659 LE trade-in. Should I?

[FP2000H]

Saw one sitting on the shelf of my LGS for $259. It has definitely seen better days. I did look at the bore, and from what I can tell it looks to be very clean and good, though I am no expert. It does not have the protective sides around the rear sight that I have seen in pictures of these.

There is a part of me that wants this for a truck gun/beater gun. It seems well built and the trigger is alright. Maybe a little too much overtravel for my tastes, but nothing that will ruin my day.

What should I be aware of regarding these pistols? The only Smiths I have ever owned and shot have been their revolvers and M&P pistols.

 

[824tsv]

Hello,
I purchased mine new in 1984. I have several thousand rounds through it without any real issues. My only functional complaint is that it's picky with certain ammo. It's built like a tank and it's quite heavy and with that it absorbs recoil very well. I put a set of Hogues on it, but the grip profile is very beefy. IMHO it's a great 9mm and should give you years of service. These were very popular with Police Dept's during the late 80's and 90's.
If the finish is worn, some Flitz or Mothers Mag Polish will make it look decent again. For the money, it sounds pretty good.

 

[t-bird]

Go buy the smith, clean the finish up and put you a nice set of grips on it. Now you have a $500 gun that after you shoot it should be priceless for what you can buy it for. Best of luck.

 

[flagman1776]

I have medium sized hands, smaller than most guys... so I never liked the double stack grips. That said this is a GREAT DEAL. If you are ok with the grip, grab this. This is a fine gun, they are built like a tank. The exterior will clean & polish up.

 

[Badkarma 1]

I'm as big a fan of the 2nd Gens as the 3rds (and 1sts for that matter) as anyone.
The 659 pretty much built the reputation of what a dependable Smith auto is, and once given a little TLC will be a showpiece. Yeah its heavy, but they shoot good, and $275 is a STEAL!!
Dale

 

[grif684]

I'm with Badkarma 1 on this, it's a steal at that price, I would've already had it home...

 

[scwv67]

For those that have/had both, how does the grip of the 659 compare to a 59xx series pistol?

 

[loc n load]

659's

I have a 59, bought in mid 70's, carried a 659 then a 5904 as a duty weapon for several years, the grip config's are pretty much the same, although the 3rd gen guns had the one piece wrap around grips.....I was responsible for 300 659's and 5904's as an armorer and supervisory instructor for several years, the 2nd and 3rd gen guns are good solid guns.....my SWAT guns had close to 50,000 rds thru them and my designated training guns had abt 2/3rd's of that rd count....I still have my original 59 and a couple 5904's.....if you want a good solid auto, buy the 659...it is a good price....and will serve you well.

 

[scwv67]

loc n load, thanks. I have a 5906 and the size of the grip is fine, but I wouldn't want it to be any larger. In some 659 pics, it apearred that was the case.

 

[FP2000H]

Wasn't meant to be. I happened to drop in today and saw that the two "nice" ones had been purchased. The last one on the shelf was a little more beat up than the other two with some surface gouging on the right side. They had it marked for only $20 less. I passed.

I'm going to keep my eye out for these older Smith autos. One of these days, I hope to stumble onto one in really good condition for a good price.

 

[t-bird]

Thanks for the info. Best of luck on finding one in.

 

[opaul]

I suspect six months from now you might wish you had picked the last one up since you indicated you wanted a beater. Maybe you could talk them down to $200 OTD.