S&W 5906 for 3 Gun

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Hunterdad

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Looking to pick up a 9mm soon to shoot in 3 gun. I've read nothing but stellar things about the 5906 and thought id ask some opinions. I'm not a fan of polymer pistols and want something that can take pre-ban mags since I'm in NY.

Any insight is appreciated.

Thanks
Adam
 
3rd generation S&W pistols are rugged, accurate, and easy to clean and maintain.

The 5906 is all stainless steel and you can feel the heft. If there were a 3-gun stage that involved throwing your empty gun at a steel target, recovering it, and loading it to shoot the next stage I'd choose the 5906 any day! ;)

The only downside? Parts are becoming scarce for 3rd gen. guns.
 
If I could only have one 9mm pistol, the 5906 would be it.

The only downside? Parts are becoming scarce for 3rd gen. guns.
Click to expand...

Maybe from S&W, but there were so many made, used parts are still abundant. Not that they tend to need much, anyway. These things are tough. We had a bad batch of reloads in .40 S&W. Two of my friends and I tried to use them. All three of us experienced out of battery firings. One had the grip panels blown apart on his Hi Power, another had the extractor launched out of his HK USP compact. My 4006's extractor got bent a tad, and it started having extraction problems. So I took the extractor out, bent it back and reinstalled it, gun has run 100% since. That was 3 years ago.
 
I have a 2nd gen, and I have not had a single problem with it. I've been looking for a 3 gun competition in my area and would not hesitate to run my 469. 3rd gens are just as dependable as the 2nd gen, with arguably slightly better ergonomics.
 
The 5906 is a great pistol. It's my choice of defensive pistol. From what I have heard on the S&W forums, S&W will even service the pistols as long as you don't state that you are not the original owner (I got mine secondhand).

The SS frame soaks up recoil really well. The DA trigger pull is smooth without stacking, measure around 11# on my gauge. The SA trigger is very nice and crisp with little take-up and breaks right around 3.5#.

I have only had one issue with mine, which was fixed with a new extractor spring.
 
I am a fan of the 3rd Gens, though I currently only have a 3913. My only reservation about using one for competition would be the magazine disconnect. I've heard the SA trigger is pretty nice if you have a smith remove the disconnect. As much as I like the type, I've noticed that the triggers seem to run the gamut from perfectly acceptable to awful.

As for S&W's service, I once sent a 1006 back for a new extractor spring and they replaced it, no cost, no questions asked.
 
S&W customer service has been fantastic. A simple call has delivered free parts, shipped in three days, three times in the last year.
 
Does 3-gun rule-requirement specify that first shot has to be fired double-action if the gun has a de-cocker safety lever?

You might not care when you are just getting started in the game, or if your club doesn't "enforce" IDPA-type rules in multi-gun matches.

Otherwise, the 14-pound trigger pull long as the Great Wall of China is going to be a HUGE disadvantage, against the Glocks and 1911-patterns - especially on the longer shots.
 
Thanks for all the help guys. For the price, I think I'm going to pick one up and play with it a bit. I've been using a RIA Match 1911 and am pleased with it. I just wanted to get into a 9mm.
 
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