3rd gen finish and MIM vs Chrome

John_M52 · Dec 4, 2021

I'm sure this has been asked and answered in pieces but I keep searching and seeing maybe conflicting info. Apologize for bringing it up again. Assumptions:

Slides are either blued carbon steel or stainless steel

Frames are either aluminum with a black or stainless finish or carbon steel with a blued or stainless finish? Or are the "stainless" steel frames actually stainless steel and the blue (black) are carbon steel?

I ask this because I seem to see a difference in frame colors or sheen on different models. Maybe there's not a universal answer. Further confused because my 2nd gen 645 is stainless frame and slide. Were stainless frames dropped in 3rd gen?

Lastly, is there any reason to not buy a nice 3rd gen with flash chromed trigger/hammer parts? I have a few nice examples with MIM parts as I have read they are superior in trigger break but I don't see a reason not to buy at least one of everything. And if I'm shooting bullseye I'm probably going to shoot something a bit more exotic or my Model 14 SAO anyway.

Thanks for your input!

surfgun · Dec 4, 2021

Black frames are anodized aluminum (models ending in “4.” The 3rd generation exception off the top my head is the 4505.
Silver frames ending in 3 are anodized aluminum.
Silver frames ending in 6 are stainless with the exception being the 6906 series that have aluminum frames.

BruceB · Dec 4, 2021

The 4th digit of the 3rd gen model number denotes frame material.

3 = aluminum frame with stainless slide
4 = aluminum frame with carbon steel slide
5 = carbon steel slide and frame
6 = stainless steel slide and frame
7 = carbon steel slide with stainless steel frame

John_M52 · Dec 4, 2021

Thanks for the quick replies. I have the chart from luckygunner but then there are the exceptions (like the 6906) that get me confused...guess I just need to buy one of everything and a magnet.

hammy5150 · Dec 4, 2021

The 6906 and friends are a glaring departure from the rest of the 3rd Gen numbering system which the luckygunner chart will generally be accurate for. If named consistently the 6906 would be a '5913' denoting it as a short barrel compact aluminum frame variant of the 59-series like how the 3913 is to the 3906 what the 6906 is to the 5906, but S&W likely wanted a clear follow up to the 2nd Gen 4/5/669 so they just updated that. Stainless frames were still common and the 3rd Gen equivalent of your 645 would be the 4506. With MIM vs flash chromed parts my experience is the MIM parts are smoother and I've never heard about them breaking. The flash chroming looks nicer though.

JohnHL · Dec 4, 2021

John_M52 said:
I'm sure this has been asked and answered in pieces but I keep searching and seeing maybe conflicting info. Apologize for bringing it up again.

No apology needed.

Questions are always welcome because that's how people learn.

Assumptions:

Slides are either blued carbon steel or stainless steel.

This is correct.

Frames are either aluminum with a black or stainless finish or carbon steel with a blued or stainless finish? Or are the "stainless" steel frames actually stainless steel and the blue (black) are carbon steel?

I ask this because I seem to see a difference in frame colors or sheen on different models. Maybe there's not a universal answer. Further confused because my 2nd gen 645 is stainless frame and slide. Were stainless frames dropped in 3rd gen?

Frames will be made of one of three materials:

Aluminum alloy with either black or silver anodizing. (Sometimes there are shade or hue variations among the silver anodized frames.)

Carbon steel with a black finish. (Not a lot of these produced.}

Stainless steel with a media tumbled matte finish.

Lastly, is there any reason to not buy a nice 3rd gen with flash chromed trigger/hammer parts? I have a few nice examples with MIM parts as I have read they are superior in trigger break but I don't see a reason not to buy at least one of everything.

No reason whatsoever.

In fact, most people like the look of the silver parts.

Some folks will even go so far as to replace the MIM hammer and trigger with the chromed components just for esthetic reasons.

It is true that the MIM hammer will typically provide a smoother double action trigger pull because the MIM hammer is usually smoother than the machined hammer where the sear drags across it during the double action pull, but a machined hammer can be smoothed in that area to provide as good a double action pull as the MIM hammer.

And if I'm shooting bullseye I'm probably going to shoot something a bit more exotic or my Model 14 SAO anyway.

Thanks for your input!

You're welcome!

John

John_M52 · Dec 4, 2021

Thank you all! So I just pulled a 5906 out of my safe that I "forgot" about. MIM parts, but it has a U stamped on the right side (shooters perspective) of the frame. Slide and frame finish match perfectly and they are mildly magnetic (stainless). Any idea what the U means? The dealer I bought it from said it was NOS.

So then I guess I "need" a 6906 little brother - smaller, lighter...

JohnHL · Dec 4, 2021

It has been repeated that a "U" stamped on the frame is an indication of a gun that was returned to S&W and then refurbished for sale.

Others have said it's just an inspector's mark.

I can verify neither.

John

PeteC · Dec 4, 2021

John_M52 said:
...guess I just need to buy one of everything and a magnet.

Well someone should... and please post pics frequently so the rest of us can follow your progress (while sitting back with beer an popcorn).

Seriously, you have your work cut out for you, the combinations of 3rd gen guns, triggers, sights, magazines... are endless. Even Smith & Wesson catalog editors had to publish a chart for the "Understanding Third Generation Pistol Numbers"... and still left out a few details.

.

JohnHL · Dec 4, 2021

John_M52 said:
So then I guess I "need" a 6906 little brother - smaller, lighter...

Yes you do!

John

John_M52 · Dec 4, 2021

Well apparently the U means used as marked by S&W for a variety of reasons. Interesting. I can't see that it was ever fired or used. Maybe sold, shipped in place, then refunded and re-sold? There were a bunch of NOS released over the last year or two.

GaryS · Dec 4, 2021

The "U" seems to have included samples and evaluation units that were returned to the factory. They couldn't be sold as new, so we're marked used and released for retail sale.

As to the 6906, it should have been the 6913, but someone at S&W didn't want to confuse chiefs or purchasing agents, so it was labeled the 6906 instead.

Chiefs and purchasing agents get confused easily, you know.

John_M52 · Dec 4, 2021

Since my Chief is not on here, yes they do!

John_M52 · Dec 4, 2021

Wow.... and just like lanes and traffic signs in Italy, they are just a suggestion

GaryS · Dec 4, 2021

Or speed limits in most of Texas.

John_M52 said:
Wow.... and just like lanes and traffic signs in Italy, they are just a suggestion

PeteC · Dec 4, 2021

I blame the Marketing Department, not the Police Chief... That fold-out color chart I posted above is more confusing than the periodic table. No wonder they all started buying Glocks,

Fastbolt · Dec 4, 2021

Yep, the 6906 ought to have been named a 6913 if they'd wanted to be consistent with how they'd properly named their 3913. The 6904 would've been a 6914 (like the 3914).

The 469/669 made more sense, in a way.

Never Say Never with the fanciful decisions made by them, though. Kept everyone guessing.

The 908 & 909?? Ask Carnac the Magnificent ...

GaryS · Dec 4, 2021

908 = 9mm Value Line Single Stack gun with 8 round magazine.
909 = 9mm Value Line Single Stack gun with 9 round magazine.
915 = 9mm Value Line Double Stack gun with 15 round magazine.
910 = 9mm Value Line Double Stack gun with stupid Clinton 10 round magazine, but oddly enough a 15 round magazine fits just fine thank you.

And so on. 457...

Fastbolt said:
Yep, the 6906 ought to have been named a 6913 if they'd wanted to be consistent with how they'd properly named their 3913. The 6904 would've been a 6914 (like the 3914).

The 469/669 made more sense, in a way.

Never Say Never with the fanciful decisions made by them, though. Kept everyone guessing.

The 908 & 909?? Ask Carnac the Magnificent ...

John_M52 · Dec 4, 2021

Please don't start with the value lines, I'm trying to concentrate on spending money on all metal parts.

And we went from 17's to 22's and back to 17's. So I showed up for quals with a hi power. Chief looked at my target and just said "*******."

And thanks to this forum now I need a 457...

John_M52 · Dec 4, 2021

oops sorry for the language

3rd gen finish and MIM vs Chrome

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