Succumbed to tempation

smithman 10 · #1 09-15-2018, 06:21 PM

I put a 669 on lawaway today at the LGS - don't have a photo but the price was right, at least for me, $335 with all fees.

I've been selling off a bunch of stuff that I don't shoot anymore so felt I had a little leeway and this piece looked nice. Seems in good shape so why not? The only semi I have left is a 39, everything else is a revolver and I have been thinning those as well.

Anyone have a 669 and do you like it? I understand one has to find their own spare parts should something break. (But I'm too old to worry much about the gun breaking before I do!)

Might pick it up tomorrow if I have time - I'm ALWAYS put on delay so didn't feel like waiting around today.

gmborkovic · #2 09-15-2018, 06:34 PM

Hello smithman, we only have one time around. Treat yourself and get the gun you want. 669 is a darn nice pistol. Get and shoot. See, you feel better all ready.

Tom Kent · #3 09-15-2018, 07:33 PM

I got a 669 when they first came out. Still have it. I carried it as my main gun when I worked plain clothes and carried it as a "spare" when I worked on a drug task force. It is lite and accurate and has never failed me. It is now a bedside gun. You will like it.

JohnHL · #4 09-15-2018, 07:41 PM

Congrats on your new acquisition!

Just yesterday I shot a 669 I've had for awhile and had only fired it once previously to test function.

I loaded 10 rounds and all fired and function was flawless (as I've come to expect with the S&W semi-autos), and the group was centered, but to the right.

A closer look at the rear sight revealed it was off center to the right.

A few taps with hammer and drift and the sight was centered in the dovetail.

It has been my experience with these is if the sights are in the middle of their travel, whether fixed or adjustable, they will pretty much shoot to POA inside of 25 yards.

Anyway, I agree with you that these Smith semis are very durable and extremely simple to work on if you put aside a few spare parts.

Enjoy your new "Mini-Gun"!

John

Ozark Marine · #5 09-15-2018, 07:49 PM

I thought I'm the only one who 99.9% of the time gets delays.

Enjoy your new gun.

vigil617 · #6 09-15-2018, 08:02 PM

Congratulations on adopting the Vigil617 Method of thinning the S&W herd: first, sell one. Then, buy one. Then, repeat...

oink · #7 09-15-2018, 08:20 PM

I also bought one new when they first came out. It's been a solid reliable gun. I've put a bazillion rounds through it over the years. I carried it extensively over the years but mainly as a back-up or off duty. It did serve a stint as my primary while I was on the Marine Unit. The price doesn't seem too bad if in good condition. Mine functions well but it shows it years of use. It spent several hundred thousand miles flopping around in my patrol car door pocket.

jmace57 · #8 09-15-2018, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vigil617

Congratulations on adopting the Vigil617 Method of thinning the S&W herd: first, sell one. Then, buy one. Then, repeat...

My method has been - buy one...then find another nicer one...buy it, telling myself I will sell the older one...keep both...repeat. Somehow, the numbers keep going up!

Dutchboy901 · #9 09-15-2018, 08:51 PM

Congrats on your 669. Back when my agency first went to autoloaders, this was the first model semi that we used. These 12 rounders are second Gens & built like tanks. Most of us enjoyed this model so much we purchased our own or it's skinny little brother the 3913 which I still have.

They are excellent shooters & if you can find them, they have the optional 15-30 rd magazines, again, if you can find them!

Good luck, & enjoy it as you won't be disappointed!

F75gunslinger · #10 09-15-2018, 11:08 PM

I don't "succumb to temptation". I just find a deal or an opportunity to purchase something I want and I buy it if it's in the cards. There are a few guns that I have bought just because I liked them, though they weren't on my list. Or occasionally i find one that the deal is just WAY too good to pass up.

BaldEagle1313 · #11 09-16-2018, 11:37 AM

That pretty much describes my whole summer. I just tell myself I'm investing in commodities that will give a good return.

smithman 10 · #12 09-17-2018, 02:47 PM

Picked up the 669 in question yesterday, took it down and gave it a quick clean (not too dirty). Looks pretty solid. I discovered I have a holster that fits it plus a 15 round mag with one of those extensions so assuming all three mags feed am good to go should I decide to actually carry it sometime.

Me, a dyed in the wool revolver guy thinking I would carry a semi! That probably won't last should it happen at all.

At any rate, looking forward to a little range time with it once all this rain stops.

smithman 10 · #13 09-26-2018, 11:27 AM

Finally had time to take my 669 to the range last week.

100% reliable - on the first shot, mind you. After that the stove pipes and double feeds began. I used several different loads from different manufacturers. 115, 124, 124+P. All to no avail.

So I returned it yesterday and got my money back, actually just took a store credit as I will surely find something else there that I want, rifle, handgun, ammo or reloading supplies.

But I doubt I'll ever buy another 1st, 2nd or 3rd generation Smith semi-auto. What with no warranty support from Smith (if I understand the current situation correctly) difficulty finding spare parts and original magazines, why a geezer like my self just doesn't have time to mess around trying to make an old gun shoot.

By the way, one of the clerks admitted their function test for used semi-autos is a 3-shot string from one mag.

Sure did look nice though. Almost like it hadn't been shot much. I guess now I know why!

Dutchboy901 · #14 09-26-2018, 12:25 PM

Oh wow Smith, so sorry to hear that! Not being there I would have to say it was the ammo, unless something is seriously wrong with that pistol! Most Gen pistols are excellent shooters, built like tanks & will digest pretty much anything. I have a small collection of Gen pistols including a 669 & most of them are used & in excellent condition. I can honestly say that in all my years of having them, I have never, ever had a FTF, FTE or any malfunction in any of them, regardless of the ammo I shoot!

I believe I can go out on a limb & say that your experience with that 669 is indeed a rare one! S&W Gen pistols are some of the finest, if not thee finest pistols ever made! And those are not my words, BTW!

Dutchboy901 · #15 09-26-2018, 12:37 PM

I wondering when was the last time the springs on that gun were changed?

Heaven knows I guess!

smithman 10 · #16 09-26-2018, 01:06 PM

That's just the point.

If I were younger, I would've kept the gun and experimented with some more types of ammo, AFTER I had installed new springs.

But I just don't feel like messing with all that rigamarole anymore. I know the gun could be made to work again - I'm just not the guy to do it.

And I agree, every other old Smith semi-auto I've owned has worked fine. And I bought them ALL used. A Model 39 (which I still have and runs like a champ), 59, 4006, 915, 908, 6904, probably others I can't remember. ALL ran with no problems. A shame this one balked on me.

If Smith made a new 5906 and promised to support it lifetime I would be first in line to buy one.

HOUSTON RICK · #17 09-26-2018, 02:34 PM

I had to look up what a Model 669 was. Thank you for the education. Temptation can be a good thing.

stansdds · #18 09-27-2018, 07:09 AM

Sorry to hear it was not a reliable pistol, but just because a firearm looks clean and used little does not necessarily mean that it was not used a lot. First thing to do with a used pistol is to field strip it, thoroughly clean and lube (you'd be surprised at the amount of GSR and gummy oil/grease that accumulates under extractors and inside firing pin tunnels), then replace the recoil spring and possibly the magazine spring. Weak springs bring problems and you also don't know if Bubba "customized" his pistol by clipping or bending coil springs.