S&W 5906 9mm vs M&P .40

[mcd_sports]

I went to my LGS today to start preparing for my first gun purchase. I've recently gotten into shooting and have gone to several ranges locally 5 times in the last 2 months. Most of those times I have ended up shooting a FS M&P 9mm. I really like it. I've also shot a couple 1911s in .45, a Beretta in 9mm, Glock 17, and one other 9mm I can't remember. I just keep coming back to the M&P in 9mm.
So, that is what I was looking for. Unfortunately I am not quite ready to plop down the ~$500 for that gun.
However, at the LGS I found a a couple similar guns used that were closer to my price range, under $400. I have shot neither and wondered y'alls thoughts. Both are LEO trade-ins. They are the S&W 5906 9mm and the M&P .40
I love the M&P platform, but wonder if the .40 is too much for my wife (who has only shot .22s). I also really liked the feel (yes even the weight) of the 5906, but I am concerned since it is older and out of production. Maintenance issues, how likely am I to find accessories for that later on down the road, etc...
Anyone have thoughts for me?

Thanks in advance

 

[BarryLee]

I own a 5903 which is almost identical to the 5906 I think the only difference is that the 5903 has an aluminum frame instead of steel.

Anyway, I find the gun really nice to shoot and they are very reliable from what I have seen and heard. The 9mm is an extremely good round for range use and self defense. It is readily available and probably less expensive than the .40 caliber ammunition. There are some pretty powerful modern designed ammunition, so it should meet all of your needs nicely.

 

[JJW]

I have a S&W 5906. I have probably fired over 5000 rounds thru it. It is as sound, reliable and accurate today as it was when it was new. It is easy to field strip and clean. It has never failed to fire. Now that I am retired, I still shoot some, but not as much as before. It is the weapon I transitioned to from revolvers, and still have, and shoot it today

S&W made the 5906 primarily for law enforcement use, and many departments bought them. I have seen them referred to as "tanks". They will accept any ammo you care to shoot thru them.

When the FBI decided that .40 cal. was a better round, and Glocks pushed the striker fired idea, the police units were traded in by some departments because they were sold the idea that DA/SA was not as safe as the same trigger pull each round. Truth be told, it comes down to training and practice.

Glocks have had their time and brands like Sig-Sauer are taking their place. Don't be surprised to see some agencies return to S&W M&P's.

I realize I went full circle on you, so let me just say this, if the 5906 is within your budget, and you have confidence in the shop selling it, buy it. The money saved will buy range ammo.
I'm sure that someone else will be along her soon with their opinion, that is just mine.

 

[RC20]

I believe S&W stands behind this guns discontinued not (check of course).
S&W does not ask for receipts so while the warranty is to the original owner, they do not get proof (good on them)

They are fine guns from all accounts. I hope to get one some day

 

[SW40F]

The 5906 is a Traditional Double Action trigger, longer/heavier pull for the first shot and a shorter/lighter pull for all follow-up shots. The first pull is heavier and longer because as a Double Action it cocks and releases the hammer. Recoil from the first shot re-cocks the hammer and the subsequent shots can be lighter and shorter because the trigger only has to release the hammer.

The slide-mounted 'safety lever' lets the hammer fall safely (de-cock) and will not let the trigger cock and fire the hammer when left in the 'safe' position. The lever can also be rotated down to de-cock the hammer and the placed back in the up or 'fire' position, relying on the longer and heavy first pull as a trigger safety.

The M&P has a striker action with a constant trigger pull feel for each and every shot.

The difference between the trigger action feel may, or may not, matter to you, but see if you can fire the 5906 or another TDA gun before you decide if it is what you want to purchase.

 

[carguychris]

The main factor to consider is that the M5906 is more complex to use because it has a heavy first-shot double-action trigger pull and a decocker/safety. The M5906 has a positive trigger-actuated firing pin block, so it's totally drop-safe; many S&W DA/SA shooters carry these guns in DA/safety-off mode and only ever use the lever as a decocker so they don't have to worry about accidentally leaving the safety on. That said, you WILL have to decock the pistol from time to time, and you WILL need to learn two trigger pulls.

If you intend to CCW the gun, the M&P is slightly smaller and a lot lighter. The listed empty weight for the M&P full-size is 24oz vs. 38oz for the M5906; IOW the M&P weighs about the same amount loaded with 17rds of 9mm that the M5906 weighs empty. If you intend to CCW the gun, I recommend bypassing the M5906 in favor of the alloy-framed M5903 or M5904, or better yet, one of the S&W single-stacks (39xx series) or alloy-frame double-stack compacts (69xx series).* FWIW I have a M3904, an alloy-frame single-stack full-size; it weighs 27oz empty and 34oz loaded, a lot less than the M5906 and slightly less than the M&P, but at the cost of nearly half the capacity (9+1 vs. 15+1 or 17+1).

At the range, the extra weight of the M5906 will soak up a lot of recoil. However, S&W DA/SA pistols have a very high bore axis, i.e. the barrel centerline is relatively high above the grip. This, together with the stiff metal frame rather than the soft polymer frame, makes for more felt recoil and muzzle flip for the same weight pistol. This is more apparent with the lighter alloy-frame DA/SA variants (see above) but is still a factor with the heavier ones. IOW the M5906 should still shoot a lot softer than the M&P40, but the difference may not be as drastic as you think.

Both guns have good aftermarket support. The M5906 has an advantage in the spare mag department because of the widespread availability of used mags; the M&P has not been in circulation long enough for many unwanted mags to be floating around. I expect the M&P to eventually eclipse the 59-series in this respect, but it will probably take a while.

Couple extra notes re: the M5906 aftermarket...

• The 3rd-generation 59-series, which includes the M5906, came with three types of rear sights. The standard rear sight for the first few of years of production was a vertical drift-adjustable rear blade, which was later superseded by a ramped Novak Lo-Mount drift-adjustable sight. A fully screw-adjustable unit was optional. The Novaks have the most aftermarket replacement options and IMHO are the best for CCW. The adjustable sight is great at the range but is protected by BIG metal wings that are not CCW-friendly. The 3 types of rear sight are NOT interchangeable because the dovetails in the slide are different sizes! (You can change the whole slide, but this is kinda like the tail wagging the dog. )
• Early 3rd-gen 59-series pistols had a squared-off trigger guard that was later rounded off. Holsters for the square trigger guard pistols will generally accommodate round trigger guard pistols but NOT the reverse. Keep this in mind if you have a favored holster design.

If it sounds like I'm dissing the M5906, this is not really my intent. I'm a big fan of the S&W metal-frame centerfire automatics. They're very high-quality guns with a solid feel that's missing from tactical tupperware like the M&P. However, they DO have a steeper learning curve than the M&P, and the M5906 is not the best choice for CCW if that may eventually be in the pistol's job description.

*I noticed you're in Ft. Worth. I know a LGS that has a whole bunch of LE trade-in M6906's, the stainless-slide / alloy-frame 12rd double-stack compacts, for cheap. PM me if you're interested. I don't work for them and they didn't pay me to write this, I'm just trying to be helpful.

 

[carguychris]

Field-stripping...

Forgot to mention one other thing... although IMHO neither pistol is difficult to field-strip, the M&P is definitely simpler in this regard.

The only tricky step to field-stripping the M&P is deactivating the striker by either pulling the trigger (after clearing the pistol of course!) or locking the slide back and depressing a small lever inside the ejection port with a narrow tool such as a stick or ballpoint pen. The manual recommends using the grip retainer pin to drop the lever, but I generally don't do this because the retainer pin is difficult to remove, and assorted common household objects will suffice. Rotate the takedown lever 90 degrees and withdraw the slide to the front. Lift out the guide rod and recoil spring; the spring is captive, i.e. restrained at both ends, so it can't go flying. Lift out the barrel and you're done. There are no special added steps to reassembly; the small lever that deactivates the striker is automatically reset when a mag is inserted.

The 3rd-gen metal-frame centerfire automatics are a little trickier for several reasons. First, the slide must be manually held partway back and the slide stop / takedown pin pushed out laterally after aligning it with the takedown notch. This job must be repeated during reassembly to reinsert the pin. Both steps are a LOT easier with the pistol cocked, but they still take some practice. Second, the recoil spring is NOT captive and WILL send the guide rod flying if you're not careful. Third, three fiddly little levers at the rear of the frame must be manually held down while reinstalling the slide, and the last one tends to be a little stubborn and difficult to depress.

 

[excelerater]

5906 is one of the best S&Ws ever made,before Glocks thats what cops carried! They are built like tanks and IMO makes for a better shooter esp for your wife - Your wife IMO should pick out her own gun though or atleast try a few on for size before you drop coin....You would not pick out a gun for your buddy would u? Always let the woman make thier own decisions
sure its fine to show her a bunch to pick from but she and you will be happier
at the end of the day...........M&P 40 is average at best,id pick out 20 others before buying another M&P

My wife likes shooting my 39-2 if that tells u anything

 

[dgludwig]

Third, three fiddly little levers at the rear of the frame must be manually held down while reinstalling the slide, and the last one tends to be a little stubborn and difficult to depress.

Yep, that last one can be a little tricky to keep in place while the slide is being re-assembled-and the manual doesn't really address the issue.

I'm a huge advocate of Smith 3rd generation pistols. Well-built, accurate and ultra-reliable. carguychris made some good points as usual and one thing that he mentioned that I think is especially noteworthy is the widespread availability of used magazines for these pistols. I would only add that said mags can routinely be found at garage sale prices.

 

[Half Pint]

One of my friends has owned a 5906 for as long as I can remember. He let me shoot it quite a bit (we were shooting partners before he and his wife moved). He can still find accessories for his brand new. But the good thing is if you want extra mags, as was mentioned before, most of the time you can get them used but still in excellent shape. You save quite a bit of money that way. S&W does stand by their discontinued models. When my friend had his take a dive off the hood of his truck onto concrete, his hammer got pretty messed up and would no longer function. He called S&W and they had him send it in (of course he had to pay for it, since it was a customer accident). They replaced his hammer and the springs and it was good as new!

 

[Justice06RR]

I've owned both the M&P9 and M&P40 full size. The recoil difference is hardly noticable after you get used to it.

I'd say the M&P is the better option. Its one of the finest pistols I've owned. The list of features is nearly endless too. Along with S&W's lifetime warranty, its fully ambidextruous, lightweight and slim, excellent finish, and multiple options of thumb safety/mag disconnect/grip size.

 

[mcd_sports]

Thanks everyone. As long as the LGS has the 5906 when I get the money together (hopefully in the next couple of weeks), I think I'm going to go for that one. Everyone's input was appreciated

 

[10mm4ever]

None of these cheap plastic and sintered metal zipguns can compare to the S&W 3rd gen.

 

[graysmoke]

The S&W 5906 is one of the top 3 finest 9mm handguns ever made.
Just my opinion.
S&W today cannot afford, to manufacture guns like that anymore.

 

[wildfan]

Its been a while, but the 5906 is a durable, comfortable, accurate gun.

I just got a hell of a deal on a M&P 40c, and after one day at the range it replaced my Walther PPS 9 as my carry gun. Amazingly accurate, compact, higher mag capacity than the PPS, and more knockdown power. It has substantial recoil compared to a 9 though, so you'd want to see how comfortable your wife is with it. Not hard to handle, just significantly more than a 9. If she's a tiny little thing or weak in the arms, might be too much.

Good luck. But IMHO, you won't go wrong with either gun you're considering....or both

 

[Walt Sherrill]

I have an M&P Pro in 9, with some trigger work done, and it's superb.

But, unless your wife gets a chance to fire the .40 version, I wouldn't go there. Recoil will probably be quite good for a .40, but it will be more than the heavier 5906 firing a slightly milder round. If her experience is limited to .22, going up to a .40 is likely to be a big leap for her.

The 5906 trigger issues already mentioned are legitimate, but they can be dealt with by range time. Or by cocking the hammer.

Both guns should be durable -- the 5906 is likely to be less expensive to shoot, over time.

 

[mcd_sports]

Thanks again for all the input...

It's taking a little longer than I had hoped to make the purchase, so I was afraid that the 1 unit that the LGS had might be gone. So, I went back up there to check today. Luckily they now have 4 instead of just the one. And they all appear to be in pretty good condition, including the grips. Hopefully within the next week I can go pick out the best of what they have left.
They have them at $399... I asked the guy if there was any room for movement in that and he said no. Being a newbie, should I push it? Anyone think they might do it if I offer say $370 cash?

 

[wildfan]

Go in prepared to pay $399, and offer $370 (to someone other than the guy that said no). If they say no again, grab it at $399.

Or check Gunbroker.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

You can frequently find them for $325 - $350 on the net, but then you have to pay shipping and an FFL transfer fee. As noted, if he refuses a lower offer, pay the $399 and feel good about it.

 

[carguychris]

You can frequently find them for $325 - $350 on the net, but then you have to pay shipping and an FFL transfer fee.

The other issue is that most M5906s in this price range will be LE trade-ins. In my experience, most former police guns are in very good to excellent mechanical condition, their cosmetics can vary from minor holster wear to deep and ugly scratches. Also, many LE agencies put special markings on their guns; these vary from small, neat, and tasteful stamped markings (e.g. "GREENVILLE P.D.") to big and nasty electropenciled numbers applied by someone who was apparently drunk at the time.

If bad cosmetics bother you, it may be preferable to pay $399 for a gun you can examine firsthand, rather than paying $350 sight unseen. OTOH some vendors can show you pictures of the specific gun you will be purchasing, which could make a difference.