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11-03-2009, 02:58 PM
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S&W's Budget 3913: The 908!
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.
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11-03-2009, 04:52 PM
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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".
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11-03-2009, 05:26 PM
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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.
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11-03-2009, 05:39 PM
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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.
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11-03-2009, 06:15 PM
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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!
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11-03-2009, 06:55 PM
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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*)
Last edited by RogueJSK; 11-03-2009 at 06:57 PM.
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11-03-2009, 07:15 PM
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Great deal on a great gun.
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11-03-2009, 11:03 PM
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I have two #908's
You did real good. Did you buy that off the GON forum?
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11-04-2009, 10:19 AM
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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.
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11-04-2009, 09:29 PM
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The 908 is a very fine compact semiauto. You got a good deal on a nice pistol.
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With S&W, you're holding history in your hand
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11-04-2009, 11:17 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Tex
The 908 is a very fine compact semiauto. You got a good deal on a nice pistol.
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+1 on the purchase. I bought a used one at a good price. I think that you will love it.
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Regards,
Russell
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11-05-2009, 09:31 AM
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I'd sure like to find one of those at that deal, lucky you.
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11-05-2009, 09:56 AM
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I have a 908 and a 6906 and love them both....
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11-05-2009, 11:18 AM
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ColbyBruce, yep I got it off GON. It's usually hit-or-miss finding deals on there, but they are there if you look and are in the right spot at the right time. It's a fun place to see what folks have. I wish there were more places like it for trading/selling guns. I also look on GeorgiaPacking.org and occasionally georgiaguntrader.com, but they don't get near the amount of volume that GON gets. Local trades are the absolute best deals if you can find them.
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11-05-2009, 12:48 PM
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Guevera and I were posting a while back on this very piece. It's funny how some obscure weapons come back in vogue, once we figure out how functional they are, i.e 3" K-frames.
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11-05-2009, 01:20 PM
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ecrawmer, check with Clyde Armory in Athens for mags, if you want a few more. I have scarfed up most of what was available in metro Atlanta, LOL!
FYI, I have met some real loons off the GON forum. Several nice people too, but the loons really stand out. The last one was this past weekend, a fellow who drove to Duluth from Rockmart (twice) to purchase a Warn winch from me, only to show up $200.00 short. That is about six hours of his time traveling and I refused to sell it for that.
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11-05-2009, 01:58 PM
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My father-in-law likes to visit Clyde's. I'll have him take a look next time he's there.
Oh, I agree that there are some loons. Just check out the "hunting trailers" that folks are trying to get rid of in the Auto section. Some people just think they can steal stuff from you. I won't meet with folks unless the price asked is the one being paid. No point in wasting folks time. People do the same exact thing on Craigslist.
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11-05-2009, 05:50 PM
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I can't resist another excellent opportunity to sneak in a photo of my much-admired stainless 908.
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11-06-2009, 10:53 AM
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I have a 3913 that I use as my daily carry gun. I picked up a 908 to keep as a spare or in case I ever lost my other carry gun. Same Manual of arms, same caliber, same controls. I then saw a 3913LS and quickly grabbed it, selling my 908 back to its previous owner who missed it.
I didn't really notice any differences with the exception of the plastic guide rod, and a couple of sharper angles on the slide. It took the same magazines as the 3913.
It's a fine gun, and if I had the chance to grab another, I would.
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11-07-2009, 11:49 AM
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Hi, I'm new to S&W autos, a 908 I recently saw in a gun shop got me really interested. Some online research indicated that the 9XX series are 2nd gen while the 3913s are 3rd gen, even though they're very similar. Is there overlap in the generations or did the source get it wrong. Is there a recognized site with the different models listed?
thanks
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11-07-2009, 12:00 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chuckAz
Hi, I'm new to S&W autos, a 908 I recently saw in a gun shop got me really interested. Some online research indicated that the 9XX series are 2nd gen while the 3913s are 3rd gen, even though they're very similar. Is there overlap in the generations or did the source get it wrong. Is there a recognized site with the different models listed?
thanks
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The 908 and 908S are not 2nd Generation. They're simply bargain versions of the 3rd Generation guns, and came out after the 3rd Gen guns were introduced. They do not fit neatly into the Generation system.
The confusion may come from the numbering system used by S&W.
First Generation guns (1950s-70s) typically had two digit model numbers, such as the S&W 39 and 59.
Second Generation guns (1980s) typically had three digit model numbers, such as the 669.
Third Generation guns (1990s) typically had four digit model numbers, such as the 3913 and 5906.
In the mid-90s, S&W released their "Value Line" 3rd Generation pistols like the 908 and 459. While these utilize 2nd Gen-style model numbers, they are based on 3rd Gen designs with a few cost-saving features.
Don't trust everything you read on the internet. Especially from worldguns****.
Last edited by RogueJSK; 11-07-2009 at 12:08 PM.
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11-08-2009, 11:23 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RogueJSK
Don't trust everything you read on the internet. Especially from worldguns****.
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Thanks for clearing that up. So is there a good online source that spells out the models but is correct?
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11-09-2009, 05:47 PM
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Man, I like this forum...
About 30 minutes ago I was at a local gun store looking for a small pistol suitable for CC. I was looking at the usual suspects, Glock 27, Glock 36, XD subcompact, etc, etc.
Then, in the case with all the used guns, I noticed a nice-looking little gun labled "S&W 908". "Hmmmm" I thought, that looks about the right size and configuration, and the price looks decent, but does it work?
Well, after reading this thread, it would appear that the 908 does indeed work.
Thanks for the information folks. I'll be going back to the gun store and taking a closer look at the 908 real soon.
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11-12-2009, 03:14 PM
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Two of the several handguns I recommend to my students on a budget are the 908 and 910. Great models.
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11-14-2009, 08:39 PM
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I just picked up a 908 for $200 with one mag. Good deals for all.
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Tags
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3913, 3913ls, 45acp, 5906, 669, 6906, browning, glock, kahr, kydex, leather, s&w, sig arms, subcompact |
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