S&W 3rd Gen love/hate?

I didn't like the DA trigger and I didn't like the magazine disconnect. I'm not sure if all of the 3rd gens had a magazine disconnect. I'm not a big fan of carrying cocked and locked but that wasn't possible with the 3rd gens. The safety / decocker flipped down. I guess that wasn't a big deal for most people because most people weren't going to have the safety on when the gun wasn't cocked anyway - relying on the heavy DA trigger for safety. Probably decocking the gun was only going to take place in non-stress situations but I really don't like frame mounted controls that flip up.


Here is the most recent HighRoad thread: https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/3rd-generation-s-w-autos.887784/page-2#post-11911782

The 3rd gen Smiths create threads regularly just like "What 9mm is best for self-defense?" and "Is 380 ACP a viable self-defense round?"

I have a history in the vintage car market. Since the early 90s, 64-72 American cars, namely the ones colloquially called “muscle cars” (however that term really should only be used for a select few from that era) exploded in popularity. First it was rarer Camaro variants, hemi cars, factory race cars, and Shelbys to name a few. Then that evolved into the more well known SS chevys, GTOs, Boss Mustangs, 440 Chryslers, etc. As these became harder to come by interest shifted to AMCs which had long been looked at sideways by most vintage car enthusiasts. Then base models of the aforementioned cars became expensive and scarce. People wanted a piece of that pie but didn’t have original LS6 Chevelle or Z28 Camaro money. So they bought a Chevelle Malibu or a Plymouth Valiant with a six cylinder. More affordable but also spiked demand and caused those to go up too.

This is what is happening with 3rd Gen Smiths. They were shunned for a long time for being too heavy or clunky and the prices stayed down. As with most things that worked great, were cheap but are now out of production, people started to notice them again.

And here we are.

They are "meh" for me. Ya, I have a nice 5906, but the trigger IS awful, its not super accurate, and I hate the grip/mainspring design. I think they were a step backwards from the 2nd Gen guns- the 645 is one of my all-time faves.

I prefer the M92 or P226 for a DA, hi-cap pistol from the metal-frame era. Maybe even a P-series Ruger, though thats a toss-up.

There is no compact polystriker on the market I would take over my 3914DAO.

I once had a 3913NL that I tried to like, but I just couldn't shoot it well (accurately) - which was all me, because my buddy could shoot the snot out of it.

I’ve never handled one but I will say they look cool, particularly in stainless steel with wood grips

I vote "love". No, adore. Above anything else when it comes to having any firearm for self-defense use, the first prerequisite for me is reliability. And every Third Generation pistol I've ever used (more than a couple) has been reliable in the extreme. The agency I worked for before I retired mandated Smith & Wesson Third Generation pistols for the twenty years after we transitioned from revolvers. I can attest that there were very few problems with these pistols.
They're also well-made and tough as Shermans. Some complain about the triggers (conceded, they're not 1911s) but it amuses me when some of the same people apparently have no problems with the trigger pull on a Glock pistol and other striker-fired pistols of its ilk.

Hate

Love

Mostly because I'm comparing the GEN IIs, GEN IIIs, and Ruger Ps to the plastic glah of today. Many are brazen Glock copies, most look like a block of cheese that somebody painted black, there's no lines, no character. I'll own wanting a gun that shoots well, and also looks good.

So they're a little heavy, if you shake them(who shakes them?) they rattle. They're still better than a large percentage of the new stuff.

I had to acclimate to the early 3rd gen guns when we adopted 5903/6906's in '89/'90. After I had a chance to see how they did in training and quals I came to respect them. Then, after several years of using them I became a 3rd gen armorer (finally taking 4 classes). I started buying compact and subcompact models in 9, .40 & .45ACP. We finally traded out our aging inventory of 450-500 of those 3rd gen's for TSW's in the mid 2000's. They were far and away better versions, which wasn't surprising due to the ever-improving design changes and specs, manufacturing methods and production.

I still own and use those compact & subcompact 9, .40 & .45ACP 3rd gens, and anticipate doing so regardless of the assorted plastic I've also bought and collected over the years, and my assortment of 1911's. I was a 1911 owner/shooter many years before they forced me to grudgingly accept carrying the then-new 3rd gen S&W's.

I've racked up a fair amount of trigger time on many 3rd gen's over the years we carried them for duty weapons. I've fired more ten's of thousands of rounds through the bunch of issued and personally-owned models than I could guesstimate. Just one of my issued old production 6906's saw approx 45,000-plus rounds (with some parts replacements), but my last 6906 only had a chance to see approx 3,500-plus rounds fired by me (and it had been previously issued/before I got it), before we started phasing out the old 3rd gens for TSW's.

The 3rd gen's are a bit more complicated from an armorer's perspective, compared to the assorted plastic pistol armorer classes I've attended over the years (Glock, P99/SW99 and M&P), and probably equivalent to the SIG pistol armorer (Classic) class I did in the mid 2000's. However, S&W 3rd gens did require a couple of the parts to be fitted, such as the Extractor and Sear Release Lever. Fitting the extractor required the use of a factory-provided Go/No-Go gauge (for each caliber, and previously, an extra Flag Gauge for hook/breech face dimensions), and checking the extractor tension required the use of a Wagner Force Dial Gauge. Optional extractor springs were available so armorers and techs could get the tension within the recommended tension range for each caliber (and single v. double stacks of the 9's).

I bought my own tools and spare parts over the years so I could remain able to make any repairs that might come along down the years after retirement. As I eventually get too old to shoot someday, I might end up flooding the market with a lot of spare parts I've never needed over the last couple-plus decades I've been a 3rd gen armorer, user and owner. Oh well.

The most annoying development of the 3rd gen guns having become "obsolete" is that some of the parts are no longer being offered, and some of S&W's major vendors (selling the parts) have infrequent deliveries, make some of the "special order", or are beginning to list some as "Discontinued". This includes some of the complete magazines, BTW, even though some of the magazine assembly "parts" are still being made and sold.

Sigh.

Do they do anything that a CZ-75 doesn't ?

I can see if someone trained with them for 15 or 20 years and the manual of arms is really ingrained in them, they'd want to stay with the Smiths, but a CZ-75 does the same things. If you really want a decocker, the CZ-75BD model has a decocker.

I think someone would really have to love the concept of the slide mounted decocker to go with a Smith, but then again there are all metal DA/SA guns with slide mounted decockers that are still in production and come with a warranty.

fastbolt, I was a department armorer for some other manufactuer's guns, but unfortunately not the S&W semi-autos. I've been a fan of all 3 generations of S&W autos, and always enjoy your posts explaining some of the "nuts and bolts" of these guns. I have some parts for these old guns too. I'm still waiting for something to break, so I can use some of them

Not a fan of DA/SA and a mag disconnect is a deal breaker.

With respect to the 3rd Gen S&W’s, give me a CZ any day. CZ got it right in 1975 and with all the different fire control variations, it would’ve been a simple choice for me, if they were side by side.

To me it’s nostalgia that drives the demand for them. But glad they are desirable to some.

I'm on the "Love" side of the equation. Years ago, a cousin I hunted with was an Arson Investigator in our state, and initially was unarmed. When his department allowed the Investigators to arm, they had to provide their own weapons. His was a second gen 459. I had the chance to shoot it several times, and fell in love. As a young guy, it was into the third gen before I had the funds to acquire one, and haven't looked back. Still looking for them, and price is going up for some of the reasons previously mentioned. Hoping to turn the tide back, so all you haters, start selling them heavy, rattly, poorly machined ugly stepchildren guns....especially the really nice condition ones with round trigger guards and arched backstraps......boxes and spare mags are a plus......

For me, it's part nostalgia for the age and part finally appreciating particular guns.
As noted above, many of us were put off a bit by the ridiculous number of variable guns and then the crowed-about upgrading and *correcting* of models. This last continually filled me with wariness regarding buying a gun that S&W deemed not worthy of selling anymore.

I finally have my first S&W though a second generation in a long sought after 469 and am quite pleased.

Shoots well, doesn't rattle and is a reminder of a dynamic and rather exciting time for hand gunning.

Mag-Disconnect and backwards safety not withstanding!

Todd.

I am a big fan of S&W revolvers, but none of S&W semi-auto pistols of any generation have ever had any appeal to me. The M&P was the closest but I have never owned a S&W semi-auto.

I love my 3913 and hate the fact I didn't learn about them til it was too late and the prices are just going up. I also hate the fact I had a very nice and clean 59** series on my hand that was $500 that I decided to wait on and buy 2 new SW pistols that turned out to have problems right of the box

In the Marine Corp of 1964-1968 no one asked my opinion of what I was issued. What was expected and required is that I learned to use it and understand the functionality and be proficient with its usage. Thus I'm opened mined and willing to learn and acquire proficiency with different design elements even to this day. I have one example of a S&W 4506 (Early Production) with two modifications. Recontoured the face of the trigger guard and recut the slide to accept a Novak rear sight.

I've only handled 2 of the 3rd gen S&W semis. Since I readily admit to being sort of a trigger snob, I have to say I couldn't enjoy shooting either of them. In fact, I think I still have some trigger finger tendonitis from my last encounter.

While there are newer options that I prefer, I still like the Gen 3s. The trigger pull varies somewhat from particular gun to gun (as they do on S&W revolvers) but those I have owned have been decent with a pretty smooth pull and a short reset. The 4516 I had was one of my most accurate pistols. The Gen 3s feel good in my hand, much more so than the Gen 2. The all steel versions are pretty heavy though.

No love but do like my 5906 my 2nd pistol bought several years ago. It was rarely fired no holster wear with box papers. Not a target pistol but is very comfortable to shoot and trigger seems good to me.

Like

My Generation Three is a pretty good pistol. It's reliable, and as accurate as most service pistols. The trigger is okay. I can shoot it okay.

I would use it as a nightstand gun or something similar with no qualms, even if I do have some service pistols I like better.