Finally scratched the itch S&W third gen 9mm single stack 909

[R.W.Dale]

I'd wanted one of these off n on for the past decade since I new smith had made such a thing being a fan of modern full sized single stack 9's as well as someone who appreciates how good third gen Smith & Wesson autoloaders were before the world went plastic and safetyless.

Needless to say on a whim I stopped by our local LGS and there the unique little gem sat in amongst a pile of much more common and dare I say fatter wonder nines at first I was hesitant @ $399 but after it was pointed out I get box papers and three $30+ mags I went ahead and pulled the proverbial trigger on it.

The gun fits the hand beautifully and points perfectly without the slightly piggish feel of the double stack gun. The controls are even easier to reach and even though it's basically the same slide as my 915 it feels so much lighter.

The 909 was part of the "value series" and as such isn't as complexly machined in terms of visuals but honestly I prefer the more slab sided look and Novak style plastic sights over the S&W style found on the more expensive guns.

I guess the only thing left to do is post pics and search for a holster.

 

[R.W.Dale]

909 right 915 left

909 top 915 bottom

 

[bannockburn]

R.W.Dale

No pics available but I remember that particular 9mm. when they were introduced as a sort of "no frills economy" version.

 

[gsbuickman]

Nice score . I would rather hit all the local pawn shops and poke around the little out of the way Mom and Pop Style shops to search for hidden gems and good deals on nice items rather than going to the larger more popular lgs shops. I have a knack for finding something I can't live without, especially if it's good name brand lifetime guarantee tools that are floating around tool bins amongst the usual Chinese junk .

 

[bannockburn]

R.W.Dale

Thanks for posting the photos; you new Model 909 looks great! Never owned one of the full size guns; I much preferred the more compact Model 469/669 variants.

 

[Eugen]

OP, nice score on a very nice gun. I understand your appreciation for the all steel models. I love my modern polymer models, but I have a special affinity for the old school guns. We all know where to buy a shiney new gun. But, the hunt for rare treasures, particularly bargain priced, is more exciting.

 

[chicharrones]

A very nice find, R.W.

 

[Legionnaire]

Nice. I like the 3rd Gen Smiths, too. The first handgun I bought with a view to concealed carry was an original single-stack 4013. Still enjoy carrying and shooting that one.

 

[rbernie]

What's the difference between a 908 and a 909?

 

[ThomasT]

I have a 915 and a 39-2. I haven't shot the 915 very much but I have shot the 39-2 quite a bit. The model 39 is superbly accurate with ammo it likes. It will shoot a ragged hole at 20 yards. I think it is considered a first generation gun. I like the single stack magazine.

 

[DaddioDan]

909 right 915 left

909 top 915 bottom

 

[R.W.Dale]

With all the wide variations, movie nostalgia, good performance and name recognition I could definitely envision a future where the smith metal autos get collectible. Perhaps not Luger collectible but certainly mosin nagant collectible

Btw I did try it and the slides are interchangeable

 

[cnj]

With all the wide variations, movie nostalgia, good performance and name recognition I could definitely envision a future where the smith metal autos get collectible. Perhaps not Luger collectible but certainly mosin nagant collectible

Btw I did try it and the slides are interchangeable

I have an early model 3913, and a newer 3914 LadySmith. Awesome guns, and accurate shooters. Love the 3rd gen Smiths!

 

[Rock185]

R. W., That is nice one. The 909 is one model I've never actively searched for, but always kept an eye out for at shops and gun shows. If I'd come across one that clean, at that price with factory box and 3 magazines, I'd have bought it too.

BTW rbernie, The 909 is the full size pistol. The 908 is the compact version with shorter slide,barrel and grip frame. The 908 is the Value series version of the 3913/3914 compact pistols. The compact magazines are too short to lock into the full sized single stack guns like the 909. My S&W 3913 would be the same size as a 908.

 

[Redcoat3340]

Great gun and great score. I had one, loved it, but one day, kicking around my local pawn shop there was a Sig P6. I had the 908 IWB, took it out and compared the two in terms of size, function, mags, sights, etc.....and walked out with the Sig. Now, four years latter I'm looking for a stainless 908. Or a 3913. Or 3914. Or......

 

[phil dirt]

I have two third generation S&Ws, both are CS9s. They are very reliable pistols. However parts, if you ever need them, will be difficult to find. I've called around looking for a spare recoil spring and guide, plus a few other parts to keep both pistols running, but without much luck. Finding Sig parts, for another favorite pistol, the P225, is the same deal. Gun manufacturers who produce a product, then suddenly discontinue the manufacture of them and consequently quit making parts for them, really burn me up.

 

[Tirod]

Understandably manufacturers who stop making parts ( and no longer mail them for free) can be upsetting. The S&W has been out since the 1950's and the '80s were it's heyday. There are a lot of service revolvers out there in the same boat, and the originals of a lot of other guns are the same - like the original Walther P38.

What I'm reading in various posts across the net are owners who are looking for parts - and extra mags - in anticipation of them becoming hard to find. IE no different than the situation with .22LR the last couple of years. We had plenty of threads over "I can't find .22!" with others chiming in about the 1,000s they already had and buying them more. Same here, people are buying springs, rods, and mags which then just sit in the gun parts box and which aren't used. A pic here and there or a mention shows multiple items still in the wrapper and two dozen mags for a carry gun - "because I don't like to load them over and over at the range."

Why? I like to call it impending disaster fever - that thing where everybody goes to the grocery store and stocks up on milk, eggs, and bread just before a major storm. Aside from French toast being hard to make with no power, those who show up late in the day don't get zip - the shelves are bare. There is no cure or fix for this, it's free enterprise and you can find things if you are willing to pay extra for them. Parts are out there - just not at the prices we previously thought were acceptable. We are seeing mag prices rise past $40 each with Promag as the only alternative. Ewww. And because of that the situation keeps ratcheting up.

Some enterprising outsider will likely step up, like Apex, and try to fill the gap. It's a good money maker, they could have 25,000 .45ACP mags in stock and I suspect be sold out within weeks. Yet - someone will post up the day after the last one ships to say they can't find any. I'm reading a lot of those posts lately - yet the guns themselves aren't prone to spitting out parts and going bad, many shoot them in competition with 10 - 35,000 rounds a year thru them.

Basically, there is a big disconnect between perception and reality. It is amusing to a degree, buying an obsolete gun 20 years past it's prime and used daily is the issue - I suspect we will be having the same conversation about the Beretta M9 in 2027. While a particular gun might be shown to have acceptable reliability the fleet of guns is no longer in use and they are collectible at best. Like the car I drive - if there weren't plenty of others to cabbage parts from out there, I wouldn't have picked it in the first place. Nobody buys a 80 import truck and expects to get parts for it wherever they think. They will be quickly disabused of the notion they are cheap, too.

There are a lot of folks picking up 3Gens and demand is exceeding supply, expect issues. BTW, I got mine.

 

[Devonai]

Hey, I have one of those. I love it. I've owned many 3rd Gen Smiths, most of them single-stack, and the 909 has the best feel of all of 'em. Shoots like a dream. I had been looking for a 3904/06 but the 909 scratched that itch just fine!

 

[DaddioDan]

My 909 is all beat to hell, machine marks on the top of the slide, losing finish ... apparently it had a hard life before I got it. So I kinda got it for a song. But the bore is clean, the DA trigger is amazingly similar in length and weight to my Model 10-5 and nearly as smooth, the SA has a bit of take up but breaks clean....

All said, it is an ugly but sweet shooting single stack. Fits my hand beautifully. I just love that pistol.