have potential purchase under consideration:

model 6906 S&W 9mm semi auto;

have only seen photos so far; described as low use carry gun last decade; one magazine.

I've never been around this model, having suffered the bad results of buddies decades ago trying to make their Model 39 & M59 run reliably.

Asking price is a tick under $400.

Who has used them, what to look for, is it a reasonable choice in preference to other more modern small 9mm autos?

Please be clear & unambiguous in your comments, one way or another.

I've never handled a S&W auto from that era that didn't feel awkward & mushy.

Standing by.

__________________
Dum vivimus Vivamas

Built this one and seven others during my armorer's recert in 1989. I carried it on duty for several years. Very accurate for a production gun.

Zero reliability issues.

__________________
Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

Purchased a 6906 a few months ago that was a LEO trade-in. It had new Wolf recoil and trigger springs. No problems thus far. It is a double stack with 11 and 12 round mags available. It is compact enough to carry. Nothing mushy about the model IMHO.

I gave $350 shipped for mine.

I have one! Carried it for a while, gun was reasonably accurate and I do not ever remember getting a jam. My wife sometimes takes it with her now as we live out a ways in the boonies on a long dark back road! I feel she is well armed.

I do not remember the S&W gun model but you can put a higher capacity magazine in the gun (5906 possibly) Use the short one for carry and have the longer one for back up as it sticks out under the gun.

__________________
14 S&W Revs none with locks!

Mine (below) was produced a little later than the one you'er looking to buy, but I also use to have an earlier one that shot about the same. It's a great pistol. I personally have enough magazines so I've not looked for any in a long time, but some folks have mentioned it might be difficult to find and a bit expensive to purchase nowadays, but I don't know for sure.

__________________
1st Signal Brigade, RVN '70

I've got one. Great compact double stack 9mm pistol. Enjoy . . .

__________________
Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Bought my 6906 last month from a vendor on gunbroker. Paid $290 + $15 shipping. Came with no mag but I had several left over from previous 669 ownership. Many pics so I knew what I was getting. It was from a batch of LE trade ins. The gun is tight, shoots excellent, no problems.

I don't know what you are comparing a Smith & Wesson 3rd Gen pistol to so awkward and mushy are relative terms that don't help me. For instance, as much as I have no particular use for 1911s I have owned them and shut them and they are so SO different from a 3rd Gen S&W that if that is your basis then "awkward and mushy" starts to make sense. For my purposes, 3rd Gen S&W pistols are virtually ideally perfect.

And I will tell you why, and we will stick to traditional double action (TDA or DA/SA) pistols.

First, for me, they handle and shoot well. I get good accuracy, they feel right in my hands and, this is the key - I am a revolver guy and I WANT a long double action trigger in my defensive pistols that is similar to a revolver. It just works for me.

Next, I find the 3rd Gen magazines relatively easy to load. Very personal, I suppose.

Next, I REALLY REALLY like pistols with decockers. I can load the magazine, rack the slide in order to chamber a round, then decock the gun to drop the hammer to a safe place, then set the dococker to fire, and I am in 100% ready mode - with my double action trigger that I prefer. I have handled other brands that felt the same - operated the same and shot the same. Perfect.

S&W still has magazines.

I cannot speak to those guns. Back in the day I only shot revolvers so I never handled a 39 or a 59. A 3rd Gen is a horse of a different color. I get ZERO reliability problems from my 3rd Gen S&W pistols. I won't tell you that one gun or another won't do well with some specific brand of ammunition but my 6906 handles anything I feed it. So does my other 3rd Gen but let's stick to the 6906.

Not unreasonable.

They are not hard to conceal; I carry mine IWB when I elect to carry it and it is not uncomfortable.


Striker fired pistols are no more modern than hammer fired guns but all jazzed up with polymer frames and tricky, newfangled triggers they are simply different. If and when I get a "modern" pistol I will still require the trigger to have a typical long press - the difference here is that every press of the trigger will be the same while with a TDA pistol your follow up shots are all single action so you have to train for the difference (not hard). They don't have decockers, either, because everything is internal so no hammer "drop" is required. But since I want a long trigger press I am not concerned about the difference between a striker and a hammer. They kind of start off the same!

I hope that helps.

Long story short.Buy it !!

Ditto.... been carrying 3913s (single stack) 6906/04s and a Performance Center Shorty-9 (based on the 6906) since 1990........ $400 seems a bit high; but folks who have them aren't selling ...... can't remember the last time I saw one in a LGS!!!

It was the second gen guns..... like the 669 IIRC that had a grip like a 2X4.......

I carry a 669, almost same gun, every day. I have never had any problems with it. I highly recommend. Price sounds good also.

Have a factory nickle 59. Shot thousands of rounds;never a hiccup!!


Jim

I pretty much carry this one all the time for the last 23 years. Probably average 300 rds/yr, assorted ammo, through it in that time. Changed the recoil spring at 5K rds, other than that it's like I got it. It stovepiped once, my then 5 y/o son "limp wristed" it. I trust it with my life. Joe

__________________
Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

thanks a ton for the specifics gents....

I've got a couple day window to dither about the piece. As a basic revolver guy from decades back, it's taken a long time to even look at a S&W auto again. I have come to favor S&W N frame revolvers in the last 15 years.

__________________
Dum vivimus Vivamas

A 6906 is my primary carry gun, splitting time with a Glock 30. It's never faltered once with either commercial loads or reloads. Spare mags are out there if you do some searching.

One thing for sure--they're not getting cheaper!

I purchased one of the "N.P.D." 6946's that have hit the market lately and I have gone to it for my EDC with a 5906 mag with grip extender. I've run 3-4 hundred rounds of mixed ammo through it with not a single hiccup. Nice smooth DAO trigger and a straight shooter.

I bought mine new, shortly after they came out. I had watched the progression of the Model 39 and 59 and heard the horror stories. The 3rd Generation guns were getting rave reviews, however, and I was drawn to the 6906. I bought one and it was instantly my favorite.

It shot well and carried well. That first, long double action trigger pull took some getting used to but was manageable. I was surprised with how accurate it was and reliability was excellent, even with the HP ammunition we were all using to get peak performance out of the 9mm.

When my Department began allowing the carrying of personal second guns the 6906 took its place in a vest mounted concealment holster where it rode until the GLOCK Model 26 was introduced, making a better pairing with my department issued duty Model 17.

I qualified with the 6906 for a few years and it never jammed and shot tight groups. I still own the 6906 and it's as good as ever. Although I now own several semi autos and my EDC is a Shield .40, the 6906 is still my darling and I'd never sale it, so the price they're asking is reasonable to me, pending condition and accessories.

__________________
Join the NRA today

This example I'm considering has but ONE magazine as it's sole accessory.

Haven't examined in person yet, planning on meeting the owner soon.

New question to users: I've come to favor the decocker/Sig style safety design. Given this is over nearly 40 year old basic design, does the slide mounted up-flip safety really make any real-world operational difference given proper training?

Anxious to see how this fits my hand, as so many simply don't instill the kind of sensation I prefer.

The insights here are very helpful. Thanks again.

__________________
Dum vivimus Vivamas

Perhaps you should search for a 6926.

Attached Images

3058433_01_rare_s_w_6926_9mm_640.jpg (95.6 KB, 25 views)

Not in my opinion. Load it, decock it, carry with safety off.

Totally agree and, remember, you can then remove the magazine and top it off if you want to.

got a link for one currently on the market handy?
I've only seen those in gun magazine stories about 20 years ago.

__________________
Dum vivimus Vivamas

Thanks for all the information gents. Circumstance and fortuna have redirected my plans along with the wad-o-cash which mysteriously was sucked into another project unexpectedly.

__________________
Dum vivimus Vivamas

The universe knew you had cash.