Just picked up a 4006 (gotta love the LE trade in prices that can be had!) but I need to know how to strip it for cleaning. I obviously don't want to attempt anything like this without the proper instructions. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

Just picked up a 4006 (gotta love the LE trade in prices that can be had!) but I need to know how to strip it for cleaning. I obviously don't want to attempt anything like this without the proper instructions. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

Congrats on the purchase, I recently also picked up a LE trade in 4006 sweet pistol. I sent S&W an email requesting a manual and about 5-6 weeks later I received one in the mail no charge. It explains how to breakdown the weapon. Basically you pull back the slide aprox. 3/4 to 1 inch and at the same time press down on the pin in the countersunk hole on the right side above the trigger. I found taking a bullet and pressing it in the countersunk hole worked best. You may have to move the slide back and forth a little but you'll feel it " catch " when you have found the spot. Then you just slowly push the slide forward and off the weapon. Sounds hard until you've done it 2-3 times and then it's apiece of cake. Hope this helps.

If you want to completely disassemble the pistol, I suggest the AGI (American Gunsmithing Institute) video on S&W 1st, 2nd and 3rd Generation Pistols (available at Brownell's on DVD). My brother gave me his copy when I got into S&W 3rd generation pistols a year and a half ago (I've got 13 of them now). I found it to be an excellent "how to" video. Good luck.

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1st Signal Brigade, RVN '70

If you just need a manual- http://stevespages.com/pdf/s&w_centerfire_pistol.pdf

(I copied this from a forum member and I don't recall who it was, but thanks.)
If you mean "Detail Strip", then;

S&W Disassembly –

The Frame
Begin your detailed disassembly by removal of the grips. The grips are held in by a pin which can be pushed out with a punch by hand. Once the grip pin is removed, work the grips off. Don’t pry w/a screwdriver. You finesse it off by pushing it towards the back and downwards.

Once the grip is removed, you can remove the hammer strut spring and the “thingy” that contains it.

Note that the hammer pivot pin is attached to a flat spring that the slide release plunger bears against. This flat spring also serves to hold the pivot pin for the sear. The next step is to use a punch and drive out the sear pivot pin from the right side of the frame to the left. After the sear pivot is removed, remove that flat spring that features the integral hammer pivot pin. The hammer and hammer strut may now be withdrawn from the top. The ejector and its spring may also be removed at this point from the left side of the frame. On the right side of the frame the disconnector and firing pin safety block lever and the associated coil spring may be removed.

Now, use a punch and drive out the trigger pivot pin. This may be done from either side of the frame. The trigger bar may be withdrawn from the rear of the frame – just on the 1911. Tilt the frame up and the trigger return spring and plunger comes out. Now, remove the trigger from the top of the frame. This is done by rotating it such that the top of it leans towards the front of the frame (Imagine if the pivot pin was still in place and you press the trigger. As the trigger goes rearward, the top swings towards the front.)

If you want to remove the mag catch, you will need to use a punch to depress the plunger that holds the mag catch captive on the left side of the frame. With the plunger depressed, you should be able to unscrew the mag catch button. After that, you can remove the plunger and its spring, along with the actual mag catch.

The Slide
Look at the right hand safety and you’ll see in the center a tiny hole. Insert a punch and depress the plunger. While the plunger is depressed, push the safety forward towards the muzzle. Withdraw the plunger and slide the right hand side of the safety off. *Note that on my 4566 the right side lever can only be removed with the safety in the downwards (on safe) position.

Now, flip the slide upside down. You’ll see two plungers. The one on the right hand side (muzzle away) needs to be depressed. While it’s depressed, push in on the firing pin to relieve pressure on the safety barrel. This allows you to slide the left hand side of the safety out of the left side of the gun.

Pushing down on the same plunger allows you to remove the firing pin and the firing pin spring. You should have a disassembly block (2X4 with a ¾” hole drilled into it.) Locate the extractor pin and place the slide such that the extractor pin is directly over the hole in the block. Punch out the pin from the bottom of the slide. You can withdraw the extractor and extractor spring. This completes the disassembly of the slide. You don’t want to remove the other two plungers because to do so requires removal of the rear sight (and resighting the gun afterwards.)

Reassembly
Insert the firing pin spring and firing pin into the firing pin channel. You need to depress the firing pin plunger to do so. When properly installed, the firing pin should clear the tunnel where the safety shaft is. Next, depress the firing pin to insert the safety. You have to finesse it in. The safety will come to a rest and the plunger on the safety has to be depressed before you can push it all the way in. Push on the firing pin safety plunger so as to release the firing pin from its forward position. It should “disappear” from the firing pin hole in the breech face. Now, insert the right hand safety. Push it until it comes to a stop against the plunger. Depress the plunger and it should slip right in. This completes the reassembly of the slide.

Turning to the frame, insert the trigger first from the top of the frame. Then insert the trigger spring and plunger into the trigger spring and plunger channel of the frame. Now, insert the trigger bar. Look at the parts diagram to make sure you don’t put it in upside down. The trigger bar helps to position the trigger spring and plunger. Insert the trigger pivot pin to hold these in place.

Install the magazine safety plunger spring and then the magazine safety and the other flat bar (sear release lever.) The dark metal one goes to the right. Insert the disconnector. The “J” faces towards the rear. Make sure the “tail” of the disconnector is under the little finger on the trigger bar – this is how the disconnector pushes the trigger bar down, disconnecting it from the sear. *Note that this can be a pain in the butt to get right. Now insert the hammer. Put the ejector and spring in and secure them with the hammer pivot pin. Insert the sear. The “legs” go up since they allow the clearance for the disconnector. Now depress the trigger such that it relieves the pressure on the sear. This allows you to maneuver the sear into place such that the sear pivot pin can be inserted into the frame from the right side. Push the hammer pivot pin plate down and hold in place. A light rap with a brass mallet and the sear pivot pin should “snap” into place and be held securely by the hammer pivot pin plate. Test the action. Insert hammer strut spring and cone. Push grip onto frame and then push grip pin back in.

Mag catch reassembly is the opposite of removal.

A function check should always be done on every gun after it is disassembled and reassembled.
Hope this helps,
Regards,
BM1

My edits are in brackets: I provided the proper name of the parts not be a smart-a, but because it is important to know them. It will help greatly if you ever have to discuss a question with, or want to order parts from, S&W Customer Service. They go nuts (and lose interest fast) when words like "thingy" are used. They become very helpful when they think you know what you are doing, and to them that means knowing the proper name for the parts.

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1st Signal Brigade, RVN '70

Thanks for the help! I found the actual S&W manual online.
http://www.bignami.it/cataloghi/s&w/...ame_pistol.pdf

The one from Steve's Pages took forever to load and I ended up stopping it.

smousefam5,
I didn't realize that you just wanted to "Field Strip" it.
I thought you wanted to do a "Detail Strip" to realy clean it inside and out.
Regards,
BM1

No problem! To detail strip it I would need pictures! I just ain't good of an abstract thinker! Ya, initially I just wanted to get it apart and give her a basic bath. I did spray it out good with Gun Scrubber and got a tremendous amount of gunk out. That was followed with a "touch" of RemOil. The barrel didn't need much work at all.

I didn't see a most important instruction before replacing the grips: SUPPORT THE SIDEPLATE ASSEMBLY WITH THE THUMB OF YOUR SUPPORT HAND WHILE INSTALLING THE GRIPS!

Failure to keep the sideplate assembly properly placed while working the edge of the grip past the sideplate assembly can result in spreading the fingers that retain the hammer pin. Do this a couple of times and you'll be buying a new sideplate assembly.

Hi there smouse...used to lived and shoot competitively in IF with the SEIPS crew. Bought several 4006's from Ski's before I moved to Montana. They are fabulous guns! I did sent both slides to Trijicon and had the nite sights re-lamped. Mine were IFPD trade in guns. Probably know each other..
Randy Grow

WR Moore wrote:Excellent point! I did not take on reassembly instructions in my earlier post.

Interestingly, I did that exact thing the first time I installed a grip on a 3rd generation, my 4566. The fingers of the sideplate assembly had apparently been weakened earlier, probably when the previous owner changed to a curved grip. I wanted to put in back in original configuration, so I was installing a brand new straight grip when I learned about your advice the hard way, but it really needed a new sideplate anyway.

That incident was before I viewed the AIG video. I really do highly recommend it. I have now disassembled, cleaned, lubicated, changed parts on an as needed basis, and reassembled each of my 13 S&W 3rd generation pistols without a hitch.

In fact, based on knowledge gained from the AIG video and searching and studying posts on the S&W-Smithing forum on this website, I have also replaced three triggher play springs. It seems some previous owners had been a little rough while cleaning around the little trigger play spring. It's not the easiest repair to do, but it ain't bad once you do it a couple of times. Yep, knowledge and practice are great things.

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1st Signal Brigade, RVN '70

Ronterry,
I hope you don't mind that I referenced the wonderful pictures of the detail of the 1076 assy.
I tried to find your email address in your profile so I could ask you first.
I know that you gave it out before but I couldn't find the forum link.
http://www.ronterry.com/arms/sw1076/
Regards,
BM1

I picked mine up from Ross's. Unfortunately Ski's closed permanently at the end of last year. I bought a 649-2 from them on their last day. I was suprised at few places there were here in IF that will carry used guns. As far as I know we are down to Max's and Ross'.

One comment about the LE 4006's. The one I obtained turned out to be the 4006CHP version which has a drawbar without the trigger play spring. The hammer is also bobbed so it is DAO.

Without that spring, the initial trigger pull felt rather rough and sloppy to me. I could feel the "hooks" on the draw bar that engage pivot points on the rear of the trigger, slipping into place with a distinct "click" as the trigger was initally being pulled rearward. With the trigger play spring employed, those two components are held in place and there is no "wandering".

A call to S&W customer service resulted in getting 2 trigger play springs and rivets sent to me at no charge, and I'm much happier with the triger pull now. It's on par with my other 3rd gen semi-auto.

I've since learned that I either lucked out with it being an earlier version of the 4006CHP or was lucky in being able to install the spring & rivet, as the 4006CHP drawbar is supposedly made with an oversized rivet hole so a spring can't be installed, and needs to be replaced with a cilvian model drawbar in order to have a trigger play spring... go figure.

Also +1 on the AGI video. There are people that knock them for their gun cleaning content, but you really learn how the lockwork of a S&W semi-auto works AND it is what tipped me off that the trigger play spring was missing and what it's function was. That prompted me to make the call to S&W customer service and subsequently finding out it was deliberately made without one.

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Conrad
SWCA #1830 SWHF #222

I don't believe mine is a CHP version. The DA pull is incredibly smooth. That is one of the reasons I ended up with it instead of ordering one of the 4053's from J&G.

You can download manuals for all S&W guns on the S&W website.

Got it! Thanks!

I was unable to find a pdf manual for my 4006...

Welcome to the forum. The manual is not specifically for the 4006, but for the entire S&W series of metal frame pistols.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/wcsstore...l_06_16_08.pdf

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David Wilson

hey all i reciently baught a s&w 4006. i feild stripped it just to see how dirty it was. when i slide the slide assembly oni got the first pin to the rear to go under the slide. then something clicked (maybe i hit the safty or hammer) but its stuck where its at now. i can only slide it to the front maybe an 8th or an inch. took it to a gun shop and the said they would need to take it to a gun smith.... any advice before i have to do that..

the magwont go all the way in because the slide is forward some and the last 2 pins would go under the slide..please help

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hey all i reciently baught a s&w 4006. i feild stripped it just to see how dirty it was. when i slide the slide assembly oni got the first pin to the rear to go under the slide. then something clicked (maybe i hit the safty or hammer) but its stuck where its at now. i can only slide it to the front maybe an 8th or an inch. took it to a gun shop and the said they would need to take it to a gun smith.... any advice before i have to do that..

the magwont go all the way in because the slide is forward some and the last 2 pins would go under the slide..please help

Ah, yes...

The old "stuck slide during field strip" issue.

See stuck s@w slide...more details

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WWSSD?
What would Skeeter do?