What is up with all the love for the 5906?

[loc n load]

5906

I bought a model 59 in the mid 70's....it was my first 9mm, and the first DA/SA I ever shot.....still have it. My agency issued 659's in 88, then 5906's and 5904's when they became available. My agency issued thousands of these pistols, I trained hundred's of officers to operate and shoot them, moving them from revolvers into pistols. I also trained LE F/A instructors to instruct the S&W DA/SA.
The double stack grip profile is not for everybody. The decocking and returning the decock to the firing position ( per my agency's written policy) was the biggest challenge as an instructor, coupled with the shift from the long heavy DA first shot to the subsequent SA's.
We had the pistols from 88 to the latter part of the 90's, they proved to be good solid, reliable pistols. We had 5904's on my SWAT team and we had well over 30,000 rds through those pistols when they were replaced.
Overall the 5906's and 04's proved to be good solid duty guns. Since then I have carried and instructed Sig's , Berretas and glock's, I rate the 3rd gen Smith's with any of those when it comes to reliability and function.

 

[jimbo728]

No one mentioned that it was good enough for Chuck Norris in a couple of his movies.
Doesnt that say it all?
Jim

 

[Jaymo]

Nothing runs better when dirty in my experience either. Excellent reliability, excellent trigger, excellent balance, good accuracy and great looking to boot. Anybody who thinks there is a better 9mm gun out there just does not know what they are talking about.

Buh-buh-buh-BUT, Gaston Block invented the first reliable autoloader. Just ask the fanboiz. Autoloaders were all Jam-o-matics before Block hit the scene with all their innovative new features (copied from guns going back nearly a century).
Never mind the fact that Smith 3rd gens eagerly cycle empty brass. If you want reliability, Block is the only name in the game.

The Smith can't possibly be as good as a Block.
After all, the Smith feels good in the hand, looks good, is accurate, and lacks the horrid trigger pull and 2x4 feel of a Block.

My 5906 is a po-po trade in. It has the straight backstrap grip.
It fits my hand better than the curved backstrap 59xx.

My 5946 is also po-po trade in but has the curved backstrap and it fits great because of the shorter, DAO pull.

Then there's my 6906 and 4566.
Let's not forget my 52, my personal grail gun.
I also have a Daewoo DP51, another world class service pistol which is a 59 series derivative (The South Koreans were very impressed with the 59 series).
It's my 5904 stand-in.

Nope, I don't like Smith autos at all. Not one bit. I'd rather have an ugly gun that looks and feels like a 2x4 perched on top of a grip.

Dripping with sarcasm, of course.
I am rather fond of the 3rd gens.
If I ever find a 3906 and a 3913 that I can afford, they're mine.

Funny thing about the po-po trade ins. The 59xx and 69xx trade ins I've seen looked great compared to the Block po-po trade ins I've seen.
The Blocks should be called poo-poo trade ins. Most of them that I saw in stores looked like MotoGP racers used them for frame sliders.
New grips and a quick blast with glass beads make the Smith look new again.
I've heard that walnut shell blasting media works well, too. Haven't tried it. I would think it would be best for minor scuffs, but I have no empirical data to back up that opinion.

 

[Jaymo]

No one mentioned that it was good enough for Chuck Norris in a couple of his movies.
Doesnt that say it all?
Jim

A Jennings .22 would have been good enough for Chuck Norris.
Overkill, even.

 

[Disabled1]

So you say, "What is up with all the love for the 5906?" I say it is simply because it is so drop dead reliable and durable. Those who have shot one tens of thousands of times are the best witness to the 5906's virtues. I have shot two different 5906's a ridiculous number of times (probably 40000 to 50000 each) and no other gun I have compares to them. Not even the Browing HP. When I started reloading I mistakenly ran 2000 rounds of 147 gr loads that were loaded about 120% of published max load with no ill affects, all in the same 5906 gun. Nothing runs better when dirty in my experience either. Excellent reliability, excellent trigger, excellent balance, good accuracy and great looking to boot. Anybody who thinks there is a better 9mm gun out there just does not know what they are talking about.

I could not have said it better myself!

 

[st regis]

Oh and another reason to have one...the 1st and 2nd season of "Hawaii Five -O." (2010 & 2011) You will see the 5906 being used by the Honolulu PD and Chin Ho Kelly. In fact his has the rear sight ears on it like mine does. AS a side note Kono also uses a SW 3913 LS in season 1 for sure.
Just in case you didn't know...

NO NO NO....the real Chin Ho carried a RB 2 inch 10.

 

[scoobysnacker]

I say this all the time:
steel DA/SA handguns from that era are like 60's/70's muscle cars. At the time, you choose one favorite (mine was the Mustang!) and proclaim it better than the competition. As that era fades away, you come to appreciate the others makes and models too- they were ALL great, and all much funner than what we currently see.

The difference with guns is that we can afford more than one. I can have a CZ, AND a Beretta, AND a S&W, while I CAN'T have both a '69 Mustang Mach 1 AND a '67 Camaro

 

[gunhobbit]

Best gun out there for shooting forum trolls!

Mostly, though, I'd say it's a personal preference thing. My BHP feels better in my hand, my 3913 is more likely to be carried in the summer, but the 5906, like all 3rdGen Smiths, is a solid, reliable, go-to gun that you can't go wrong with.

We're not quite in the stages of the people looking at ads for $25 Lugers from back in the 50s. But we're getting there.

Have a couple on hand. Your grandchildren will thank you.

 

[Gator Monroe]

But but the 5903 is more collectible ...

 

[gunhobbit]

But but the 5903 is more collectible ...

A very important point for collectors!

Mine, though .... are for carrying/use.

 

[GaryS]

It's a matter of numbers. The 5903 is relatively rare while the 5906 is like McDonalds. Billions sold!

A couple of years ago a LGS that I've done some business with had a good number of 5906s police trade ins. They also had one 5904 that wasn't a trade in. Already having a 5906, I bought the 5904 for about $375.00.

Even the 5904 is relatively rare compared to the 5906.

But but the 5903 is more collectible ...

 

[gasaman]

Does anyone have production numbers on the 5943?

 

[fiasconva]

I don't know what it is about them but every time I took mine to the local public range someone tried to buy it. BTW, I still have it.

 

[TexasG]

It's kinda like,,,, on this forum ~ most everyone has one. Sort of like (insert body part here) everyone has one and an opinion.

I love mine and I'll probably get a few more before I can't use either anymore.