SW 3913

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Mars5l

Mars5l

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I am now an owner of my 3rd SW autoloader, this one much older than my M&P ones. Paid $500 a used 3913 that had been sitting in the used gun case for months. I always looked at it and thought about. Ive seen mention on THR much love for these 80s and 90s metal frame SW autoloaders. It's a great shooter and with my shaky hands I must have put a handful of rounds thru the same hole at 5 yards. I do need to get extra mags for it. I've only come across an OEM on eBay and it was going for $70, the rest were ProMAG and Triple K. Any opinions on the aftermarket ones?

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First, congrats on a great pistol!!

My experience with Promag is less than stellar, but it’s all been with 30+ round happy sticks. Seems like I’ve purchased 7 or 8 to get 4 that functioned reliably. Ok for clearing drills, I guess....

YMMV with single stacks and smaller quantity round counts, but I’d buy a TripleK before I’d buy a Promag.
 
Nice! I have a 4013 I bought back in the early 1990’s. You bought a good one, these guns are reliable and rugged. :thumbup:

Stay safe.
 
Pretty soon you will start wondering what is supposedly better about guns like the Shield over the 3913. I would suggest having two OEM mags for social functions and use the aftermarkets for range only. My preference is for the finger rest base plates on these guns.
 
I bought a Triple K for my Astra A70 and it worked. I've heard that they are hit and miss. Others have said that they had to tweak them a little. I think that I might chance another.
 
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The 3913 was my last carry gun before the P365.
It is a great gun and very accurate.

I have a few aftermarket mags and they were fine for range use.
 
Its crazy what OEM ones are going for on EBay. Guess I'll try some Triple K and maybe a ProMAG. I'll never use it as a carry so not worried about reliable mags
 
I still have my model 1066 issued to me new in the box in 1991. We switched to the awful double action only 4046 two years later and I bought the 10mm for $175 as that was the trade price S&W was giving for them. It’s a great pistol. Wish I had kept the original box but I was young and didn’t consider it would ever go up in value.
 
I carried a Smith 457 during my time as a investigator. It was the most reliable pistol I have ever used. Right up with my usp. I never had much luck with pro mag, and triple k is spotty. Factory mags make these guns dead reliable. That is a great 9mm right there
 
One of the coolest pistols ever made. One of my favorites. I'd suck it up and go for OEM mags from a reliable seller.

My experiences with Pro-Mag products have been horrible; maybe they make something that works these days, but the ones I've tried were crap. I couldn't even sell the handful of Pro-Mags for the M9/92FS I had-- guy actually laughed at me. I have no experience with any magazines from Triple K.
 
The 3913, like all 3rd Gen S&Ws, is a fine piece.

I foolishly sold mine a few years back.

Not all of my decisions turn out to be good ones.
 
Historically, magazines for guns like the 3913 could be found in that box of miscellaneous "used mags" that every LGS kept behind the counter. With the current climate and increased desirability of 3rd Gens, that may no longer be the case, but might be worth a look.
 
Nice pistol, I still think its one if the best carry guns ever made. I wished they still made them. Even at $1500, I would still buy them.
 
I have a 3913 and it rarer .40 S&W Scandium framed cousin, the 4040PD.

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The 3913 is a fantastic carry gun of a bygone era. It is easily outclassed today. It is the size of a GLOCK 19, especially when it has the Hogue Grips on it. But it is still a gem to shoot and carry.
 
.455_Hunter said:
Historically, magazines for guns like the 3913 could be found in that box of miscellaneous "used mags" that every LGS kept behind the counter. With the current climate and increased desirability of 3rd Gens, that may no longer be the case, but might be worth a look.
Click to expand...
Magazines for just about anything S&W 3rd gen related is long gone. 4506, 4516, 5906, 6906, 4013, 4013TSW, etc...
 
My S&W 908 arrived about six weeks ago, with only a Promag.

Paid about $75 (+) for the same '3913 type' OEM mag on E-Bay, because even if I never carry it, the next owner (& there will be a future owner for All of Your guns also) might expect an OEM mag.
If a family member inherits your S&W (-for 'Carry'-) and doesn't know any better :), do you want Them to simply slap in a Promag for self-defense?

You don't know what's Really gonna happen when you sell it or become incapacitated.:(

Miami_JBT: our 908 and 3913s are considered to be the lightest of the 3rd. Gen S&W guns.
I can't imagine anybody complaining about carrying such "all-metal, 9-rd." guns for hours on end. Our cats love plastic- they lick it due to one of the chemicals used in plastic bags.
 
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