Police dept. trade in

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ontarget

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A LGS nearby has a case full of Smith &Wesson trade ins. All semi autos but not sure of the model. All steel, no plastic. And they are all stainless. 9mm.
They are in good condition and priced around $375.00
What do you all think, should I grab one?
I was thinking about buying a long range rifle but I also could use a duty size pistol as I have many rifles but no full size pistols.
 
I'm not really up to date enough on sw pistols to know the exact models for trade in but new pistols be has for about that price.

I guess if you really wanted a sw metal pistol then it would fit the bill but for buying a pistol for use I would pass.
 
I think that's pretty "par for the course" if they are good/great condition Smith 3rd gen. I know people get them cheaper sometimes, but I normally don't see them below $350
 
A LGS nearby has a case full of Smith &Wesson trade ins. All semi autos but not sure of the model. All steel, no plastic. And they are all stainless. 9mm.
They are in good condition and priced around $375.00
What do you all think, should I grab one?
I was thinking about buying a long range rifle but I also could use a duty size pistol as I have many rifles but no full size pistols.
Grab one, bro! The Smith 2nd and 3rd Gens are only going to go up in $$$ and they are great pistols! The only issue with them is they were made in a bewildering array of variations and spare mags are scarce for some of the less common, mostly compact, models. Mags for the full size guns are usually still findable at reasonable prices.

Around here, any stainless, halfway decent condition S&W Gen.3 auto will command $450 or more.....:)

As an alternative, if you have a hankering for a full-size, metal, manly man's gun- Classic arms, Budsgunshop.com, and IIRC CDNN Sports, have Italian Police trade in Beretta Model 92S pistols for just under $300, plus shipping and your FFL transfer fee, of course.
These are also fantastic classic duty guns- somewhat lighter than the steel-framed Smiths.

Good luck either way! If you get one, we need pics, lol!
 
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ontarget

That's a fair price for a used S&W Gen.2 or Gen.3. auto. I would definitely consider getting one if they check out okay function-wise and are in decent shape.
 
A LGS nearby has a case full of Smith &Wesson trade ins. All semi autos but not sure of the model. All steel, no plastic. And they are all stainless. 9mm.
They are in good condition and priced around $375.00
What do you all think, should I grab one?
I was thinking about buying a long range rifle but I also could use a duty size pistol as I have many rifles but no full size pistols.

New 2.0s can be had for about $425 +/- if you look around. So to me the $50 difference isn’t enough savings IMHO as the 2.0 is so much nicer, plus you get a new gun.

I’ve also seen new 1.0s for high $300s. Although it’s been awhile.

I guess some people must like that they were police guns as I can’t understand paying such as small difference for a used one vs a new one.
 
Funny
Right after I posted
Sportsman Outdoor Superstore just sent an email with 40s for $279 and 9mms for $299. At those prices I’d consider one. So I guess that’s about the point that I’d say a good used one is a deal to me. But $399 is just too much compared to new.
 
New 2.0s can be had for about $425 +/- if you look around. So to me the $50 difference isn’t enough savings IMHO as the 2.0 is so much nicer, plus you get a new gun.

I’ve also seen new 1.0s for high $300s. Although it’s been awhile.

I guess some people must like that they were police guns as I can’t understand paying such as small difference for a used one vs a new one.
Well, the OP is referring to S&W 3rd (or 2nd?) Gen, metal-framed automatics, such as the 659 or 5906- when you say 2.0 vs 1.0, I believe you are thinking of the M&P Series guns.

Comparing these two is like apples and oranges. Though both have their qualities, I don't know that the polymer S&W will ever really appreciate in value or be collectable at all- the metal framed Smiths are already heading that way.
 
Well, the OP is referring to S&W 3rd (or 2nd?) Gen, metal-framed automatics, such as the 659 or 5906- when you say 2.0 vs 1.0, I believe you are thinking of the M&P Series guns.

Comparing these two is like apples and oranges. Though both have their qualities, I don't know that the polymer S&W will ever really appreciate in value or be collectable at all- the metal framed Smiths are already heading that way.

Sorry
You’re right
I was thinking M&P
I skimmed to fast and didn’t notice the all steel which the M&Ps aren’t

That makes it a totally different dynamic

I’d think at some point the M&Ps may be collectible. But it’ll be a long time as they’re currently in production and for the reasons I cited.
 
The pistols I'm looking at are stainless steel and most of them have wings protecting the rear sight.
Most likely 659s or 5906s. The fully adjustable rear sight had the tough, but ugly protective wings. Early fixed sight models used a half-moon, drift adjustable rear sight, or later on, a Novak-style.

The main external difference between the 659 and 5906 is the wraparound Xenoy grip on the 5906.This was available in straight or arched contours and is easily replaceable. The 659 used a metal rear strap/spring housing and simple screw-retained grip panels. There were also some internal changes to the lockwork, such as eliminating the half- cock feature on the earlier guns. Early production 5906s also used stainless billet triggers and hammers, which were later switched to blued, MIM parts.

There were also DAO, bobbed hammer, and aluminum framed versions of the 5906. God help me if I could remember the model numbers off the top of my head!
 
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I bought a 659 from a cop from a neighboring agency back around 1989 or so when ours gave us the okay to switch from our wheelguns if we did so at our own expense. I was never a good shot with it, having had no real training with the weapon type, and never did carry it because I ended up switching to an agency that issued the Ruger P85 (never was an exceptional shot with that one, either, but qualified well enough with it.)

Now, with much more learning behind me, I shoot my P95 pretty well, and would love to have that 659 (or a 5906) back to give it another whirl. I'd buy one for that price. For a 4506, I'd buy two. :D
 
Never had any of the full size 9mm.s by S&W; preferring the smaller, more compact, double stack models like the 469, 669, and the 6946. On the plus side all of them were well built, extremely dependable, and capable of some fairly decent accuracy. For me the negative points were the long and somewhat mushy DA and SA trigger pull and the slide mounted safety. Overall the guns were solid and reliable performers in a compact and lightweight package.
 
I carried a Smith 4046 when I first got into law enforcement. Trigger pull was 11 to 13 lbs and it was a boat anchor at the end of the day. I remember not liking that gun very much.
These are definitely heavy guns. They had one that was the same model but blued and was laser etched with Durham NC Police Dept. With their insignia. That one was kind of neat. Not sure if they still have it though.
 
The wrap-around grips had a recall. As the bottom of this plastic grip held the hammer spring and was dropped on the corner edge, the plastic would crack an the spring would lose its mount leaving the pistol non-functional.
I prefer the 2nd generation 4-5-659 for myself.
 
The wrap-around grips had a recall. As the bottom of this plastic grip held the hammer spring and was dropped on the corner edge, the plastic would crack an the spring would lose its mount leaving the pistol non-functional.
I prefer the 2nd generation 4-5-659 for myself.
Generally, I also prefer the 2nd Gen over the 3rd, but there are Hogue rubber and even wood and G2 replacements for the Xenoy grips. At one time, somebody made an aluminum replacement wraparound, but its been years since Ive seen one and can't remember who.
 
If Smith were still supporting these I'd say buy a couple of different ones But parts aren't generally available and single stack mags are hard to find. Many of the double stack mags can be found in MecGar models.
 
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