In my part of the country recently some of the used gun dealers have had just a slew of 2nd and 3rd gen Smith autos. I only owned one back in the 1990's. So i guess my question is in the world of polymer that we now live in, does anyone still carry or prefer to carry the older smith autos for either duty or CCW?

Part two (after thought)....why do second gen smith autos command higher prices than the later 3rd? was the quality higher in the 2nd gen?

Trey

I stake my life on S&W 3rd generation pistols. I'm currently qualified with the 4566, 645, 4516 and 3913 for on and off duty. Next qualification I will add the 3906 and Shorty 45 MKII.

I own a few 2nd generation S&W pistols. There is no quality difference in either the 2nd or 3rd generation pistols to my eyes.

I would say that the 3rd gen have numerous improvements in build - grips, no screws holding on the safety decocker ect.

As far as polymer - unless it is TDA and says HK on the grip you can keep it!

If you come across a 4506-1 with adjustable sights in any of those trade ins your dealer has, please PM me! Regards 18DAI.

4506-1 Will do if i see one. I know that some of the guys down this way have several 4566's and there is a pawn show with a nice 645.

I love my 4566. It is a regular participant in my carry rotation. It DOES get heavy after a while, but a good belt and holster minimize that greatly.

ABSOLUTELY!!!!! I wouldn't trade my 5904 for anything!

It could just be supply and demand. A lot of the 'trade-ins' that are showing are 3rd gens. The 2nd gens were replaced a ways back.

I do.

1026, 4546/86, 4046, 5946, 5943, 3954

/c

I carry a 3953 daily.

While I am transitioning to the M&P, my 5943 will continue to serve with me for a long time to come. 3rd Gen Smith autos are alive and well in many police holsters.

I carry my 4013TSW and wouldn't trade it for anything (almost). I also have a 9mm M&P that I bought for my wife but I prefer metal guns. It feels like a GUN in my hand!

It's good to know. 15 years ago, I owned a S&W 915. It is all that I could afford at the time and remember that i enjoyed shooting it very much. I didn't know if they had all been supplanted by the plastic fantastics.

My first duty gun was a 915. Everything you needed and nothing you didn't. There may not be as many S&W fans running around the internet and demanding everyone drink their koolaid but rest assured the S&W auto still has a large following.

Definately have 3rd generation pistols in my carry rotation. I've been carrying my 1st generation Shorty 40 for the last week or so since the weather is getting cooler.

I do have an M&P40c that gets a lot of duty in the summer time, however it doesn't have the feel of my ol' 3rd gen guns. The M&P is accurate, I shoot it well, and it's easy to carry. However given the preference I'd rather carry a 3rd gen pistol.

Cheers,
Sam

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Beware the man with one gun...

I have only one plastic gun and it's an HK. Only thing plastic worth carrying. On the other hand, I have 3 3rd Gen's that I carry on duty; A 5906TSW with the integral rail that I got from Scotter260 that I'll carry in the summer, a 4046TSW that I carry in the fall and spring and a 4583TSW that I carry in the winter The very first auto I owned was a 5904 and I still have it. I'm a traditionalist, I like metal guns and metal badges and I just prefer S&W's. Don't know why, just do. They're built like tanks, plenty accurate, feel good in the hand and S&W's CS can't be beat. As a matter of fact, I should be getting my 4046 back from them any day after sending it back for night sight replacement under warranty. And, what I carry on duty I carry off duty.

Dont' forget the lighter framed versions! Here's a 4563TSW. ANIB.

An HK USPc is my only plastic gun too. But it's a pretty decent one..!

I have a few 3rd Gen S&Ws ... a 4053 that gets carried on occassion, a 4516-1 that stays ready at home, a 1006 when I need a big field auto, a 3913 that the new lady shooters just love to shoot when they are at the range. Some models are good home defense, duty sized ones, others practical for carry, even a few that are heavy lifters like the 1006 or 4506. Yep, nothing wrong at all with a S&W 3rd Gen. And compared to that "other brand of butt ugly plastic pistol", quite handsome in appearance!

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" I said, good DAY! "

There were continuing machining and design improvements in the model lines.

There have been noticeable improvements and refinements even within the 3rd gen model lines. Some of the early 3rd gen guns received machining that was operator controlled, versus the later CNC ISO compliant manufacturing used in the newer production 3rd gen guns. Even the newer production parts benefited from revisions, refinements and production improvements.

As far as older models being "more preferable" or costing more? I'd think that just depends on the market and the potential buyers. There are still a lot of S&W enthusiasts that liked the original 1st gen guns, which included their own revisions. Some of the older models may require parts that S&W no longer produces or orders from vendors, so parts availability can become an issue with the 1st gen guns (and even some parts & components in a few older 3rd gen models, for that matter).

Personally, it think S&W really hit their stride in the 3rd gen guns starting in the late 90's and running through the present. I've seen some continuing revisions and machining changes incorporated in the TSW's produced within the last couple of years, for example.

I've experienced excellent service with a lot of 3rd gen guns for the last 20 years, and I'll continue to respect and trust my collection of personally-owned 3rd gen guns. I've always felt they don't receive the respect they deserve for the standard they set before the plastic pistols entered the scene.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Not to mention the fact that with the exception of maybe a 1911, the 3rd gen guns are just plain sexy.

My most common carry gun:
2nd Gen 639
Sights had to be reworked due to a previous owners ham handed gunsmithing but at least now they are dovetailed

I transitioned from revolver to M4006 in 1991. Our transition course was 1,260 rounds of full-bore WW Ranger LE 165 grain JHP's in two range days. I fired another couple thousand rounds in mine before retiring. I have since owned three 4006's and a 5906, and have never had a failure with any of them. I carried the 4006's as a primary carry gun for years and can no longer tolerate the .40's recoil, so the 4006's are retired but the M5906 is soldiering on.

Light weight is a convenience only when carrying and can be a hindrance when firing. If you don't believe that, just try a good case of arthritis and see how effective you are with the plastimatics. Once the shooting starts, I want a steel pistol to mitigate recoil and get back on target fast - the 3rd generation Smith and Wesson autos are simply outstanding guns and were the standard others were judged by for over 50 years. You can't beat them.

Here's my 5906.



JayPee

I don't carry an auto much for daily wear, although I like auto's a lot.... I do have a hankerin to carry my 6904 for some reason......
Darn fine gun....

reuben..

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illigitimi non carborundum

All of my carry semi-autos are S&W 3rd gens. They are just plain reliable and accurate and they look good too. The 2nd gens may be priced higher as they were produced or a limited time of around 7 or 8 years in the 80's and the 3rd gens were produced from the late 80's to, in limited production, last year.

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J.D. Roy

I have a problem with my 3953TSW. Is this the place to ask a question? I'm new & still trying to figure out the forum. Thank you for your paticence.

Go to the upper left on the S&W auto main page. Click the start new thread button and ask away. There will probably be someone here who can answer.

I've owned the M&P 9 compact, 4516, Model 52 and currently have a nice 659. By far, I prefer the 659. Its rugged good looks (heck it should have gotten star billing in the movie Reservoir Dogs), reliability, heft and low recoil make it an excellent gun for home defense, plinking and winter carry. I have 3 off-the-shelf holsters made for my SIG P-226 and the Model 659 fits perfectly in them.

I paid $350 for the 659 a few months ago at a local pawnshop, so the 2nd Gen Smiths can still be found at reasonable pricing. I'm a "horse trader" by nature, but my 659 is a keeper.

I have a modest collection of pistols, all S&W except for one Hi Power, & all semi's except for one 686-2. Three of them really stand out to me as CC options: Model 6906, Model 4013TSW, & my crown jewel, Model 4513TSW. All work great on a JIT Slide belt holster. I have carried all three at one time or another, but prefer to carry my M&P40c or my Shield 40. The reason for this is simple:In the absolute worst case scenario if I was to need to use the pistol, the idea of one of my poly pistols rattling around in an evidence bin, maybe never to be returned, would bother me a little less than one of my 3rd Gens facing the same fate. Please don't light those flame throwers just yet! I know that if the situation were actually to occur, which pistol was impounded would be the least of the worries I would be facing. I just wouldn't want to add that to it!

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Lounge Lizard Extraordinaire

I carry a 6906 frequently and my wife carries a 908 daily. Can't think of anything I like better than S&W 3rd Generation handguns.

model 5943

Since this thread seems to officially be back from the dead...

I sometimes carry my S&W 915 and just purchased a CS9 from a partner. I have to go do the transfer next week so I'll be without for ten days, then I'm going to start carrying it when my M&P9C is just too big.

I also have a model 39-2, but I want to replace the springs before I carry it. I bought it used and have no idea how many rounds have been through it or when (if ever) the springs have been changed.

The old resurrected thread.. probably from a search.. however still a valid question. My 1st .45 was a S&W M&P. Then I bought a 4506-1 at a gun show. I then sold the M&P.
The 2nd gens may bring a little more as they were only made for a short time until S&W transitioned to the 3rd gen line that started around 1988 and was going strong into the millennium. Many were made until the very late 1990s.
The 2nd Gens only had a 4 or 5 year run.

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John 1:17
NRA Life Benefactor

My only 3rd gen, so far. I have quite an extensive list under the "want" category. Unfortunately, the 3913 is in such good shape, I couldn't pull the trigger on the others I've seen. I guess I just need to bite the bullet, then clean it up myself. As mentioned in a 2010 post, the girls like to shoot this one. Perfect blend of power and weight.
The thing that always brings me back to this gun is the insane reliability. I don't remember ever having a failure of any kind, with any brand or type of ammo. Pull trigger, goes bang. I wish I could say that of my other Smiths. (Okay, except for the 686+) Don't even get me started on the BG380!

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Fight socialism. Never stop.

I suppose ill throw in my 2cents.

I have had a few, sold some and what i have left is a NYPD 5946, Tulsa OK Sheriff 4506 and Sunnyvalle PD 4563tsw.

What i sold were a Cleveland OH 5946, 2 4006 with one being a tsw....wish i kept that one! Sold it before i knew what TSWs were :banghead: and one 1006.

As im typing this i have on me the 4563tsw with 2 extra mags

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

Is that a 3913ls or NL. I have never seen one without the gray delrin grips. They are awesome shooters and reliable!

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John 1:17
NRA Life Benefactor

Everybody wants Glocks and I don't blame them. I have a few myself. I also have a 915 and a 4013. One of the best kept secrets in the auto pistol world is how reliable and well made these 2nd and 3rd gen Smiths are. I very much regret selling my 4506.

I currently have a 4566 and a 1066. They're both outstanding; no malfunctions of any kind and solid. While I like my M&Ps and Glocks to a degree, it's hard to beat the old 2nd and 3rd gen pistols. I carried a 645, 4506, 4516 and 3913 as uniform and plain clothes guns back in the 80s and never had an issue with any of them. Fresno Co. (CA) S.O. still carries 3rd gen pistols in .45 ACP.

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Dave Frost

When I carry an auto, it's usually a 3914, 6904 or a Glock 23.

I carry a 469, and the only thing I didn't like was the half cock - you could feel it during the double-action trigger pull, so I switched hammers with a 6906. Excelent pistol, reliable and accurate. If I was buying again, I would probably get a 6906 - just because of the half cock notch on the 2nd gen.

It's an NL. It came with the gray grip, I bought the Hogue rubber grips when I got the gun. I just like the way it feels in the hand.

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Fight socialism. Never stop.

I think the 2nd and 3rd Gen autos were unfairly trashed in the "gun press," in favor of some clearly inferior pistols whose makers bought more advertising or got a federal gun contract or three.

In addition, after the braintrust over at the FBI decided they knew better how to design the lock work of the 3rd Gen 10mm to accommodate the "prepping the trigger"* mode of firing thereby causing problems with the FBI 1976s, but not others, the writing was on the wall, especially after the pistol was trashed in the press which did not distinguish the amateur re-design from the original. It is too bad, as the 3rd Gen pistols are quite good. That said, the polymer models offer a weight savings that may not seem like much, but it feels like it.

*An unsafe practice calling for finger on the trigger when holding the weapon, and the user holding the trigger back to the point at which resistance is felt. When the user goes a little too far, which apparently happens easily in a high stress situation, the weapon can lock up until cycled again, or a lot too far results in a negligent "bang."

No, some of us have shot Glocks and have NO desire to own one. I greatly prefer 3rd gens to all other semi-autos, with Hi-Powers and 1911's coming in next, then SIG metal guns.

As far as Polymer, the best of the bunch in my mind are the Walther PPS for CCW although its striker fired, then the FNX and FNP for full sized DA/SA double stack hammer guns, and certain HK's.

No Glocks for me!

Most of us don't mind an older thread about 3rd gen's being resurrected.

Having just posted something in another thread which spun off into mentioning 3rd gen guns, I decided to take my CS45 out of the safe today, and my motorcycle out of the garage, for a ride through the Coastal hills this afternoon.

I re-lubed it (since it hasn't been shot for a couple of months), and even grabbed a double mag carrier instead of a single mag carrier. I often err on the conservative side when carrying extra mags or speedloaders/strips whenever I'm going a bit further back in the hills.

Carrying the CS45, with 3 of its 6-rd mags, makes me remember when I used to go on-duty carrying a 6-shot revolver and a pair of speedloaders. Of course, back then I didn't have a really diminutive LCP .380 to slip into the leather-reinforced holster pocket of my riding jacket. I had my pocket-anchor 649 Bodyguard.

If it matters to the Glock enthusiasts, I often belt on one of my G26's or my G27 for riding, because of their light weight. (Unless I'm just carrying one of my Airweights, if I don't feel like wearing a belt gun.)

While I happen to like the M&P's, I have an affinity for the outstanding TDA-like trigger of the Walther P99 AS series, particularly my pair of SW99's. If only their grip frame profiles & grip inserts were as nicely done as the M&P.

Different strokes, folks.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Nope, don't carry a 2nd or 3rd gen, still carrying my 1st gen 59, plan to update a little after kids out of college, tuition kills the gun fund.

I have a 2nd generation 745 and a 3rd generation 4586. They're both great pistols. Don't ask me to choose one over the other, because I can't.

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I type. Therefore I am.

559 is my choice ! I do have a 9mm shield,the only plastic in my collection

I bought this 4013 in 93 and the serial #is less than 30 If I was going to complain about anything it would be too much play in the single action pull and the magazines were few and far between even back then

hey i picked up a 3913 and there is a gap ahead of the extractor in the ejector port. is this a loaded chamber indicator? or a defect?

Here's a picture of the LCI

Attached Images

002.jpg (54.6 KB, 71 views)

I've owned a 411--it was okay--and a 459 which I liked a lot but foolishly sold. I'd dearly love to have a 3913, but on Social Security my gun-buying days are over.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Here I are with my 1076 in an IHL holster...yep I carry mine!

I believe he's referring to the normal gap clearance in front of the extractor & breech face shoulder on the right side of the barrel chamber.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

I carry a 1076 also, trust my life to it, utterly dependable. I've got glock's too, I would gladly trade them for any 3rd gen 10mm.