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

© 2022, Hipster Tactical

Beretta 92F Review: More Than an Icon (92FS / M9)

It’s big. It’s sexy. It’s Italian.

It makes you wanna nonchalantly mutter “yippee-ki-yay-motherf_cker” as you threaten a posse of nihilistic Euro-trash. It dares you to mag dump a helicopter, with your hairspray-lavished mullet rippling gently—if not gloriously—under the slightest pretenses of recoil.

It is… a legit Beretta 92F, made in 1989.

God, I love Italy.

And, until about 3 weeks ago, it was completely unfired.

So… after putting about 200 rounds and roughly $300 of collector value through my latest, umm, divestment, I can confidently tell you this: An old-school Beretta 92 is gun-hipster gold. You need one. Maybe two.

What makes the Beretta 92F hipster worthy?

The 92 isn’t just an icon—it’s a gun that shoots like no other, offering a refined sense of poise and purpose that translates into effortless accuracy.  

Sure. There are more accurate guns than a Beretta 92. But I’m not sure any other gun offers up its signature recipe for accuracy so willingly. You feel connected to every shot. Like the distance between you and your target almost disappears. It gives you punch-out-the-bullseye accuracy every time, and it doesn’t give a shit what you think about red dots, accessory rails or one-handed slide manipulations. It just wants you to peer down those iron sights and hose-down the 10-ring with as many bullets you can afford to feed it. And, it…

Doesn’t. Shoot. F_cking. Left.

NOTE: While I offer some perspectives on how the 92F compares to more recent 92FS / M9 models, I will mainly focus on the shooting/handling characteristics of the Beretta 92 in general.

Feel Matters

It’s no secret that the 92 is… big boned. Yet, its girthy grip offers a reassuringly solid feel in the hand. And, somehow, it keeps the trigger reach pretty short—at least in single action. Even with small hands, I can comfortably engage the trigger with the distal joint of my index finger. And there’s reach to spare. Plus, the width gives your support hand plenty of “meat” to push into—so you get tons of lateral stability with the 92.

In single action, the trigger reach is ideal—even for my small hands.

As soon as you get your grip sorted out, your trigger finger finds a solid wall, right where you want it to be. You add some pressure… the ~6lb break is wonderfully crisp. And as soon as you feel that mechanically gratifying “thunk” of the slide reciprocating, you know…

You nailed whatever you were aiming at.   

It just kinda speaks to you. The recoil impulse is satisfyingly slow, soft and linear—“smooth” is an understatement. It doesn’t pull you off target or make you flinch. It keeps you in the moment. Keeps you in the conversation. And seems to say, “Yo, I put that shot where you wanted it. What next?” Then all you’ve gotta do is line up those dots and drop the hammer. Honestly, the Beretta PX4 achieves a similarly communicative feel—albeit with entirely different method of action.

50 rounds @ 10 yards.

Reliability meets quality

I don’t have to tell you the Beretta 92 is reliable. It served the US military with distinction for over 35 years and it will probably continue to do so for the foreseeable future. It also serves the Italian military and many other foreign military units / police forces.

Sure, some Navy SEALS cracked some slides way back when. Supposedly, they were torture-testing the guns with oodles of high-pressure 9mm. Big surprise. And there were some sand issues (in Iraq) with aftermarket mags (i.e., cheapo finish, no hole near the bottom for sand egress). But, beyond these over-hyped anomalies from the past, I feel there’s a consensus that the Beretta 92 is one of the most proven, most reliable, most rugged handgun platforms out there.

As long as you keep some semblance of lubrication on the innards… a 92 will run. And it’ll probably outshoot most of its more “modern” competitors. I’ve had 4 Beretta 92s from different generations, and they’ve all been 100% reliable (minus a broken extractor spring on a surplus 92S from the early ‘80s).

My 92F came in this dope, old-school box, with the dope, old-school manual, written in dope, slightly broken English by a real Italian from the real 1980s.

And this 92F, in particular, just exudes quality (see generational differences below, for more detail on this). The finish is beautiful, albeit functional. Everything fits and functions perfectly. There are no rattles. There’s no excessive play in the slide/frame fit. And the slide famously feels like it’s on glass rails as it cycles. Which brings us to the next point…

Locking Block Talk

The 92’s unique “locking-block” system plays a big role—I think—in its inherent shootability. If you don’t know, Beretta basically copied Walther’s breech-locking action from the P38, first using it in the model 1951. In fairness, Beretta’s rendition of the system is smaller and more simplified than what you find in a Walther—but it’s definitely more of a “cover performance,” if you will. And I’m not dinging Beretta for embracing that system. It’s no more or less of a ripoff than virtually every other handgun on the planet using a Browning-inspired tilt action.

Beretta’s locking block (top) and Walther’s blocking block (from my P5). The Walther’s is beefier, whereas Beretta designed the part to be more of a “wear” item: it’s rated for ~20,000 rounds, and you just replace it before that.

In a nutshell, the locking-block (also known as “falling block”) system allows the barrel to stay straight as the gun cycles—it only moves back and forth, instead of tilting. Another way to look at it: a separate part does the tilting to unlock the barrel from the slide, instead of the entire barrel pivoting down and back.

Now, I’m no physicist… but… since the locking-block system keeps the barrel straight the as gun cycles, it would (or could) explain the more “linear feeling” recoil impulse you find in a Beretta 92. I also own a Walther P5 (which is more or less the final iteration of the P38) and I can tell you there is a definitely a similarity in how the guns handle and shoot… especially as it relates to recoil.

But it’s not all rainbows and unicorns

People bitch about the 92 being humongous.

It is. It’s freakin’ huge. But I ain’t mad about it. The weight and size (along with the locking block) are part of what make it such a great shooting gun. And it was never meant for concealed carry—it’s a duty gun, straight up. But I can’t give Beretta a pass on the double-action trigger. While the gun is simply sublime in SA, compared to competitive offerings from Sig Sauer (e.g., the P226) and Smith & Wesson, Beretta’s DA game leaves something to be desired.

With small hands, it can be hard to get enough “finger” out in front the trigger blade for a 100% straight-back pull.

The DA is long and heavy. No one’s surprised. It’s supposed to be that way. But when the 92’s hammer falls (in DA), the entire gun jerks, jostles and fishtails—and so do the sights. Now, this is partly because I have small hands: it’s tough to get enough “finger” in front of trigger for a 100% straight-back pull. But also think part of that “sight jerk” problem is because there’s more over travel in the Beretta’s DA action.

In other words, the hammer falls while you’re still plowing through the DA stroke. So, if you’re engaging the trigger at ANY kind of an angle… the gun jerks in (or against) that direction as the trigger jumps to backstop. Which, in turn, makes the sights skip off target.

Let me be clear: the distinction expressed above is—in the grand scheme of things—minor. But, comparing the Beretta’s DA pull to that of my Smith & Wesson 5906, you can see the difference in over travel. The Beretta’s trigger releases the hammer a bit farther away from the end-point of its travel, whereas the Smith’s trigger moves discernibly closer to the backstop when it releases. It’s not much—just a few millimeters. And pull itself is no lighter. But the hammer lays down soo cleanly with the 5906. The sights don’t budge.

Now, that’s not to say the DA trigger is unusable in a stock 92. Head shots at 10 yards? All day. Torso at 25? Sure. And I’ll say that this Beretta’s DA pull is definitely improving with more rounds/more dry firing. In any case, I tend to see the DA pull in a DA/SA gun as a defensive feature intended for reactive shooting under pressure; I don’t really expect to shoot DA as well as SA. Otherwise… if that was the expectation… why would they include SA on DA/SA guns?

That said, there are some good aftermarket options you can use to improve a 92’s stock DA pull:

• Lighter hammer spring. Either Beretta’s own “D” spring (originally intended for their DAO guns) or a chrome-silicon spring from Wilson Combat. Definitely lightens and smooths the DA stroke. Wilson offers a range of different weights, but I’ve read that the 12-pounder is as light was want to go, lest you risk light primer strikes.

• Langdon Tactical’s “Optimized Performance” trigger bar. It’s designed to reduce over travel and trigger reset. I have a Langdon OP trigger bar in my Beretta PX4C (which has the same sight-jostling issues—definitely a Beretta thing) and it does help.

• Langdon Tactical’s “Trigger Job in a Bag.” This is kinda the nuclear option. Langdon sends you a sack of pre-tuned fire-control components and you switch-out the parts. I had Langdon do some work on my PX4 (not the TJIB, but, when I ordered the gun), and it was honestly too light for me. But I got in touch with Ernest himself, sent him the trigger group and he made it perfect. Great service from Langdon.

• Short-Reach Trigger. These are available directly from Beretta. I actually haven’t tried one, but—as I alluded to before—I think getting “more finger” on the trigger can definitely aid in achieving a more controlled DA stroke.

Generational Differences

The technical differences between 92Fs, 92FSs and M9s have been covered to death in a gazillion other reviews and videos. Besides… if you’re a pistol hipster, you probably know all that anyway.

But, I will tell you this, one gun nerd to another: If you’re looking for an Italian-made 92, it might be worth your while to search out an F, or at least an earlier FS. While all Beretta 92s will shoot wonderfully, the newer Italian guns don’t really compare in terms of the superficial tactile and aesthetic qualities.

The Italian 92s have gradually been gaining more and more slide-etched “lawyer copy” since the mid 2000s. Current examples have what seems like an entire paragraph on each flat of the slide, combined with a very conspicuous import marking AND an ugly white-highlighted serial number. Also, Beretta Italy started using a rougher frame finish on their 92s around 2015. It’s honestly not terrible, but, it’s not as nice as what they were using before. And while the 2015 92FS Compact I had shot very well, I tend to think the overall build of the earlier guns was just a bit tighter and more sorted out. But that’s not say the 2015 felt cheap or “janky” by any means.

From what I can tell, none of the above applies to the Maryland and Tennessee 92s (and M9s). They all have clean, attractive slide markings and smoother finishes on the frames. I can’t speak to fit and feel because I’ve never owned an American-made 92 [sips Chianti, extends pinky]. But, suffice to say, if I was buying new… I’d buy American. True, it’s not as Gucci as having a legit Italian-made Beretta. But at least your gun won’t be moonlighting as a legal textbook.

Conclusions

The Beretta 92 kicks ass.

It’s elegant, yet functional. But it’s functional in a way that transcends what you’d get out of a Glock or most other “contemporary” service pistols: it’s just soo much more intuitive in how it handles and shoots. That’s a gray area, of course—and it’s my opinion. But, hey: you wouldn’t be reading this review if you didn’t want my opinion.

What are your thoughts on the Beretta 92? Experiences? Opinions? Scathing condemnations on my review? Feel free to share below…

Thanks so much for reading.

#hiptac

© 2022, Hipster Tactical