In praise of the 3913 LS

[Guevera]

I recently returned from my first range session with a new 3913 Ladysmith pistol, and I am impressed. Having praised my model 908 for some time, I finally understood why it was the less expensive model and why someone might pay more for the 3913. The plastic parts on the 908 always bothered me - not that there was ever any problem with them - but the plastic magazine catch for example always seemed against God and nature.

When I saw the local gun shop had a 3913 LS on their used gun list, I trotted right down and bought it. Very nice to have that checkering on the front strap (although the same thing on the front of the trigger guard leaves me cold), the steel spring guide, real Novaks sights, and generally a much more finished feel. This, combined with the distinctive sloping front of the frame on the Ladysmith model has really sold me on this pistol.

It is pictured here fresh from the range, still smutty from a variety of ammunition from +P Gold dots to blunt-nose subsonics to WWB. All fed, shot, and performed without a flaw. It was especially fun practicing with free reactive targets on the berm, also known as little patches of snow.

I sold the 908 as soon as I bought this pistol.

I am guessing that holsters for this pistol will be a bit more problematic than usual, but would be interested in any recommendations especially for the LS model.

 

[growr]

Your 908 holsters should work fine for it. If not My 3913 rides in a Kramer #3 IWB and is incredibly comfortable. Might work for you as well.
Randy

 

[Texas1941]

Any holster that is tightly molded for a "regular" 3913 will probably not work for your LS. I use an old Safariland belt slide with an open bottom for mine. Any open bottom holster for a 3913 will work.

I am just not right about the 39XX pistols. I think of them as Colt 1903s on steroids. Them are flat, easy to carry, they work first time and they will last close to forever. I have two (3913 and a 3954) that have both broken 20k rounds and are still good to go. The only problems I've had with any of my 39XX guns are one broken extractor and one broken magazine latch (knock on wood). That's not bad for five guns and about 60k rounds.

Every 39XX I've ever owned, I've kept, except for a CS9. I just couldn't hold on to it well enough with one hand because of the short grip. I'm not comfortable with any SD pistol that requires two hands to shoot.

 

[baird]

Nice score there Guevera!

Not to hijack too much, but Texas do you use grease on the rails? I have started using a bit in an effort to keep the wear to a minimum.

Sorry again Guevera...I thought maybe we could all learn from a guy who put so many rounds through a 3913.

 

[Guevera]

....Sorry again Guevera...I thought maybe we could all learn from a guy who put so many rounds through a 3913.

Not at all. Anybody with a 3913 with that kind of milage on it is bound to have some pointers we can learn from.

 

[S&W247]

I have found that just about any leather holster designed for the regular 3913, 6906, and even some 5906/4006 holsters typcially work fine. I've found the fact that the slides and most of the geometry of the trigger guard being the same, makes them all pretty secure for the 3913NL/LS. I have a Bianchi 7/7L that is for the 5906 and it rides fine in it and the extra material at the end gives me comfort I'm not going to drag the end of my barrel across rocks and stuff when tooling around in the woods. Most of my holtsers do have a thumb strap, so some models without that feature my not be as snug as you like...I can't say for sure. But yes, finding something specifically made for that gun already made is next to, if not impossible. There are several custom makers out there who will make them to order.

 

[biggamefish]

I just bought a 3913 TSW and I got a synthetic holster. Would have liked leather but they are expensive for that gun (crazy rail). Uncle mikes is the brand name. It is small and non cumbersome. Plus it was only 25 dollars. I hoping to get the leather holster for a birthday present comming up soon.

 

[Texas1941]

39XX Rails

Nice score there Guevera!

Not to hijack too much, but Texas do you use grease on the rails? I have started using a bit in an effort to keep the wear to a minimum.

Sorry again Guevera...I thought maybe we could all learn from a guy who put so many rounds through a 3913.

Sorry to take so long answering...I had to do some actual work yesterday, which is very bad for my digestion!

I do grease the top of the frame rails, especially in the area just forward of the mag well, to the end of the rails. This is the area where the bbl drops down to its maximun depression when the slide is at its rear most point in the firing cycle. The flats on the underside of the chamber area of the bbl, just above the cam cuts in the bbl lug smack the top of the rails a pretty good pop. Forgive my highly technical vocabulary here. (I'm sure all these features have real names, but I don't know what they are.)

If you field strip the pistol and then replace the slide stop pin, seat the guide rod in it's notch in the frame, then place the cam cuts on the bbl lug against the caming surfaces in the frame and let the bbl drop down to its lowest position, you can clearly see where the bbl contacts the frame. Clear as mud, right? I've got to get a digital camera.

At any rate I grease the top of the frame rails, as mentioned, and put a little grease on the cam cuts on the bbl lug (because that's easier than greasing the caming surfaces in the frame).

Most of the ammo I've shot through my 39s has been white box stuff, but in the last fifteen years or so I've burned through about 5K of 9mm+P of various sorts, most of it in 39XXs. I don't reload 9mm as a regular thing.

A couple of things to watch for:

Every four or five thousnd rounds, detail strip the slide and clean the firing pin channel, firing pin, spring, firing pin safety block and its channel. Clean and inspect the extractor assembly and its associated recesses in the slide. If the firing pin and its associated parts and recesses get filled with crud (and they will, if you shoot it enough), the firing pin can fail to return to the rear quickly enough and far enough, which lets the firing block come up behind the firing pin and lock it in the forward position (like it would be when you disassemble the slide). This is not a good thing. The same thing can happen with a weak firing pin spring.

I try to replace the springs every four or five thousand rounds, if I remember it, but proper cleaning of the slide internals prevents most problems. I like Wolff springs, but the factory springs seem to be perfectly alright.

If the extractor channel fills with gunk, and it will, extractor tension will be affected. The result will be a failure of primary extraction, leaving a case in the chamber with a misfeed behind it. This is a bear to clear and if it happens when you are using the gun for real, you have a serious problem.

I still have the 1964 Gun Digest where I wrote next to a picture of a M39 "I MUST have this auto!" It took me another six years or so to get one, but I've loved the 39 and its variations for forty six years now. As far as I'm concerned, the two great autos of the 20th Century are the Smith&Wesson Model 39 and the Colt 1911.

 

[baird]

Texas1941,

Thanks for such a detailed and helpful answer. I'm sure I am not the only one here who appreciates your help in keeping these guns running properly.

 

[QuickSabre]

I get all jittery when I think about "detail" stripping anything to do with my guns. I'm a computer nerd, not mechanically inclined at all. All I do is field strip, you know, the major components, and clean with Hoppes #9 etc. I've never replaced any springs, wouldn't know a firing pin channel from a hole in the ground, and couldn't find the extractor channel with a map.

I take it I should be letting my local gun shop detail-strip the thing and clean it for me now and then? (They'll do it for $20).

 

[681ismyfavorite]

ahhhh, the 3913 NL/LS, the crown jewel of the S&W crown.....

 

[Ky Bob]

I've never handled a 3913 but someday I hope to own one. Heard nothing but praise from folks who have shot them.

 

[Texas1941]

I get all jittery when I think about "detail" stripping anything to do with my guns. I'm a computer nerd, not mechanically inclined at all. All I do is field strip, you know, the major components, and clean with Hoppes #9 etc. I've never replaced any springs, wouldn't know a firing pin channel from a hole in the ground, and couldn't find the extractor channel with a map.

I take it I should be letting my local gun shop detail-strip the thing and clean it for me now and then? (They'll do it for $20).

If your pretty sure they know what they are doing, that sounds like a deal to me. The main thing is to keep track of how much you actually shoot the pistol. I wouldn't worry about it until you get up to the 4-5K range, and that's a lot. For no particular reason, I try to keep an accurate round count on my guns, but just a ball park figure is good enough.

As for mechanical ability...man, I flew a desk for Southwest Airlines. I can push a pencil real well, and that's it. You probably think nothing of opening your computer case and tearing into the guts. I would stick my arm in a vat of tarantulas before I'd mess with the insides of this computer!

 

[Big Cholla]

My LEO agency forced me to start carrying a Model 4006. I had to stop carrying my beloved Colt 1911. It was recommended to me to carry concealed the closest version of a pistol to the Model 4006 as I could find. That advice made sense to me. I bought a Model 3913 in 1986 and have carried a 3913 concealed ever since. As I type this my second one is on my hip in a Galco holster. I have the LS with Hogue grips, eared hammer from a 6906 and I duracoated the slide black. I have about 5K rounds thru this one after about 15K thru the first one. I could carry any version of a CCW pistol I wanted to and have chosen the 3913 as my CCW pistol. ........... Big Cholla

Note: This has been an unsolicited testimonial.

 

[goldenlight]

Thanks for the nice write up, Texas1941.

I always use grease on the 'wear points' on my 6906, and 5906, right where you describe it.

 

[Cruiser RN]

Very nice gun and congrats on the purchase.

 

[PX15]

FWIW:

I like all 3rd Gen Smiths..

I must, I have a 3913/3913LS/5906/6906/CS9/CS45......

I crack up that 3rd Gen Smiths get absolutely no respect on the "other" gun forums but in my experience 3rd Gen Smiths are absolutely reliable, more than self defense accurate, and are backed by a lifetime warranty..

Can't teach those who refuse to learn?

Best Wishes,

Jesse

P.S. Hey, I even love J-frames..

 

[QuickSabre]

If your pretty sure they know what they are doing, that sounds like a deal to me. The main thing is to keep track of how much you actually shoot the pistol. I wouldn't worry about it until you get up to the 4-5K range, and that's a lot. For no particular reason, I try to keep an accurate round count on my guns, but just a ball park figure is good enough.

As for mechanical ability...man, I flew a desk for Southwest Airlines. I can push a pencil real well, and that's it. You probably think nothing of opening your computer case and tearing into the guts. I would stick my arm in a vat of tarantulas before I'd mess with the insides of this computer!

Thanks for the kind words. I do mess around with computer internals sometimes, but my main thing is coding. I have a master's degree in computer science, 20+ years in the industry (the last 16 years at Ford), and can't get a job in Michigan!! Been laid off since last May, and can't even get an interview in MI. Sheesh...ok, rant over.

Let's see, I've had her (the 3913) since about 1992, bought her new. I shot probably 300 rds thru her in the early 90's, then she was in storage more or less until fall 2008 when I got my CPL.

Since then, I have hooked up with an old pal who shoots IPSC and has a pistol range in the back of his machine shop. Once every 6 - 8 weeks or so, he offers a Friday night "class" at his range, ($20 and bring your own ammo) where I put maybe 100 rds or so thru the 3913 going through all sorts of shooting scenarios the guy sets up. (It's more fun than I could have ever imagined...)

So I've done that roughly 10 times since 2008, so I figure only about 1000 rds thru the 3913 from that training, plus let's see a few trips up north plinking at cans, took my brother-in-law to a regular range so he could get addicted to shooting, used the 3913 in the CPL class itself, so I guess maybe overall I've shot only about 1500 - 2000 rounds top through that gun. Doesn't sound like much at all compared to you guys!

The gun shop claims they "detail strip" the gun, put all the parts in some kind of cleaning solution or some such, test the springs and all, for the $20 fee. They call it a "deep cleaning" or something like that.

Until I can get a job and buy some tools and a workbench, maybe I'll take them up on the offer after another 1000 rds or so.

 

[QuickSabre]

FWIW:

I crack up that 3rd Gen Smiths get absolutely no respect on the "other" gun forums but in my experience 3rd Gen Smiths are absolutely reliable, more than self defense accurate, and are backed by a lifetime warranty..

I get cheerfully ribbed whenever I take the 3913 to my friend's range for training classes (see other post) - he and most of the guys there are either IPSC shooters or cops, so they shoot mostly 1911's or some flavor of .40, no SW's - other than an occasional M&P) that I've seen.

My gun seems to print low and to the left, but that's with Blazer Brass 115 gr FMJ...when I can afford it I'm going to experiment with heavier ammo, 124 gr. The defense load I carry is 124 gr Hornady TAP, so I probably should be shooting that weight anyhow at the range.

Anyhoo the Smith gets not much respect from the guys, they usually have .40 Glocks, Kimbers, Springfields, and in .45 all manner of 1911's (except Taurus, they hate Taurus).

 

[Texas1941]

Thanks for the kind words. I do mess around with computer internals sometimes, but my main thing is coding. I have a master's degree in computer science, 20+ years in the industry (the last 16 years at Ford), and can't get a job in Michigan!! Been laid off since last May, and can't even get an interview in MI. Sheesh...ok, rant over.

Let's see, I've had her (the 3913) since about 1992, bought her new. I shot probably 300 rds thru her in the early 90's, then she was in storage more or less until fall 2008 when I got my CPL.

Since then, I have hooked up with an old pal who shoots IPSC and has a pistol range in the back of his machine shop. Once every 6 - 8 weeks or so, he offers a Friday night "class" at his range, ($20 and bring your own ammo) where I put maybe 100 rds or so thru the 3913 going through all sorts of shooting scenarios the guy sets up. (It's more fun than I could have ever imagined...)

So I've done that roughly 10 times since 2008, so I figure only about 1000 rds thru the 3913 from that training, plus let's see a few trips up north plinking at cans, took my brother-in-law to a regular range so he could get addicted to shooting, used the 3913 in the CPL class itself, so I guess maybe overall I've shot only about 1500 - 2000 rounds top through that gun. Doesn't sound like much at all compared to you guys!

The gun shop claims they "detail strip" the gun, put all the parts in some kind of cleaning solution or some such, test the springs and all, for the $20 fee. They call it a "deep cleaning" or something like that.

Until I can get a job and buy some tools and a workbench, maybe I'll take them up on the offer after another 1000 rds or so.

Sounds like a plan to me, all the way around.

This thread has made me pull my 3913NL out of the safe, the one with the truly ugly MMC aftermarket sights. If the weather will stay dry for a day or two, I'll give it a run at the mom and pop range.

This morning I purchased a digital camera. As soon as I figure out how, I'll post some 39XX pictures.

Good luck with that job thing. It's 25 years since I played that game and I still remember what a rotten experience it was.

Charles