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The Dark Side of 3rd Generation Autos
- Thread starter TNZ71
- Start date
Fishmonk
Member
They look awesome!
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fotoman12001
Member
I've just got this 457D. All my others are on the lighter side.
I love my 4505!!
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digiroc
Member
The Black Pearl ...
Melted and Melonited 4516
digiroc
Melted and Melonited 4516
digiroc
Everyone knows I'm mainly a "bright finished" stainless guy when it comes to my beloved 3rd Gens, but that Model 4505 is truly magnificent.
I could go for that in a heartbeat! 
OP
TNZ71
Member
I know I can't stop looking at it.
3914. Bought for $325.00 before I realized how rare they were.
457. My only .45 ACP.
3904. Beautiful, but I never shot it or carried it, so it went to another 3rd Gen collector.
CS9. Early one, single side safety. Very nice carry gun, but I replaced it with a pre rail 3913TSW, so off it went.
457. My only .45 ACP.
3904. Beautiful, but I never shot it or carried it, so it went to another 3rd Gen collector.
CS9. Early one, single side safety. Very nice carry gun, but I replaced it with a pre rail 3913TSW, so off it went.
revolver4954
Member
3rd Gen black guns
Bought a 3914 way back in the day; it was my first center-fire semiautomatic pistol. A great carry gun. Though I prefer a black or blue gun for carry, I also bought a stainless 3913 which has proven to be tack-driving accurate for me, and has been my carry gun for decades. Traded-in the 3914 for another black gun--an M&P 9mm.
Bought a 3914 way back in the day; it was my first center-fire semiautomatic pistol. A great carry gun. Though I prefer a black or blue gun for carry, I also bought a stainless 3913 which has proven to be tack-driving accurate for me, and has been my carry gun for decades. Traded-in the 3914 for another black gun--an M&P 9mm.
digiroc
Member
My condolences on the loss ...
I have a very nice 3913NL and must say I admire it's looks, especially with the hand filling Hough wood grips.
But the real beauty lies inside an action job by "T" (Teddy Somebody ... help me out here guys) then the slide and barrel assembly was sent to our esteemed Master Chief for refinishing and barrel work (cut and polished crown, mirror finish on the feed ramp and other secret sauce the Master stirred in).
Looks Great, Shoots Great ... What's not to like? Well it ain't black like my 3914DAO:
digiroc
I have a very nice 3913NL and must say I admire it's looks, especially with the hand filling Hough wood grips.
But the real beauty lies inside an action job by "T" (Teddy Somebody ... help me out here guys) then the slide and barrel assembly was sent to our esteemed Master Chief for refinishing and barrel work (cut and polished crown, mirror finish on the feed ramp and other secret sauce the Master stirred in).
Looks Great, Shoots Great ... What's not to like? Well it ain't black like my 3914DAO:
digiroc
digiroc
Member
Sweet Smith 3G's ...
That 3914 must be either a LadySmith or a NL variant with he angled dust cover.
The 457 is the most desirable yet under rated compact .45 out there. Absolutely love mine for carry.
That 3904 was sweet! I'd love to have one like it.
Digiroc
That 3914 must be either a LadySmith or a NL variant with he angled dust cover.
The 457 is the most desirable yet under rated compact .45 out there. Absolutely love mine for carry.
That 3904 was sweet! I'd love to have one like it.
Digiroc
It is an NL and I meant to put that in but, was in kind of a hurry when I did that post. The funny thing is, that I didn't know anything about the NL or LS guns when I bought it. I just stumbled on it in a LGS and bought it. I only knew that unlike some of my other 3rd Gens, it had the left side only safety. It was sometime later that I found out what I had.
I've had a couple of 1911 fans who shot my 457. It's out shot there 1911s every time. I should carry that more than I do, but for some reason don't. I bought that back in 2010 or so. The previous owner didn't really like it for some reason. I got it for $475.00 with box, paperwork, a couple of holsters, and seven magazines. Two of the magazines were Pro Mags and wouldn't allow the gun to shoot double action. It would shoot single action okay, but that first shot wouldn't go. I dumped those off as a Karma to someone and bought a couple more used magazines somewhere.
The 3904 was sweet. No box, no papers, just the gun and I think two magazines. But, I paid about $350.00 for it and sold it for around $400.00 a couple of years later. The gun itself looked to be unfired.
I've had a couple of 1911 fans who shot my 457. It's out shot there 1911s every time. I should carry that more than I do, but for some reason don't. I bought that back in 2010 or so. The previous owner didn't really like it for some reason. I got it for $475.00 with box, paperwork, a couple of holsters, and seven magazines. Two of the magazines were Pro Mags and wouldn't allow the gun to shoot double action. It would shoot single action okay, but that first shot wouldn't go. I dumped those off as a Karma to someone and bought a couple more used magazines somewhere.
The 3904 was sweet. No box, no papers, just the gun and I think two magazines. But, I paid about $350.00 for it and sold it for around $400.00 a couple of years later. The gun itself looked to be unfired.
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JGR_LV
Member
Don't have a Second or Third Generation--yet. I recently got my 439 back from my daughter--by giving her my old friend of four decades, my Mod. 60, to carry. Since then I've discovered that my 439 is no longer a good carry gun, particularly in a Las Vegas summer. The gun hasn't changed, but my waistline has. In looking at the auction sites, i find that somebody has dumped a horde of 2nd & 3rd Generation 9mms and a few .40s on the market. Apparently the Israelis made a huge trade-in deal with somebody. Lots of them are the dark variety, and a lot of those look like they've literally been to war. I'd call them candidates for Ceracoat or DuraCoat. The bottom seems to have temporarily fallen out of the market for the time being and I'm fighting a losing battle with temptation. The only downside is that most of the guns are being sold without a magazine and the prices for those have suddenly jumped. Call it the dark side of supply and demand. I like the 569/669, but the later 3rd Generation models with the Novak sights look really, really good. I suspect my only hope of getting out of the situation without having to explain another gun purchase to my better half will be to stay paralyzed with indecision until the prices go back up.
The 439 is a Second generation gun.
There is a huge difference in the grips of the 669 and the 6906..... for me the 6906 is grip is a huge improvement over the 2nd gen grip.
JGR_LV
Member
Good to know.
That perhaps explains why my 439 doesn't seem to have quite the nice fit of an original 39 my brother has. His just seems to be one of those pistols I can pick up after years and shoot accurately, and the 439 never had that feel. On the other hand, it has a firing pin lock that the original apparently lacked. I know of one AD caused by a moron banging the muzzle of a 39 hard on a metal surface. Amazingly, he got away with nothing worse than hearing damage and getting his stupidity rating with fellow officers raised a couple of notches.
The grip difference is also good to know. I've had no experience with either one; just know that the early single-stack frames are a good fit and the 59 is definitely not.
That perhaps explains why my 439 doesn't seem to have quite the nice fit of an original 39 my brother has. His just seems to be one of those pistols I can pick up after years and shoot accurately, and the 439 never had that feel. On the other hand, it has a firing pin lock that the original apparently lacked. I know of one AD caused by a moron banging the muzzle of a 39 hard on a metal surface. Amazingly, he got away with nothing worse than hearing damage and getting his stupidity rating with fellow officers raised a couple of notches.
The grip difference is also good to know. I've had no experience with either one; just know that the early single-stack frames are a good fit and the 59 is definitely not.
OP
TNZ71
Member
