Is this a 9mm CHP barrel?

[BigBoss3006]

So i bought a brand new 5906 barrel from Midway, with the intent on threading and reprofiling it for use on my modernized 459. My understanding is that the locking geometry is the same on the 5906 barrels, the end is just profiled for removal on the fixed bushing 3rd gens.

What i received is maybe a 9mm CHP barrel. The tilting geometry on the barrel is not the same as a standard 459 or 5906 barrel. It has a standard .270” hood.

When just test fitting the barrel in my 39-2 (my 459 is coming back today from having a light rail fitted), it seems to tilt and lock as it needs to.

So what is the deal with these barrels? I’m likely gonna err on the side of caution and get a standard barrel, but i didnt think a CHP barrel would even lock up in a 9mm frame

 

[VASCAR2]

I don’t remember the California Highway Patrol using 9 mm S&W 3rd generation pistols. I remember CHP switching from 357 revolvers to S&W 4006 TSW (Tactical Smith & Wesson) in approximately 2009-2010.

The barrel pictured looks similar to the barrel in my 5904 which was produced in late 1988 to early 1989. Here are a few pictures of my barrel. There appears to be a different groove on the OP’s barrel on the side under the feed ramp and where the notch for recoil spring guide rod resides. I have never seen a S&W Performance Center 9 mm barrel or a 5906 TSW pistol barrel. It could possibly be for either. I’ve read the Performance Center 9 mm barrels have a different size barrel hood compared to typical 3 rd Generation 5906 S&W barrels.

 

[BigBoss3006]

I don’t remember the California Highway Patrol using 9 mm S&W 3rd generation pistols. I remember CHP switching from 357 revolvers to S&W 4006 TSW (Tactical Smith & Wesson) in approximately 2009-2010.

The barrel pictured looks similar to the barrel in my 5904 which was produced in late 1988 to early 1989. Here are a few pictures of my barrel. There appears to be a different groove on the OP’s barrel on the side under the feed ramp and where the notch for recoil spring guide rod resides. I have never seen a S&W Performance Center 9 mm barrel or a 5906 TSW pistol barrel. It could possibly be for either. I’ve read the Performance Center 9 mm barrels have a different size barrel hood compared to typical 3 rd Generation 5906 S&W barrels.

I only mention the CHP because I recall 9mm conversion barrels for them, and the only barrel i’ve seen that has the same machining around the tilting portion of the barrel

 

[VASCAR2]

There could be a 9 MM conversion barrel for S&W from 40 to 9 MM but I never remember seeing them. The third Generation S&W used a fixed barrel bushing for full size guns like used on the compact 2nd generation 469 and later 3904, 6904. S&W also standardized on stainless steel for 2nd and 3rd Gen pistol barrels whereas my 39-2 has a blued CMV barrels.

For reference here are pictures of my 5904.



I changed out the grips to the flat back strap more commonly found on the S&W model 915.

 

[BigBoss3006]

Had a chat with BMCM, apparently this style of tilt geometry is just an updated method of manufacturing, an optimization/cost saving measure. Should work all the same

 

[BLUEDOT37]

The barrel in my 3914DAO, made in Jun-2015, has that style of lower lug too.

CHP barrels had their inventory number on the barrel as well as the slide & frame.

.



.
.

CHP 4013TSW, pre-rail
.


.

 

[sndbggr1484]

I don’t remember the California Highway Patrol using 9 mm S&W 3rd generation pistols. I remember CHP switching from 357 revolvers to S&W 4006 TSW (Tactical Smith & Wesson) in approximately 2009-2010.

The barrel pictured looks similar to the barrel in my 5904 which was produced in late 1988 to early 1989. Here are a few pictures of my barrel. There appears to be a different groove on the OP’s barrel on the side under the feed ramp and where the notch for recoil spring guide rod resides. I have never seen a S&W Performance Center 9 mm barrel or a 5906 TSW pistol barrel. It could possibly be for either. I’ve read the Performance Center 9 mm barrels have a different size barrel hood compared to typical 3 rd Generation 5906 S&W barrels.

When the CHP switched from revolvers they went to the S&W 4006 which was later replaced with S&W 4006 TSW. The only time I remember hearing about a 9mm conversion barrel was on the 4006 TSW where they reamed the chamber on a 5906 TSW barrel to make it into a 357 Sig.

 

[ACEd]

As to 5906 barrel variations, the earliest 5906 had barrels as pictured below with a narrow hood approx 0.25 in wide and matching slide opening. Later similar barrels and slides but with a wider hood approx 0.3 in wide replaced the earlier version - not sure of timing but it was after the Novak sights and the revised trigger guard. I believe similar changes to hood width were made across the 3rd generation pistols.

Then came the 5906TSW. The 5906TSW barrel is different from the standard 5906 barrel and my recollection is it will not interchange. Note end of barrel and I believe there is a more subtle difference in ramps at feed end.

As far as I know, the CHP pistols were 4006 and 4006TSW and the original barrels would be match marked to the slide and frame with a letter plus 4 digit code. Replacement barrels would presumably not be so marked.

But as far as I can tell, there were no CHP 5906TSW. There may have been 4013TSW, 45xxTSW, and 3913TSW or other compact 9mm that made it into California LE inventories with match markings, but obviously a compact 9mm 3913 barrel would be obviously different (shorter) than a 5906 barrel and not interchangeable.

As to the barrel in question, it appears to be current manufacture standard 5906 with slightly different machining but interchangeable with standard 5906 with the caveat that a wide hood width cant be used to replace a different narrow hood width without a matching slide.

 

[adrianolsen]

CHP only had the original 4006,4013tsw, 4006tsw. That's it