That, ladies and gentlemen, is an unextracted case sitting inside my polished finish 5906. After a new magazine and recoil spring the malfunction frequency decreased from one level three malfunction every two mags to one every 70 shots.

Now I sit reminiscing on my old 1990s vintage friend as she sits at the gunsmith being repaired .It is interesting being in a position where I seriously considered living with the failures rather than deal with being without my treasured firearm for a long period of time. Being without my third gen is a long time whether its gone a minute or three weeks.

Any tips to you older gun pros on how to cope with the temporary loss of a firearm to the gunsmith's bench?

Our thoughts are with you in this difficult time.

When did your gun start having the problem, I mean what approx. round count?

Buy another from CDNN or Widener's, then you won't be without one while its gone.

On a serious note, I wouldn't hang on to it, if its acting that way. I would send it off to get fixed ASAP.

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5903TSW 5904 5906 6906 4006

No joke, I have multiples in case one goes down. I blow enough matches on my own without any help from equipment failures.

Well, it bothered me enough that I finally wrangled my way into becoming an armorer for the 3rd gen guns, so I could make most simple repairs myself.

FWIW, as our aging inventory of early production 3rd gen 59XX/69XX's started reaching the 12-16+ year point, we started seeing some failures-to-extract and/or eject. (Discounting the few instances where someone occasionally thought it was a bright idea to load their chambers directly, instead of from the magazine, and they damaged their extractors. ) In the older guns it was usually either a case of a worn/chipped/damaged extractor, and/or a weakening extractor spring.

Sometimes a broken ejector tip, because they had the older, shorter ejectors with the sharp angle under the tip, which could sometimes lend itself to a stress riser developing over time - (and which S&W addressed by making a revised ejector with a curve instead of the angled/corner, and with a longer tip for faster ejection with higher pressure duty ammo).

Having a gunsmith familiar with S&W TDA guns examine it and make the repairs is a good idea. Extractor replacement is done by filing a new extractor, and using a factory bar gauge (GO/NO-GO) to check hook reach, and then a force dial gauge to check extractor spring tension.

Some of the older 3rd gen 9's sometimes required one or another of the factory "repair" extractor spring sets (a "nested" pair used together, eventually replaced with a pair of springs rated differently than the standard one). These were sometimes needed due to the variability of tolerances in the occasional slide extractor spring hole, resulting from the older hand-operated machining equipment and/or an occasional dull cutter (the new CNC equipment regulates itself for cutter sharpness).

I still have a supply of both types of "repair" extractor springs, as well as the regular assortment of different optional springs sometimes needed to get any particular gun up & running across the caliber lines.

They used to provide a flag gauge for armorer to use in fitting the extractors. It was a GO/NO-GO gauge used for checking the dimension between the rear of the hook and the breech face (case rim), but as production tolerances were improved and tightened up, especially with the newer extractors, it was found this gauge wasn't needed any longer, and it was discontinued as a part available for sale to armorers.

Usually a fairly easy repair (either extractor fitting or spring replacement) by a gunsmith familiar with the S&W guns, a factory tech or an armorer.

Your 5906 will return before long.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Yeah, get a second 5906. Everyone needs a spare.

Obviously, as already mentioned, this sort of circumstance is an excellent example of why it's often helpful to have another one standing by, in reserve.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Indeed.

I now sit on Gunbroker , pondering one of Man's deepest questions:5904, or 5903?

03 - you will like it beaucoup.
evidently 3rd gen extractors are one of the few pieces that 'pop' on them and then only after years of abuse.
a nephew has a 915 he's put about 3k rounds through last year and half - can't detect any wear at all though.

Standard 5903s and 5904s will use the same holsters, but if that's not a big deal to you, maybe a TSW, 915 or 910? I saw a 910 with box and papers for $199 the other day and barely restrained myself.

I've been there, my friend. Although I've never had to have a great deal of work done to any S&W firearm I've owned, I know what it feels like to have one of your best friends on a gunsmith's bench for an extended period. And it hurts.

All I can say is take solace in your other "best friends." I got really friendly with my custom 1911 .45 ACP and my Ruger Old Model Blackhawk in .41 Magnum. By the time I got my old friend back, I thought I was shooting a .22 rimfire!!!

I would advise you to buy as many spare parts as you can like recoil springs, etc., from reputable sources. I've stockpiled springs and parts for as many guns as I can from (do your own google search, parts are all over the place). Certain sources will attempt to skin you alive on prices. 'Nuff said about that.

Not to be splittin' hairs....this thread is over 4 years old. Just sayin'...

Talk about back from the dead.
I hope he's isn't still waiting for the reunion, as I see no update on his friends return.