kentuckysureshot

got a good looking s&w 5906 today in 9mm, shoots great and looks good, stainless with night sights, really like the look and feel of gun, but being new to it thought i would ask some of your opinions, and was sort of wondering what these guns are actually worth.

deputy125

older technology surpassed by new technology and new manufacturing techniques.......................but still a very nice older weapon. I have heard it said that if they was to make a new 5906 today out of the same specs and materials that they would retail well over $900.

they are a fine weapon that fell out of favor due to weight and the desire for the latest and greatest.......and especially costs.......a victim of the sucess of glock.....which for a while ate everybody's lunch in the leo market.

Smith basicly decided that the model could no longer remain competitive in leo markets in design or profitability especially with glock making huge in-roads and market share..........and Smith is accustomed to being THE gun in the leo market.

i have been seeing used 5906 guns going for $299 at www.cdnninvestments.com

i would guess the night sights are worth more providing they have not gone dim.

the 59 series is rather like the ruger "p" series.......a good weapon that no longer has a market due to current trends.

kentuckysureshot

thanks for the info. exactly what i was looking for in an answer. It is a very nice weapon though, and ive got almost three in it, so Im happy with that. Just didnt want to have went way over board as Ive seen some do.

jody johnson

You did well indeed....

Sadly, the Smith autos, frequently "overshadowed" by foreign brands became, if not "second-fiddle" at least "second choice" for a while. Today, there's an increasing level
of shooter-collector interest...particularly in some of the lesser-known variants. This, at least to me, is as it should be....

As a general rule, the 59-5900 series are, like the venerable Ruger "P" series, darn near indestructable. Great shooters, look good, and, as noted, made in th' USA. Enjoy your American Smith and Wesson...who knows?...perhaps this is merely your first of many more Smiths yet to come.....

Good shootin!!!.

Redhawk41mag

5906...the first pistol I ever owned. In 1985, they were the balls as far as American 9MM's. When I didnt go the LE route, I put it away because it was a gift but my pop said on the way to a gun show "you should trade that anvil off for something easier to conceal." Of course, I was so stubborn and had to have a 1911...but it made great trade bait. Other than its acuracy and durability, the mags fit my Marlin Camp Carbine 9MM too!!

I completely agree w/ Jody in the respect that they are almost indestructable, like the "P" series Ruger. The S&W 5906 has no drawbacks except its size for carry!

Redhawk~~~remembers learning one handed cycling off the belt w/ my 5906

countrygun

I never got used to the grip size on the 59-series, but I am quite partial to the 639,

tx gun runner

I can't shoot the 639 or 659 the trigger is too far forward and I can't reach it . The Glock 27 was the 1st DA I could reach .

RugerFan

I had a 5906 for a number of years. They are quality made guns. I paid less than $200 for mine with 3 mags, the box and paperwork back in the late 90's. Today, I often see ones in not as nice condition for somewhere between $350 and $450.

mesinge2

Those older steel S&W pistols are really some of the best pistols they ever made. It is really a shame that they are dropping the line from production.

Machinist

Not a fan of most S&W autos but I had a chance to shoot one of those years back. I was at the range checking a new gun and a young man had just bought one of these as a police trade-in. He could not even hit the paper and saw I was shooting groups so he asked me to shoot his gun to see if it was the gun or him. The gun grouped nicely so we got him sorted out. He had a monster flinch and was jerking the gun down like a deep sea rod. Once he learned to hold and follow through with some dry fire we went to live rounds and he did fine, real happy.

The 9mm in that full size gun was pleasant to shoot and the gun was easy to shoot well, even without being familiar with it. I think you got a great deal on a fine handgun. Hope you enjoy it for many years. The magazines were widely available and used in carbines as noted and as high caps for the double stack Kel-tecs, which had ten round magazines but were made to take the 59 series S&W 15 rounders, so you should find plenty of them I would think.

countrygun

A well known National pompetition shooter, who worked wit a gunsmith on micro sizing the 39 series told me not long ago that it was the opinion around at the time, that when S&W went to the stainless models tey had to retool for the material, with new equipment, and since the older 39 equipment had been around for a while, the new steel and stainless steel models were the closest fitting in the series, that Smith ever produced. I found and bought the oldest 639 i could get