Deal with the devel aside:

I hear alot of negative moaning about S&W autos. Comments like I like there revolvers but there autos suck.  I don't think I've ever heard anyone qualify that. I had an inglish professor (hahaha funny I know) that would eat me alive in argument if I made a blanket statement like that.

Anybody got any examples?

I really like my 910..This thing goes bang every time. If I had to could choose a gun to carry thats the one.

I am sorry that I cannot give you model numbers, but I have had S&W auto's jam on me more than the Sig's, Glocks, 1911's, and even Berreta's.  The only autos that I don't have any experience in are H&K's and I look foreward to shooting those.  Wish that I could give you more.  

I actually learned to shoot with a Smith semi. I cant give model numbers either, but I cant remember that pistol jamming either. As a matter of fact, it was so fun to shoot it spurned a life long love of the sport. I bought my Smith semi because my mother sold hers. Her new husband didn't like guns! Man I'm glag hes gone, I took my mom pistol shopping last weekend

I realize all guns can malfunction, I just have never personally seen a Smith fail. I know it must happen, stuff breaks.

S&W, being the first out, there was not much to compare to. The idea of 14 or more shots was awesome then. As other companies came out with their hi-cap 9s, Smith was found to be at the hind tit, generally. Having dozens of them does not really qualify me as an expert, however, through the years, I have had some "bad" ones. A few that refused to extract, for no apparent reason, a model 59 that shot 6 FEET low, a 659 that the frame was machined way off center,(still worked!) Even the ones that did work, the triggers were gritty and awkward. Ergonomics sucked. That being said, I carry a 5906 and own a few others, so I know there are good ones too. Being old fashioned, I always avoided the Sigma series...thank god, as they have a bad reputation, for the most part.

Quoted: I am sorry that I cannot give you model numbers, but I have had S&W auto's jam on me more than the Sig's, Glocks, 1911's, and even Berreta's.  The only autos that I don't have any experience in are H&K's and I look foreward to shooting those.  Wish that I could give you more.

What do you mean EVEN BERRETA'S?

BTW... It's spelled Beretta, and plurals do not require an apostrophe.  Apostrophes imply possession, as in: "Santyth's Beretta, which has not ever jammed for any reason."

Far less accurate than ANY other semi I've shot, terrible ergonomics - they aren't comfortable to shoot, drop the slide or change mags, sights are difficult to acquire, most (if not all) have a magazine disconnect, which is just one more problem waiting to happen. That's all I can think of off the top of my head, but if you hand me one to shoot, I'm sure I can come up with more.

One plus - I shot a Smith & Walther 99 and that was accurate, but the trigger just plain sucks.

Got to agree on the "not fitting my hand" part.  I have a Smith 1006 and 1026, and neither one feels right.  Someday I'll send them off to a custom gunsmith and see what he can do with the trigger pull to smooth it out, and maybe that will help some also.  I only keep them because they are 10mm's.  

Bought 4013 for CCW use. It jammed at least once every mag with both factory mags. Sent it back and was told it met factory specs. Thought I could finally get used to shape of the grips, but the dependability was not acceptable for a defensive firearm. Sold it for a $100 loss and got a Glock.  But I also have Mod.22A S&W that I like very well. Feels good, reliable and very accurate. When I take new shooters out, I always start them on this one to build up thier confidence before moving up to something bigger.

For all of S&W's genius in designing & building top-notch revolvers, they sure screwed up somewhere on the way to the semi building.

Their semi Chief's Special models fit in my hand like a wooden 2x4 instead of an ergonomic grip design.

Accuracy in a S&W, generally speaking, leaves a bit to be desired when compared to other guns at the same price range.

I bought a S&W 6966, a DAO 9mm, for my first semi & group size at 15 yards was about 10-12". Very disappointing.

My .o2

Have owned a 39-2 for several years.  Love it.  Fits my hand (smallish) better than anything I own.  Completely reliable provided its clean and using good ammo.  Accuracy is acceptable for IDPA matches.  Trigger pull is fine.  SA a bit mushy but can't really complain.

Smith has had their ups and downs with autos over the years.  Prior to the 39 and owned a 59 and was not very happy with it. Grip was about as ergonomic as a 2 x 4.  Reliability was spotty.   Part of the problem was the 59 was the first of the wondernines.  There was a while in the early and mid seventies where they were the only game in town.  Smith cranked them out as fast as they could and quality slipped.  And price went thru the roof as well.  I can remember dealer price in the early seventies being quoted as 350 plus.  

Friend has a 4006 that is rock solid.  Weighs about as much a rock but the gun will shoot all day long.  

I carried a 5906 as a duty weapon for 2 years at another job. No complaints here!!

Smith & Wesson autoloaders are great.

FOR ME TO POOP ON!!

Seriously, I've never actually seen a Smith auto that consistently functioned (which is to say that every Smith auto I've seen has consistently malfunctioned).

In my CCW class, one student had an NIB 908 that would randomly Class II (failure to eject). In another class, there were two Smegma owners. One Smegma broke on the first set we fired and the slide started locking open after every round. That guy bought a Glock 22 and didn't look back. The other would randomly Class III (failure to feed). I was next to him on the line, and it went something like "bang bang bang bang thump DAMNIT! I hate this POS!" Before you say he wasn't keeping it clean, we all cleaned our weapons together and they were inspected by the instructors.

Quoted: I bought a S&W 6966, a DAO 9mm, for my first semi & group size at 15 yards was about 10-12". Very disappointing. My .o2

HEHEHEHE, squeeze tht trigger. . . don't jerk it.

Quoted: Quoted: I bought a S&W 6966, a DAO 9mm, for my first semi & group size at 15 yards was about 10-12". Very disappointing. My .o2 HEHEHEHE, squeeze tht trigger. . . don't jerk it.

I was a Marine, I know how to use trigger control. I could shoot nicely with my S&W revolvers or other semis. Of course the S&W 52-2 I just bought shoots rather nicely.

Deal with the devel aside:

Cuz I am still trying wipe the taste of that 9mm Smegma (Sigma) outta my mouth.

I do have a 22A - it is pretty good except for that cheesy plastic piece and the shitty painted finish.

I have owned three Smith autos and they all sucked.  First I had a 9mm model 915 and it jammed with every type of ammo I tried about 1 time per mag.

Next I had a 9mm model 3913 for carry.  It jammed the same as the 915 I replaced but about 1 out of every 2 mags.

Then I had a 9mm Sigma and it felt like crap the way it was designed but shot fine.

I then bought a Taurus PT92 and out of over 500 rounds through it in the past 5 years I have only had one stove-pipe jam and it was with some reloads that I was trying for a friend.

My Glock 17 has never jammed in over 1200 rounds of use.  Wish I never traded it off.

As others have noted, the ergonomics on the S&Ws are not good.  They just do not fit my hand well.  I have to use my left hand to drop the slide since the thumb on my right hand does not reach the release lever like it does on my Beretta.

Damn,


I've still never seen one jam. I think I'll put a couple hundred more rounds through mine this weekend.

When people in CA were buying up hi ca....err standard capacity mags in 99 I still found 15 rounders for my 910. They were alot cheaper than my P14 mags!

This thread has given me a good insite.... never buy a used S&W auto! People dont normaly sell guns that they like

I have limited experience with a Sigma .40 (didn't say it was a GOOD experience), but never forayed into the rather large catalogue of S&W centerfires.

I do however own a Model 41 and a 22A both in .22LR and they are both great guns in different ways.

The 22A is a really ugly painted piece of junk...the aluminum frame is starting to gall from the slide, the plastic buffer wears out after a couple thousand rounds (which to the credit of S&W, was replaced for free once with 10 new buffers sent to me after I complained), the rear sight needs to be removed to mount most scopes/dotsights.  However it has been the most reliable 22 I've ever owned...has never hiccuped on any ammo I've put through the barrel.  And I've burned about 35,000 rounds already.

The 41 is an entirely different gun...beautiful workmanship, great ergos, nice heft.  Great Bullseye pistol.  Downside to mine is that it is rather finicky with ammo.  But after weighing and sorting my rounds, the 41 is a real tackdriver.

So not All Smiths are bad. Then again there was that Sigma incident....
out!

Sigma = jamomatic

This has been experienced by many shooters.  We loan weapons for CCW class.

Ruger P89 = OK

Glock 17 = OK (what do you expect)

Sigma = jamomatic

yes, it was clean....

Tate

Had a 645 and a 4509.  Sold both and wish I'd kept both.  Never had a FTF with either (1,000 +/- rds.).  Both were VERY heavy but felt good in the hand and were accurate and fun to shoot.

The only *&* I've heard (never shot mind you) bad things about is the Sigma.

Only owned two a 469 that feed everything (including cast bullets) with no problem and the SW99 in 40S&W I carry now . So I guess I got lucky on the first and as for the second I guess I can thank Walther for their influence .

My SW99 in .40S&W (which I've seen S&W sometimes refer to as a Sigma and other times as it's own series) fails to feed often.  Even with the feed ramp scrupulously clean the bullet will catch on the feed ramp.  Polishing might help, but comparing the angle to my glock 27 they are virtually identical and the G27 has only failed to feed once.  With the SW99, it was once per magazine, if not multiple times, through the first 500 rounds.  It's much better now, but still fails to feed now and again.  I need to have the feed ramp polished by a gunsmith and see if that doesn't fix the problem.

I will say it's a damn comfortable pistol to shoot with their different sized backstraps.  It's good to see that HK is picking up on that with the S2000, which is on my "Must have" list if/when it gets produced.

God Bless Texas

Man, I do not know about your SW99 .40, But mine shoots great and I have yet to jam the thing. I cannot help but think that maybe you are having a Ammunition problem, related to use of flat point .40 practice ammo, or some sort of wide mouth hollow point. My SW99 .40 feeds everytime with Winchester Silertip and Remington Golden Saber. I love my SW99 so much, that it makes me want to throw rocks at my Glock 21. S&W came up with a winner, when they made the deal with Walther. Let me relate to you a story about my own personal expiriance with the SW99. About a year ago, while working security at a large apt complex I had to help a renter who had locked themselves out of their apt, and while helping them gain entry, I managed to badly cut my shooting hand, severing the nerve in my pinkie finger. Causing the finger to become numb for good. I found that this caused great problems later with establishing the proper shooting grip on almost all my handguns. All that is but my SW99. I just changed out the grip panel, to the smallest and this helped greatly. THANKS S&W!!!
The SW99 every bit the equal of the Sig's, H&K's, and Glock's. SW99 owners can be happy in the knowledge, that they own one of the most advanced handguns on the planet, Bar none

Quoted: Man, I do not know about your SW99 .40, But mine shoots great and I have yet to jam the thing. I cannot help but think that maybe you are having a Ammunition problem, related to use of flat point .40 practice ammo, or some sort of wide mouth hollow point. My SW99 .40 feeds everytime with Winchester Silertip and Remington Golden Saber.

I've used the following ammo:

- Winchester white box (180gr FMJ)
- Remington UMC (180gr FMJ)
- Black Hills blue box reloads (165gr FMJ I believe)
- Federal Hydrashok (various bullet weights)

All of them, except the Black Hills, caused problems.  I've polished the feed ramp myself and it performs much better now, without one failure to feed through the last 200 rounds.  So far, so good.

I have been shooting my two S&W autos (that I purchased brand new) for over five years. I have had less trouble with them (right out of the box) than with my other well known top line autos. My Sig P220 stayed at home because it was so unreliable that I was afraid to carry it. After 800 rounds, I have complete confidence in it. Gunners should remember the break in period is very important and different for each gun. Until any gun is broke<->in, you don't know what you have.

A nearby police department traded in their Glock 17s for .40 cal S&W Sigmas.  Within four months they were transitioning to the Walther P99s.  The biggest problem I heard about was the floorplate popping off the hi-cap mags on the Sigma.