Smith & Wesson Autoloaders

[Confederate]

1. Does anyone have a Smith & Wesson 639? If so, can you post your experiences with it, plus a few photos if you have them?

2. Which is generally regarded as being better, the 659 or 5906? What were the improvements in the new model? I have both and they seem to shoot very similarly. Both are very dependable, slightly boxy; the 5906 has a way better sighting system, but the grips seem to be a bit cheaper. Was there supposed to be a performance difference?

3. Does the 559 have any special collector's value? I had one of these originally and sold it. Now I wonder if it might have some collector's value because I never see them around, or for sale. Does anyone have one of these guns?

4. Why did the 645 and the 4506 never sell better than they did? I have owned two 659s and one 5906 and one 645, and all three pistols had superlative double action triggers and could fire anything I could cram into the chamber. I can see why people might prefer the cocked and locked feature of a 1911, but the 1911s cost substantially more than the double action version of these guns.

5. Does anyone has a Smith & Wesson 1911 model? How reliable are they out of the box compared to the double-action 645/4506 models?

If anyone has any other observations on S&W autoloaders, feel free to chime in. And I'd love to see any photos.

Thanks!

 

[EOD Guy in VA]

The ones you cite are all fine, but by all means check out the new M&Ps. I have a full-size and compact in .40S&W and love them both.

The compact did something I never thought would happen... it replaced my SIG P239-DAK as my small carry pistol.

 

[chupacabrah]

what he said. I really like my M&P 9mm full size. worth checking out. some of those others you cite are tried and true though, i think...but then again i dont really know for sure about that.

 

[gc70]

(2) Third generation (4-digit model numbers) S&W autos are generally considered to be evolutionary improvements over second generation models (3-digit model numbers). The grips on the 5906 may look cheaper than the wood grips on the 659, but most people find the 5906 grips more ergonomic and the Delrin gips are nearly indestructible. The elimination of the separate barrel bushing on the 5906 supposedly improved accuracy.

The third generation autos are the last of S&W's mass production steel pistols and are extremely robust and reliable. Later pistols (Sigma, SW99, M&P) went to polymer frames. As noted, the M&P pistols are very impressive.

 

[Gun Slinger]

I consider the S&W 5906 to be a true "classic".

Great trigger pull, extremely reliable, will digest anything the magazines will hold, quite accurate for a service auto, the Novak sights are awesome and it is quite comfortable to shoot.

I own two of them (exact copies, one is a "shooter", the other a "safe queen") and would never dream of giving them up.

 

[Tom Fury]

S&W autos:

Beats me why the 4506 and 1006 didn't sell better; my only observation is they seem to be an acquired taste: I like mine better than 5" 1911s' I have owned.
I think 4566 and 4516-2 are real sleepers and should be snapped up given the slightest chance. (I love 457's)!
I have owned one of the first 1911SC Commander style pistols; I would rather have had an Ed Brown BT in it, and the hugh laser marking on the slide was annoying (toned down now on the PD) but otherwise dead reliable and a great shooter; only sold because we moved to UK.

Cheers, TF

 

[Ala Dan]

Smith & Wesson basic stainless 5" 1911 (#108282) here~!

Best "bang for the buck", with absolutely NO
issues. Runs perfect, feeds all ammo without
even a hiicup, and NO problem with their [external]
extractors~!

Opps Confederate My Friend-

I forgot 'bout the wonderful '81 model original S&W 39-2 in 9m/m that I own~!
What a fine firearm; and the gun that started the "Wonder Nine" craze~!

 

[bannockburn]

Confederate

I never had a Model 639 (though I did like their looks), but have had several of the more compact 469 and 669 series. Good, sturdy guns that that would give you years of dependable service. The two issues I had with them were the slightly longer reach of the DA trigger, and the placement/shape of the slide safety. Also the shape of the grip, particularly the backstrap, was less than ideal for my hands. Other than that though, they were good to go out of the box.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

No 639, but I own or have owned three "third-gen" Smiths (5904, 3913LS and a 6946) and all of them gobble up everything I feed them and come back asking for more. The 3913 in particular is delightfully light, slim and accurate. Most of these pistols don't command "collector" prices and are therefore very attainable. I would like very much to attain a 645, 4506 or 4516 myself.

 

[Coronach]

4. Why did the 645 and the 4506 never sell better than they did? I have owned two 659s and one 5906 and one 645, and all three pistols had superlative double action triggers and could fire anything I could cram into the chamber. I can see why people might prefer the cocked and locked feature of a 1911, but the 1911s cost substantially more than the double action version of these guns.

As someone who carried a 4506 on duty for years, I can attempt to answer this:

1. Huuuuuuuuuuge. have you looked at one next to a 1911? Or a BHP?

2. Heavy. The thing could be used to moor a freighter.

3. Ergononomics that, for the average user, are just flat-out terrible.

4. Triggers that, in stock trim, are just dreadful. I understand that they can be slicked up nicely, though (we were forbidden to do that).

That said, they sure are reliable and bomb-proof. I never felt poorly armed when we carried them, but I was not exactly sad to see them retired. Mine is now nestled in the back of the safe, and will probably spend a lot of time back there.

Mike

 

[hankdatank1362]

Man, after a 1911, a 4506 would be my top .45ACP pistol, even over a SIG P220.

My friend has one. The grips are a little narrow, which took some getting used too, but they grew on me. The thing is built like a tank. Unfortuantely, I think he got a lemon, b/c it's not too accurate, and I've heard good thiings about SW autoloaders.

 

[jsbethel]

My 639 is a favorite - never any issues. I also have a 39-2, 3904, 3906 and a 3913NL on the way. I have owned a 5906 and 915 in the past (and they were great pistols) but I just prefer the single stack S&Ws because of the way they feel in the hand.

 

[Tom Fury]

+1 with Hankdatank: Owned a LEO 4506 (San Antonio PD, I think) and someone had done first class trigger job on it. Yes, they're big and HEAVY, and its a hassle finding holsters for those with square trigger guards,but the "bombproof" thing grows on you and you just never worry about reliability at all; something that I must say always niggles with 1911 non ramped system on my Commanders. I find the grip thing a little hard too, but have learned to live with the straight backed ones; I have reached a compromise because of how flat it is. Hogues seem too big for me, but a compromise is the 1076 "palm swell" grip still available from S&W that offers some more space under the beavertail, a slightly rounded heel and a bit of a palmswell.
Cheers, TF