I just can’t turn down a good 3rd gen S&W, especially at $270. Just scored one on GB, a 5946 NYPD. It’s a little rough around the edges, but I’m going to hit it with a scotchbrite pad and put a new spare grip that I have in my parts bin on it. Already have a 5943 which shoots like a dream. I really think S&W hit a home run with the DAO third gens. They’re surprisingly easy to shoot with the heavy trigger. Will update with cleanup pics….
Look at the prices on 910’s and 915’s. They were 3rd Gen, but they were the budget line. Israeli police bought a few, now they are being reimported. No one liked these guns in the 90’s.
Nice pick up. I love 3rd gens although I don't have one. I'm sentimental about them since they take me back to my very early 20's in the 1980's. That's when really started getting into handguns. I did own a couple back then- they were .45 cal variants.
The bit about using a scotchbrite pad to restore the pistol did make me cringe a little, but those before and after photos are quite impressive. Well done!
A handy little blaster and probably my favorite .45 to carry.
Edited to add: I don’t know about the rest of the third generation guns but my 4516 has a reset that is comparable to the SIG SRT. The trigger is pretty smooth but the pull weight could use a little weight reduction.
That's because SIG engineers reportedly decided they needed to design an improvement in their traditional double action's (DA/SA) SA trigger recovery after losing a major LE contract to S&W in the mid 2000, according to what was said by SIG people during a pistol armorer class back then. The result was the SRT option, which was only being offered to LE when it was first released. We were told during the class that the SRT was meant to make SIG's pistols competitive regarding the short mechanical SA trigger recovery, with the metal S&W TSW's of that time.
Some armorers from agencies already using SIG's were excited when we were told they would shortly be able to call and order a SRT kit to modify their existing duty weapons, as it only involved replacing the sear and sear spring with new ones. At that time SIG engineers were still studying which current and older models could be retro-fitted, and we were told to call the company for specific info about whether/which particular guns could be retro-fitted.
The SRT was a very nice development in the Classic SIG line. Long overdue, in my opinion.
FWIW, that was the only SIG armorer class I attended, but I attended 4 classes for the S&W 3rd gen pistols and had some practical familiarity with them since we'd been using them as issued weapons since the 3rd gen's were rolled out. I'd also been adding several of them to my own collection, as well as some revolvers, SW99's and a SW1911SC 5", since I could order them for significant discounts under the old (discontinued) armorer purchase program. We'd get a discount certificate to order a gun after completing each armorer class.
Well, I also picked up a nice Colt stainless XSE Government that way, after a Colt Pistol armorer class.
Glock just told us to go buy something from a stocking Glock LE dealer.
During the SIG class we were told we could order a new SIG for a discount, but only until the end of the class (versus the S&W certificate being good for a year after the class). I was going to order a P239, but the LE discount price was, as I recall, $649 (this was in the 2000's). That was more than I was willing to spend for another compact single stack 9mm, so I didn't take advantage of the offer.
I will probably in the next 2 months or so. After reading this posting, I pulled my 3rd gens out of vacuum seal hell and sent them off to get NP3 finish. I'm going to start using these on my property in all kinds of weather and I want a good solid weather finish on them. I did have to order slim wood grips for one of the 1066's, I noticed the factory grip was cracked and for the life of me I simply don't remember ever dropping it. I looked all over online sites looking for a replacement grip but couldn't find one outside of Ebay and that was a well used one so I shelled out 76 bucks for a set of wooden rosewood grips, and low and behold, hours after I placed my order, I found a new set of factory grips for 35 bucks, got em just to be on the safe side.
I have a PD trade in DAO 4046 and it has a phenomenally smooth trigger.
I think I was told at the time it came out of Kali. Has TPDXXXX on the frame. I assume there are a bunch of departments with those initials out there.
It was going to be a truck gun and fairly disposable but that never happened and now with trade in G22.3s floating around its doesnt make sense to use it for that.
I remember CDNN having tons of these of all flavors years ago. Sadly all the mags I can find at gunshows run around $40 for my 4046. Its is one beefy piece of iron.
Here’s my favorite oddball 3rd gen Smith, a very rare 4596. It was a Lee Horton special run made by fitting a 4516-1 slide onto a 4506-1 frame. Although it wasn’t a Performance Center gun, they did an excellent job with the fitting. The full size grip and ability to use full size mags are cool features. According to the standard catalog, 382 were made in 1990. I stumbled on one on GB a few years ago and picked it up for $1k as the only bidder. I haven’t seen one for sale since. That seems to be how it goes with the 3rd gen potpourri.
I've had many 3rd Gen S&Ws over the years, but these are the two I currently own and they are definitely my favorites: a 4506-1 and a Performance Center Shorty 40 Mk3.
I bought a near mint 5906 about 6 months before Virginia made it a law you needed to transfer private sales thru an FFL.
Purchased:
1. 5906 in near mint condition
2. OEM Box
3. 10 factory mags
4. 5 Mec-Gar mags
Purchase price $ 250 cash
The ONLY thing that didn't go well on this trade, he handed me the gun minus magazine in the butt, without thinking I pulled back the slide to check the chamber and VOILA, out popped a Silvertip Hollowpoint.
I durn near walked away but it was too good a deal to let pass.
This thread inspired me to look for a 5903 SSV and I stumbled on one on GB. I won the auction for $705 last night and it’s already being shipped. I will report back.
Thanks BAMA, I ended up going into my storage room to find the box for that particular weapon and found the original grips, I love wood grips, but for me, they just don't seem to work on 3rd gen pistols, for me. I've since found a dealer going out of business that had several spares that I was able to purchase.
I traded a Colt Delta Elite Gold Cup for a S&W 945 Compact Performance Center a couple days ago. It’s quite a bit smaller than my 945-1. It has a 7 round magazine. It feels great in the hand.
Third gen S&W pistols are great. They helped pave the way for the development of the Performance Center with the 4006 and 5906. And a few other standard models that made their way to the PC. PC also developed some other third gen greats.
Wischo, a German gun importer, helped make the 5906 and 845 very popular with some European countries.
With the development of the .40s&w, the 4006 evolved. Along with Glock’s model 22.
Grips I have are checkered. I once purchased a pair of slim aluminum grips at a show but they just didn't feel right to me. Now, all of my Beretta 92 and varients all sport Alumagrip aluminum grips.
Math eagle that 945 PC commander size is a pretty rare bird. I bought a 2 tone black and stainless one. You hardly ever see those for sale. I think the rarest is the officers sized 40 s&w 945. Nice find.
This is my complete collection of S&W 40 caliber 3rd gen Performance Center guns. The M-40 Limited, Comp 40 and Shorty Forty on top are all awesome and are well represented online. Less has been posted about the 945-40 at the bottom, which I will feature today. The 945 line of PC guns was...
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