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Old 09-15-2013, 02:22 PM
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Default Who can tell me about the mod 5943

I have a 5943 that I really like, but I don't know anything about it's background or history. It seems to be almost obscure for a small piece of the market. How many of these were made and sold? Who did buy them? Any official use for them?

THANKS!!!
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Old 09-15-2013, 03:26 PM
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The 5943 is a third-generation descendant of the original Smith & Wesson Double Action Semi-Automatic Pistol or, as it has been retrospectively named, "Pre-39."

The eventual "39" and 39-2" had a weakness, some opined, and that weakness was an insufficient number of cartridges in the magazine.

Thus came the "59."

The 59 was a 39 with an expanded "beltline," if you will, in the frame's grip area, specifically wherein another four-or-so rounds could be accommodated beyond the original 8 - the beefed-up area extending to above and slightly forward of the trigger area.

Everything else about the 59 remained a 39 until later generations, allowing a user to do things like mate a 39 slide with a 59 frame.

The addition looked (still does look) like an addition. However, evolution took over and from the "559" (preceded by a "459" and the "59" before it) came the four digit third-generation 5900 series in 1989 - of which the 5943 is a part and which keeps its connection to its lineage with the "59" designation - to be followed by the relatively short-lived 6900 series before the company for good reason junked much of the numerical nomenclature for today's alpha-numerical designations.

Known as "3rd-generation" Smith & Wessons, the 5900 series came into being in the wake of S&W's 1988 "Automatic Improvement Program," the intent of which was to make the company and its products "friendlier" to the police and shooting community's input.

The 5943 - which actually came after the 5946 - is of course a 9mm Parabellum (Luger) caliber that utilizes a double-action trigger/hammer mechanism shooting its projectile through a 4-inch barrel contained by a stainless steel slide mounted on an aluminum-alloy frame.

The grip still held that fabulously desired oversized (now 15-shot) magazine. The 5943 was manufactured in 1990 and 1991, only. The exact number of its manufacture escapes this writer, but some within this forum's realm know 'em.

Should you have a 5943 and someday wish to dispose of it, let me know!
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Old 09-15-2013, 05:06 PM
GoodMornin GoodMornin is offline
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I agree with the above post, my 5943TSW is my pride and joy, only made for a few years. I bought mine in the early 2000's, so for a TSW model there should be a few good ones around. The wood grips don't fit everyone's hands but fit mine to a T. It also feels to me like it rides well balanced in a pancake or duty holster.
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Old 09-15-2013, 06:16 PM
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Default Being a revolver guy

I like to shoot revolvers in single action and the triggers are light and the pull-back-until-break is very short.

Getting used the DAO of the 5943 was a real switch from any revolver. My first couple mags were erratic to say the least, I even hit one of the clamps holding my target. Several shots were unaccounted for. By about the third mag I started getting the hang of it. One thing that still throws me is the
l-o-o-o-o-ong trigger pull.

I do enjoy shooting it and my last group impressed even me. (I posted it in a range report on this form)

Oh, and I only got a 10 round mag with it, but after using 6-shot revolvers it's no handicap. I'll pick up a 15 round mag at some later date.

I've loaded up some light loads that I need to try out because my wife was a little scared of the rounds I started with. Can't wait to get back to the range with them.

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Old 09-16-2013, 02:52 AM
grif684 grif684 is offline
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The 5943/5946 models were geared squarely towards law enforcement. Many departments started the switch from wheel guns to semi autos in the late eighties into the early nineties (believe it or not), and many specified a DAO pistol to make the transition easier (draw, point, fire), and the vast majority made by S&W were sold to law enforcement. The 5943 was simply a product of weight saving, and was carried by many LE officers (myself included) until their eventual replacement by (mostly) "tupperware" pistols. Both the 5943 and 5946 are excellent pistols, and stood up to steady diets of +P and +P+ duty ammo, in fact, we qualified with our duty ammo (Federal Hydra shok 124 gr +P+ at the time), and then were issued new duty ammo upon completion. When our 5946 and 5943 models were replaced by Glock 19 and 17 models we were able to buy them for a hundred bucks, which I gladly paid, even though my 5943 had more than fifteen thousand rounds through it with only spring changes. Even though the model 5943 was only catalogued in 1991 and possibly 1992, S&W continued to make them at least until around 2000 (LE contract pistols). I currently have a fellow officers 5943 which needed springs, and he gave it to me in the original box, which is dated 1998, and they were being issued new until 2004 (non TSW models). Pics are of my (now retired) 5943 currently.
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Old 09-16-2013, 12:48 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by grif684 View Post
The 5943/5946 models were geared squarely towards law enforcement. Many departments started the switch from wheel guns to semi autos in the late eighties into the early nineties (believe it or not), and many specified a DAO pistol to make the transition easier (draw, point, fire), and the vast majority made by S&W were sold to law enforcement. The 5943 was simply a product of weight saving, and was carried by many LE officers (myself included) until their eventual replacement by (mostly) "tupperware" pistols. Both the 5943 and 5946 are excellent pistols, and stood up to steady diets of +P and +P+ duty ammo, in fact, we qualified with our duty ammo (Federal Hydra shok 124 gr +P+ at the time), and then were issued new duty ammo upon completion. When our 5946 and 5943 models were replaced by Glock 19 and 17 models we were able to buy them for a hundred bucks, which I gladly paid, even though my 5943 had more than fifteen thousand rounds through it with only spring changes. Even though the model 5943 was only catalogued in 1991 and possibly 1992, S&W continued to make them at least until around 2000 (LE contract pistols). I currently have a fellow officers 5943 which needed springs, and he gave it to me in the original box, which is dated 1998, and they were being issued new until 2004 (non TSW models). Pics are of my (now retired) 5943 currently.
Thanks! I was hoping that it had some official duty rather than just being a gun they made a few of then stopped due to lack of interest.
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Old 09-16-2013, 01:16 PM
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I own a pristine 5943TSW. It is still unfired. I purchased it off GB from a gun shop in NY. They reported the gun had been in their display case for years but no one ever seemed interested in it. It actually shows very little wear. I can't remember if it came with a fired casing or not. I would have to go dig through all the cases deep in my closet. As with most 3rd gennies, it feels great in my hand and handles well. It does appear to have a weak slide release, but that could be strictly due to having been displayed with the action open. Other than that, I love it like the rest of the family.
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Old 12-21-2013, 12:22 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GoodMornin View Post
I agree with the above post, my 5943TSW is my pride and joy, only made for a few years. I bought mine in the early 2000's, so for a TSW model there should be a few good ones around. The wood grips don't fit everyone's hands but fit mine to a T. It also feels to me like it rides well balanced in a pancake or duty holster.
Treating a gun reverentially is far too rare today. One look at your darn-fine-looking 5943 tells me you're among the rare GoodMornin. On a side note, I will today take delivery of a 3953 TSW - my fourth TSW. (The others: 5906TSW; 5943TSW; 4006TSW)
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