S&W 59 vs 5906

[kestak]

Greetings,

I got so many good answers with my holster question that I am shooting (heheheh) another one inyour direction.

Safety wise, is the S&W 5906 safer than a model 59?

Thank you

 

[Waveski]

Well , being a 5906 guy , the 5906 has an ambidextrous safety/decocker , the 59 - I think - does not. Does that represent a difference in how safe each is? I dunno.

 

[ku4hx]

Assuming they're not damaged or excessively worn, I don't think either gun is inherently less safe than the other. I very much prefer the 3rd Generation guns (their ergonomics, features and etc.) but that's a personal choice.

 

[snooperman]

I have the 5906 and it is far superior in design than the 59. It was carried by many LE agencies for several years and is very accurate as well. The 3rd gen pistols are some of the best that S&W ever made. I also have the 6906 and 3913 and like them as much as other pistols I have. The 59 and 5906 are equally safe.

 

[MIL-DOT]

Given that a lot of the gen1 Smiths were known to have "issues",including reliability, that had largely been worked out by the 3rd generation, I'd say the gen3's WOULD be "safer", since a pistol is a personal defense weapon where reliability is paramount.

 

[Dframe]

I doubt there are any significant safety differences. I believe that may have been when they also included the firing pin lock but it may have been the next generation

 

[farscott]

The M59 lacks the firing pin safety of the M5906. The 59 can be fired due to a drop or striking the hammer. The M5906 also will have a magazine safety, a feature that some like and others despise.

I would also expect a M5906 to be more reliable than the earlier M59, especially the very early M59.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

A 59 is not as "drop-safe" as the later 459/659 ("second generation") or 5906 unless its safety is also on.

 

[Jack19]

http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg/usa/sw-39-59-and-others-e.html

 

[kestak]

Thank you all!
Now, I know.