Smith & Wesson 5906 Review: In Steel We Trust

It is said that the meek shall inherit the Earth.

If that’s true, then the meek will also inherit the shit the strong leave behind—or at least the shit that’s tough enough to survive whatever apocalyptic tribulation befalls the pimps, players, posers, hustlers, hedonists, braggarts and blowhards of the world.

And, among that stalwart breed of ever-enduring shit, will almost certainly be Smith & Wesson’s legendary “3rd Generation” semiautomatic pistols. And maybe cockroaches.

5906 looking stoic AF on my Schott Perfecto 618

Wielding my tastefully patinaed 5906, made in 1995, I’m tempted to say “Man, they don’t make ‘em like this anymore.” But then I’m forced to question the logic of that idiom. Because, honestly, I’m not sure “they” made much of anything this flagrantly and unapologetically overbuilt—even in the good ole’ days.

Which brings us to the all-important question…

What makes the S&W 5906 hipster worthy?

The S&W 5906 boasts an endearingly solid presence—both in the hand and on the range—that not only inspires confidence, but engenders a sense of respect, reverence and trust.

The thing is dense. It’s just… steel. Forged. Fabulous. F_cking. Steel. The satin stainless is beautifully utilitarian, exuding a cool, clean confidence tempered by classic lines and pleasing proportions. I can’t imagine what it would take to machine one of these things—especially with all the intricate cuts and angled surfaces inside the frame. Even if it didn’t shoot or do anything at all, it would still be an impressive piece of metallurgy to behold.

The satin stainless has a subtle sheen that’s just short of “bling.”

But it does shoot.

It shoots anything you want to put through it, as much as you want to put through it. Plus, it shoots well—softly, efficiently, reliably, accurately—all without fuss or fanfare. And that heft… that reassuringly stout fusion of stability and durability… it just makes you feel good. It makes you feel like it’s something you can trust. Completely. With your life. With your dignity. Maybe even your… soul.

Well, okay—maybe it’s too late for you. But hey… your loss is the meek’s gain, right?

Anyway…

Heavy Metal?

Now, the 5906 doesn’t actually weigh any more than a Government 1911 (the 5906 is 38 oz. empty, 1911 is 39 oz.). But to me, it has a heavier feel—and presence—in the hand. Through the center of the frame, where it flares out to accommodate the double-stack mag, it might as well be a solid brick of metal. That concentrated center of gravity makes it feel satisfyingly planted, balanced and composed.

You just wanna heft it. You wanna hold it, brandish it, aim it. You wanna take it out and pound rounds through it. Without mercy. Without compunction. Maybe without a shirt. Because you know no amount of 9mm bullets could ever hope to fatigue this thing—or you.

Stable, steady, sturdy… yeeeahhh, girrrl…

But don’t be fooled: this isn’t a heavy metal song. This is a staid power ballad, laced with hints of yacht-rock sophistication and tasteful restraint. I can literally hear Michael McDonald pining over his long-lost 5906… which he foolishly traded for a fast and loose Glock 19, back in 1998.  

Speaking of yacht rock…

I can’t say there’s anything truly exhilarating about cooking-off a shot from a 5906. But there doesn’t need to be. There’s not supposed to be. The grip is basic, yet comfortable. The trigger is right where you want it to be. The wall is easy to find. The break is clean. The requisite jolt is swift, soft and satisfying.

But it’s not “magic.” (Maaagic… yeeeahhh!!)

You don’t feel metaphysically connected to each shot. There’s that imperceptible nanosecond—between the trigger break and the hole on the target—where the gun kinda “takes over” and fleetingly leaves you out of the transaction (i.e., your “shot consciousness”). You hope you did your part. You hope your aim was right and your grip was solid. Then…

It does exactly what it should do

Having just shot and reviewed my pristine Beretta 92F, the comparisons here are inevitable. But, since these two guns were contemporaries, both competing in the “Wondernine” market of the late 80s/early 90s, I think it’s a relevant comparison. Long story short: With the 5906, I can’t say the accuracy is as intuitive as what I experience from the 92—but it’s not far off.

50ish rounds @ 10 yards—that’s oil on the dustcover

Not bad. But the 5906 is a bit more “touchy” in terms of how it responds to shooter inputs vs. a 92. Those flyers low left and high? I couldn’t tell you what I did differently vs. the dead-center shots. It’s just kinda like, “Well, you figure it out.” Whereas, with the 92, you can feel it.

Ergo-mehh

No doubt, the “gripability” situation could be better on Smith 3rd gens. It’s just very… okay. It’s not terrible. The proportions are fine and it’s fairly comfortable. But it’s kinda slick and the contours don’t really give you the kind of 360 feedback you need (or want) to impart total stability to the gun. And… with the proprietary one-piece grip unit (found on all 3rd gens), there’s not a ton of aftermarket grip options available. Basically, you’ve got Hogue rubber, Hogue wood and KSD wood. And, for me, all of those either make the grip fatter or add an arch to the backstrap—neither of which I want on a 5906. 

This is was before I changed the grip to the straight-backstrap version—which I prefer

For my tastes, the straight-backed factory grips (known as “Delrin”) are the best option to optimize trigger reach and overall controllability. I’ve also found that adding some sandpaper tape to the sides really improves overall purchase with the Delrins; puts it right up with G10 as far as traction. But then… it kinda grates into my gut when I carry (not that I carry it a lot). So, you gotta pick your battles I guess.

Also, the sights (on this one) are pretty janky. It’s a surplus cop gun with long-dead night sights, so I just painted an orange dot on the front and blacked out the rears. Not exactly a recipe for bullseyes.

But make no mistake: S&W 3rd gens can shoot

Back in 2016, I used a Smith 6904 (essentially a compact, alloy-framed 5906) as my primary carry gun. At one point, I bought a Sig P228 which I planned to replace it with—because, you know, Sig… German… Navy Seals… blah, blah. Well, I shot circles around that P228 with the 6904. Which, as an aside, kind of led to me believe that—for me—Sig P2XX is a dish best served in single stack (i.e., P239s, P225s and P220s). To that point, I’ve also owned a P226, and while it’s a great gun, it didn’t fit me as well as a 92 or a 5906. Or a Browning Hi Power, since we’re talking service 9s.

Regardless of all these anecdotes and comparisons…

The 5906 is a working gun. And it does… work. Very well. Especially when it comes to the more practical considerations for carry and duty. And, in some ways, I feel it’s superior to its European competitors.

Double action savant

Smith 3rd gens have wonderful double-action triggers. Better than Berettas. Better than Sigs. Better than CZs. Better than HKs. In my opinion, of course.

And that’s not to say that the pull weight is simply lighter—in many cases, it’s not. But “weight-of-pull” isn’t the sole metric of a DA trigger’s merit. For me, it’s the clean, gentle response of the hammer falling that really sets the 3rd gens apart in terms of their DA triggers.

Plain and simple: The gun doesn’t _ucking move when the hammer falls.

In SA, a Beretta 92 is godly (a PX4 isn’t far off either). But in DA, a stock 92 has a small seizure when the hammer falls. It jerks and jostles. If you have huge hands and/or you flat-out white-knuckle the thing… you can manage it. But it can be real tough to keep the sights from squirrelling all over the place—especially for us small-pawed folk. My best hypothesis as to why this happens is “overtravel."

In other words, the Smith’s lockwork releases the hammer slightly closer to the rear extent of its travel. So, your finger experiences less of a jump to the backstop (i.e., “overtravel), which reduces the jerking sensation (huh, huh) when the hammer falls. Check out my Beretta 92 review for more context on this.

It’s also worth noting that Smith 3rd gens use a two-sided trigger bar (bow?) setup which, presumably, allows for more even leverage against the mainspring. Berettas and Sigs use only a single-sided linkage from trigger to hammer, running along the right side of the frame. Now, I don’t know how much of an impact that has on the DA pull. But, I can tell you that a Smith’s DA does feel smoother and more consistent than what I experience on a Beretta or a Sig. That said, a Sig with the new-style strut setup is pretty damn close—and you can probably get the pull-weight lighter (using Wolff springs). But the Smith’s DA still feels better to me, overall.

A wondernine in your waist

While the 5906 is heavier than both the 92 and the P226, it’s smaller and more slender than both. This not only contributes to its dense, solid feel in the hand, it helps make the gun more comfortable when it’s stuffed in your pants.

I don’t carry my 5906 a ton. But, it often sits on my nightstand, mag loaded. So, if I’m going for a walk… don’t wanna run upstairs for a P239 or a P99… I grab the 5906. Yeah. it’s heavy. But with the thin slide, it’s honestly pretty comfortable AIWB. Sure, there are levers and latches that seem unnecessarily sharp and pokey… but… you don’t feel those as much as you do the slide’s slender profile. To help counter-balance the weight of the gun in front, I just shift all my other shit to my back pockets. It works pretty well.  

Just hangin out on the coffee table (that’s a cat toy on the floor)

And when you consider you’ve got a very shootable DA trigger ready to rock and roll, combined with low recoil, a superbly solid feel AND two decades of cop-proven reliability riding with you… it’s definitely comforting to carry a 5906. It’s comfort you know you can depend on. It’s comfort you’ll come to trust—like so many American law enforcement officers did, back in the 90s. It’s comfort in knowing that 38 ounces of solid, stainless, forged FREEDOM have your back, no matter what happens.

At the end of the day, I have to say I enjoy shooting a Beretta 92 more. But if I was going to carry a big, metal wondernine on a regular basis, I think it would probably be the 5906.

Mulder and Scully would definitely approve.

Mulder

Scully

What are your thoughts on the Smith & Wesson 5906? Experiences? Opinions? Scathing condemnations on my review? Feel free to share below…

Thanks so much for reading.

#hiptac

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