Model 952

[BrianE]

Is the model 952 the ultimate S&W 9mm? Tell me your experiences or knowlege about these guns...

TIA - Brian

 

[Ah2BFlyn]

I like both my 952 5" & 6" a lot, out of the box it's an excellent 9mm. If you're looking for accuracy and a wonderful trigger, I'd say it's the best S&W 9 that's manufactured today.
However it does have some disadvantages:

- 9 round magazine.
- Mag safety, when you shoot competitively and need to show clear you have to insert an empty mag.
- Safety is opposite to traditional guns.
- It gets really hot when you shoot a lot of rounds.
- Not a great choice if you plan on shooting IDPA/IPSC

 

[missiondude]

Agree with the above poster, except it is not that much of a disadvantage in IDPA. IDPA strings of fire have a 18 round limit. When you load 9 in the mag plus one in the chamber you run dry after 10 rounds, which I find easier than runing dry at 11 which is usually 1/2 way through one of the targets. If you dont miss, 9 + 1 is as good as 10 + 1 in IDPA. I think there are 10 round aftermarket mags for the gun that are IDPA legal, but I have never tried them. Nice gun, see if you can shoot one before you decide to buy.

 

[at-home-daddy]

I have an unfired 952-1. It's just so damn beautiful and oozes such PC quality that I haven't been able to bring myself to fire it and sully it's pristine character. So I guess I can't be of much help as far as your original question since I've no true experience with it...but, then again, any gun that inspires that type of reaction must have something going for it! ;-)

 

[JamesArthur60]

My first experience with my 952-1 consisted of buying five different brands of factory ammo; in order to find which was the most accurate. The tolerances are very tight and super smooth. The reassembling of the barrel/slide into the bushing for me was very easy. That question comes up frequently. I'm not a big fan of the grip feel (it's a personal thing) and had to get use to the nine round magazine. It was bought for USPSA, but, I discovered it was not feasible. Is it my most accurate auto, no. For the cost of $1500.00 one would expect it to be. I read where many say it's the most accurate 9mm they've ever fired, and maybe it is. If you do purchase one, keep in mind, accessories (mainly a front sight change) are limited and a holster is hard to find. Aside from my stated experiences, it still is a handsome, solid, quality built firearm. However, for the price you should have no doubts that model is designed for your intended purposes. Be it for the range, shooting sports or just looking pretty and sleeping in your gun safe.