I'm looking at adding a higher quality handgun to the armory.  I've been carrying a KelTec P-11 for a while.  It's OK for what it is, and goes band everytime I squeeze the trigger (after some initial polishing).  

One of the biggest drawbacks with the KT is a long, firm DA pull.  I'm trying to find out how the S&W 5906 DA trigger compares.  I've also been considering a Para LDA pistol, but am leaning toward the S&W because I'm thinking about a KelTec Sub 2000 that takes S&W mags, which happen to be relatively cheap for HiCaps.  Being able to use common mags in the carbine and pistol would be a plus.

Any thoughts or experience out there?

The 5906's are decent guns...nothing special but fine for all around use...and the triggers are much better than the KelTec. Maybe try and find a Performance Center 5906...pricey, but very well done and they shoot great! There should also be quite a few good used 5906's out there at decent prices.

Have run Smith nines for years and allows been happy with them.  Still have two, a 39 and 5946.  A few things to keep in mind.  Smiths like to be kept clean.  Smiths like to be kept lightly oiled.  Nothing exotic, just plain old Outers gun oil works fine.  

Still a fair number of police trade-ins out there.  Most have been carried more than they've been shot.  Don't get to worked up over some cosmetic issues.  

Going rate around here is in the low $300 range.  

FWIW, when I went for a CHL Instructors course in Austin several years back, turned out my neighbor at the motel was there for the same reason.

He was the with the FBI prison staff from up at Dallas (can't recall his name or title, but I still got his card at home, he was Director of firearms safety or something like that, for the whole system up there) and he "hated" the S&Ws. Said they had all their staff carring them and that after 2500 - 3000 rounds they began to come apart and that he was in the process of having them all replaced.

I could kick myself for getting rid of an old Model 59 I once owned, as it was a real collector item, but I hated the trigger on it, but this is all the info I know, other than the fella passing the info above was a nice guy and extremely competent, IMO.

Make mine a 1911 or a Glock,
Mike

We had about 35 or so that we used in our Academy for 8-10 years. The steel is not as hard nor the guns as durable as some other models out there, but I call bullshit on the 2500-3000rd. report...for the steel-framed 5906 that is. The alloy framed older guns such as the M39 / 59 maybe. These steel framed guns easily went 20-25,000 rd. or more without major repairs needing parts replacement, and while pretty worn out when retired, they had fired well over 50,000rd. each and were still working.

Its heavy.  It IS durable.  Has one of the fastest , shortest single action resets you are going to find out there.  I dont care for slide mounted safeties, and I prefer single actions, but its not a bad gun by any stretch.  Id take it over anything made by Para-Ord.

With a little work, polishing, spring kit etc. you can get a respectable DA pull, but they do work as is.
If they only lasted 2500-3000 rounds, mine would be gone a long time ago.
I did have a few newer (not recent) ones with extraction problems but I seem to get all the lemons of every make.
I still have a few Smith autos, that says something for 'em.

I currently have four various 5906's, and all run perfectly. The 2500 rounds is BS; these guns with proper care will run indefinately for most owners (depending on variables like care and ammunition selection). They give up nothing to any other hi-cap 9mm available. In addition, the trigger pull can be made very smooth with a little work, and as said above, the trigger reset is very short, so they can be fired quickly. When IDPA started, the 5906 was very well represented at the national's the first year, and still show up regularly. They have both arched and flat backstrap grips available, so can be fit to the shooter's hand/preference. They are all steel, so recoil is very mild. Hicap mags are relatively inexpensive and readily available, since these pistols were very popular with LE. All in all, the 5906 is probably the best value available in a hi-cap 9mm.