so YOU are the one hoarding 639s! I had to buy a stainless upper for my 439.
Model 3906. Good things are produced in small numbers.
- Thread starter 18DAI
- Start date
so YOU are the one hoarding 639s! I had to buy a stainless upper for my 439.
This fantastic discussion has been up for quite some time and I don’t remember if I posted this a page or two agoso forgive me if I have.
I’m fortunate to own two 3906’s. One of them, the earlier of them has the older style 2nd Gen slide and lettering and the pre-Novak fixed rear blade sight. The slightly later 3906 has the more modern true 3rd Gen slide and has a very cool old school fixed Novak style night sight. The lamps are long dead and I have no plans to re-lamp them, but the profile of this rear sight run high in cool factor!
As shooters, I find them interesting. Those familiar with the 3rd Gen ergonomic upgrades will be most familiar with them on the doublestack frame or the larger .45/10mm frame. Because those same improvements that feel so advanced on the 3rd Gens come across a little different on the 3906.
I’m sure it’s personal and hits each shooter in it’s own way, as it should. What I’m trying to say is that the 5906 feels like a RADICAL improvement, ergonomically speaking, over the 659. However the 3906 does not necessarily feel that way, at least in my opinion, over the classic 639.
Even still, these are noteworthy relics and I love owning them. Cool pieces of a much larger picture of the evolution of 9mm duty guns.
Fantastic thread, 18DAI!
I have two 3906's as well, I need to check differences. Both are the S&W adjustable sight models. Both look like Miami JBTs pic above. One in the box like new, other one, can't remember if it came in box or not. Love the Smith single stacks! Also have a couple 639s, 3904, 39-2s. Great pieces of history!
The 3913/14 certainly filled the need for a compact single stack 9mm and the 3906 was a full size service pistol, so there may be something to your theory. Also, for full size service pistols in 9mm, why would a law enforcement agency opt for a 9 round single stack when a 15 round double stack was available?
Law enforcement officers in the 1980's and 90's were finding themselves pitted against criminals using high capacity semi-auto and some with full auto firearms. There was less LEO need for low capacity single stack pistols and S&W's law enforcement sales drove their firearms line for a long time. No profit in producing a pistol that does not sell to your market.
inimicalone
Member
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2012
- Messages
- 118
- Reaction score
- 104
Yup sounds like me 3913tsw then all hell broke loose,4013tsw, 4513tsw, 5906, 2-3906, 3904,3-3913. I think thats it!
Miami_JBT
US Veteran
The 3606 died, but the 3904 and 909 continued one during the AWB in civilian circles.
inimicalone
Member
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2012
- Messages
- 118
- Reaction score
- 104
Miami glad you could join the club!@18DAI, I have this enroute to me.
Miami_JBT
US Veteran
Got her...
She cleaned up REAL NICE.
She cleaned up REAL NICE.
Miami_JBT
US Veteran
Something makes no sense @18DAI.
So, the serial number for my 3906 is "TDL", which according to the SCSW puts it at a 1989 date of production. The SCSW has TBL-TCB in 1988 and TED in 1989. So it would seem reason to assume that TDL was a 1989 production.
But this is where it gets interesting!
As we know, there was a recall for S&W 3rd Gen Grips in 1990. The upgraded grips and new ones from the factory have the dimple on the bottom.
Mine has the dimple.
Okay, so what.... that just means the gun got an upgraded set of grips.
Well, this is where the interesting part comes in. I have the original box and the label for the product code lists "103706". The 4th edition SCSW states that that product code is for a 4" S 8SH AS. Meaning, four inch barrel, stainless, eight shot magazine, adjustable sights.
The serial number matches the gun and the box.
My gun came with one 8rd magazine and two 9rd magazines in the box. Now, the mags could not be original you say.
The features section of the label lists "9SH-AS". That means nine shot capacity magazine and adjustable sights.
What makes it additionally interesting is the box has the period paperwork and one of them is copyright dated 1990. The manual that is in the box lists .40 S&W and 10mm Auto. We know that the .40 S&W was unveiled to the shooting public in 1990 at SHOT Show by Big Blue.
So, it would be correct for S&W to have the included manual that ship out with their guns in 1991 to list .40 S&W. Since it was one manual used for all the 3rd Gens for the most part.
Get's even more super-duper interesting. The gun was shipped in and the Spec. Ord. number reads as "1039".
According to the scared texts, that means the label was slapped on the box on Feb. 8, 1991 since Feb 8 is the 39th day (039) and 1 is the last digit of the year (1991).
It is fascinating that the gun was possibly made in 1989 and spent time sitting on a shelf somewhere in S&W and wasn't sold until 1991. Especially since production is listed to have ended in 1990 according to the SCSW.
So, the serial number for my 3906 is "TDL", which according to the SCSW puts it at a 1989 date of production. The SCSW has TBL-TCB in 1988 and TED in 1989. So it would seem reason to assume that TDL was a 1989 production.
But this is where it gets interesting!
As we know, there was a recall for S&W 3rd Gen Grips in 1990. The upgraded grips and new ones from the factory have the dimple on the bottom.
Mine has the dimple.
Okay, so what.... that just means the gun got an upgraded set of grips.
Well, this is where the interesting part comes in. I have the original box and the label for the product code lists "103706". The 4th edition SCSW states that that product code is for a 4" S 8SH AS. Meaning, four inch barrel, stainless, eight shot magazine, adjustable sights.
The serial number matches the gun and the box.
My gun came with one 8rd magazine and two 9rd magazines in the box. Now, the mags could not be original you say.
The features section of the label lists "9SH-AS". That means nine shot capacity magazine and adjustable sights.
What makes it additionally interesting is the box has the period paperwork and one of them is copyright dated 1990. The manual that is in the box lists .40 S&W and 10mm Auto. We know that the .40 S&W was unveiled to the shooting public in 1990 at SHOT Show by Big Blue.
So, it would be correct for S&W to have the included manual that ship out with their guns in 1991 to list .40 S&W. Since it was one manual used for all the 3rd Gens for the most part.
Get's even more super-duper interesting. The gun was shipped in and the Spec. Ord. number reads as "1039".
According to the scared texts, that means the label was slapped on the box on Feb. 8, 1991 since Feb 8 is the 39th day (039) and 1 is the last digit of the year (1991).
It is fascinating that the gun was possibly made in 1989 and spent time sitting on a shelf somewhere in S&W and wasn't sold until 1991. Especially since production is listed to have ended in 1990 according to the SCSW.
Last edited:
First, I would not take the S/N prefix ranges listed in book as gospel or at least not exclusive. They are simply examples observed by or reported to the author who has requested same elsewhere on this forum.
There are many examples I have seen with same S/N prefix bridging several years.
I have 2 5904's prefix TCT and TCV that SW dated to 1989, but a 3904 TCU prefix inbetween that SW dated to 1993 (yes June 1993, even though they supposedly stopped production of the 3904s in 1990)
Also have a 3906 TDL2xxx dated by SW as Oct 1989 and a 4046 TDM dated August 1999.
The extreme I have seen is a 6946 VJP35xx dated Jan 1998 and a 5946 VJP35xx dated May 2009 (well after the acknowledged 1999 end of 5946 production, even though there are known NYPD examples after that produced in Houlton, ME well into the 2010 range).
I think the bottom line is S&W would produce a minimum order on contract and if there were surplus parts they may have sat around until someone decided to build them out even after there are no new parts coming off the line.
As to the grips, I would simply assume the gun may have been assembled after the recall or the grips have been replaced. If grips are worn or pre-recall I routinely replace grips - they are usually about $20 a set. And I have a pair of Newark PD 3953s made well after the recall which came to me with early grips and I have purchased (and returned) NOS grips in the last year that were not dimpled.
If you want to get specific manufacture date info on your pistol send querry to SW with S/N and as to ship date scroll down to the Ask Roy section.
Best, Ed
There are many examples I have seen with same S/N prefix bridging several years.
I have 2 5904's prefix TCT and TCV that SW dated to 1989, but a 3904 TCU prefix inbetween that SW dated to 1993 (yes June 1993, even though they supposedly stopped production of the 3904s in 1990)
Also have a 3906 TDL2xxx dated by SW as Oct 1989 and a 4046 TDM dated August 1999.
The extreme I have seen is a 6946 VJP35xx dated Jan 1998 and a 5946 VJP35xx dated May 2009 (well after the acknowledged 1999 end of 5946 production, even though there are known NYPD examples after that produced in Houlton, ME well into the 2010 range).
I think the bottom line is S&W would produce a minimum order on contract and if there were surplus parts they may have sat around until someone decided to build them out even after there are no new parts coming off the line.
As to the grips, I would simply assume the gun may have been assembled after the recall or the grips have been replaced. If grips are worn or pre-recall I routinely replace grips - they are usually about $20 a set. And I have a pair of Newark PD 3953s made well after the recall which came to me with early grips and I have purchased (and returned) NOS grips in the last year that were not dimpled.
If you want to get specific manufacture date info on your pistol send querry to SW with S/N and as to ship date scroll down to the Ask Roy section.
Best, Ed
Last edited:
Miami_JBT
US Veteran
My newly acquired 3906 with my 909, which I got off the for sale here at a very good price about a year and a half ago.
Second resurrection of this necro-thread. I thought some 3906s came with wood grip panels. Am I mistaken?
There was a very short run of 5906 with a delrin grip from the same mould as the regular 3rd Gen grip that we all know but they were colored, pretty badly, with a feax-wood color and... well it looked pretty bad. I have the product code written down somewhere but not handy.
That was a 5906 however, and not the 3906.
Similar threads
