Smith & Wesson Model 5906

[m5215]

I am considering adding this pistol to my collection. It would be my first Smith & Wesson pistol if I do get it. I like the fact that it is all steel as that is how I prefer my pistols to be built. It's also DA/SA which is what I prefer. 15 round magazine seems to be standard which is OK. The stainless steel looks great on it.

I am not familiar with the reputation of this pistol except that it was used by some police agencies then it was replaced with polymer designed pistols. Would anyone care to give their opinions on this pistol be it good or bad? It would be great to get some feedback to help me make a decision if I should look into getting this pistol.

Also I see it is easy to have it's hammer spring removed. I read that it comes with a 20# spring like the Beretta 92. Would a 16# be safe to replace the stock hammer spring and not have to worry about light primer strikes?

 

[grasshopperglock]

I carried the 3rd gen while in law enforcement. The all steel models are heavy as hell. It's a serious chunk of steel. Alloy frame was the easiest to carry for 8 hours. It wasn't known to be as reliable as the gold standard(Glock).

I've had a 5904, 5906, and another I can't remember the number. Compact 9mm.

Info,

https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/guide-smith-wesson-semi-automatic-models/

 

[bigwheel]

I lugged a 4506 around for quite a few years in po po work and owned one myself starting in the early 90s. . Great gun. Only bad habit it knew was to stove pipe on girly men who insisted to limp wrist it..so of course it didnt ever try that sheet on me. lol. They came around one day and took them all away and gave us the Sigs. Know they gave the defectives some smaller SW 9mms..maybe thats what they had. Notice when i googled it up they say it has a magazine disconnect..which is not a good plan for anybody thinkng they might get into a gun fight one day. It mighty handy to be able to crank one off while trying to get a fresh magazine into it.

 

[Eli]

I need a 5906-type because I have a Marlin Camp 9, and they use the same magazine - which was by design, Marlin wanted to sell them as LEO carbines that used the same magazine and ammo as the common issue handguns of the day.

Eli

 

[bigwheel]

Sounds plausible. Surely we will meet a Leo toting a 9 mm carbine one of these days.lol. Are we sure that was the intended market?

 

[grasshopperglock]

Well the earlier mags weren't marked. Full capacity. Then Bill Clinton took a crap and only law enforcement could get the full capacity. Those came marked with the, "For government and law enforcement use only" on the side.

Now the stuff is vintage. I haven't seen or heard of the law dog mags in a while. Or the plain ones. Anybody who has a Smith usually doesn't sell off the magazines. I wouldn't.
....


I would cycle all three mags of ammo before I'd carry the ammo. Insert the mag with new ammo and keep racking till you've gone through all of them. Hoping it'd be insurance against a stove pipe or some other kind of jam.

 

[Eli]

Sounds plausible. Surely we will meet a Leo toting a 9 mm carbine one of these days.lol. Are we sure that was the intended market?

My Marlin came from a PD or SO, my late father bought it from a uniformed cop thought was toting several - all in the same condition, near-new basic models - around a gun show circa 2005.

Eli

 

[grasshopperglock]

My Marlin came from a PD or SO, my late father bought it from a uniformed cop thought was toting several - all in the same condition, near-new basic models - around a gun show circa 2005.

Eli

No doubt it was carried by law enforcement. Some departments it's on the officer to buy the weapons. Maybe the department back in day issued it. Marlin got law enforcement sales by making to where it'd use the same magazine.

The objective is finding a magazine for it in 2018.

 

[Vaquero]

I am considering adding this pistol to my collection. It would be my first Smith & Wesson pistol if I do get it. I like the fact that it is all steel as that is how I prefer my pistols to be built. It's also DA/SA which is what I prefer. 15 round magazine seems to be standard which is OK. The stainless steel looks great on it.

I am not familiar with the reputation of this pistol except that it was used by some police agencies then it was replaced with polymer designed pistols. Would anyone care to give their opinions on this pistol be it good or bad? It would be great to get some feedback to help me make a decision if I should look into getting this pistol.

Also I see it is easy to have it's hammer spring removed. I read that it comes with a 20# spring like the Beretta 92. Would a 16# be safe to replace the stock hammer spring and not have to worry about light primer strikes?

They are great guns. Smooth operation, just the right weight to recoil balance (to me), they look good too.
One of the only 9mm I've really liked.

Only downside, no factory replacement parts.
If you really "break" something, you're paying for fabrication of internals. At least that's my understanding.

I'd put the 5906 on the same level as the hi-power.
They just work right.

 

[grasshopperglock]

On the stainless models. You can polish it out chrome. Super beautiful if they have the trigger guard hook. I hated when they got rid of it and went to rounded. I thought it made the entire look of the pistol.

 

[bigwheel]

No doubt it was carried by law enforcement. Some departments it's on the officer to buy the weapons. Maybe the department back in day issued it. Marlin got law enforcement sales by making to where it'd use the same magazine.

The objective is finding a magazine for it in 2018.

Ok..gotcha. Knew the Israelis and others sometimes toted the little 9 mm machine guns for close quarters..fighting on airplanes etc. Just never bumped into many cops lugging a 9 mm semi auto rifle. Now on a cautionary note the crusty old firearms guru often said.."Men if you have to shoot somebody with a rifle..make sure its a .223 cause those are specially made for killing people." Guess the same could be said for a 9 mm, That round has killed a bunch of folks. Should qualify as safe and effective to use on humans too. Depends on how the lawyers can twist it up. The firearms guy was real adamant about trying to not shoot any bad guys with a .22-250 which even though they are great man stoppers..they are varmint guns. Which dont sound good in court. lol.

 

[vmax]

I’ve wanted one but after Vaq’s revelation of no replacement parts,...not so much anymore

 

[avvidclif]

It's a Smith. Probably never break. But if it does a gunsmith can get the parts that need to be fitted. The rest you probably can.

Why not ask S&W instead of the internet???

 

[Eli]

I've never heard of parts being an issue on the older Smiths, and these models are built like tanks. They were discontinued when a lot of agencies started issuing tupperware, glutting the market with used guns - there was a time not too long ago when used 5906s were retailing for less than $300.

Eli

 

[mroper]

I think I bought a magazine from CDNN / Target Sports

 

[MTA]

I carried the 3rd gen while in law enforcement. The all steel models are heavy as hell. It's a serious chunk of steel. Alloy frame was the easiest to carry for 8 hours. It wasn't known to be as reliable as the gold standard(Glock).

I've had a 5904, 5906, and another I can't remember the number. Compact 9mm.

Info,

View attachment 152414


https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/guide-smith-wesson-semi-automatic-models/

That graph is fantastic.


OP the 3rd Gen S&W pistols are good to go

 

[m5215]

OK I think I am convinced now to get one but I am concerned about the possible issue on replacement parts as I typically service my own pistols unless it is something very difficult then I get a professional gunsmith involved.

 

[Vaquero]

OK I think I am convinced now to get one but I am concerned about the possible issue on replacement parts as I typically service my own pistols unless it is something very difficult then I get a professional gunsmith involved.

Like I said, the lack of parts is what I've been told.
Certainly, I could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time.

 

[grasshopperglock]

I've never heard of any parts breaking. The springs might get tired. Wolff should have them.


Most everything on the pistol is fairly simple. What parts would break? Stuff in the safety group or the fire control group? Most of it is plungers, springs, levers, and links.

 

[grasshopperglock]

The biggest pi$$-off on the 3rd gen. Is the one piece wrap around grip. Aftermarket grips like Pachmayr or Hogue are about the only thing. There's some options in wood.

The wrap around grip doesn't look as sexy as the previous generation. The two scales that could be made out of anything exotic. The exposed back strap sets it off.