My local FFL has a Model 659, ser no A8xx,xxx (as best I can remember) for sale. Feels fairly good, nice trigger, 2 original mags, not sure what else but probably nothing.

Last thing I need right now is to be tempted by something else, but what is the take on these pistols? Good or bad?

__________________
Frosty
S&WCA # 2816

If 659 is the stainless version of a 559, then good gun. I'm not sure if the 659 has an alloy or SS frame. If the frame is SS, then it's a heavy gun with a full mag.
I like my 559 with it's steel frame, but it's a heavy carry piece, probably more suitable for a duty weapon carried open rather than concealed.
It's the only 9mm I have, so I haven't any experience with others to compare.
Never had a malfunction, over 1,000 rounds through it.
My hands are medium and arthritic, so I now find the double stack plus grips a bit too much of a handful.
Unless you add a pad to the bottom of the stock magazines, it's easy to miss seating a fresh mag, as the mag is slightly recessed in the grip when seated.
That's my 2¢.

The 659 is a brute of a pistol. It was in many law enforcement holsters in the 80's-90's. As a double stack 9mm it's quite bulky and heavy and does have a stainless frame. I bought mine new in 1984 and have several thousand rounds through it and it still see's frequent range visits. Mine is in the same serial# range as the one you are looking at and it has the rounded trigger guard which your's will probably have. I replaced the plastic stocks for a set of Hogues. A great pistol that you will probably never wear out.

The 659 is all stainless. All in all,they were reliable and good looking pistols. If the price is right for you, buy it. I have a 559 , carbon steel version which preceeded the 659, and enjoy it.
Jim

When Smith & Wesson adopted a new nomenclature and implemented it along with its new third-generation models, the second-generation 659 became the 5906 - one of the widest used, most dependable law enforcement sidearms ever.

Admitted of favoring S&W, I'm uncertain as to Glock's numbers in and pertaining to LEO usage so it may have unseated the 5906. Yet, the gun was just a flat-out heckuva gun that took a beating (literal) and kept on ticking.

Of course, and as it did with a great many of its third-generation handguns, S&W "uglied up" the 5906, putting aside the beautiful wood grips to the favor of black nylon (some people say "plastic") grips that also cut the price, somewhat. The 659 with wood grips and a nicely maintained stainless steel exterior looked fine.

Yep, that all-stainless steel gun tends toward being a bear, especially when loaded, and weighs 39.5 oz.

Introduced in 1982 with SN A782700 and discontinued in 1988, one aspect will bump the collector-market price a hair or two: a short-wide extractor (SWE), which after only enough guns that today makes 'em "scarce," the 659 dropped the SWE to the favor of the extractor most famously implemented in the Model 39-2 and Model 59.

According to the online Blue Book of Gun Values, a 90-percent 659 is worth in the neighborhood of $300 and ranges upward to $475 for a 100-percent example.

Personally, I have two Model 659s, one with the SWE and one without. The SWE has a matching box but both have been carefully preserved and locked away for a rainy day.

Once again noting my bias of nearly all things S&W, I wouldn't hesitate to add another.

Good luck.

Later.

I'll echo the comments about how good the 659's are. A lot of it's DNA is found in the 5906.

I have a 459 and a 559... if something like that came within my reach, I'd injury something from whipping out my wallet so quickly to deploy a credit card.

__________________
Conrad
SWCA #1830 SWHF #222

Hello

I agree S&W 659 was the first gun I had ever bought in the early nineties. I had it for years until it was stolen around 2002. I have some old Colt 45 in my collection oldest is a 1918 Colt....I never forgot about that gun and how well it would shoot. I missed it so much I finally found one (8 months to find what I wanted) that was in almost mint condition and has maybe had a clip run through it. The box and everything included. I have to say that I had a heck of a time finding one that was in mint shape. There are a lot of used one for sale but not many mint ones.. People obliviously used them a lot. That not a bad thing! Its the only 9mm gun I own...I use it frequently at the range.
If its in good hsape I would hesitate to buy it.. I never had this gun jam on me.. Another thing mags (clips) are getting HARDER to find.. If you have chance to buy extra I would do it..

Get it before some one else figures it out!!! Darn fine handgun and is near indestructible......Magazines and holsters are readily available as well.

Randy