I acquired an S&W 5906 a few months back. It's in quite good shape, but I didn't know the history of its usage or of the springs. Accordingly, I ordered a Wolff spring kit and took the gun apart to thoroughly clean it and replace the springs.

I've been following the really detailed disassembly and assembly instructions on YouTube from "blubelly2". He actually shows the procedure for a 4006.

All is going well, except that I noticed his demo gun has a part that mine lacks: a "FIRING PIN SAFETY LEVER SPRING RETAINER". It's a small race-track shape piece of metal that goes under the rear sights on SOME models (I have Novak sights).

Question: does a Novak-based 5906 normally lack the "FIRING PIN SAFETY LEVER SPRING RETAINER"?

I ask in particular since I'm going to be replacing the Novak rear sight with an LPA adjustable sight that *appears* to have set screws that will be positioned over the frame holes under the sight -- hence covering the holes is likely to be necessary. So, as a second question, if the Retainer doesn't normally come with the Novak based 5906, will it fit anyway?

TIA, John Land

Some do some don't depends?
When I was in armorer school in 80's seems like all were there

From the desk of Cpl. Coffman (Retired)

If you post a picture of the sight dovetail cut on your slide I can render a better opinion about your gun. If the plunger recesses on your slide are surrounded by an elongated ovate recess then most likely your spring retainer plate is merely missing.

Here you see the plunger holes are surrounded by the recess for the retainer plate:


Here is an older slide, a 669 I believe, and you see the plunger holes come right up to the bottom of the dovetail cut. There is no recess to accommodate the spring retainer plate and this gun never had one:


So, which one is like yours? If the plunger recesses come up flush to the bottom of the dovetail cut then your gun was never equipped with the plate. In that case, you'd either have to get someone to mill the recess for the retainer plate or forego installing the LPA sight and stay with the Novak.

Cheers
Bill

__________________
Because they don't make a .46

Yes.

It is not used on the 5906.

John

Bill, thanks for the pictures, very helpful! I have the non-milled version in the second picture, so I've got to find another solution.

WOW............really great knowledge here!

Now the next problem is how to remember it all till it is time for me to use this knowledge?

I have 2 5906s both with Novak sights and both have the plate.

That's curious.
They say: "Never say never" with S&W, but I have never seen one on any 9mm from Smith.
.40s&w and .45acp models have them but S&W does not even list the part on their parts lists for 9mm models.

Maybe yours are "special".

John

Part #23 in my S&W manual.

One is a PC 5906 and the other was a police trade in with the round trigger guard.

Update: I dovetail fitted an LPA adjustable rear sight to my 5906; just can't tighten down the set screws due to the lack of provision for a cover plate. A little light Loc-Tite keeps the set screws in place in the sight base, even though they perform no current function. I'm happy.