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Any S&W 3913 owners out there.

26K views 45 replies 38 participants last post by  Danimal 
#1 ·
I have an opportunity to pick one up. It's as new and the price is good.

Any personal experiences/reviews you can share with me?

Recommended, not recommended?
 
#3 ·
I have the S&W 3913tsw. I have carried this as my daily carry gun for years. It has never malfunctioned and eats any ammo that I have run through it. I intentionally picked this weapon for my carry gun because of reliability, compactness and single stack mag. I use a Milt Sparks VMII and it disappears on my person. I love it. They have great reviews. Grab it.
 
#4 ·
Had one...and foolishly sold it for another "had to have" pistol. Which I also foolishly sold. Like Sixto said very overlooked handgun. Excellent build quality. You shoulfd buy it I have never heard anybody complain and wish they hadnt bought theirs.
 
#6 ·
My only experience is with the 908 I have. I'm not really impressed with the accuracy and the takedown-assembly is not as simple and easy as most modern pistols. It is reliable, never a problem, but it isn't really a gun I consider top tier. A lot would depend on the price. I'd compare it to similar guns such as the Kahr K9 or T9, compact Sigs, HK and Walther.
 
#7 ·
The 908 is what Smith was calling in their "value" series, it is not the well built and thought out gun the 3913 is/was.
 
#8 ·
Great little semi. Congrats.
You might want to go to GunBroker.com and type in "S&W 3913" and also try "Smith Wesson 3913" and pick up some extra magazines (which are also excellent quality BTW)
Usually you can also find some assorted accessories AKA holsters at reasonable prices for the 3913.
 
#9 ·
That was my first carry gun. It was one of the first generation model and had a phillips head screw to hols the safety lever in place. Nothing I did would stop it from winding out, including red loc-tite. It was reasonably accurate and fairly reliable.

I sold it and never looked back.

Dan
 
#10 ·
I've got one and it shoots great. Never had any feed issues or anything like that with it. I agree from the above post the single stack mag is great. I want to get a little shorter trigger on mine but other then that it's all metal, thin, and shoots great. Awesome gun to own. I'd say go for it if it's a good price!!!
 
#11 ·
Possibly the finest single stack 9mm ever made. Easily concealed, boringly reliable (mine has over 5000 rounds without a single malfunction) accurate, light weight and looks good doing all that.

Use grease on the rails as oil does not adhere well to the anodized aluminum frame rails. I got some serious wear before discovering this.

I carry mine off duty and as my "court gun". Buy it, shoot it, love it. Regards 18DAI.
 
#12 ·
The first handgun I ever bought was the DAO version of the 3913... the 3953. Got it used from a LEO that used it as his off duty/BUG. I love it. I have put some really crappy ammo (as well as good stuff) through it and it will eat anything. It has never jammed once and I have put at least 2000 rds through it in 10 yrs.... with the added Hogue grips its a pleasure to shoot. :hand10:
 
#13 ·
The 3913 has a great reputation for being reliable and dependable.

I bought one for my daughter, then she tells me she likes revolvers. So I kept it for myself. Very easy to conceal.

They are not being made anymore, so opportunities to buy will likely decrease over time. If you buy it and don't like it, you can resell it easily.
 
#14 ·
A Smith auto with a great rep. No personal experience with one, but have only heard + stuff.:smile:
 
#16 ·
Bought one when they first came out, sold it. About 3 years ago I bought a 3913 and a 3953 'cause I missed the first one so much. I currently carry the 3913 in a HBE Com III. Never had a single malfunction, has fired everything I put into it. Why S&W quit making it is beyond me. I would gladly pay $500 for one in like new condition.
 
#18 ·
I own one - it's the wifey's carry piece. Dead on reliable, easy to hide, weighs very little yet has very controllable mild recoil. However, it WILL stovepipe if you limpwrist it.

Some thoughts:

The DA mode is STIFF STIFF STIFF - get you a Wolff hammer spring replacement. The spring comes as a 2-spring kit with a lighter firing pin spring as well.

The grips are smallish and if you have huge hands like I do and prefer fat guns, the 3913 will try to "twist around" in your grip if you aren't careful to remember what gun you're holding. Plays havoc with your POA/POI but you can get comfortable with it eventually.

Some people don't like the spurless hammer, I believe that you can replace the hammer with one from a 5900 series.

The single side safety can be replaced with a double safety from the 6906. Supposedly it's a drop-in.

Polish the feedramp with jeweler's rouge until it shines. DO NOT "rework" the shape, just polish. IMO, it's more reliable for feeding hollowpoints - not that the factory finish won't feed everything reliably anyway. And it looks cool.

GREASE and GREASE ONLY on the rails. Not kidding, you WILL gall the frame rails if you only use oil. My philosophy is grease on the outside parts, oil on the inside ones. My 3913 and 6906 have several thousand rounds through them, no failures to speak of and they still look factory fresh.
 
#20 ·
Gotta agree w/ most folks here - Great pistol for CCW - Single stack, respectable caliber, perfect size, reliable as heck... It's got a whole lot going for it...

A close buddy of mine has had 2 over the course of the past 7 years or so (He sold each before being deployed to the sandbox two separate times - Even though I offered to hold them in the safe for him). He never had any type of malfunction with it, that I am aware of (and we usually shot together).

I always secretly envied that 3913 of his - I was carrying a G27 at the time, and loved how slim the Smith was in comparison... That slimness is part of what steered me towards my current fondness for single-stack carry pieces (and, I admit - the 9mm cartridge!)...

I wish I had bought one of his 2 3913's - I guarantee one or both would still be w/ me! Great gun...

Regards,

Bones
 
#21 ·
I bought one by luck as my first pistol 10+ years ago. The only reason I do not still have it is my wife loves it as well and her confidence means the world. I have no complaints I never knew that pistols could malfunction or that small compact are unreliable or inaccurate this things been flawless. I will never part with my 3913tsw it has been with me through some good times and some bad. Hmm maybe I should look for another.
 
#26 ·
I have a 3914, blued version, that I really like. I had the action done and added Hogue grips...the factory ones are too small for my hands. It is my most carried gun now, since I carry it at work. Really great combination of weight, size and power for my use.
 
#27 ·
3913 ls

I have a 3913 LS and like others, I love the size, weight, the reliability and how thin it is. The trigger on mine is very heavy in double-action, and way too long in single action. Is it just mine, or have others experienced this? If so, were you able to find an inexpensive fix?
 
#28 ·
I have a 3913 LS and like others, I love the size, weight, the reliability and how thin it is. The trigger on mine is very heavy in double-action, and way too long in single action. Is it just mine, or have others experienced this? If so, were you able to find an inexpensive fix?
Wolff has spring kits that will reduce the DA trigger pull to something more finger-friendly. Cost is around $50 or so.

Are you talking about trigger creep in SA mode? My wife's LS doesn't creep at all, has no overtravel, and has a VERY fast reset. However, the LS's have a "trigger job" from the factory. I don't know if the non-LS models have this as well. IF you don't like the SA trigger, I'd suggest having a competent smith take a look at it.
 
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