Hi
Do you think S&W 3rd gen 5906 and its variations (915, 910...) and maybe also 6906, suits for IPSC production division?

From the feedback at the forum I understand it's very reliable and accurate.

So I think to myself, if my EDC pistol is 3914, why not use 5906/6906 for IPSC (I'm going to start a course soon...) and benefit from the training (similar guns)

Thanks

Get the 5906 variant with stainless frame and slide. It's 38-40 ounces. Too heavy for everyday carry, but a great gun for 'gundancing'.

Shoot it extensively before doing any mods. You might want to add Hogue rubber grips and hi-viz paint of some sort on the front sight.

The weight of the all stainless steel 5906 really helps to tame recoil, and makes follow up shots faster and easier.

The 6906 is significantly lighter than the full size 5906, and has perceptibly more recoil.

I own both, and really like both. I think the 5906 would be a much better choice for the shooting you want to do.

The 5906 I own has been totally reliable and pleasant to shoot. Accuracy is great out to ca 10 yards. I have seen a few people use them at USPSA shoots and steel challenge shoots - I may try next year.

I tried a 5906 for IPSC back in the late 80's and found I did better with a 1911 in 38 Super so I quit using it. Still got it and it's been a great gun over the years.

So long as you realize from the start that the first DA round is going to cost you about 0.1 second on each draw. That's about the average additional time necessary to complete the DA trigger stroke vs a SA trigger stroke for an A zone hit.

I shot a 5906 as a standin for my 1006 duty gun for a few years and managed to stomp on a few guys who's money would have been better spend on practice ammo than "game guns".

Yes, I think just about any 3rd gen gun would be good for IDPA. I have used a 3913 and a 4506. The hard part may be finding a holster for your gun (or at least it is the hard part for me)

Thank you

jeb21

I don't know where you might be looking for holsters, but I find 3rd generation holsters easily and readily available on eBay, local pawn shops, local gun shops, gun shows etc.

m1976, by all means use your 5906 in IDPA/USPSA and have a blast with it. You will be quite competitive.

Randy

I shot my 5906 just this past weekend in production div. I placed 6th out of 21 shooters. I won one stage straight up.
No reason you can't be competitive with it.

I have not started to compete but did find an excellent S & W 559 for use in the competition. Any pointers or commments would be appreciated.

I used (and still do when shooting minor) a Wischo TC (=PPC9) in standard with zero issues.
A 3gen in prod. will run just fine. As many before, I would choose a 5906, prod is all minor anyway.

CR-Speed WSM2 and Sickinger Range Master holsters fits perfect.

Check out the CDNN website. At times, it has some fair deals on trade ins for Smiths - that is if you are considering buying.

I use a 6904 in IDPA and it does very well.

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God save the SOUTH

Wrote to IPSC and asked if S&W 915 approved for Production Division (it’s not on the list).

Got the following answer:
"...we will consider adding the 915 during our current annual review." o.k. let see if it will be approved

and a very disturbing comment:
"...Speaking frankly though, nobody serious about Production Division would use models 915 or 910 or 5906."

Well I can think about only two possibilities:
1. I'm dead wrong about considering to use 3rd gen at IPSC competitions.

2. As mentioned a lot of time in the forum, the 3rd gen are among the most underrated pistols.

Production Division is pretty much dominated by Glock and S&W M&P pistols. Very few use a DA auto in Production.

From what I hear, many nay-sayers told Ben Stoeger he could never win a Production National Championship with a Beretta 92.

But he did.

Use and enjoy the 915 or 5906 in competition. Who cares what other self-proclaimed "experts" have to say about it.

Probably one of the dumbest thing I've ever heard.


Not true. A lot of prod. shooters use CZ SP-01. Actually believe that the CZ is more common than Glock (over here that is).



No, not at all.

Before the 15 rnd rule "everybody" wanted a gun with as high capacity as possible. Newer models like Glock etc easy took 17-18 rnds (started to get ridiculous when SIG released a 226 with 21rnd cap) so older models were considered dead.
With the new rule older models like 3gens and Beretta 92s are just as competitive. Some people just can't change their mentality.

When they say "nobody serious........." they mean about taking home championship trophies at the end of the year. At the top levels of competition, trophies can be won or lost over hundreths of a second. Are those time differences significant in an actual self defense scenario? No!

It's not that you can't have a good time and improve your skills, it's just that as I noted earlier, you're giving away 0.1 sec each time you come out of the holster. If the stage isn't long enough, and you're not fast enough to make it up, you're screwed.

There's a lot to be said for having the same trigger stroke all the time. When we went from issuing TDA S&Ws to the M&P series average scores went up. The shorter, lighter trigger stroke at 15 & 25 yards was why. I carry an M&P, but I still have my 5906 in the safe.

BTW, if you're going to shoot competition, I'd go with the steel framed gun. More weight= less recoil=faster recovery= faster times and the steel will put up with much more abuse than the aluminum alloy.

A big part of that though is that IPSC rules require a 5 lb trigger pull on the FIRST pull. DA/SA's hence have become very popular there because they can satisfy that requirement and then drop down to a much lighter trigger pull for all subsequent shots.

Striker guns like the Glock have the same trigger pull for every shot, so in IPSC that means a permanent 5+ lb trigger.

Under USPSA Production rules there is no minimum trigger weight (they briefly passed a 3 lb limit but after a huge uproar it was quickly repealed). As such striker fired guns tend to be the norm here.

That said, a good shooter can do well with anything. I have since switched to an M&P 9L (occasionally shooting my Glock 17 when I'm bored), but my first few matches I shot with a Ruger P95. It worked just fine until I was ready to move up.

Very good information in this thread. For the most part it's the indian not the arrow. I've shot only one IDPA match where I saw someone use a 3rd gen S&W. It was a 3913. The shooter was classified as a master and he was shooting it with +p ammo. It was only a 4 stage indoor match, and he did quite well. Not sure why he wanted to shoot +p ammo given he told me he often carries a 22 mag.

I shoot a 1006 in IPSC. I'm not the fastest guy out there by any means. I'm also not shooting for a trophy (so maybe I'm not 'serious') but I'm shooting for practice and for the fun of it and I'm shooting against myself.

I am the only one out there with a 3rd gen S&W but there are a couple of Sigs shooting and a whole passel of Glocks.

I'm also shooting 'limited 10' since at least I can shoot major with the 10mm.

The performance center made a 5906 that was all stainless to compete in the stock division. The safety is de-cock only and it's forward cocking serrations are the only visual cue it's something different. The 147 gr 9mm can be shot very quickly out of this heavy weight.

I've done IPSC with my 4040pd, 4006, 1911PD, and 3913TSW. I would try with my FBI 1076, but I only have 2 mags for it.

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Matt H.

Recently saw a 5906 9 Tactical that sold for $359 that had a factory (non-protected) adjustable rear sight. For someone that wanted to a nice 5906, but not PC expensive, that would be a great little shooter. The rails a are fully boxed and (IIRC) the dust cover is a bit bigger/heavier as well. Not sure what a factory rail actually weights, but there was one on this pistol.

I have a question for those that use a 3rd gen Smith in competetion. When you are done with a stage and the SO gives the unload, show clear, slide, hammer down command, how do you get around the mag safety? Do you use some kind of dummy or empty mag?

All of my 3rd gens have de-cockers, so I just utilize that.

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Matt H.

I bought a dummy mag for that, but the dimensions were off- now I use an empty mag (go slow, look hard at it and show it to the SO too.) Decocker isn't actually considered adequate under IDPA rules I'm told.

The place where you notice and care about the difference in your times that is totally attributable to your gun's action type is pretty far down the road... ROI of some light weight training is probably much better.

I show clear to the RO and use the decocker. IF the RO has an issue I also have an empty mag. Usually they accept the decocker. It is a small club.

I've not gone to another club so I don't know how it would be looked at as a stranger.

Agree'd. I've done IDPA and IPSC, no issues at any of those gatherings with my 3rd gens de cockers.

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Matt H.

I use a Performance Center 5" "DPA" 5906 for USPSA Limited and Multi-Gun. Not quite your average 5906 with a 5" barrel, a sub 3 lbs single action trigger after I get past that first shot, and an extended mag well. It has not handicapped me yet but I am no master either. I say go for it. Like the other person said, you will find half the people who show up should have spent their money on ammo and good practice than some pimped out pistol. The one handicap you will eventually discover is mag capacity depending on what division you shoot in. Where 141.25mm mags are allowed you will have to get crafty on modifying Beretta 92 or Sig 226 mags that meet the length limit, or vintage S&W model 59 20-round mags which are too long in stock configuration. As for the "show safe and drop hammer" business, I usually get questioned every other match but then the RO realizes what I'm shooting and he typically being old enough to know what it is allows use of the decocker. Haven't shot but a couple of what I'd call big matches but I've never been required to produce an empty magazine in order to pull the trigger. Never know when you might run upon an strick RO though so carry one just in case.

M1976,

H**ls yeah! They are at their best when shooting IPSC. The added ballast shooting 9mm is a force multiplier. If you're an uber competitor, I would change out the mainspring with a 17# unit for easier DA/SA trigger pulls.

On my guns (.9mm/.40/.45) I have the Ed Brown (long out of print) extended safeties. They were made for the 3rd Gens in a competition setting. I find that they are at their best for the LE/SD guns.

There's only one way to find out... If you like the grips, send in a new (or gently-used pair) to ROBAR and have them stippled in the most aggressive possible. They help.