Anyone care to comment on a supposedly NOS 5906 in 9mmx21 IMI? Looks to me to be less than NOS, but really more interested in any observations on caliber.

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5906_9x21_TEA.jpg (133.1 KB, 199 views)

Aftermarket barrel?

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On the Oak Savannah

That's a big red flag as far as I'm concerned.

The 9X21 is/was used in the US mostly for very hot USPSA/IPSC rounds to make Major caliber since the standard 9X19 was disallowed for Major. I can't imagine an aluminum framed 5906 taking that battering for very long.

It's sort of a Franken-gun with that 2nd gen slide.

9x21mm IMI is primarily for markets where 9x19mm is verboten for ownership. Italy is a big market for thag cartridge, Beretta made the Model 98. It was/is simply a Model 92 with a 9x21mm IMI barrel. The cartridge is the same overall length of 9x19mm, it does this by having a longer case and having the bullet sit slightly deeper in the case.

Pressure wise, it is a 9x19mm.

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GOA FL Dir. & Nat. Spokesman

The 5906 is a steel frame and the 9x21mm IMI is not a hot round.

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GOA FL Dir. & Nat. Spokesman

I'm thinking the 5906 was all stainless, frame & slide, but the standard 9x19 barrel isn't cut out for the longer 9x21 case. I believe I recall reading that the 9x21 was used a lot in Israel. and maybe Italy. The gun may have some import markings on it somewhere. I didn't go look for the auction, just guessing for the most part.

But I do know my 5946 (DOA) is all stainless, and much heavier than my alloy framed 6906. There are many much smarted folks here that probably know exactly where it cam from. Which is why I hang around, learning what I am wrong about daily. LOL!

Purports to be S&W factory item made for European market and somehow mis-shipped. No obvious Import markings. Rear of Slide & Safety levers look 3rd Gen with early fixed sight, but barrel & business end of Slide is 2nd Gen. Early 3rd Gen stainless frame with D type Trigger Guard marked as 5906 with TEA s/n prefix which would probably make it circa 1989 vintage.

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	5906_9x21-10.jpg (157.2 KB, 103 views)
	5906_9x21-3.jpg (189.0 KB, 124 views)

Israeli Military Industries commercialised the cartridge for the Italian and Latin American civilian markets. The round was developed in Italy along with the .45 HP.

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GOA FL Dir. & Nat. Spokesman

Looks like two labels.

The top one came when S&W resold it as used, I'm guessing.

I sure would like to see the first label.

John

The early 3rd Gens used “upgraded” 2nd Gen slides. You can notice these slides with the different finish, the dovetailed front sight, the old school 2nd Gen single fixed blade rear sight, the “four lines” of S&W jargon and the new pressed-in barrel bushing.

This one is most definitely odd because that is a real deal 2nd Gen slide, and we can safely say that it is a 2nd Gen upper as the barrel isn’t mated with the 3rd Gen bushing, it is an old school 2nd Gen barrel.

Pretty interesting altogether. If S&W doesn’t have a history on it, the easiest guess might be that someone outside of S&W willfully mixed parts to put this together, but with S&W... anything goes!

Neat gun.

I know federal agents stationed in Italy, and back in the 90s they had 9x21 barrels for their sig 228 pistols so they could carry them in Italy.
Not at all uncommon there. I saw tons of Beretta 92 pistols with 9X21 barrels also.

New Old Stock and the barrel has a whole bunch of wear... The label on the box literally says "USED"

The “literally USED” notation on the end label is a very common Smith & Wessonism, in the event you weren’t aware. Salesman samples, guns displayed at trade shows and plenty of other oddities ended up with such labels.

This pistol is much more mysterious than that (common) box end label.

Italy does not allow civilian ownership of pistols using the military cartridge - the 9mm Luger.

The 9x21 was a work-a-round in that it was ballistically the same as a 9x19, but with the longer casing, could not be used in in guns chambered for the 9x19.

It's use in the US stemmed from a mis-shipped drum of cases that came to a practical shooting competitor and experiments were run loading to meet Major power factor. These were much hotter loads than factory 9x21 intended for the Italian market.

This eventuallyn let to the 356 TSW and 9x23 Winchester cartridges.

Yup, I was pretty sure IMI was Israeli Military Industries.

I worked with quite a few engineers from IMI building BIG bang stuff.

And also Beretta 98 barrels in .30 Luger (7.65x21mm); I have a complete set of all 3 calibers for my Beretta 92F.

Good eyes. I had not noticed the second label - yes I would like to see the one underneath. And Not sure what it means, but the first digits of label code 022187 are unique in my experience - I have never seen anything on S&W other than 022188 even on the more recent "Used" 5906 / 5946 guns

I think "Used" on the S&W label is probably as someone else pointed out a demo or as seller suggested an item mis-shipped and returned for resale, consistent with the U on the frame.

As to NOS, I have to agree barrel and guide rod appear well used - I sent an inquiry to seller.

That's a weird one. It is an early production 5906 receiver, but the slide is definitely from a 639/659. As for being used vs new, definitely used. Look at the picture that shows the top rear of the pistol and you can see where the hammer shank has made an imprint into the edge of the grip tang on the receiver. It's a very well defined imprint and you don't get that much of an imprint from a factory test fire.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

It's an interesting mishmash of features and I wouldn't put it past S&W to put out something like that back in the day, to use up surplus parts. Much like they did with the 645/4506 with the 6450, etc. However, I'd also expect this one to have a similar designation instead of straight up 5906. The box label is also a replacement and looks quite new compared to the rest of the box and the gun obviously isn't new.

I'd walk away.

From Italy - 6904 Duo Tone 9x21 IMI caliber

Other threads available as well I believe

I'm confused where the "IMI" is coming from. I see no mention of "IMI".

The SCSW 3rd & 4th both mention the 5904 made in 9x21mm for Italy but I see no mention under the 5906 or the 6904 but they do exist. These 9x21mm are no hotter than a 9x19mm. The casing is just 2mm longer and the bullet seated 2mm deeper. They use the same 59 series magazines too.

I have one of the 5904's and it also has a 2nd gen slide, barrel and bushing. It is 'new/unfired' but has the USED label also. The box actually has FOUR labels on it but I'm not willing to risk damaging any of the labels to see what's under them. (if someone else wants to, I'll sell it to you and you can. ) My guess is one is the original S&W label, an exporter label which was covered by the reimport label and after it was returned to S&W and checked out they added the USED label. Maybe these were intended for Italy but never sold and were returned.

Would help if I posted a picture of the hood.
Nasty day out so maybe I'll dig it out and take more.

Ruger made the P89X, it was a standard P89 and came with a extra barrel in .30 Luger.

[img]https://www****gerforum.net/attachments/6bcc3270-ccae-4077-b5ef-b77c5ab4cf68-jpeg.118251/[/img]

Browning made Hi-Powers like that too.

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GOA FL Dir. & Nat. Spokesman

IMI brought the cartridge to market. Hence why it is called the 9x21mm IMI.

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GOA FL Dir. & Nat. Spokesman

IMI - got it.
Seen a few Model 59's in .30 Luger too.


More/better pics of the 5904.

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	5904_TEH69xx_ber.jpg (71.2 KB, 33 views)
	5904_TEH69xx_hd.jpg (49.4 KB, 29 views)
	5904_TEH69xx_bel.jpg (59.9 KB, 26 views)
	5904_TEH69xx_lh2.jpg (85.2 KB, 28 views)

Beautiful pistol looks to be in much netter shape than the 5906. Yours certainly does not look to be "Used" - wondering about meaning of that? Interesting Box End Labels - Note Product Code same 179000 as 5906 and your label indicates 9mmx2 - wondering if x21 or 2 mags? Also cant read bar code end past 0 2218 - the 5906 is 0 22187 which is unique in my experience. Written in code 103038 is more likely Product Code as the 5906 is similarly marked but 103034.

If I recall correctly and at my age I sometimes don't, didn't Team Smith & Wesson run a 9x21 for a while as well as a 9x23? I think they called the 9x21 something different though, 356TSW?? Could be they offered the 9x21 barrel as a special order to the IPSC crowd? I was aware of different calibers going to 9x19 prohibited countries.

9mmX21 or 9x21 IMI is not same as or related to 356TSW - see attached listing of 9mm caliber variations. From what I can gather, its simply a variant of 9mm which is legal in countries where conventional (military) 9mm (9mm Luger or 9mmx19) is not legally available. Performance is essentially same as 9mmX19 but cartridge is legal.

9 mm caliber - Wikipedia

A More detailed summary of the 9x21
9x21mm - Wikipedia

Believe it to be x21 since it's all in Caliber. The other label does indicate "2 MAG."

Whole barcode is 0 22187 90000 3

Same exact barcode as 5906 which is a bit weird.
Stumbled across info that 9x21 was accepted for IPSC competition at one time. Knowing S&W provided pistols to at least some of the competition shooters, I am now wondering if these were "loaned" to favored shooters and returned and therefore sold as "Used". I could easily believe that of the 5906 as it looks well used, but the 5904 looks "as new" or "unfired"

I hadn't considered the possibility of this being some kind of test gun, or production sample being sold by the company. That what explain the "used" nomenclature on the label.

If nothing else this serves as an example of the endless maze that is the world of 3rd Gen S&Ws. It's one of the things that keeps it interesting.

I really like the look of this one. Sexy.

Yes, that is what I was remembering that the 9x21 was IPSC legal at one time. Back in the whole 9mm major discussion days. Mid to late '80's I think, though hard to remember. Started shooting IPSC in '79.