Question for the 3rd gen fans

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ncairman

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Since I just picked a 4506-1 recently, I would like to know from the ones on here in the know answers to these questions.


What is the most respected and used CC 45acp in the 3rd gen line?


What is the most respected and used CC 9mm in the 3rd gen line.


These questions are relevant to me as I am not a striker fired fan, and I really like the decocker on the 4506-1 As you know it is too large for EDC, so I am looking for the best in 45acp and 9mm for EDC for the group that knows. Decocker and/or DA only please. Hard questions I understand, but as an old man who hates plastic, I trust the ones in the know. I am completely new to the S&W semi guns, so please keep that in mind. I am a true S&W revolver fan, who wants more capacity in an S&W EDC semi auto. Also, not a collector here, true shooter and reloader who uses his guns.

Thanks
Ron
 
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GaryS said:
My choice is the 457 for .45 and 3919 for 9mm. Neither comes with a spur hammer, but it's fairly easy to swap one in.
Click to expand...

Hard to argue with those choices. If you begin searching for a 3913 (which could also have the suffixes TSW, DAO, LS or NL), consider that the 3914 and 908 are virtually the same gun.
 
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In about 1991, S&W promoted the DAO versions of the 3rd gen line as having a trigger pull that most closely resembled their revolvers. There is a flyer published that shows a graph of the trigger pull compared to a revolver. I will try to attach it in .pdf form. The second page also lists all the 3rd gen DAO pistols.


I would probably go with the 69 series, 6906 or 6946 for carry
 

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I can tell you that the most trouble free version of the 45 is the 4506 or full size model. The 4563(alloy frame) was very popular with Detectives and as a off duty full size gun. The smaller 4513/4516 versions work fine BUT you have to do your part and really grip firmly. As an older guy myself I would stay away from the smaller 45s.
If you want a really nice gun the Performance Center 6906/Shorty9 type guns are really great. I have carried one for over 20 years (when they were cheap) and even though it has a few bruises it still shoots as well as most high dollar custom 1911s. They are getting pretty pricey but the 40 cal Shorty 40 version can be found quite a bit cheaper. Like someone said earlier a regular 6906 is a fine gun and would handle anything you needed to get done.

My EDC is the bottom one, with the pictured adapter it uses a 5906 magazine so holds 15+1. Normal mag is 12. The other was purchased as a backup and never fired.
 

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I do carry a 4506 on a regular basis, it is a bit heavy but still doable for this 76 year old. A gun you would be more interested in for EDC would be my 4513TSW, mine is the early model 6+1. This one has been just as reliable as my larger 4506 or my 645.
Can't help with the 9mm, I have only two. A Glock 26 that I got in a raffle and a Ruger P-95, so they are both plastic and the Ruger is full size. Jim.
 
I would pick the 4566 which I have two.

One of which I carried for years. And I really like the 915 which I also have a copy of.
 
9mm hard to beat the 3913..unless it's a Performance Center Shorty-9. These have been my primary carry guns for over 30 years!!!! :)

I've had several 3rd Gen .45s over the years ..... the only one left is a 4566... Think Colt Commander

My carry .45s are Sigs..... a W. Greman 220 and the Compact 245s.
 
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Back in the day when I carried 3rd gen, was either 4566, 457, or 3913. Still have all three and wouldn't part with any. That said would have gone 4513 vs. 457, but wasn't as financially well off at the time. The 4566 is a bit on the heavy side for every day carry unless it's a duty, or shoulder, holster. 3913 is a shooter and very concealable. All that said, they have long been retired but not forgotten.
 
All depends on how much you want to spend. You can find reasonably priced 3913s or 3914s in 9mm and 457's in 45 auto.

For the higher end performance center guns a 6 round 945 in 45 auto is ideal, but they are hard to find. A shorty 45 is also a phenomenal carry gun.
 
I'm going out on a limb with another suggestion… technically violates your parameters but possibly not your actual need? Anyway… just for yucks, take a look at the SW99. S&W auto, reasonably hi-cap, has a striker but it's not pre-tensioned AND HAS A DECOCKER, so it's safe like a TDA. Available in 45, 40, and 9. Unfortunately plastic, but that does have some advantages.

Ok, getting back in the box… :)
 
If I decided I needed to carry a double stack gun, it would be my 6946. Mine has a great a great trigger. That was a gun that found me, not the other way around. LGS had a ANIB one listed for $325.00 with one magazine. When I bought it it had a second magazine which they hadn't mentioned. A bonus 12 round magazine. :D
 
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ncairman said:
Since I just picked a 4506-1 recently, I would like to know from the ones on here in the know answers to these questions.


What is the most respected and used CC 45acp in the 3rd gen line?


What is the most respected and used CC 9mm in the 3rd gen line.


These questions are relevant to me as I am not a striker fired fan, and I really like the decocker on the 4506-1 As you know it is too large for EDC, so I am looking for the best in 45acp and 9mm for EDC for the group that knows. Decocker and/or DA only please. Hard questions I understand, but as an old man who hates plastic, I trust the ones in the know. I am completely new to the S&W semi guns, so please keep that in mind. I am a true S&W revolver fan, who wants more capacity in an S&W EDC semi auto. Also, not a collector here, true shooter and reloader who uses his guns.

Thanks
Ron
Click to expand...

No, it's not.
 
Tda single stack 9mm aluminum frame the 3913 series, dao version is the 3953.
If you want more capacity the 6906, IIRC the Performance Center version of the 6906 was called the PC9,
Has a blued slide, not as common a gun but much higher fit n finish.
 
GaryS said:
If I decided I needed to carry a double stack gun, it would be my 6946. Mine has a great a great trigger. That was a gun that found me, not the other way around. LGS had a ANIB one listed for $325.00 with one magazine. When I bought it it had a second magazine which they hadn't mentioned. A bonus 12 round magazine. :D
Click to expand...
A 6946 has been my EDC for many years now.
 
With a good belt and a good holster I can carry my 645 as readily as my 4516. My 5906 is a slightly smaller package, but when loaded with 16 9mm is almost the same weight as the loaded 645 and heavier than the 4516. You need both the holster and the gunbelt

I am an old-time NRA bullseye shooter and do not like DAO. Probably great for law enforcement, but I like the single action pull for my shooting
 
ncairman said:
Since I just picked a 4506-1 recently, I would like to know from the ones on here in the know answers to these questions.


What is the most respected and used CC 45acp in the 3rd gen line?


What is the most respected and used CC 9mm in the 3rd gen line.


These questions are relevant to me as I am not a striker fired fan, and I really like the decocker on the 4506-1 As you know it is too large for EDC, so I am looking for the best in 45acp and 9mm for EDC for the group that knows. Decocker and/or DA only please. Hard questions I understand, but as an old man who hates plastic, I trust the ones in the know. I am completely new to the S&W semi guns, so please keep that in mind. I am a true S&W revolver fan, who wants more capacity in an S&W EDC semi auto. Also, not a collector here, true shooter and reloader who uses his guns.

Thanks
Ron
Click to expand...

I suppose you want personal opinions rather than raw sales data. Frankly, the 4506 is the patriarch of that family - a full-sized .45 with a 5" barrel that is as tough as a tank and weighs almost as much! They probably made the most of that model, but I don't have access to any production numbers. My personal preference, however, is the 4596 which combines the lower end of the 4506 (for the larger mag) and the upper of the 4516 (for its 3-1/2" barrel). That one is my favorite.

As for the 3rd Gen in 9mm, I am partial to the 6906/6904 (I have a 6904) because of the double-stack mag. IMHO, if I'm going to limit myself to a single-stack in a heavy 9mm then I might as well shoot my .45.

Just my two cents...
 
I have always loved this generation of Smith and Wesson's. I haven't had any, but I wanted to get one for a long time. Atlantic firearms just got these surplus guns in. The price seems a little on the high side to me, but I guess everything is right about now. Any opinions?

Smith & Wesson 6906 Pistol SALE - AtlanticFirearms.com
 
3913 Lady Smith 9mm. The value Series 908 9mm or 457 45acp and the CS45 (Chief's Special) is a great EDC 45acp.
If double action only is your thing the 3953 9mm or 6946 9mm. I know you are asking about 9mm or 45acp but I have a 4013 single stack 40 S&W and a 4013 TSW double stack 40 S&W are two of my favorite EDC.
I own all of the above and did pack the Lady Smith and CS45 (Chief's Special) for years .
 
ncairman said:
As you know it is too large for EDC
Click to expand...


Nonsense!

I have plenty of "little" pistols sitting around gathering dust because I carry a 4506 more than any other. Rides in a horsehide Kramer #2 on a Galco 1-3/4" sport belt. with a reload or two on the off side. One just needs quality kit to carry a fullsize pistol.

IMG_2173.JPG


Cheers
Bill
 
Respected and Used?

The wording of your question gave me pause, because this is so subjective. Please consider the concept of "skills, not gear" and remember that I will always say that the choice of equipment is only a part of the equation. I have four 3rd gen pistols each of which I respect and use, and the differences between them are unimportant in my training and practice. They fight the same way.

I think I can give you a real and valuable answer though.
-If concealment is paramount in your thinking, then the 3913 is the way to go. It is a thin single stack 9mm.
-If large caliber is paramount, then use the 457.
-If magazine capacity is paramount, then use the 6906.

Other commenters on your thread have correctly pointed out that there are either cheaper and/or more expensive versions of these pistols available.

I considered the same question in 2005 and settled on the 457 when I learned that LAPD officers who carried the 4506 on duty, preferred the 457 for off-duty, and plainclothes officers in those departments also used the 457.
-I am very satisfied, and I have worked hard to become competent with it.
-The finish sucks, so I sent off to cerakote the slide.
-The sights are plastic so I put trijicons on it, after I dropped it on a concrete floor and crushed the rear sight. The pistol was not scratched because the plastic took all the brunt of the fall.
-I have dry fired the trigger into a smooth sweetness.
-I have never had a malfunction or misfeed of any kind with any type or brand of factory ammo, though I once had a failure to cycle from an undercharged reload which was given to me, all of which I immediately destroyed.
- In my two hands, unsupported, standing, at practical shooting speed, the 457 routinely prints into 3 inches at 15 yards.
 
BMCM said:
Nonsense!

I have plenty of "little" pistols sitting around gathering dust because I carry a 4506 more than any other. Rides in a horsehide Kramer #2 on a Galco 1-3/4" sport belt. with a reload or two on the off side. One just needs quality kit to carry a fullsize pistol.

IMG_2173.JPG


Cheers
Bill
Click to expand...

a no dash 4506 was my first carry pistol way back in 90. Carried it in a Kramer IWB and a LFI belt under a t-shirt or an untucked button down. This was back when CPL's were very rare in MI, and nobody ever spotted it. You can carry a big full sized pistol with good gear and suitable shirts. The pistol left me, replaced with a -1, but I still have both holster and belt, although the LFI does not fit so well anymore...
 
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Well guys I slipped up at the LGS, they had a Shield 45 NIB at a good price and it fits my average size hand great. So I bought an extra 7 round magazine to go with it and I am a happy Shield owner now. I never thought much about the Shield as I had never put my hands on one. But I think its the one for CC and if it can handle the 100's of rounds that I am going to shoot out of it, it will be my EDC from now on. I still have a 457 on GB that I am watching as well :)
 
1) Recon 45

2) 3906

SVT28

Edit: They may not be the most used, since they are both sort of hard to find these days. But out of my Smith Semis, they are the ones I respect the most.
 
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ncairman said:
Well guys I slipped up at the LGS, they had a Shield 45 NIB at a good price and it fits my average size hand great. So I bought an extra 7 round magazine to go with it and I am a happy Shield owner now. I never thought much about the Shield as I had never put my hands on one. But I think its the one for CC and if it can handle the 100's of rounds that I am going to shoot out of it, it will be my EDC from now on. I still have a 457 on GB that I am watching as well :)
Click to expand...
I will admit, as much as I like the old metal receiver S&W's, the new polymer receiver pistols do come with a warranty, spare mags are easy to find and relatively inexpensive, and holsters are easy to find.
 
My first third Gen was a 4506. Loved shooting it but it pulled my pants down. Sold it, bought another one for the many mags it came with. Later came a 4566. Loved it but still seemed too heavy. Found a 4516-2 in great shape and of course loved it. Bottom line, I have ended up buying a 457 and a 4513 TSW. I have only one 6 round mag but plenty of 7 and 8 round mags. Love them both. Also have a 3913 and 6906.
 
Started my LE career carrying a 4566 and have long had a soft spot for the DA/SA S&W's. If I were to carry one for off duty/ CCW, I'd go with a 4516 or 4513 for .45 Auto or a 3913 for 9mm.

I know I'm going outside your question here, but if you're dead set on a DA/SA I'd recommend you give Sig a look. I say that for a couple of reasons. First, the Sig decocker position is superior, IMO, but that's obviously subjective. Secondly and most importantly, the Sig pistols are still in production and parts are readily available, especially the high wear parts like springs, mags, mag baseplates, followers, etc.

Not trying to sway you away from S&W just offering some food for though and possible options.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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