Help building 2 5906 stripped assemblies

[Jato15]

Hi everyone, I’m brand new to the forum and to S&W pistols in general. I picked these up at a garage sale yesterday not really knowing what I was getting into. A quick search online found that 5906 parts kits are going to be difficult to find. Over at Sigforum, a member told me that 519 parts will fit and will be easier to source than 5906.
My question now is the rear sights…the cutout is huge. Is this for the large adjustable factory sight?
Any help with this project will be appreciated, as I’m sure it’s been discussed before!

Thank you

 

[jsbethel]

My question now is the rear sights…the cutout is huge. Is this for the large adjustable factory sight?

That is correct.

 

[Jato15]

Thank you. Is there anything specifically you’d recommend for the parts kits and such? I know that I need to be particular in finding a kit for a large barrel hood.

 

[Sevens]

If you want the parts all in one fell swoop, I think you will end up paying more than perhaps you oughta or may want to. Some of those "parts kits" auctions are de-milled guns from LE seizures or similar, and it has been oy observation that folks bid them up to absolutely moronic prices that approach used gun prices. But this is merely my opinion.

The parts you need were made in the many hundreds of thousands, so those parts most definitely exist.

Also, the referenced pistol is not a 519, he probably said or meant to say 915. However, the fact is that there are a large number of models that share parts with the 5906. Almost too numerous to list. Or rather... I could list a bunch, but there are some that I will have forgotten. And some models have some parts you can use, other models have different parts you can use.

When I look at what you show in the picture, my knee jerk reaction is that the best plan is NOT to gather parts and build two guns, but instead... find someone who needs what you have and sell these parts to them.

 

[Heymatt]

915 and 5904 parts kits will get you most of the internals. Wide hood barrels and adjustable sights will be a little more challenging to source.
Those look like 5904 frames.
I have all the parts to make a complete pistol, just need a frame. Just saying

 

[Jato15]

915 and 5904 parts kits will get you most of the internals. Wide hood barrels and adjustable sights will be a little more challenging to source.
Those look like 5904 frames.
I have all the parts to make a complete pistol, just need a frame. Just saying

Email me at [email protected]

 

[1775usmarine]

I have a hodge podge of parts too and would love to make another Franken smith.

 

[GaryS]

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[cherrypointmarine]

Check out Everygunparts.com . They have kits , don't know if they have what you need . Your's is a pretty common , so you might be able to find one or two .

 

[GaryS]

915 parts will fit although the magazine catch is different. Also many other 3rd Gen parts will fit. 69xx parts will fit, including the Drawbar. The adjustable sight assembly could take some searching and I wonder if a Red Dot sight would fit.

Numrich and eBay are good sources.

 

[Sevens]

915 parts will fit although the magazine catch is different.

I think you may be confusing the 915/411 with the true Value Line 3-digit model number 3rd Gens like the 908, 909, 910 and 410.

The 915/411 is nearly the same as the 5904 and 4004 except the frame is not stepped, the rear sight is not Novak, single sided decocker and low-dollar matte finish.

The 908, 909, 910 and 410 had the plastic bits like the mag catch, guide rod... one other plastic part I cannot recall.

So I believe the 915 mag catch and the 5906 mag catch are the same except for finish color.

 

[GaryS]

Well, now I'm confused. The 915 is a three digit model. It seems to be a pre Value Line gun which the SCSW 5th Edition calls "an economy version of the Third Generation S&W semi-autos." It goes on to say that it has carbon slide and with alloy frame, which would make it a 5904ish gun. There was a small run of "matte finished" guns.

I guess it's sort of a hybrid design, so you are likely right about the magazine catch.

I guess it will remain a mystery as to why they didn't number it like the rest of the 3rd Gens.

My head hurts.

I think you may be confusing the 915/411 with the true Value Line 3-digit model number 3rd Gens like the 908, 909, 910 and 410.

The 915/411 is nearly the same as the 5904 and 4004 except the frame is not stepped, the rear sight is not Novak, single sided decocker and low-dollar matte finish.

The 908, 909, 910 and 410 had the plastic bits like the mag catch, guide rod... one other plastic part I cannot recall.

So I believe the 915 mag catch and the 5906 mag catch are the same except for finish color.

 

[Heymatt]

Disconnector, I think is the other plastic part you’re thinking of.
Mag catch is the same for the 915,5904/5906

 

[GaryS]

I thought that every version of the 3rd Gens went to plastic disconnectors at some point before the value line. Something about the metal ones breaking more often?

Gary

Disconnector, I think is the other plastic part you’re thinking of.
Mag catch is the same for the 915,5904/5906

 

[jframejoey]

Looks like they were milled to take optic plates.

 

[GaryS]

Adjustable rear sights as were found on some early Third Gen guns.

Looks like they were milled to take optic plates.

 

[jframejoey]

GaryS, I just thought it looked bigger than the old "Wing" sights. Miss the COMMIEwealth yet?

 

[CALREB]

You don't happen to live in NorthEast TX. do you ? You bring lunch and I would be glad to put those together for you. Not sure about the wide hood barrels, I know I have a bunch of narrow hood ones I think. I will poke around tomorrow and see whats in the shop. I would hold off buying complete kits for a bit until you figure out exactly what you have and need.

 

[Sevens]

Well, now I'm confused. The 915 is a three digit model. It seems to be a pre Value Line gun which the SCSW 5th Edition calls "an economy version of the Third Generation S&W semi-autos."

Naaa, don’t get too confused. We have discussed the 915 a -LOT- around these pages (barely ever mention the 411…) so you must have missed all those discussions but I can recap it quickly.

S&W was getting beat up by the heavy wave of Glock success circa 1992 and they figured the MSRP’s on their 3rd Gens were partially to blame.

They wanted to find a way to lower the cost of them and offer guns at a lower price. The plan was for the Value Line and their first attempt, the 915 (and 411!) could be argued both a success and a failure.

Success — they made a ton of the 915 (dunno how many 411’s) and they also had success with foreign contracts and a lot of them were shipped off the continent.

Failure — S&W apparently did not lower their cost as much as they had wanted and these models were produced for only two years.

The Value Line guns that followed were definitely cheapened down quite a bit more than the 915/411.

Some folks like those later Value Line guns, I personally don’t care for them. Their exterior is blocky and to me they look like a Chineeze rip-off copy of a 3rd Gen.

 

[Jato15]

You don't happen to live in NorthEast TX. do you ? You bring lunch and I would be glad to put those together for you. Not sure about the wide hood barrels, I know I have a bunch of narrow hood ones I think. I will poke around tomorrow and see whats in the shop. I would hold off buying complete kits for a bit until you figure out exactly what you have and need.

I appreciate the offer, but unfortunately I’m in Florida. If you have parts available, I’d be more than happy to buy to finish off at least one of these!