How hard is it to find a 3913 complete frame, less the slide?

[spistols]

I chanced upon a complete slide for a 3913. How hard would it be to find a complete 3913 frame, or a 908 frame ( I think I can interchange the slides?)? Dummy me never tried it when I had two 908s doing nothing.

I figure if I have a complete slide for whatever reason, there must be people out there that have complete frames? Or, am I missing something?

 

[clang444]

Slides are steel, frames are alloy, guess which lasts longer?

Throw in all the guns salvaged before they were detroyed by a police department and you have many more slides than frames.

Frames are also the part with the serial number, so they are considered firearms.

 

[Sevens]

Finding just the frame for ANY of these pistols we hold dear is likely to be a rare event. Not "lottery" rare, but no manner of common any way you want to look at it.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Unicorn territory . . .

 

[rrockefe]

I searched for one for 4 or 5 years to replace a cracked frame. Finally bought another gun, so now have a cracked gun for spare parts. Frames are NOT available!

 

[spistols]

Can anyone confirm the 3913 slide will fit on a 908? I am pretty sure the answer is yes, but just wanted to confirm before I start hunting for a dogged out 908.

 

[JohnHL]

Can anyone confirm the 3913 slide will fit on a 908? I am pretty sure the answer is yes, but just wanted to confirm before I start hunting for a dogged out 908.

Yes. 3913 slide will fit on 908 frame, but 908 slide will not fit on 3913 frame.

John

 

[spistols]

Thanks. Good to know!

 

[TexasG]

If you find a frame for sale and agree to terms, it will require FFL transfer as it will/must have a serial number.

 

[Sevens]

Haha, no! Not in much of free America in a face to face sale.

 

[kaveman]

It'll also fit on a 915, 5903, 5904, 5906, 6906, 3904, 3906 but your chances of finding any of these frames(complete or otherwise)is next to zero. There are thousands of complete slide assemblies and full parts sets available but the frames generally get destroyed.

 

[combespaul]

I chanced upon a complete slide for a 3913. How hard would it be to find a complete 3913 frame, or a 908 frame ( I think I can interchange the slides?)? Dummy me never tried it when I had two 908s doing nothing.

I figure if I have a complete slide for whatever reason, there must be people out there that have complete frames? Or, am I missing something?

Last year I picked up a nice S&W 3913. My plan was to make it my daily carry gun. Picked up a set of Houge rosewood grips, spare mags, Wolf Spring kit, etc. I sent the slide off to tool tech for a tritium front sight. USPS either lost or someone stole the slide.

I tried to find a replacement slide to no avail. I ended up selling the frame to a fellow in CA. I developed a new policy after that. No matter how much I like a particular gun or model, I will only use a gun I can get parts for or worked on for serious carry.

 

[spistols]

Too bad my timing was off, as I would have bought the frame from you in a heartbeat!

 

[Alk8944]

Slides are steel, frames are alloy, guess which lasts longer?

While I was at S&W doing the Armorer's School in the Automatic Section they had a Model 39 that was used on the range for test-firing magazines. (Yes, they test-fired every magazine they sold, whether with a gun or as a spare part!) This was also a durability test for the Aluminum frame! At that time they had recorded that the gun had fired over 250,000 rounds! It was the original frame, never had been anodized! The slides and barrels had been replaced several times during the time the gun had been in service.

Do you want to repeat your original statement now?

 

[Jaymo]

I'd like to see a 3913 barrel/slide on a 3906 frame.

 

[ericlw]

good luck. try buying a glock frame without the slide. not impossible but not always easy.