Model 3906. Good things are produced in small numbers.

[jscott]

Being a M39 fan, bought a 3906 8 years ago, used LNIB, very few rounds fired. Carried it EDC for 7 years, AIWB in S Fla heat. Put approx 3000 rounds through it using the 10 factory mags I got from Midway. NEVER a glitch. Carried 124+ Ranger 9 as issued by Miami Dade PD, former dept. Recently put it away for LW 1911 in 9. That 3906 is a GREAT gun.

 

[Sevens]

Fantastic background cle3909! and we eat this kind of thing up on these pages. I hope you stick around and bring more of it!

 

[18DAI]

Thanks cle3909! Much appreciated!

To answer your question, in the years I owned and shot my 3906, I never experienced any malfunctions or problems. A woman I was dating took the 3906 with her when I traded up. I still miss, the gun. Regards 18DAI

 

[BAM-BAM]

Another Coronavirus Zombie thread returns to life....... Love it

Never could understand the 390x guns when you could just have a 3931/14/NL.........if you wanted a single stack for Concealed Carry.

Heck a 69xx conceals just as well IMO and 30 years of experience.

Open/duty carry ........might as well be a double stack 59xx gun.

That said I've always found it hard to not have a 2nd Gen 39-2 in the safe!!!

 

[BAM-BAM]

A woman I was dating took the 3906 with her when I traded up. I still miss, the gun. Regards 18DAI

Are you talking the gun or the woman?????????????????????????

;D

 

[18DAI]

THE GUN BAM-BAM!

As this thread is a sticky, I don't think the necro posting applies. And I am glad to see any contributions and additions to the limited history and use of the 3906.

As to why a 3906 rather than a 3913, speaking for myself, as I owned and carried both at the same period in time, the added weight of the 3906 made it a lot easier to shoot fast and accurately. Especially one handed as one might have to in a close contact incident.

And the extra weight also gave the 3906 some value as an impact weapon too. Regards 18DAI

 

[stansdds]

Since we are necroposting, I'll chime in with my issues with the 3906.

1. S&W did not make enough of them.
2. S&W never made a 3903, which would have been a stainless slide on a silver-gray anodized aluminum receiver.
3. I don't have one, gotta settle for my Model 439.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Hummmmmm.......see your points......... but in a single stack I think I'd opt for a 4566

 

[1775usmarine]

Can't believe I've owned my 3906 for almost 6yrs n based off my 1st post in this thread.

 

[malph]

The 3906 is one of my favorite 3rd gens. I bought mine on a whim. I wasn't looking for it.

Yes, the 3914 series is smaller and the 5906 series holds more rounds, but...i guess it's the Goldilocks thing. The 3906 just feels right.

I don't know if I got lucky but mine shoots very well. Maybe it's that the ergonomics work for me. Maybe it's because whoever put it together had a good day at the office, but the dang thing shoots better than it ought to.

The only negative I have about it is it has more sharp edges than a ginsu

 

[CALREB]

During the mid 90s we were pushing about 600-700 recruits at a time through the academy. Beretta 92fs was the issue weapon, the guns had a dull finish,lacked the final polishing , which allowed them to have night sights installed for the same price as a standard contract Beretta.
We trained hundreds of smaller stature officers to shoot the 92FS with great success, very few firearms failures, and most graduated with some sort of shooting medal. Still someone complained to someone high up and we had to come up with a program to TRY an alternate smaller grip frame pistol.
I think mostly because of cost , and the fact that it was already on the departments approved weapons list, the 3906 Novak night sight model was chosen. We issued 16 ? or so of them to all the female officers in one recruit class. They were issued with quad mag holders so had close to the same amount of ammo availability as an officer with a 92fs.
Since these guns were not being made at that time, S/W put together the guns from what was in stock, and whatever spare parts were around. I thought some of these guns came 2-tone , but Im running from memory. The guns worked great , recruits all passed and went out to the field.
We kept track of these shooters, within 1 year, all but 1 had purchased their own 92fs and qualified with it, using it as their primary duty weapon.
Several of these guns came back to the armory, for one reason or another. 8 or 10 of these guns were eventually sold to a local distributor, so they are out there somewhere. I know a couple armorers who bought a few, I am not one of them. I had a 3904.
It should be noted that with the exception of 1 single (law suit) issuance(3913) these were the only 3rd gen Smith and Wesson Semi Autos ever issued to regular Police Officers by the L.A.P.D. . Other than S.I.S who had their issue 4506/4566s. But no other SWs were issued until the M&Ps in 2015 or so. All the other thousands of 3913/4, 4506/66,5906,6906 so many models I cant cover here are ALL private purchase guns.

 

[BAM-BAM]

During the mid 90s we were pushing about 600-700 recruits at a time through the academy. Beretta 92fs was the issue weapon, the guns had a dull finish,lacked the final polishing , which allowed them to have night sights installed for the same price as a standard contract Beretta.
Even though we had trained hundreds of smaller stature officers.With great success, very few firearms failures and most graduated with some sort of shooting medal. Someone complained to someone high up and we had to come up with a program to TRY an alternate smaller grip frame pistol.
I think mostly because of cost , and the fact that it was already on the departments approved weapons list, the 3906 standard nightsight model was chosen. We issued 16 ? or so of them to all the female officers in one recruit class.They were issued with quad mag holders so had close to the same amount of ammo availability as an officer with a 92fs.
Since these guns were not being made at that time, S/W put together these guns from what was in stock, and whatever spare parts were around. I thought some of these guns came 2-tone , but Im running from memory. The guns worked great , recruits all passed and went out to the field.
We kept track of these shooters, within 1 year, all but 1 had purchased their own 92fs and qualified with it, using it as their primary duty weapon.
Several of these guns came back to the armory, for one reason or another. 8 or 10 of these guns were eventually sold to a local distributor, so they are out there somewhere. I know a couple armorers who bought a few, I am not one of them. I had a 3904.
It should be noted that with the exception of 1 single (law suit) issuance(3913) these were the only Smith and Wesson Semi Autos ever issued to regular Police Officers by the L.A.P.D. Other than S.I.S who had there issue 4506/4566s. But no other SWs were issued until the M&Ps in he 2015 or so. All the other thousands of 3913/4, 4506/66,5906, 6906 so many models I cant cover here are ALL private purchase guns.

Back in the mid-90s Beretta had/offered a single stack 92 Compact Type-M to fill a couple of local Law Enforcement contracts. With Farrer Rubber grips
they were as slim as a 39 grip......they were parts guns as the frames were the old style round trigger guard milled to FS).

IIRC the single stacks were for Lt.'s and up and Detectives/plain cloth officers. The rest of the Dept were issued the 13 round Compacts.

I was friends with the local Police Supply House and got two over about 10 years ( same batch) ....... and a bunch of mags. Got the first one in 93 as a hedge against the 94 AWB.

 

[Craig19]

Back in the mid-90s Beretta had/offered a single stack 92 Compact Type-M to fill a couple of local Law Enforcement contracts. With Farrer Rubber grips
they were as slim as a 39 grip......they were parts guns as the frames were the old style round trigger guard milled to FS).

IIRC the single stacks were for Lt.'s and up and Detectives/plain cloth officers. The rest of the Dept were issued the 13 round Compacts.

I was friends with the local Police Supply House and got two over about 10 years ( same batch) ....... and a bunch of mags. Got the first one in 93 as a hedge against the 94 AWB.

Interesting. Never knew there was a single stack 92 variant.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Interesting. Never knew there was a single stack 92 variant.

Ya..... all the way back to the 92S or SB in the early 80s...... Beretta also made a single action, single stack, back into the 1950s Model 951.

951 was widely used by the Israelites... in the 50s-70s

 

[Tom 1951]

Ya..... all the way back to the 92S or SB in the early 80s...... Beretta also made a single action, single stack, back into the 1950s Model 951.

951 was widely used by the Israelites... in the 50s-70s

I had a 951, called a Brigadier commercially and also a Helwan clone made in Egypt. IMHO, one of the best handling 9s ever made, even better for me than the S&W 39-2. I especially liked the crossbolt safety. It was positive and very quick to take off. Setting was another story!
I had a M70 New Puma in .32 with the same safety, before they went to the 1911 style.
FWIW, Mark at Summitgunbroker lists 3906 mags for sale.

 

[Jaymo]

Since the 3906 is way too heavy for a single stack pistol chambered for a round that won't stop an angry hamster, you can all send your useless 3906s to me for proper disposal.
My shipping address is.........

I badly wanted a 3906 when they came out.
By the time I was old enough to buy one, and could actually afford one, they were (sadly) long gone.

 

[csmcel]

3906 in Distress

Up until becoming a member of the S&W forum, I was beginning to think I was only a handful of owners of a 3906. I bought it new in 1990 and it has been a wonderful gun. I still even have the original receipt.

A couple of years ago one side of the casing extractor broke causing spent shell casings to get hung up in the slide. Because this gun is so rare I have not been able to located parts. I want to get the gun fixed if possible. Any suggestions?

 

[18DAI]

The extractor from a 5906 will work. Same part. Try Numrichs gun parts. Hope this helps! Regards 18DAI

 

[Sevens]

...that is your answer.

Meanwhile hahaha

The whole damn top end from a 5906 or most any 3rd Gen 9mm works or can be made to work!

 

[jscott]

12 months ago, my 3906 extractor broke. Off to SW and was repaired quickly. Cannot remember the cost, if any, but it was not unreasonable. The only question is do they still have the part? Only a phone call to SW can answer that.