Read a recent review on American Rifleman online about AIM Surplus having police trade in 5946’s. Seemed like a good deal.

Checked it out again today and it was on sale 70 dollars off. Nice! Got one on the way.

Saw those. That's a good price. The DAO guns are bit of an acquired taste.

Congrats!

Brought one home yesterday. SN UCW 88xx. Fired shell packet says 2/19/2014. This one was at a LGS. It was last sold in 2023 per the bill of sale in the box. Plan to clean if needed.

I have an NYPD 5946 I bought here years ago . At first I didn't care for the DAO setup , but once I kept at it I've come to sort of like it . That's not really true seeing as I have another 9mm , a .40 and a .45 in DAO . Once you get used to it , it's not bad at all . Besides , DAO makes some great carry guns , no safety , just point and pull the trigger .

DOA all the way ! I have a few and wouldn't trade em. Fun to shoot heft and smooth triggers...try one if you haven't

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The S&W DAO pistols are an acquired taste, but it's easy to acquire said taste if you are well experienced with DA revolver shooting. My 6946's trigger pull length and weight is almost identical to that of my 640-1.

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I used to not like the DAO 3rd Gen gun at all, but I picked up an NYPD 5946 a few years ago because I’m retired from that department and got on a collecting kick. I now have 2 NYPD 5946’s, and NYPD 3953 TSW, a regular 3953; and a 6946. Very smooth trigger. I used one of the 5946’s in a competition match at a club my friend belongs to and did very well with it.

Hey KBM6893, the 5946 I have came from a dealer on LI a few years ago, said it was NYPD issue and gets a lot of them, maybe born on dates were close? And, I was just shooting my 6946 yesterday, pictured with my 6944.

S&W DAO, smooth triggered, sleeker snag resistant works of art. I notice that my DAO TSWs feel like even lighter triggers...I am a fan

3GF

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I like the 3rd Gen DAO. Like others I didn't care for the design when it was introduced some 34 years ago (!) but in the past decade or so I've come to appreciate the various DAO models. I currently own a 4586 and a 5944. Good pistols.

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I type. Therefore I am.

These would have to come up now just as I paid for a garage door repair.

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Release the Kraken

What shop on Long Island? Lots of retired guns wind up there since lots of guys on the job live there. There used to be a gunshop in lower Manhattan a few blocks from 1 Police Plaza. Retired guys would go there after the walked out of 1PP for the last time and sell their duty revolvers. He had milk crates full of .38’s. Take your pick for $100. The off duty guns would go for about $150. I should have bought them all and made a killing today.

You guys are bad influences. I'd really prefer a 5943 because I know how heavy a 5946 is going to be.

That said the guy I previously bought my 3913LS from is now selling a 5946. The price is about the same as AIM, but of course no sales tax, no FFL needed.

I've been toying with the idea of trying steel plate match shooting, but don't want to spend a fortune for a competition gun.

Maybe, maybe, maybe.

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I hope you're all happy now. I picked up the 5946 this morning. Seems to be a NYPD duty gun as it has some holster wear on the slide and the grips show some wear as well.

Other than that, very tight gun. The seller cleaned it after he last shot it, so it was sparkly and had no wear on the internals.

Pictures to follow. UCW89xx S/N on right side of frame.

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Is the mag disconnect removed and the slide marked Will Fire With Magazine Removed?

No. Were NYPD guns so marked? IIRC, my 3914DAO isn't marked that way and has a magazine safety.

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Can open, worms everywhere.

NYPD 5946 were marked "Caution - Capable of Firing With Magazine Removed" on right side of slide.


3914DAO were a unique DAO with double strike capability, but no markings on slide - I dont recall if they would fire with Magazine Removed.

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Update: I looked at both guns. Neither has the warning on it and neither will "fire" with the magazine removed. I know that the 3914DAO was owned by a former NYPD officer because he told me that he was. He left NYPD for another agency and that agency had different requirements for off duty firearms.

Thanks. My 5946 has the S/N on the right side of the frame, just like my 3914DAO. I thought that was a NYPD feature. I'll have to check the 3914DAO , but my recollection is that it would not fire with the magazine removed.

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The RIGHT side s/n were not unique to NYPD pistols, nor were all NYPD pistols configured with RIGHT side s/n markings.

The majority of the NYPD 5946 pistols I can identify are Product Code 108569 circa 1994-1999 in the Vxx groupings (with a few TDx c1999 and at least one KNC c1998) from Springfield, MA with conventional LEFT side s/n.

5946, 3914DAO, and 3914TSW pistols up thru UCF25xx were marked Springfield, Ma with original LEFT side s/n markings.

There were also a few conventionally marked (s/n on LEFT) 5946 pistols in the Vxx s/n prefix (VJN9xxx, VZE4xxx, etc.) marked HOULTON, ME.

I believe the S/N on RIGHT side began during the Houlton, ME produced pistols (2010-2015?). The indented s/n came about about the same time (lowest s/n I have observed with indented s/n on right were the Melonite WVSP 4566TSW UCK5xxx circa 2011 - also 5946 UCK8xxx). Also observed UCK, UCS, UCT, UCU, UCV, UCW.

The later HOULTON, Me marked pistols with INDENTED RIGHT side s/n continued thru the UCW series with at least a few UCY - but most of the UCY series seem to be 5946 with INDENTED RIGHT side s/n but now marked SPRINGFIELD, Ma circa 2015-2016.

But there were also conventionally applied (NOT INDENTED) s/n markings on the RIGHT side in the UCZ series - in fact all the UCZ pistols seem to be so marked. I have a very late 3914DAO UCZ62xx marked Springfield, Ma circa 2015-2017 with box end marked "NYPD".

And there are some odd pistols with Frame marked Springfield and Slide marked Houlton and vice-versa.

One might speculate that residual unassembled parts were transferred from Springfield to Houlton in the beginning (c2010) and from Houlton back to Springfield (c2016). One could also speculate that Houlton used a different source for frames with the indented s/n and Springfield went back to their original source when production was moved back from Houlton.

Both frame and slide on the 5946 are marked "Springfield MA." Both frame and slide on the 3914DAO are marked "Houlton, ME."

Since I didn't get a box with the 5946, I'll probably reach out to Customer Service and see if I can get a born on date. If not NYPD, it's possible that a police officer somewhere carried it as it has carry wear on slide and grips.

The 3914TSW guns are a different mystery altogether. Another one of those guns that will have to show up at random and at a great price for me to purchase. As if that will happen.

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Send model and full serial number to SW at [email protected]

Suggest you ask for Manufacture Date AND 6 digit Product Code. Depending on exactly who answers you may get just year or if you are lucky you may get day, month, & year plus Product Code.

108186 is the garden variety 5946

108186U are surplus (New Old Stock?) - a large quantity of these and 108176U (5906) were sold off in last few years (think 2019-2022) - long after the last retail production.

608186 is same as 108186 but returned to SW and refurbished and resold as Used thru their distributors (generally trade ins in quantity).

108569 is the early NYPD 5946 (most common and confirmed NYPD)

149332 is probably NYPD - Most of the Holton pistols with same NYPD configuration including no Mag Safety and "Caution" note on right of slide are this Product number - It was confirmed to me by Roy as a major NY Police Dept (but not specifically NYPD)

There are a number of other Product Codes for 5946 - generally 148xxx and 149xxx are Special Orders - mostly PD.

Email sent. I'll report back with whatever information I receive back.

Thanks.

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I heard back from S&W customer service this morning.

Date of manufacture is May 2015. Which is a bit of a surprise. It must have been hiding somewhere all those years!

Product number is 108186, so just a plain 5946.

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There were significant quantities of 108176 5906 and 108186 5946 sold off in the 2019-2022 time frame and possibly as early as 2016.

I have a 5946 VJP356x 108186U bought NOS (surplus) in 2022 with a Box End Date of 011419 but SW says manufacture date was 5/2009. Oddly enough I also have a 6946 VJP358x (16 digits later) dated by SW as 1/1998.

I also saw a similar 5946 VJN97xx 108186U with the same Box End date of 011419 but dated by SW as 7/1998.

One seller had an inventory list of 5906 from which you could select your s/n. These included KLF, KMF, KNC, TDP, VCZ, VUV, VZB, and VZC - all with Box End Dates 011119, 011419, and 011519 and Product Code 108176U.

And I have also seen a number of 5946 in the UCV, UCW, and UCY series with "Caution" slide markings and presumably without Mag Safety - all with Box End dates 040716 and Product Codes 149332. I confirmed manufacture date of one with SW as 4/18/2016.

Best I can figure based on other info is that:
1. SW assigns s/n to frames when frames are produced.
2. The s/n sequences may or may not be of the same pistol configuration.
3. They are assembled as orders come in.
4. If there is no immediate need the parts may sit unassembled until the need arises.
5. In the case of Special Orders, parts may be set aside as spares or in anticipation of further orders.

It appears these pistols sat either assembled but unsold, or in parts kits unassembled after the "end" of 3rd Production pistols.

At some point, potentially at the end of 5946 listing by NYPD as an acceptable pistol, or when clearing out other residual inventories, they were completed and subsequently sold off to various distributors.

This is a likely, perhaps most likely, scenario.

Also, I remember some 3953TSWs for sale at a shop in South Carolina sometime in the 2018-2019 time frame. All were NOS. Didn't NYPD use those as well? Seem to remember seeing that somewhere.

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We did use the 3953TSW. I have an NYPD 3953TSW. For some reason the duty 5946 had the mag disconnect removed and was marked, while the off duty 3rd Gen guns still had the mag disconnect.

I'd guess that there was a reason for that, but have no idea what it might have been.

My 3953TSW was the last gun I bought before we moved out of MA. It's not a NYPD gun as it has the mag disconnect intact. I never go around to finding out the made on date because we were busy packing and getting ready to move.

By rights, I shouldn't have taken time out from that to go buy it, but you know how that goes.

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Can open, worms everywhere.

I think the reason was the off duty 3rd gen guns were only one option out of several, and S&W wasn’t gonna make guns and mark them as mag disconnect removed for such a small number. When the 9MM was authorized, you had the option of the Glock 26, the Beretta Mini Cougar, the Kahr K9, the 3953TSW, the 3914DAO, and I believe the 908. Most guys were keeping their off duty .38, as I did, since the off duty guns weren’t free like the duty guns.

And I think the only reason they wanted the mag disconnect removed is for training consistency since the Sig 226 and Glock 19 could be fired with mag out. We always had to show clear by dry firing when qualifying. With all the different off duty with different magazine capacities, that wasnt an issue.

That all makes sense, thanks.

One other question about the duty guns. Were the 5946s, Sigs, and Glocks bought at different times, or did the officers have a choice between the three?

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Hmmm
I just picked a full 5946 upper to swap back and forth with 3953 top end. Not sure why…

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213th FBINA

From 1993 to probably about 2005, the three choices were the 5946, Glock 19, and Sig 226 and the officer picked his own. About 2005 the 5946 was no longer authorized, although you still see them since those who had them kept them, and the Glock 17 replaced the 5946. The Sig is still a choice, with the Glock 19 and Glock 17 being the other.

Last year I walked into my local shop and see a 5946. Owner knows I’m retired from that department so asked if I was interested. I wasn’t at first since I already have an NYPD 5946. But the one he had for sale looked absolutely brand new, and it came with 4 magazines. It was $400 so I took it. Turned out he still had the factory box and it was marked NYPD and it was made in 1997. Lift up the foam in the box to see if the manual was there and the receipt from the Equipment Section, where NYPD guys buy their guns, is in there. $86 for the night sights since the gun was free. The name and tax ID number were in the receipt. The cop who bought it was born in 1932 and judging by his tax ID number, came on the job in the mid 1950’s. He would have had 40 years or more on the job when he bought it. He must have taken the free gun right before he retired because this gun looked unfired. I doubt it was even holstered. His command was Midtown South Precinct Detective Unit. That is a seriously plum command. Doesn’t list his rank but with that kind of time on, he was either a Detective First Grade or a boss.

Interesting, I heard that the City dropped the SIG (again) and is going all Glocks for the Academy Classes.

I had always heard that the S&W was the best of the bunch on the old City semi-autos. Was that good info? I heard the early Sigs rusted (the later Sigs had shiny stainless-steel hammers, triggers and grip screws) and the early Glock had mechanical issues.

As of 2018, the Sig was definitely still being offered. The newer ones have a stainless trigger and hammer. Don’t know if they still are. There was definitely an issue with them rusting early on. Guys had to turn their guns in to have a new coating applied. Some of them looked almost purple. The Smith’s were pretty popular. When we had to pay for them they were about $475, with the Glock 19 being $325 and the SIG’s being over $600, so the Glocks were chosen more often, but once the guns became free they were pretty evenly chosen. I think they are the best looking of all the guns. They surely were the heaviest.

The early Glock 19’s did have an issue that nearly got them dropped from use. They were experiencing Phase 3 malfunctions on the range and in the street. Glock blamed user error first, then they blamed the ammo(115 grain fmj), but it persisted, so when the city contacted Ruger for P89 pistols(they had been part of the pilot program but weren’t chosen) to replace ALL Glock 19’s, Glock took notice and sent an armorer to the range to modify all pistols in service. Something about the angle of the ejection port. Problem went away after that.

Hey Gary S, Congrats on the purchase! it's nice to have accurate, smooth triggered 15+1 for Steel competitions. I also have 2 4046's cuz i bought one for cheap, and the 2nd one was cheaper. They are in beautiful shape, I have yet to wear one on each hip as intended. Pictured is my 4046TSW with an even lighter DOA trigger,

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Thanks for the insight. I just went to check the patrol guide to see what was currently authorized and didn't find it. I thought the Rookies were all getting glocks now. Kinda sad, NYPD used to be a great source of used S&Ws and the occasional Ruger revolver.

Finally was able to pick up my 5946 today from my ffl. Somewhat ratty looking but should clean up okay. VJP serial prefix - email off to the mothership for further details.

Thanks to all who have had input here - interesting thread.

They'll be getting so many email enquiries that maybe they'll restart production!

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Got quick feedback: my 5946 was a 1998 shipment to the New York Department of Corrections with sku 108186.

Great that you got the NY Dept of Corrections info - you obviously got more than usual info - fyi 108186 was the most common garden variety 5946.

Just looked this up for a different response:
6946 VJP358x 1/1998 Prod Code 108209
5946 VJP356x 5/2009 Prod Code 108186U - purchased surplus NOS 2022.

Finally got her disassembled and cleaned up today. Bore looks practically new - outside pretty chewed up. Carried a lot and shot a little. Put some Hogues on I had laying around because the original plastic grips were, shall we say, chewed on by a big hound. A little Mothers Mag - and I think she cleans up right well.

The recoil springs came in today's mail. I requested one, but they sent three. I'll replace the springs in my 5906 and 5946.

I have to plan a trip to the range to try out the 5946. I'm sure I'll like it even though I don't expect that I'll ever carry it.

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Retro Review: The Smith & Wesson Model 5946 | An Official Journal Of The NRA

With a couple VERY RARE exceptions, NYPD handguns are not marked as NYPD because...........they don't belong to the Department! You have to buy your piece (I think now they 'give' it to you) so it's YOURS, not theirs.

Your gun is yours. Its your private property, not the Departments.

Best,
RM Vivas

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RM Vivas
SWCA#1482L, SWHF#837

I’ve got two 5946’s, a 5943, and a 4586. I love the Smith DAO.

I also have a 1956 Colt OP that is documented to NYPD.

Life is good.

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Retired Dep Sheriff & Armorer

Interesting article - mostly good info with a few minor notes:

1. The 3rd digit does not in this case relate to size (4 inch barrel) but rather to the DAO action. 5906 is conventional TDA, 5926 is frame mounted decock (a-la-Sig), 5946 is DAO but all are the same size.

2. The 5946 were made in Houlton at least thru 2013, possibly as late as 2016 both for NYPD and for other buyers, mostly PDs.

3. The NYPD and possibly other NY department purchases were somewhat unique in that they had a Caution note on Right side of Slide indicating they would Fire With Magazine Removed. Non-PD 5946s like the one in their picture without the Caution were typically Safe with Magazine Removed.

My Department of Corrections gun has no caution on the slide - interesting.

My non NYPD gun was made in May of 2015 and was made in Springfield. More of the "using up spare frames" theory fodder.

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Ok - thanks for that - it makes sense if DOC pistol fell into wrong hands with mag removed it would be no threat. It may also explain why there are significant quantities of standard 5946 pistols with mag safety in the late 2013 UCx Houlton production.

My 2013 Holton 5946 UCU prefix has Caution and was verified as a major NY Police Dept, but not NYPD.

I have corrected my post

I got mine to the range Saturday. It did what full size 3rd Gens do. Two friends were also shooting and one took up my offer to put a magazine through the gun. He was suitably impressed.

I used 115gr loaded by the other friend. I usually don't use 115gr in my 3rd Gens, but my 5906 isn't finicky and neither was this gun.

My first box was a bit better in terms of accuracy, but that was because by the second box my arms were getting tired.

Either way, the gun is clearly Minute of Bad Guy (even paper bad guy) capable as long as I do my part.

Thinking about a red dot sight, only both of my friends have astigmatism (as do I) and both said that green is better for some reason. So I guess I'm thinking about a green dot sight.

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Like Glock

I have 5906 and like it. My duty carry is Glock, but if I could choose, I like 5906 more, so I would carry it. I like the tanks, they decide the battle. 5946 would definitely be even better.

If I were to carry, I'd look for a 5943 or maybe a 6946 to save some weight.

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Can open, worms everywhere.