplies, Reloading, Gunsmithing, Hunting, Ammunition, Gun Parts & Rifle Scopes sells them for less than the S+W website....Mike

Great deal on a great gun.

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Not on my watch.

You did real good. Did you buy that off the GON forum?

I have a pair of 908s: a stainless one and a blue one. Please don't tell anybody else about these excellent values in 9mm pistols as we want to keep this kind of quiet....

Seriously, they do represent a terrific value as you have found. Only my Browning High Power spends more time outside the safe.

The S&W "value line" must have required some engineering expense on the part of the manufacturer. I would appreciate some older S&W hands on this site to comment on how they fit into the S&W marketing strategy and how much, if any, advertisement the "value line" received.