Posted: 12/23/2006 8:03:23 PM EDT
| I have always been intrigued by the various S&W Autos, though I have never owned one. I have handled several, and they feel good in the hand. Prior to taking the plunge and actually purchasing one, I am soliciting opinions on these pistols, pro or con. It looks like some of the older models can be had at competitive prices, I am particulary looking at the 3904 and 4506 models. Any input would be appreciated. |
Some of the very best semi-autos made! I like the all stainless models and own many of them. I have a 4506, 4566, two 4516's, two 5906's and a 4006. Never had a malfunction with any of them. Here is my 4506: These are some of the most under rated hand guns out there. They are every bit as good as Sig's, HK's and 1911's. |
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I have recently bought two S&W autos. One is a Model 39-2 Nickel 9mm. The other one is a 4563TSW .45 ACP. Both are "top notch" handguns. Accurate as hell and funtion perfectly. These are two of my favorite handguns. I use the 4563 with a mounted light as my home protection gun. Buy one or two. You won't regret it! 
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I used both the 4506 & 4566 at work, after we finally lost the 1911 privilige. I bought two of each as we didn't issue them, and if one got used, broke, lost, stolen - whatever, I'd need another one until everything was cleared. Both of the two I used were complete work horses. They shot anything you fed them, functioned reliably in a dusty climate, easy maintenance - they are just good D/A semi-autos. I would get rid of the magazine disconnect though (I did). |
I was a police trade in.
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I owned a S&W 4013TSW for a while. The trigger was crisp and light, the barrel chrome lined like many military guns, and it was the only semiauto I've ever owned that never malfunctioned. I've had Glocks, SIG's, and Berettas all do terrible things on occasion, but that S&W was fool proof and chugged through every round I put through it. The only downside is since SIG's, Berettas, and especially Glocks have been sold in much greater quantities, you can get spare parts and add ons much easier for these guns, but have to order parts piecemeal from S&W at high prices if you want spares. |
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I have personally had poor luck with the S&W 1911 and M&P. That being said, I still hold the 5906, 4006 and 4506 in high reguard. These guns were/are very popular among LE agencies and have been for some time. I still see variations of these guns riding around in holsters all over the region. For a HD or CCW gun, your gonna have hard time beating a SW auto of this generation, especially for the money. In terms of reliability they are equal/superior to guns costing three times more. Mas Ayoob holds the 4506 in very high reguard, which is enough for me... |
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I kept a few 2nd generation S&W autos in my fleet, a 659 & two 645s. I prefer them mainly because of the traditional grips with screws and lower prices on the used market. About 5 years ago, I witnessed a 645 "let loose" from a double charge, where it actually "fireformed" the brass around the feed ramp, warped the rubber grips and blew the magazine out the well into the ground, destroying it. Besides no injury to the shooter, the gun is still shooting to this day. I doubt most of the other more highly touted brand names would hold up as well and I'd rather not want to find out that way. I have less trust in plastic or aluminum frames containing that much pressure, not that it's an every day event, especially when avoiding "gunshow reloads". The other side of the coin, through the years I have had a few lemons, like 5906s that failed to extract after a few magfulls were run through it. For the money, I would add another one to the collection or as a first purchase. |
The SMith autos, especially the 3rd generation models, are awesome pistols. I currently have 2 - 4046s, 1 - 908, 1 - 4043, and a MP40 and they are outstanding pistols. The steel guns arent light by any means, but they run like the proverbial top. I carried the 4046 for 3 years at work and would go back to it in a heartbeat. Of course, the M&P is the cat's ass out of all of them. 
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Currently CCW a pre-rail 3913TSW. I have a standard 3914 as a second gun to stand in so I don't have to relearn anything. I also have a 1076, and it's a great gun. I was going to get a 4506, but after having the 10mm I decided I'd stick with that in a large frame S&W and leave the .45ACP to the 1911. I'm still looking for a 1006 at the right price. |
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I have owned several of the 3rd Generation S&W autos. I still have a 5906 and a 5903 (both 9mm's). I once had a 4506 and ended up trading it to something, which has often made me feel sick in hindsight. These are very reliable and very durable pistols. I have never experienced any problems with them either, which seems to be common with the experiences of others here as well. That leaves me wondering why the S&W autos are often described as "unreliable". IMHO, they are as reliable as any of the other quality auto pistols out there today and far better than some. The only thing I have against them is their trigger. Many of them have a pretty crappy feeling trigger, with lots of slack, a gritty feel, etc, especially in DA mode. But after that first shot, I have no problem with the trigger and can rapid fire my 5906 with exceptional accuracy. But if you are use to the trigger on a Glock, H&K or Sig, the S&W Gen 3 pistols take a bit of time to get use to. But other than the trigger, I have no complaints about those pistols. |