In general the 3913 was great for its time. It was a reliable compact 9mm semi auto, back when they weren't common. Supposedly the 3913 was based of some customiz model 39s like the ASP. Often found as an Police Officer's off duty pistol or as a concealed carry pistol. My Father (God rest his soul) used one as both his carry gun and house gun since the late 90s. He had a number of other pistols but found the 3913 the most reliable and concealable. I shot a number of times as well. While we mostly ran 115 grain FMJs through it, I cannot recall any malfunctions. Based on that, my brother selected a 3953 (IIRC) as his off duty weapon when he went on the job with NYPD. He reports no issues with his either. The 3953 had no issues and was fired with the SPEER 124+P+ GDHP used by NYPD at the time. I was so enamored by the 3913, that I wanted to purchase my own. Unfortunately, S&W had discontinued it (and those that had them wouldn't sell them) and I had to settle for it's competitor the SIG 239.
I've also owned another of the 3913s competitors, the Kahr K-9. While the K-9 is a decent pistol I still prefer the 3913.
The Novak designed sights on the pistol are very good. I found the controls were easy to manipulate. The pistol functioned reliably with out needing any work. The magazines were easily found at the time but have become rarer as the years went by. Our factory magazines were good quality and durable. I don't recommend the "generic" ones.
My only druthers with the pistol were the magazine safety (i don't care for them) and the Grips. The pistols plastic grip is ok, but not wonderful. Hogue used to make a decent aftermarket grip for them.
I would have no issue carrying a 3913 for self defense. However, the 3913 has been eclipsed by more modern designs like the S&W Shield (Smaller and Lighter) and the SIG 365 (higher capacity and probably smaller)
$400 for one is a decent price depending on the condition of the gun and how many magazines it come with.
