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Old March 3, 2013, 09:33 PM   #1
TunnelRat
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S&W 908S: Value Series Lives Up To Its Name

Hi all,
I was visiting my home away from home, the LGS, today when I came across something. A nice little S&W 908s. I've always been interested in a 3913 and I like the idea of losing the right side decocking/safety lever for a bit more slenderness. It's a bit blockier and not as nice cosmetically as the 3913 but it's still handsome.

The previous owner kept it in great shape in terms of scratches/wear but the inside was filthy. Half a box of cotton swabs later and some TLC with a brass brush and all was right as rain. Trigger is very smooth in DA, albeit heavy of course. The SA trigger is nice with not too much takeup and a crisp break. What always blows me away with the 3rd Gen Smiths is the reset. It's honestly as good as my SIG's SRT, it baffles me. When reset gets so much play in gun rags today decades ago S&W already had it covered!

I hope to get it to the range tomorrow or Tuesday. Ordered some Hogue grips for it as it's a bit slender for me now but still nice. The wife thinks it's the cutest thing ever. Showed her some pics of the Ladysmith 3913 and I think I have my toughest critic beat for another purchase . In honesty, I like it as much as my P239. I might like the balance on the 908s better, though I prefer the manual of arms of the P239. My only gripe at this point is the slide stop can kind of dig in your side when carrying IWB, wish it was a bit flattened.

Pics attached. And the price? $400 OTD for one in 95% condition with two mags and matching case. Have seen beats go for $250. Value for sure. If you see one give it a look.

-TR
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File Type: jpg 2013-03-03_21-13-19_854.jpg (249.3 KB, 102 views)
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Old March 3, 2013, 11:22 PM   #2
6.8
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Even the Value series are good guns. 3rd gen smiths best kept secret in the business
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Old March 4, 2013, 07:07 PM   #3
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Very nice. You just can't go wrong with the 3rd gens.
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Old March 4, 2013, 07:39 PM   #4
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Congrats on a picking up a great gun. I have put thousands of trouble free rounds down range over the years with my value series S&W 910.
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Old March 4, 2013, 09:17 PM   #5
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I have the 457, which is an alloy framed .45 and it is nothing but a first rate pistol. Has been flawless, and I mean 100% flawless, for approaching 20yrs now.


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Old March 4, 2013, 09:33 PM   #6
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Yea I've been thinking about snagging a 457 at some point too. What's great too is they were so mass produced at the time that finding mags and parts is pretty easy.
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Old March 5, 2013, 02:57 AM   #7
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To me 3rd Gen Smith & Wessons are my hands down favorite pistols over all. The triggers are excellent, they feed anything, very accurate, built like tanks, and as reliable as any pistol can be. These are good guns and I am sure you will be more than pleased with its performance. Just to give you an idea of how much I back the 3rd gen Smiths I own a 4506, 5906, 4566 TSW, 457 and a 4013. I love them. The triggers and the barrel to slide fit are awesome on these guns. Barrel to slide fit is strangely important to me and these days you cant find it perfect. Unless you buy a 3rd gen Smith & Wesson anyway.
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Old March 5, 2013, 03:18 AM   #8
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That's a handsome gun.
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Old March 6, 2013, 07:44 AM   #9
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What you need to find is a 3914 Lady smith.... All black with the slim profile.





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Old March 6, 2013, 09:30 AM   #10
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There's a local guy with a 3913 Ladysmith I am trying to work a deal on, will keep you guys updated. The slide levers would definitely be nice.
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Old March 6, 2013, 01:35 PM   #11
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Tunnelrat, I think you and I are thinking the same.
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Old March 6, 2013, 01:39 PM   #12
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^ Ha, certainly seems that way. I have enough hi-cap semis and wanted to give the single stacks a try. They do have their place.
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Old March 6, 2013, 01:49 PM   #13
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It is a 910S, not sure what the difference if any there is between them. Shoots great but man does it get dirty quickly. Been looking for the 6906 or 3913 myself.
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Old March 6, 2013, 01:52 PM   #14
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Quote:
Shoots great but man does it get dirty quickly.
Yea the stainless finish really shows the grime.
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Old March 8, 2013, 02:47 PM   #15
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Smith & Wesson should never have discontinued the 3rd gens. I have both a 910 and a 915, each purchased for under three bills, and I actually prefer them over any of my other 9mm pistols. Both were part of the so-called value line but are just as durable and reliable as any other firearm they made.
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Old March 8, 2013, 03:49 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Viper99
It is a 910S, not sure what the difference if any there is between them.
910S = stainless, full-size, double-stack, alloy frame. It's the "Value Series" equivalent of the Model 5903.

908S = stainless, compact, single-stack, alloy frame- similar to the Model 3913.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Viper99
Shoots great but man does it get dirty quickly.
Excess powder fouling? Perhaps it's time for a new recoil spring?
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Old March 8, 2013, 10:39 PM   #17
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Carguychris,

Thank you for the explanation on the difference between the 908 and 910, perhaps you can help me a little further, talk to me about the 39-2 stainless.
I saw one at my LGS and didn't buy it and its been bothering me ever since because I love the way it looked and felt in my hand.

Is it worth having? (I think it was that model. Kind of look like a High Power).

Regards
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Old March 8, 2013, 11:41 PM   #18
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The Model 39-2 you saw wasn't stainless; it was nickel plated.

The Model 39 was S&W's first modern centerfire autoloader and also the first American-made DA/SA pistol. Most no-dash M39's had alloy frames, but a few steel-frame guns were sold in 1966 on frames built in the late 1950s. All factory Model 39's were full-size single-stack guns with 8rd magazines, although a number of cut-down aftermarket compact variants exist, and later-model 9rd mags work in the pistols.

No production guns were sold under the Model 39-1 designation; this number was initially used for the pistol later sold as the Model 52. S&W management decided it would be confusing and inconsistent to sell a pistol chambered in .38Spl with the same model number as one chambered in 9mm.

The Model 39-2 was only offered with an alloy frame and had a more conventional extractor design. It was sold from 1971 to 1982. It is far and away the most common M39 variant, as the no-dash guns were slow sellers.

The Model 39 is a classic pistol but it has some disadvantages compared to later models. Some individual guns have a tendency to choke on bullet shapes other than FMJ ball or close approximations. There is no trigger-actuated firing pin block, so the pistols are not considered 100% drop-safe with the decocker/safety in the FIRE position, and the manual advises against carrying them this way. Speaking of decocker/safeties, M39s were never made with an ambidextrous starboard-side lever. The standard rear sight is screw-adjustable for windage only, and is somewhat snaggy and fragile.

The 2nd-gen equivalent of the M39-2 is the M439. The 2nd generation also included a steel frame pistol with blued or nickel finish, the M539, and the all-stainless M639. The 2nd-gen guns added a trigger-actuated firing pin block, various internal refinements, and an optional RH-side decocker/safety lever that later became a standard feature. A functional but somewhat large and unsightly fully-adjustable rear sight was optional. The 2nd-gen pistols still used individual grip panels retained by screws.

The 3rd-gen versions were the M3904, offered with an alloy frame in matte blue only, and the all-stainless M3906. These pistols were only produced from 1988 until 1990. A "Value Series" version, the M909, was briefly offered in the mid-1990s, and introduced the 9rd magazine. All 3rd-gen guns all use a pinned one-piece wraparound plastic grip like your M910. The 3rd generation also included the compact Model 3913, 3914, 908, 908S, 3953, and 3954, which were a lot more popular and longer-lived than the full-size single-stack 3rd-gens.
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Old March 9, 2013, 04:44 AM   #19
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I had a 908 and traded it. Still have a 910 and 915 both bought used at bargain prices. Great bargains.
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Old March 9, 2013, 05:17 AM   #20
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At first glance, that gun bears a passing similarity to the Star 28/30 PK I was looking at a month ago, to my eye at least:

Star 28-PK


Star 30-PK


I think it is the grip form and safety that made me do a double-take...
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Old March 9, 2013, 12:10 PM   #21
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Viper99 et al,

Here's a link an earlier thread with my exhaustive explanation of the entire S&W metal-frame centerfire model history, along with pictures of my M3904 and BillCA's M39-2 collection:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=478540
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Old March 9, 2013, 03:36 PM   #22
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Thank You for the great info Carguychris.
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