My First S&W Autoloader - Range Report

[Texas Colt]

Thanks for all the comments. I am really impressed with how solidly these guns are built and the absolute reliability that I have experienced so far.

Now that I have the 6906 compact, I think I'll need to add a 5903 to my collection. Has anyone purchased one of the 5903 police trade-ins from Summit?

 

[GunAdmirer]

Nice write up and pic Texas Colt. I can't wait to shoot it. I miss the ranch range.

 

[Kilted Cossack]

Good show, Texas Colt!

For years, I would consider the S&W autoloaders, then settle on something else. I pinned my hopes on the Sigma. (Hey, I was young, and very, very wrong.) With the S&W police turn-ins on the market for cheap, I thought back on all the good stuff I'd read about S&W autopistols and "bit the bullet" (so to speak).

My personal preference is for a consistent trigger pull, so I invested less money than a HK costs in a pair of S&Ws, both DAO. I have a 5946 and a 6944. While my skills have sadly if predictably deteriorated due to lack of practice, both shoot well, and both have a tight and solid feel to them. The bigger, steel 5946 is a big solid heavy sonofagun. The smaller, alloy framed 6944 is a bit thick through the grip. Each has gobbled up ammo like nobody's business.

I'm new to them, but I like 'em. I think they were underappreciated "back in the day" and, based on experiences so far, think they're well worth a look, particularly at today's prices.

 

[Mountie855]

A definite "amen" on the S&W 3rd gen pistols- carried them on/off duty for over 20 yrs, and cannot remember any failures to feed, eject, etc. They'll feed anything that will fit in the mag.

As other posters have pointed out, they aren't target guns, but still give good accuracy for the short barrel.

Only mechanical failure I've known about was a stirrup breaking on one of our 3913's- but that gun has seen many thousands of rounds, and the failure of a stirrup is rare, according to the armorers I've talked with on the subject.