Wow that example is the epitome of clean!
I have never heard any suggestion of production numbers for the 3906. However, I have either some good news or bad news for you!
If you choose to be a total “completist!” kind of collector then your chase for 3906’s is thusly expanded and you might notice the evidence right there in your own picture.
The 3906 was actually shipped with two different kinds of slides. The slide yours in this thread shows that it’s from the supply of 2nd Gen pistols, upgraded for the early 3rd Gens. The giveaway is the “four lines” of S&W information on the left side.
Most 3rd Gen guns don’t have those “four lines” as S&W moved on from that. But early 3rd Gens sometimes have them.
So there’s definitely some early 3906 pistols with that same slide you have and an old-school fixed rear sight. And of course there are the later 3906 examples with a Novak rear sight. Those should have the more modern S&W stamping and no four lines.
Your guns shows us that there are the old school slide 3906 guns with the adjustable rear. Makes me wonder if they also made the more modern slides and the protected adjustable rear.
Here is my old school, pre-Novak fixed sight 3906:
The four lines are prominently displayed but the other difference is that this 3906 has the 2nd Gen type of stainless finish and it looks different than the bead blast stainless that all stainless 3rd Gens wear.
Here’s another wrench:
So this is the more modern 3rd Gen slide, no “four lines” and modern bead blast finish, but that rear sight is a Novak night sight!
Now I have NO IDEA if that rear sight is original to the pistol or if someone had a fixed Novak rear and replaced it with a Novak night site.
But if someone else can tell us if this was a factory option then your chase got even more complicated.
My two pictures here don’t capture very well how different the finish is between these two pistols of the SAME model.
My fixed sight 3906 has the same finish as my 639 and 659. The Novak night sight 3906 looks more like most 5906’s snd 4506’s with the nice bead blast stainless.
Quick shout out in memory of much loved absent comrade
18DAI. He loved the 3906 and I remember his persona here every time I have one of these out of the safe.
I'm curious if anybody knows the production numbers for each of the 3 variants?
