Good Deal Spotted- Mint 3914 DAO and Nice Stainless CS9. 3914 is DAO with three mags and matching box and docs. Factory Delrin grips. Looks never carried or fired. $435 out the door.

CS9 is nice. $375 out the door. Two mags and non matching box. Comes with fat Hogue grips.

3914 looks and feels better. CS9 I have owned one and it was OK. Just chunky.

Something has to go if I buy either one, but I’ll deal with that later. I know 3913 mags are going for like 50 bucks and to have three of them would be nice. Makes me really regret not jumping on the 3953 with three mags and box for $299 I saw last year.

And don’t ask where it is. I’ll let you all know if I decide on one or the other or neither.

Considering the prices, CS-9 is the better buy and you only need the TercGen grip to make far better use of the pistol than that ratty, bloated Hogue.

I don't buy the "oh, mags are $$$!" argument much because if it were for carry, I'd only need one that fit the pistol properly... and wouls make use of the 3906/952 and 39 mags of which I have a slew.

Seconded. 39xx pistols are wonderful and amazing and I buy one every year or so.

I have never seen a CS9 on the shelf anywhere. I have never seen one for the price you are describing.

Get the CS9. Another fine 3900 will come along later

Well....... if it was me ,I'd buy both . If you can't , ask about lay-away . Get both , turn around and sell one , you'd be sitting pretty .I bought a m3914ls a while back , lnib ,and I paid more than that . I thought I was doing good . On another post I said I needed to move to Missouri because of the S&Ws that showed up there , but Penn. is looking sweet too . I never run across deals like these down here . Thank God for this Forum , otherwise I'd be up a creek when it comes to buying S&Ws .

True. But for a $60 difference, doesn’t the extra magazine come into play? And how much is that new grip? That would reduce the gap in price between the two to much less than $60. And since the CS9 is definitely used, although in nice shape, and the 3914 looks brand new, I’d have to replace the recoil and mag springs in the CS9. Wouldn’t feel the need to in a gun that looks brand new.

If the 3914 "DAO" is the new age shortcut DAO that was never designed as a DAO but merely had the single action sear hook eliminated from the hammer, I'd have zero interest. An earlier 3953 is the true winner there.

Redid the math with tax added in. The cs9 would be $386. 3914 would be $458.

As for which hammer, I have no idea. It’s a later blue plastic box over the older cardboard ones for the 3914.

He means that the DAO action on that 3914 is likely the long not-great action that is basically a TDA pistol without the single action portion. In short: it sucks.
Comparably the CS9, assuming it is not DAO is the better choice for lots of folks.
If you intend to carry the thing, and like TDA action, its a no brainer. The CS9 wins.

I knew what he meant. Just don’t know how to tell the difference would pulling the trigger on the cs9 in double action mode vs pulling the trigger on the 3914 be a good way to tell? If they feel similar than they would let me know.

I say buy the CS9.

I looked for a few years for a CS9 and never saw one for sale. While I was looking I bought a 3914 and I liked it but I continued looking for the CS9. The first one I found for sale I bought it and paid to much for it. I've had the CS9 a couple of years and it's still NIB as I found it. Maybe someday

I’ve seen 3953’s. I carried a 5946 and still own it. This 3914 does not have the same slide profile as the 3953. It looks like a 3913 without a safety. The hammer is not slightly protruding while cocked like the 3953 or 5946 is. But it also doesn’t have second strike capability like the 3953 and 5946 don’t have.

Hard decision. Both are great pistols and not all that different in size. Neither is seen all that often, although there seems to be quite a few CS9s and 3914DAOs available recently.

Im not a fan of DAO, so I would choose the CS9 and put TercGen grips on it. Assuming this is an off duty carry gun, were I NOT going to change the CS9 grips, I would go with the 3914DAO. Because it will be thinner and easier to carry concealed.

While mags for either are expensive and scarce if you are looking at Midway, Numrich or Gunbroker, deals can be found and are out there.

Those are really good prices on BOTH of those scarce pistols. Good luck with your decision! Regards 18DAI

__________________
7 +1 Rounds of hope & change

Either. Or both.

__________________
Can open, worms everywhere.

I picked up a CS9 at my LGS for $469 and was okay with the price (I traded some stuff from the back of the safe and avoided the 10% sales tax as well). I'm not a big fan of DAO plus I have a Sig 250 in 9, .380 and .22 with a bunch of grip modules and for DAO that's not a bad gun.

I'd go for the CS9 without a doubt for the reasons mentioned by the other folks above, plus, I found the grip was quite comfortable for my hands but YMMV.

While I'm lucky enough to already have two I go for the 3914................ and a trip to Squidsix to restore it to DA/SA........maybe use the decocker only safety I've got; Could even add a full hammer..........and of course Hogue checkered wood grips...... for a nice "Micro-39" build!!!

As I've posted before the CS just aren't that much smaller or extra magazines readily available (I like to have at least 6 for a gun I will carry) to get me to move away from the 39xx guns.

I know some really like the 3913, I would not mind Santa giving me one, but I have owned the CS9 and CS45 for around 15 years, and have enjoyed shooting and carrying them.

Attached Images

CS9 & CS45 (2).jpg (126.1 KB, 29 views)

It would be fascinating to learn exactly how he might accomplish that.

John?

I own seversl DAO S&W 3rd gen autos and after transitioning from a revolver I can tell you that the 3914 trigger does NOT suck. It is becoming my go to auto and my last qualification was my best ever. All the dry fire practice may have certainly been a factor and the second stroke capability enhanced practice sessions (double, triple taps etc.) Anyway you can't go wrong with a 3rd Gen single stack.


Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

To be fair and to be clear... nobody said that a 3914 trigger sucks.

Many of us believe the somewhat-recent 3914 DAO trigger, simply the version that gives you the looooong double action first shot EVERY time... the guns recently released from the NYPD... those suck in comparison to the slick S&W DAO in use in the pre-TSW guns such as the 3953.

I’m retired NYPD and remember when the off duty 9MM’s were authorized. This 3914 is not an NYPD one. The box is not marked NYPD and more importantly, the mag disconnect remains on this gun and I know for a fact the NYPD guns did NOT have a mag disconnect.

I’m kind of torn. I have a blued Kahr K9. Very nice trigger. Single stack like the 3914 but slimmer and smaller. Also holds one less round. But I do like the mag disconnect and the double strike capability of a hammer fired gun. And I also like resting my thumb on the hammer as I holster.

The CS9 is out for sure. My carry semi autos all have safeties accept the Kahr. I used to be all Beretta and 3rd gen guns for carry with the flick up to fire safety. I’ve now gone to M&P’s and Rugers with swipe down. It took a while to “forget” the up to fire sweep. I’m not mixing it up again between carry guns.

As anyone who has long been a S&W 1-2-3rd Gen fan and internet gun forum junkie knows... the "danged ole upside-down S&W safety!" is a tried and true argument or condemnation of the pistols we like so much. It simply MUST be the biggest pet peeve of detractors to the S&W design.

I cannot try to apologize for it... as it is a losing battle. I will however say that since my day one with a S&W pistol, it hadn't occurred to me that the lever was "backward" or flipped in the wrong direction.

What did occur to me on day one, and continues to occur every time I pick one up is actually two things:

1) my strong hand and natural placing of my thumb goes directly and naturally to exactly the place on the gun where the safety gets flipped off. My thumb has no interest in attempting to lay OVER the safety lever, it simply "pushes through" when I grip the pistol properly

2) that safety lever is like an arrow and it points where the bullets go

I do understand the argument against the S&W system, really. It simply doesn't bother me. And that is most likely because I really don't use, nor do I see the use, in a thumb safety on a DA/SA pistol.

To me, having a DA/SA with the safety on is like having a cell phone that is turned off or a fire sprinkler system with the main valve cranked closed. It ends up being a tool meant "FOR THE READY" that... isn't ready.

A short pull single action like a 1911? I see great utility is a sear-blocking manual thumb safety.

That said, I do understand that LE are often managed by organizational requirements.

I have not owned a 3914DAO, but do have a 908S, a slightly blockier and less expensive version of the TDA model. I also had a CS9. When it came time to get rid of one, I kept the 908. The CS9 is a very good carry pistol and if i walked around in a midriff baring tank top and mini, it would be my choice. The size difference between the two pistols just wasn't that great to make the case for keeping the CS9; after all, it takes a dedicated, shorter magazine.
Were the decision mine, I'd lean to the DAO. I've come to appreciate more and more the manual of arms of a long pull that's replicated every shot.

barbara em if you want to go ahead and post a pic of yourself in the outfit, I'm sure we would be happy to help and tell you whether that CS9 is printing. Regards 18DAI

__________________
7 +1 Rounds of hope & change

I can confirm the CS9 works perfectly when I wear my similar outfit.