S&W 3913 or Sig 239???

dandyrandy · Nov 16, 2016

Both are good respectable pistols that are very similar. Similar capacity and weight. Both shoot similar. What would you pick if you had never had one before and do not have any other accessories for them? The NEW Sig 239 .40 for $700 or the USED S&W 3913 9mm for $400? Pros and Cons?

3913
Pros:
Slimmer profile, 8+1 capacity, cheaper accessories, stainless steal, very good controls, and very cheap on used market
Cons:
No longer in production, no warranty, harder to find parts and accessories.

P239
Pros:
Has a warranty, larger caliber .40 S&W, comes new with 3 magazines, and easier to find accessories.
Cons:
Way more expensive and controls slightly harder to use and only 7+1 capacity.

The new 239 is more expensive but you get more stuff and a warranty. The 3913 only has one magazine and after paying for two more mags and getting more accessories I will be paying about the same price as the Sig minus maybe $100 bucks plus or minus. The 239 is .40 cal but I can get the 9mm Sig for the same price. Anybody have experience in these two bad little ladies?

loeman · Nov 16, 2016

I guess I am a bit biased as I do have a P239 but in .357 Sig and .40 S&W. I like it very much. However I also want a 3913! The single stack 3rd gens are just not showing up with any degree of regularity around here and I'd love to find a nice one for $400. If I were shopping and I didn't already have the P239 I'd probably opt for the 39XX.

Amp · Nov 16, 2016

3913 all the way.
But I do own one.

dandyrandy · Nov 16, 2016

loeman said:
I guess I am a bit biased as I do have a P239 but in .357 Sig and .40 S&W. I like it very much. However I also want a 3913! The single stack 3rd gens are just now showing up with any degree of regularity around here and I'd love to find a nice one for $400. If I were shopping and I didn't already have the P239 I'd probably opt for the 39XX.

The 239 slide release seems to be in an impractical place to me by what I am seeing. Anybody have experience with the 239 controls?

dandyrandy · Nov 16, 2016

I also see that the 6906 is the same weight but slightly larger in the grip area due to the double stack design. BUT it does have a 13 round capacity which is a huge deal to me. The higher capacity alone would make the S&W 6906 a way more superior choice than both the 3913 or P239.

dandyrandy · Nov 16, 2016

Also whats the difference between the .40 S&W and the 9mm Luger coming out the same length barrel? Is there any significant difference thats worth talking about in the two cartridges?

Arik · Nov 16, 2016

The 239 fits my hand. S&W slim straight grips do not. For me controls are the same....mag release is in the same place and slide release is slingshot. I'd of with the 239 only because of the grip

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

digiroc · Nov 16, 2016

How about the 4040PD?

I paid about the same as for a new Sig. It has the same .40 S&W 7+1 capacity. I've got three mags for it, but they are rare and expensive.

digiroc

TAROMAN · Nov 16, 2016

Pondering the same.
Had a nice 3913, but it went away as I hated the ambi decockers.
Lady Smith would be better, if I could find one.

Big + plus on the 239 is no controls sticking out.
Another + is caliber choices. Really like 357 Sig, have several already including an M&P Compact, but slimmer is nicer for IWB.

ColbyBruce · Nov 16, 2016

I had two S&W 908 pistols that I liked a lot. I briefly owned a 908s that I sold to someone that needed it worse than I did.

I owned two different S&W 3913 pistols that I thought were a little wider and heavier than the 908 model and swapped them both for Glocks.

I owned a Sig P239 .40 S&W and could not stand it, didn't like the caliber. I sold it and replaced it with a Sig P225, which I liked well enough to buy two more.

I lucked into a swap for a S&W 3953 which I truly believe is the best CCW S&W ever produced. If it had repeat strike capability it would be perfect.

I wanted a small, light, powerful handgun for hiking and bought another Sig P239 .40 S&W. I have gotten accustomed to the cartridge now. I wound up buying another, but changed it over to .357 Sig.

Basically, I like the S&W 3900 series and the Sig P239. What I dislike is the lack of factory support for the 3rd generation S&W pistols. If you can afford the new Sig, go with it. Or buy both used, and give them a try.

turnejm · Nov 16, 2016

SW 391x vs Sig 239

As a owner of multiple examples of SW 3913s and 3914s, I find that the balance and slightly longer grip favorable to the Sig P239. The heavier slide and barrel of P239 alters the balance to the point that my shots tend to be slightly low. I have two P239s in 40 SW, and I find the grip not as comfortable. The biggest plus I find with P239 is the slide release to field strip. A lot easier than the SW 391x!
Just my $.02!

dandyrandy · Nov 16, 2016

digiroc said:
How about the 4040PD?

I paid about the same as for a new Sig. It has the same .40 S&W 7+1 capacity. I've got three mags for it, but they are rare and expensive.

digiroc

Rare bird with a lack of support but otherwise great pistol! Why does S&W not bring these back???

These all metal S&W autos were great and they worked awesome! I understand the S&W has the M&P line which just aint my cup of tea. So does Springfield Armory they have similar guns now. Forget the Glock thing who cares about Glock??? Why does Glock have to be the bar in which all pistols are looked at now. Glocks are great in themselves BUT THAT'S IT! The Glock thing is like beating a good race horse to death.. Leave sleeping dogs lie... Bring these metal guns back we want our guns back America!

dandyrandy · Nov 16, 2016

ColbyBruce said:
I had two S&W 908 pistols that I liked a lot. I briefly owned a 908s that I sold to someone that needed it worse than I did.

I owned two different S&W 3913 pistols that I thought were a little wider and heavier than the 908 model and swapped them both for Glocks.

I owned a Sig P239 .40 S&W and could not stand it, didn't like the caliber. I sold it and replaced it with a Sig P225, which I liked well enough to buy two more.

I lucked into a swap for a S&W 3953 which I truly believe is the best CCW S&W ever produced. If it had repeat strike capability it would be perfect.

I wanted a small, light, powerful handgun for hiking and bought another Sig P239 .40 S&W. I have gotten accustomed to the cartridge now. I wound up buying another, but changed it over to .357 Sig.

Basically, I like the S&W 3900 series and the Sig P239. What I dislike is the lack of factory support for the 3rd generation S&W pistols. If you can afford the new Sig, go with it. Or buy both used, and give them a try.

I understand that Sig 239 have double strike capability??? Can someone explain this to me and how its a great thing to have for a personal protection weapon when the chips fall???

dandyrandy · Nov 16, 2016

I noticed a lot of you guys are talking about the 357 Sig cartridge. I know nothing about the cartridge. A lot of people seem to like it though! How does it compare to 40 S&W and 9mm? The only thing I noticed about 40 is it is a bit snappy in a lightweight gun but I think any powerful hand pistol cartridge will be snappy in a light gun. That includes even 9mm luger.

lhump1961 · Nov 16, 2016

Double strike capability means that in the event the chambered round fails to fire it can be re-struck with another trigger pull any number of times. In many cases a FTF round will discharge with a second strike. If not then the it must be ejected and a fresh round chambered. In a critical situation this could be a life saver. Having said that I don't remember the last time I experienced a FTF...they aren't common.

All TDA S&W autos have second strike capability. Only the DAO's do not. The 3913 you are considering has it. I carry a DAO with no worries but others feel differently.

.455_Hunter · Nov 16, 2016

Both guns are outstanding! The 3913 will be a bit smaller/thinner, but the 239 series is scary accurate. I have both and have no issues with carrying either on a regular basis.

lhump1961 · Nov 16, 2016

dandyrandy said:
I noticed a lot of you guys are talking about the 357 Sig cartridge. I know nothing about the cartridge. A lot of people seem to like it though! How does it compare to 40 S&W and 9mm? The only thing I noticed about 40 is it is a bit snappy in a lightweight gun but I think any powerful hand pistol cartridge will be snappy in a light gun. That includes even 9mm luger.

I like the 357sig round. I have the M&P 357c and it shoots very well. The best way to describe the round is a 9mm on steroids. Consider that a 124g 9mm round will load at 5.5g of PP and deliver about 1100fps. A 125g 357sig round will load at 8.7g of PP and go to 1350fps. More noise and recoil but excellent performance. The shouldered cartridge feeds flawlessly as well.

digiroc · Nov 17, 2016

TAROMAN said:
Pondering the same.
Had a nice 3913, but it went away as I hated the ambi decockers.
Lady Smith would be better, if I could find one...

The 4040 and LadySmith are identical in exterior dimensions and manual of arms. The 4040 only weighs half an ounce more fully loaded.

I bought the 4040 because of this functional equivalence to my LS & NL which I also carry concealed. I must say that I generally choose the 4040 to carry because I prefer the .40 S&W.

I also have a Shorty 40 when more capacity seems appropriate, usually in shoulder rig w/ 2 spare 11 round mags:

digiroc

Arik · Nov 17, 2016

dandyrandy said:
Rare bird with a lack of support but otherwise great pistol! Why does S&W not bring these back???

These all metal S&W autos were great and they worked awesome! I understand the S&W has the M&P line which just aint my cup of tea. So does Springfield Armory they have similar guns now. Forget the Glock thing who cares about Glock??? Why does Glock have to be the bar in which all pistols are looked at now. Glocks are great in themselves BUT THAT'S IT! The Glock thing is like beating a good race horse to death.. Leave sleeping dogs lie... Bring these metal guns back we want our guns back America!

Because how many will you buy? How many police departments will buy? Enough to sustain the company? S&W is just as great in themselves as Glock.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

federali · Nov 17, 2016

Try Before You Buy

In shooting the 3913 (it was one of the gun models my office evaluated for possible adoption), I found that the straight grip, front and back, caused the gun to want to wriggle out of my hand. This has been my chief complaint about some S&W autos. SIGs, on the other hand, seem to fit my hands much better.

Of course, your experience may vary.

S&W 3913 or Sig 239???

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

US Veteran

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

US Veteran

Member

US Veteran

Member

Member

Absent Comrade

Similar threads