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Old December 9, 2012, 11:20 AM   #1
MOshooter65202
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S&W 4026??

I have run across a S&W 4026 for sale in my area and wonder if any members might have some knowledge and experience of this handgun...Pro/Cons,Value??

What I know about this S&W 4026 for sale, are it shoots the 40 S&W cartridge and the handgun has been shot very little and in good condition.
Thanks
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Old December 9, 2012, 12:37 PM   #2
carguychris
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This pistol is essentially similar to the S&W M4006, but with a SIG-style frame-mounted decocking lever in place of the more familiar slide-mounted ambidextrous decocker/safety lever. It takes the same (very cheap!) mags as the M4003/4006 and the "Value Series" M410/411; standard capacity is 11rds. The Standard Catalog indicates that the pistol was only sold with a Novak fixed rear sight and was produced from 1991-1993.

As with other steel-frame S&W 3rd-gen centerfire pistols, the upsides of this model are low felt recoil, very good accuracy, and a generally very nice trigger, but the main downsides are its prodigious size and weight, particularly in relation to its 11+1rd capacity, which is lower than most comparable (and much lighter) polymer-frame pistols.

Value should be ~$500-$550 for a legit Excellent example that's been fired a few times but has no significant cosmetic flaws. The original box, documents, and extra mags will increase the value somewhat.

That said, this pistol is one of those guns like the single-stack Type M Beretta 92's; very few were sold, so if you think you want this one, you need to BUY NOW because it may be a while before you find another one, regardless of condition.
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Old December 9, 2012, 01:00 PM   #3
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carguychris,

Thanks so much for the detailed description of the S&W 4026,I really appreciate the detailed pros/cons and value of the handgun you provided, Thank you.
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Old December 9, 2012, 01:06 PM   #4
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Quote:
As with other steel-frame S&W 3rd-gen centerfire pistols, the upsides of this model are low felt recoil, very good accuracy, and a generally very nice trigger,
I would add to any list citing the pros of S&W "Third Generation" semi-auto pistols, extreme reliability and tank-like durability.
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Old December 9, 2012, 01:19 PM   #5
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dgludwig,

Thanks for the added information about the S&W 4026

I'm still on the fence,i've never had a DOA pistol and not so sure about DOA trigger for the first shot?.I have 1911s and Glock,along with revolvers,so my experience with DOA pistols is nil.

The person selling the pistol has a holster,remaining ammo,and one magazine w/o original box for 400.00 or trade

Thanks again for the input.
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Old December 9, 2012, 07:59 PM   #6
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Here is a post I put up not long ago about my 5926 http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=507810
Its the same but in 9mm. I paid $350 for mine so your $400 price is not bad. I have been happy with my 5926 and was happy with the price. They really are tanks and will last a long time.
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Old December 9, 2012, 11:09 PM   #7
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Quote:
I'm still on the fence,i've never had a DOA pistol and not so sure about DOA trigger for the first shot?.I have 1911s and Glock,along with revolvers,so my experience with DOA pistols is nil.
Here's a couple tips and opinions that might help you.

First, if the gun appears to be well-kept and in good shape, that's a fine price. It's not a steal, but it's a very good price. Recently, the market is being flooded with law-enforcement and duty trade-in Smith & Wesson 3rd Generation pistols, though most appear to be in the 9mm chambering. This glut of guns may soften the market a bit for 3rd Gen pistols. But the one we are talking about it scarce as carguychris mentioned. If it tickles your fancy, snag it now. You won't find many of this variation, IMO.

Also, with a price of $400, if the condition is nice, you'd certainly be able to forward the pistol to the next guy without losing a dime if you didn't care for it, I would expect. $400 is a good price for that pistol and I don't believe it's a large risk. And here's another good nugget-- S&W doesn't build or sell that pistol anymore, but they still back it with their name, warranty and service if something goes wrong with it. They'll make it right, or they'll make you whole if you have a problem. It doesn't matter that it's 20 years old.

As for the trigger system, it's not "DOA." DOA means "dead on arrival", not at all what we seek! This one is DAO, which in gun terms, is "double action only." That means there is no first shot difference than the rest of the shots. Each and every shot is the same double-action pull. Your trigger pull also serves to cock the hammer when you actuate it. Every subsequent shot is the same way.

In this way, it's similar in operation & feedback to the Glock trigger. It won't feel the "same", but the operation is similar in that each shot will be the same as the one before it and the one after it.

True DA/SA pistols like the bulk of the Smith & Wesson 3rd Gens, and other famous platforms such as the Beretta 92 and all the Ruger semi-auto P-series pistols give you a very long, rather heavy trigger pull for that first shot, and then very short & easy pulls for every shot after the first. Those take some getting used to -- the transition is very difficult to become an "expert" with.

One place where I will butt heads with carguychris is the felt recoil of the pistol. While it is absolutely true that 3rd Gens are large, bulky and heavy handguns, and the weight helps to soak up felt recoil -- it's my opinion that these pistols also have a higher bore axis and a chamber that is further forward and I find them to offer more recoil than might be expected from a newer design. Be warned that this sort of thing is horribly subjective, but I have formed my opinion around a lot of shooting with two particular guns that I own-- the S&W 1006 and the much smaller, lighter, polymer framed Glock 29, both in 10mm Auto. I find the smaller Glock 29 to be easier to shot with less flip, less felt recoil and easier/quicker to get back on target.

Sometimes I like to take an adversarial position when carguychris says something, just because I bow to his superior knowledge on these great guns most of the time. But the point I do want to pass on is that I wouldn't buy a 4026 if my pure goal was less recoil from a .40 cal handgun, because I'm not sure you'd meet that goal with this pistol. But if you want a solid, durable handgun with a build-quality and craftsmanship that you can be proud of, then go spend $400 on that pistol and be sure to post your update on this same thread.

And include pictures!
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Old December 10, 2012, 09:52 AM   #8
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A few more notes...

Quote:
I would add to any list citing the pros of S&W "Third Generation" semi-auto pistols, extreme reliability and tank-like durability.
+1; I had to finish my first post in great haste and should have mentioned that.
Quote:
First, if the gun appears to be well-kept and in good shape, that's a fine price. It's not a steal, but it's a very good price. Recently, the market is being flooded with law-enforcement and duty trade-in Smith & Wesson 3rd Generation pistols, though most appear to be in the 9mm chambering. This glut of guns may soften the market a bit for 3rd Gen pistols.
I dunno, IMHO $400 is a pretty darn good deal if the pistol is really clean, but YMMV; as always, it's difficult to judge condition based on a brief description on the Internet.

The lack of a box is a definite minus; the lack of extra mags less so, because there is an absolute glut of LE surplus 40-series mags on the market right now. I've seen them advertised for as little as $8.99/ea.

Speaking of LE surplus and the soft 3rd-gen market, I have seen beater LE M4006's languish unsold literally for months at $329, and I purchased a ~90% M3904 (9mm single-stack full-size alloy frame) last year for $300 OTD, but I've also seen LNIB pistols fly out the door for $600+. There seems to be a definite collector market for super-clean 3rd-gens, but values and market demand fall off VERY quickly with declining condition.
Quote:
This one is DAO, which in gun terms, is "double action only." That means there is no first shot difference than the rest of the shots.
Ummm, no; methinks you have this one mixed up with the M4046, which features a short-stroke preset DAO trigger without second-strike capability or a decocking feature.

The M4026 is DA/SA with second-strike capability like a conventional S&W 3rd-gen pistol; it just decocks with a SIG-style lever rather than a slide-mounted decocker/safety.
Quote:
True DA/SA pistols... take some getting used to -- the transition is very difficult to become an "expert" with.
+1. However, as Sevens said, IMHO at $400 you're likely to not lose any money on this pistol if you try it for a while and decide you don't like it.
Quote:
While it is absolutely true that 3rd Gens are large, bulky and heavy handguns, and the weight helps to soak up felt recoil -- it's my opinion that these pistols also have a higher bore axis and a chamber that is further forward and I find them to offer more recoil than might be expected from a newer design.
Felt recoil is always subjective, but IMHO Sevens is correct about the muzzle flip; S&W metal-frame pistols categorically have lots of it. This, combined with the notoriously "snappy" .40S&W round, may result in high felt recoil for you, but YMMV.

I have to confess that I've never fired a .40S&W 3rd-gen pistol; in fact, the only ones I've fired have been 9mm. FWIW I find that a M5906 (steel-frame full-size double-stack 9mm) has less felt recoil overall than my M&P9 FS, but it definitely has more muzzle flip despite the fact that it weighs almost 1lb more.
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Old December 10, 2012, 01:42 PM   #9
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Oh, I got well caught-up in what was being said in the thread and I didn't pay near enough attention to the model number. And a manual decock lever should have been enough info to keep me in line! I heard "DOA" and ran with it.

Indeed, these pistols are DA/SA and the first to second shot transition is a force to be reckoned with.
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Old December 10, 2012, 05:19 PM   #10
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Quote:
Indeed, these pistols are DA/SA and the first to second shot transition is a force to be reckoned with.
I know some don't like it, but DA/SA is the configuration I much prefer-most likely because it's the action-type I was trained with and one I have become very familiar with.
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Old December 12, 2012, 12:02 AM   #11
MOshooter65202
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Update

First I want to thank all that responded with all the excellent information and opinions.

Before I was able to get back with the owner the pistol had been sold,so somebody got a great deal on the 4026.

I already have a Glock mod 23 that i've had since the first year of production of the 23.
My reason for buying the 4026 wasn't for a ccw or a heavier pistol to tame recoil since I regularly shoot my S&W 629 44 mag.
I was mainly interested in the S&W 4026 as a addition to my collection,i've heard there were not many 4026 produced? And thinking the 4026 might be a collectable model down the road?

Thanks again for all the great responses.
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Old December 12, 2012, 02:18 PM   #12
carguychris
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Quote:
Before I was able to get back with the owner the pistol had been sold,so somebody got a great deal on the 4026.
As I wrote before, you have to BUY NOW with guns like this!
Quote:
I was mainly interested in the S&W 4026 as a addition to my collection,i've heard there were not many 4026 produced? And thinking the 4026 might be a collectable model down the road?
Few were sold, but IMHO it's still too early to tell whether this pistol will be seriously collectible; in realistic terms, all 3rd-gens are too new, and any collector interest over the next decade or two will probably focus on truly LNIB collector-grade examples. A few rare 1st-gen models ARE collectible today, but it took them decades to get there.

That being said, purely from a "shooter" standpoint, IMHO now is the time to buy a 9mm or .40S&W full-size S&W pistol because I believe that values have bottomed out. IMHO values are artificially depressed by a market awash in LE surplus, but are virtually certain to climb as the LE surplus pipeline dries up. Values have already started to climb for the 10mm and .45ACP pistols and certain sought-after 9mm and .40S&W compact models; these markets are subject to less downward pressure from LE surplus.

Realize, however, that I'm not talking about a collector market where value increases significantly outpace inflation; I believe that values will appreciate slowly, but the important factor is that IMHO you're unlikely to ever lose money if you buy a fairly priced "shooter-grade" 3rd-gen pistol and take good care of it.
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Last edited by carguychris; December 12, 2012 at 02:20 PM. Reason: minor reword...
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Old December 16, 2012, 04:54 PM   #13
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Carguychris,

I just found a 910S in decent shape. This is the value gun for which model?
Is 350 out the door a good price?
Regards
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Old December 16, 2012, 10:17 PM   #14
carguychris
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Quote:
I just found a 910S in decent shape. This is the value gun for which model?
It's the Value Series version of the Model 5903.
Quote:
Is 350 out the door a good price?
I'd expect 95% or better condition for $350; spare mags and the original box and papers will also help, although spare mags are less of a factor for 59-series pistols than for some other S&W models because 59-series mags are cheap and readily available.

(BTW since we've digressed to another model, this topic would be better served with its own thread if you want to discuss further.)
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