My New 5946 From Cabela's

[mbinky]

Well last night I could not sleep. I woke up around 0100 and turned on the TV and picked up the iPad. I saw an ad for S&W 5946's at Cabela's. From the reviews they said they were NOS with three 15 round magazines and night sights. So I checked the local (ok well a few hours away) Cabela's and they were in stock in the store. So after getting coffee at 0500 and making breakfast I headed out about 0830. I got there about 1100 and spied them in the gun case. $599. As I waited my turn I noticed they had two in different cases, one had a Houlton, ME roll mark and one had a Springfield, MA rollmark. When I got my turn I inspected the Houlton ME one and said I'd like one. She said she had just sold one earlier and would head out back and grab another one. She came back and said although the computer said they had two she could only locate one; the one I looked at. I told her there was another in a different case and she said "oh that's all we have left then". I asked if I could inspect one real good, she said yes, so I ran over the ME one and told her I'd take it. $643.49 after the Governor's share and I was on my way home.

The trigger is awesome. I really like DAO pistols, and this is better than my Sig DAK's (and my S&W 3953TSW). The night sights are bright, the rear being dated '14 and the front'13. I'm kind of surprised it came with the straight backstrap as most 5906's I have seen (including my own) have the curved. I like the feel of it though. I never realized the front was so much narrower than the 4006. This has a slanted dustcover as opposed to my 4006 with a straight one. It is also narrower. Makes it feel great in the hand. Points very nice. It also does not have the magazine disconnect or the loaded chamber indicator in the barrel hood.

As a fan of third gen smiths I am glad I found this. For the price I think it is well worth it. I am on vacation all week so hopefully I will get out to put a few rounds through it (along with my CHP 4006).

5946, 4006 CSP, 4006TSW CHP

My two Houlton, ME guns. Both bought NIB within the last year. Most likely produced before that lol

 

[MattyD380]

Great post. Thanks for sharing, and great pictures.

I'm imposing a "no new gun" embargo on myself for the foreseeable future (sigh) but I'd kinda like to get my hands on some a' that Houlton goodness. I'll be honest, the elongated rear end of the 5946 isn't really for me, in terms of proportions... but the gun looks amazing otherwise.

And I gotta say... that 3953 looks sharp too. I remember seeing those NIB on GB for, like, the past year or so. Haven't seen any recently.

If Smith still has the tooling for these in Houlton...

Why don't they sell them anymore? Perhaps they underestimate the interest. Honestly, if they did a slight facelift--repositioned the guns and incorporated some minor upgrades (4th gen, if you will)--I think they'd have a popular product. There's renewed interest in DA pistols, and Beretta pretty much owns this "DA/SA renaissance" with the PX4 and the Wilson 92s. Not that those aren't awesome (I own a few Berettas) but I'd definitely buy a new production Smith.

I might even lift my personal arms embargo...

Sorry. Tangent over.

 

[mbinky]

Oh I agree about the overhang. It drove me nuts for years! Never wanted to touch one. But I'm glad I did. The trigger is pure wet sex

The 3953TSW does not have as good of a trigger (it has a "hitch") but it is still my main warm weather carry. Love that thing.

 

[KEN L]

What was the deal on these? Were they a special run for Cabelas, or what? Mine has a fired case dated 11/12/2014 and Is a Springfield gun.

 

[JohnHL]

Hi, mbinky!

Did you notice any differences between the Maine 5946 and the Massachusetts 5946 other than the laser engraving on the slide?

John

 

[mbinky]

I did not. The only thing I noticed (and I only gave the Springfield one a quick look ) was that the laser engraving on the slide looked lighter and only on the bottom line. They both had the engraved SN in the "routered out" oval on the right side.

It took me back cause when I was cruising the gun cases I spotted the Houlton gun first. It had a red "sale" tag on it. So I asked to see it and when she went out back I wandered around and saw the other 5946. It had no red sale tag and was listed at $799, but it was the identical gun, 5946, but it had "Springfield MA" on both the slide and the frame. She pulled it out of the case briefly when she noted they had no more in the back but I honestly wanted a ME gun so I asked to be able to inspect it so the Springfield gun was put back.

From my brief trips around the internet last night I thought they were all Houlton guns. But I did find a Springfield marked one on GB today, so there must have been a break in the run when they changed plants.

 

[mbinky]

Just checked, my fired case is 11/17/14

 

[MattyD380]

Oh I agree about the overhang. It drove me nuts for years! Never wanted to touch one. But I'm glad I did. The trigger is pure wet sex

The 3953TSW does not have as good of a trigger (it has a "hitch") but it is still my main warm weather carry. Love that thing.

Wet sex, huh? I thought I had to go to a different kind of a site for that

But that sounds awesome. There's a 5946TSW that's been in local gun shop forever. The trigger on it is amazing. Interestingly, it doesn't have the overhang. I guess overhang-y ones have more of half-cock situation going on? Not exactly sure of the functional difference, but seems like great triggers either way.

 

[mbinky]

Don't quote me, but I believe the TSW versions of the DAO pistols used a different style lockwork. More trigger travel. You can tell by the slide overhang. Like my 3953TSW has less, so it has a less smooth trigger. the 5946 has more, it has the different trigger.

 

[MCorps0311]

Awesome,I like you collection.

 

[photoman]

The trigger is awesome. I really like DAO pistols, and this is better than my Sig DAK's...

I'm very interested in this statement. I've thought about getting one of these but find it hard to believe the trigger is better than the SIG DAK. All of the DAO third gens I've owned were much, much heavier than the DAK.

 

[CCantu357]

That is a beautiful gun. I thought S&W had stopped making all of the third-generation pistols. The 5906 and 4006 are classics but they are heavy compared to the 92 and 226. But 92s and Sigs are still quite popular, and many people are like me and prefer a DA auto for defensive use. I'd like to see them bring back the aluminum framed models. And the 1006/4506. Those massive guns were just looked amazing!

 

[wormraper]

they didn't really "bring them back".. from reports this was new old stock that had been sitting in a warehouse for years due to New York stiffing them on a deal a decade and a half ago.

 

[R*E]

I'm trying to find an excuse not to get one.

 

[GaryS]

It wouldn't be the first time NYC stiffed a company on a contract and not just in firearms. Mack no longer makes fire trucks because of the city and an ambulance manufacturer named Modulance went under after building a large number of ambulances for NYC EMS in the mid 1980s. The city refused to pay for "defective" ambulances built exactly to the city's unique specifications.

they didn't really "bring them back".. from reports this was new old stock that had been sitting in a warehouse for years due to New York stiffing them on a deal a decade and a half ago.

 

[P71]

they didn't really "bring them back".. from reports this was new old stock that had been sitting in a warehouse for years due to New York stiffing them on a deal a decade and a half ago.

Maybe a little urban legend mixed in there, the 5946 was still one of the choices for newly issued guns up until the past three years or so. It is no longer offered as a choice for new recruits, so it is possible these are unsold extras from that contract. I have never seen the straight backstrap grip on an NYPD 5946. Two other possible indicators of NYPD guns are no magazine disconnect (slide is not machined with the hole to fit one) and factory installed night sights.

 

[stormyone]

Dang it, blinky. Great pictures. You're going to make me get one of those 5946s.

 

[.40FanBoy]

I have one of these Cabelas 5946's as well. An awesome handgun. I love everything about it except the very heavy trigger. Gunsprings.com has a reduced rate trigger spring. I plan on installing one of these. Looks very easy to install.

On a side note, I'd love to aquire one of those 3953's if I could find a new one.

 

[kbm6893]

Maybe a little urban legend mixed in there, the 5946 was still one of the choices for newly issued guns up until the past three years or so. It is no longer offered as a choice for new recruits, so it is possible these are unsold extras from that contract. I have never seen the straight backstrap grip on an NYPD 5946. Two other possible indicators of NYPD guns are no magazine disconnect (slide is not machined with the hole to fit one) and factory installed night sights.

Wrong. NYPD issue 5946's were available in curved or straight grips. It was officer's choice. Pick one of each up, along with the two
Other service weapons, and pick one in 60 seconds.

 

[PT92]

I luckily snagged one as well--this is what any objective person would call an 'incredible' find as I know of no-one of whom even remotely imagined finding one of these NIB. Occasionally on gunbroker or the like one might find out-of-production NOS or perhaps even some newly assembled pistols from unused parts laying around. But 'new' as in the 'new' I would expect with a 'new' M&P is still amazing to me (perhaps it harkens me back to my days as a teenager seeing the 59/6900 Series at the range while with Dad or even in tv/movies). Great Fourth of July to be sure as I picked mine up last Sunday.
I cannot possibly post pics of the same quality of those previous as they were absolutely gorgeous but I will post mine nonetheless just to reiterate for the naysayers that think they're used as they most assuredly aren't: