I've had a standard 3953 for years and use it daily as my "farm gun".
When I sold off all my 3rd gens it was the only one I kept.
A few months back I got to wanting something a little different and bought a very pristine 4553TSW Pre Rail from a forum member.
I actually wanted a 4556 (and missed one at a far less price on GB)but the 4553 is nice.
I don't recall actually seeing a 3953TSW Chopped Grip before and now a guy has four of them on the large gun auction site.
Don't really have any use for one but just wondering how rare they really are.
Thanks
James

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Hebrews 9:27

I think they were only made for 1 or 2 years. The bumper equipped ones are way more common.

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Sure you did

That's the very desirable "pre-rail" TSW model... and with 3 magazines too. Some are pretty worn looking however.

I'd probably still buy one at that price but my loony moonbat state doesn't have that gun on its allowed list.

Like my 4553TSW, they were made 1997-1999 but I had never actually seen one before.
Sometimes a long or short run duration doesn't necessarily equate to rarity.
J.

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Hebrews 9:27

That seems to be the period (1997-1999) for all the pre-rail models and their shorter grips/frames with reduced mag capacity.

The one exception seems to be the 4056TSW pre-rail which was only made in 1997 (~1100) & had no follow-up railed version of it made. I suspect someone wised up & realized it was counter-intuitive to make an all steel compact pistol vs the alloy version.

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4013TSW (28oz.) and 4056TSW (35oz.) - (pre-rails)


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Waiting for the break of day

I just sold off my short grip, pre rail TSW - I have an early 3953 and a 3913NL - couple those with some of the early metal based 7 round 3913 magazines. I have and the guns feel like a short grip pistol. The TSW was simply too nice to shoot and carry.


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The first gun I ever bought was a 3913tsw. I had no idea they ever made anything other than the 7 round version until I installed a set of hogue grips and they were too long and I had to trim them. I later tried buying spare mags to find out that they were all 8 round. That gun was my one and only do it all gun for many years but hasnt been carried in years. I did take it to the range on Monday and then back in storage.

I'm curious, do the 8 round standard 3913/3953 mags fit this version 3953TSW?

The 3953TSW (& 3913TSW) pre-rails are 7-shot mags.

The railed 3953TSW are 8-shot like the 3913/3914/3953 (& all the others) which use the same mags.

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Waiting for the break of day

Thanks BLUEDOT37, I have a 3913 and plenty of 8-rnd mags. I have been looking for a 3953 to share those mags with.

Eight and nine round mags fit my chopped grip 3913tsw, but hang out by one or two rounds. Should fit yours.

One more question. Do these pre-rail 3953TSW's use conventional single recoil springs. I'm asking because my 4013TSW uses dual recoil springs that are a bit hard to find in stock sometimes. Thanks!!!

They use the same single recoil spring (S&W #100950000) as the 3913 and a dozen & a half other 9mm models.

You're correct on the 4013TSW nested springs. However, if you want another option you can use one ISMI flat wire spring (31 coils), GLC-18, as a replacement for the nested springs, which I do on my 4013TSW & 4056TSW pre-rails (GLC-20 for more power). They work great. (See threads below)

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Never fired 4013TSW

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4013 nested Recoil setup conversion to ISMI Flat Spring Question

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Waiting for the break of day

Thanks BLUEDOT37!!!!

Just acquired one of these pre-rail 3953TSW's from an auction. It had been described as an LE turn-in, but it looks to have hardly ever been used. One curious thing though; the three 7-rnd mags that came with it, with the wider bottom plates for that model, would only lock in place with extreme pressure. After replacing them with some curved plates from 3913 mags, they lock in just right. It appears that the bottom plates they came with are a bit too thick above the groove for slipping onto the mag body. A little judicious sanding will probably do the trick.