Short -story - my 5906 had developed a FTE(extract) habit during a two day training class, and I found a chipped extractor.

It went off to its place of birth in the pre-paid Fed-Ex package, no questions asked from the efficient folks at S&W CS. The extractor replacement was covered under the warranty, and I asked for a total strip-down and replace all the springs, and anything else that looked to be approaching service life, and also opted for the "3rd Gen Action Package" provided through the Perf. Center.

Shortly after getting it, I got a call from Vito who was working on my pistol, asking if I minded if he replaced the worn Uncle Mikes 3-piece grips with a new S&W item, since the others were affecting the work he was doing on the action. Since he sounded rushed, and I was on the way out, I just said "sure - no problem - just send back the old ones". Later, I thought - "I bet I end up with another set of palm-swell grips" that don't fit my hands on the double-stacks.

Well, the pistol just arrived back, with new S&W grips installed - and happily they are straight-back, and the fit is great. I didn't even know they were available for the 5906 or I would have gotten them earlier.

Just dry-firing, the trigger action is awesome. DA is silky-smooth, and I swear has less take-up, and the SA is wonderful.

The new extractor is blued instead of SS, so it adds a little accent to the right side of the pistol. Maybe SS items aren't available any more? I swear there is a also new barrel in there, the feed ramp is not highly polished like the one I sent in, and the slight scuff marks on it from testing don't look anything like the well-used item I sent in. We'll see at range time. The longer range accuracy was starting to suffer, so perhaps that was recognized and rectified.

Overall, my first experience with S&W service is totally satisfying. The whole job ended up costing just the price of the Action Package, with free shipping both ways.

Glad to hear of your good experience (but not surprised).

Vito has been there a long time and knows his business.

Just out of curiosity, did your original barrel have the earlier small print "9mm Parabellum" on the barrel hood, or the later production large text "9MM"? As I understand it, the later production 5906 barrels (with the large print 9MM stamping) were revised to have a very slightly straighter chamber angle, which was found to aid in extraction with sticky or slightly out-of-spec brass. Just wondered if they might have installed a newer revision barrel for you.

The extractors have always come in either plain stainless or black finish carbon steel. I've received both at different times when ordering repair extractors (unless I specified which finish I wanted and it was in-stock at the time). FWIW, the slide stop levers and manual safety assemblies have also been available in both finishes, although the newer guns were usually coming with the black finish parts to complement the black MIM hammers and triggers on the stainless guns.

Vito might have just had some of the black finish extractors at hand when repairing your gun.

Congrats on the refurbed and PC enhanced 5906.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Glad to hear of your excellent experience however I don't believe you because there aren't any pictures .

I'm surprised to hear they set you up with new grips, am I understanding correctly that they installed a new set of Delrin grips? If so, that's awesome!

ETA: Nice first line of your post Fastbolt, I swear we were typing at the same time. I find it odd that we chose almost the same opening remark.

I sent my 4046TSW in for night sight replacement, had it back in 5 days and then a week later I got a letter from CS that they had my gun and were working on it?????? So I look down and VIOLA, there it is in my holster. I had to laugh cause the actual work from human hands was faster than their computer system.

@ Fastbolt - The barrel it came back with has "9MM Parabellum" in two lines on the top of the barrel hood. I did find an original pic showing a big wear spot just above the lower front corner of the ejection port, that isn't there now. If I had to pick I would say that I think it had the "9MM" before, because I don't remember the new script, but I'm a little bit old and anything is possible

@Scotter260 - yup- brand new Delrin straight-back grips

Attached Images

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	IMG_3697_sm.jpg (61.6 KB, 359 views)

They might have done some polish-adjustment work to your barrel, maybe eliminating a potential high spot on the front/lower corner, as well as the barrel's feedramp (even if it has a less highly polished appearance than before). Hand polishing the barrel hood has been done before for different reasons. Can't really know unless the work order listed it or you called and asked. Not that it matters as long as it runs to your satisfaction now.

BTW, when I carried an issued 5903 I switched the curved factory grip for the straight one because it let the gun sit in my hand better, point better and changed the trigger reach in a beneficial manner. The grips were the same on the 59XX & 4006 guns. For whatever reason S&W decided at some point that the curved grips (reminiscent of the 3906) would be standard on the 9mm double stack guns and the straight ones would be standard on the double stack .40 guns. I replaced a number of curved grips with straight ones for folks with smaller hands or shorter fingers because it usually benefited them.

If they replaced your original barrel I'd think they felt they had good reason, as it's not an inexpensive part.

Now go out and enjoy some trigger time.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Since this was my first experience with S&W service in about 40 years, I was a little bit surprised that was wasn't some sort of paperwork provided that listed the service performed. I know what I asked for, but it would be nice to know exactly what did get done to the pistol.

Glad to see another satisfied customer with S&W warranty work. I am about to send my 3rd gun to them. All for very minor stuff, but each time their CS was excellent. Sent my 5906 in which was failing-to-fire a lot, which turned out to be a missing grip pin on my NIB gun. The second I didn't even call in to get worked on, found the 4566TSW was hitting much lower than expected, had a pre-paid shipping label in 2 days and the gun back within 2 weeks with a shorter front sight installed. Just received my pre-paid label yesterday for my 1911, which appears to have some unmachined material on the breech face which is "marking" the rim of all my brass, and may or may not be the reason for the 2 failure-to-feed issues I had in the first range session. Now just have to get it packed and dropped off. Kind of like sending your kid to college, hate to see them go, but you know they'll be home within 2 weeks.

I put the straight 4006 grips on my 5906 shortly after I bought it.

I have pretty small hands, and they fit me better than the original curved 5906 grips.

Sometimes when I see a 5906, it looks odd to me, because it has the original grips.

There isn't a lot of difference if you see a picture, but the 4006 grips just feel much nicer, to me.

I doubt there is any better 'factory service' for any other firearm in the world, than what S&W provides.

I just call it 'old fashioned service'.

You know: the kind that is done right, quickly, and they just treat everyone so well, no matter what the issue might be.

Just about nobody does this, anymore....that I know of.

I'm old enough to remember when it was pretty much the normal way of doing business.

Not anymore.

Try to get service and parts/or for a HK, if you want a lesson in 'we really don't care'. At least, that's what I've run into, 3 times now.

It's hard to remember how many times I've used S&W service, because it was so easy, and done so quickly.

You just don't remember very well when things go so smoothly, as S&W service always does.

Finally got to the range this afternoon for some quality time with the spiffed-up 5906. The trigger wasn't bad on this one before, but the DA stroke is just great now. I don't notice too much difference in the SA - there still is some takeup, but if you are shooting only to trigger reset you don't notice it except for the initial takeup.

All my dithering about the barrel seems to be nonsense - after a couple of hundred rounds today, the same scuffs are back, and I don't think the overall accuracy is any better, although it's easier to shoot better groups with the better trigger and grips.

I did pull out the carry 39 no-dash for a little exercise, it still out-shoots the 5906 every time. 4 magazines at 10 yards, and 4 groups with the smallest at 1 x 1.5" and the largest still covered by a 2" circle. Amazing for an old pistol.

Also got to try a friend's brand new Springfield EMP 9mm - that's a sweet little mini-1911.

There's something to be said for the thinner 39XX frame and grip profile on the M39/439/639/3906/3904 guns, huh?

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

I am late to the party but what was done and at what cost?
I also have a 5906 that could use the straight backed grips. As my son also shoots it and has smaller hands

The pistol went to S&W service with a chipped extractor claw, so the extractor was replaced under warranty. I also asked for any worn springs to be replaced.

Since it was going there, I elected to have the Performance Center "Autopistol 3rd Generation Action Package" applied, which they performed at the published price. This includes "Polish Ramp and Hood", "Tuned Action" and "Test Fire for Function". Here's the link Performance Center Gunsmithing Services

The issue with grips came up because I had Uncle Mikes straight-back grips installed when it went in, and the tech called me to say that they were somehow affecting the action work he had performed. I can only imagine that somehow they were binding the mainspring? Anyway, they replaced them with original S&W straight back grips.

There wasn't any details of the work performed on the paperwork that came back with the pistol.

Not surprising. I've encountered the occasional rubber grips that were molded in such a way that the stirrup (think "hammer strut") rubbed against the inside of them. A couple of them rubbed quite a bit, pushing against the inside of the grip (when I removed one side and watched the action). It occurred at the top of the stirrup when it was moving with the hammer.

I haven't come across any that rubbed against the actual main spring, myself.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

How much was the action package?

The current listed price on the S&W website is $150 for a 3rd gen Action Package.

Interesting. I sent my CDNN 5906 in for the 3rd Gen action job last year, and the dog chew toy looking PD trade in grips were replaced with a brand new arched unit free of charge as well. I'm wishing I'd bought and sent more than one, frankly, as the end result was an amazing gun with PC work for less than original MSRP.

Thanks for the info

I love that "slim" grip! I might have to pick up one of those for mine

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Rolan Kraps
Gainesville, Ga

Thanks for sharing Bruce, I have been thinking about sending in my Dad's 4506-1 for the trigger action job.