Need advice for a 5906 decocking and magazine safety function.

WR Moore said:
While it's possible, as armorer951 notes, that the "issues" are due to wear, it's also possible that someone "fixed" those items to disable the magazine safety and decocking function. I'd bet a bale of Benjamins it isn't factory.

Question: when you say the "trigger is locked", do you mean it won't move, or doesn't drop the hammer? If the safety is operating as originally designed, the trigger should move, but not drop the hammer. If the trigger won't move, some massive changes have been made in the internal parts.

If you look at pic 4 & 5, post 1 you can see flats on the safety barrel when the safety is "off". When the safety is "on", as in picture 2, post 2; you can see a round surface on the top part of the safety barrel, behind the firing pin safety plunger. It appears there is a flat on the lower part, behind the magazine safety plunger. There should be a round surface. If there's a flat, the safety barrel has been modified.

The usual method of eliminating the magazine safety and decocking features is to remove at least the spring (you can leave the plunger in place) that drives the magazine safety plunger and to trim the sear release lever to keep the hammer from dropping. If done that way, the magazine safety won't work and while the trigger moves back and forth with the safety "on", the gun won't fire.

If the trigger actually won't move with the safety "on", you have to realize that 3rd generation parts are no longer being made. A future user may want it to work as intended and you'll need have someone who knows what they're about to figure out what parts need replaced and get them now.

Downside: if you sell it, as is, you need to document that you informed the buyer of the altered functions. Get their signature on hard copy of the warning and keep a copy. Also, if someone else shoots it and expects the magazine safety and decocker to work, you're responsible for any OOPS. No, you're not supposed to trust any safety device, but people do.
Click to expand...

The trigger does move a bit (1/8"ish) with the safety on, but it does not drop the hammer.
 
Last edited:
RalphMP9FS said:
Yep, 24kt gold plated.
Click to expand...

Why?

My guess is going to be that if the gun came that way, a good amount of dickering has been done to that gun. I know of no one that would seriously do that to a gun meant to be dependable.

I will go out on a limb here and say that there are probably a good many more things that have been done to that gun that are not yet readily apparent.
 
After having looked at the pictures and read the excellent diagnoses by Bros. armorer951 and WR Moore, I agree that someone (not the factory) removed the "ejector depressor plunger spring" (such a big name for such a small part) because they didn't like magazine safeties.

And someone modified the sear release lever because they wanted to carry the pistol "cocked and locked".

The first modification is more common than the second, but neither one is unheard of.

Also, neither modification is particularly difficult to do or undo.

John
 
Thanks for all the excellent replies. I'm still trying to decide if I want to keep it as it is because I like how it's setup, or return it for a refund. The seller offered to repair, replace or refund, but I'll only consider a refund if I decide not to keep it. Just for the heck of it, I will call S&W and see what they have on record.

The gold plated parts are accents to the mirror polished finish.
 

Attachments

  • 003.jpg
    003.jpg
    100.3 KB · Views: 57
  • 004.jpg
    004.jpg
    103.7 KB · Views: 50
Last edited:
RalphMP9FS said:
Thanks for all the excellent replies. I'm still trying to decide if I want to keep it as it is because I like how it's setup, or return it for a refund. The seller offered to repair, replace or refund, but I'll only consider a refund if I decide not to keep it. Just for the heck of it, I will call S&W and see what they have on record.

The gold plated parts are accents to the mirror polished finish.
Click to expand...


It may have been a Police Surplus at one time, but it sure is not now!


Someone spent a lot of time "fiddling" around with it.:eek:
I shall make no further comments here.:)
 
I just talked to SW, and she said that these modifications are something they would NOT do, so everyone is correct that said it was done by someone other than SW. This 5906 was made in April of 1994, but she wouldn't tell me who originally purchased it.
 
You have some options.

1. Pay S&W to fix it.
2. Send it back either for refund or let the seller fix it.
3. Live with a DA/SA pistol that you cannot de-cock.


Personally, I'd send it back if the seller failed to reveal the issue. What else did they fail to mention.
 
From reading the post, all that was done was the sear release lever was reshaped and the mag disconnector spring was either cut or removed correct?

So that looks like it would be fairly easy to put this back to factory specs.

The decock feature is one of the main reason I like the 3rd Gen S&Ws, I would most likely put it back to factory spec. Although, I have considered the mag disconnect mod, but have yet to do it on any of my 3rd Gens.

Rosewood
 
It appears you have a single action 5906. It no longer functions as a DA pistol.

Rosewood
 
Seems to me that someone modded it to be safety-only, for Condition 1 use. A little weird on a polished up BBQ gun, maybe, but why is that any worse than modding to decock-only? Or DOA?

The question is, did Bubba do a careful safe thoughtful mod, or an unsafe hack job? Only an expert eval will tell.
 
Not sure how hard it is to replace the sear lever, but the mag disconnect is fairly easy to swap out. If you are capable of the work yourself, why not ask the seller to send you the parts? Then you can leave it like it is or put back to factory at your whim.

Rosewood
 
rosewood said:
Not sure how hard it is to replace the sear lever, but the mag disconnect is fairly easy to swap out. If you are capable of the work yourself, why not ask the seller to send you the parts? Then you can leave it like it is or put back to factory at your whim.

Rosewood
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion. You would have to decock it by manually lowering the hammer, just like a safety levered DA/SA CZ. Right now, this 5906 matches my CZ configuration exactly.

The sear lever has to be fitted, something I'm not that familiar with. I read the factory used test blocks to fit that lever (over my pay grade).
 
Sounds like you are going to use it as is.....I would. Shoot it a lot to be sure it is reliable and then count your blessings.

Randy
 
LOL... How about this - maybe the guy was making his ultimate BBQ gun, and he really really really wanted that hammer back like all his manly buddies 1911s. You can’t do that with a stock 3g, because putting the safety on will decock it. Hence the mod. :)
 
Update, I contacted my FFL dealer asking about shipping cost back to the seller, and we started talking about the 5906 and what was done to it and it's current configuration. He really liked the gun when he handled it yesterday, and he is willing to buy it from me for the price I paid. Decisions decisions.
 
So, do you want a pimped out 5906 that needs work or sell it to the FFL and use the money to buy a 5906 that has not been messed with?
 
The solution is

Send that pistol back to the seller, get your money back and look for a real 5906 that has not been messed with.

They are out there. I don't want any Smith and Wesson semi-auto that has been altered like the one you have. No telling how safe it will ever be.

I mean if you just want to LOOK at it, fine. But as a shooter, I wouldn't have it if you gave it to me free and paid the shipping!

Just my take.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
Installing ambi safety/decocker on 39-2 ?
Replies
11
Views
903
bobmitchum
B
C
Model 39-2 Decocker won't rotate
Replies
12
Views
2K
Rule3
Rule3
1
I have a ? regarding Sig decockers
Replies
19
Views
1K
HarpHack
H
GaryS
"Fun" with my Equalizer
Replies
5
Views
287
tarheel13
T
M
457 mod to DAO
Replies
5
Views
908
Brian Parrish
Brian Parrish

Latest posts

Back
Top