For Some Reason I Always Wanted a 69 Series Smith

[Battlepack]

I guess I am nostalgic for the late 80's when I was in college and hung out at the gunstore, eyeing the new S&W autos under the glass and not being able to buy one. For some reason I was always drawn to the 69 Series, even though I have never shot one.

Anyway, I decided to make an impulse buy and finally try one out. Just picked up a 6946 (DAO) off of Gunbroker today. I probably overpaid slightly ($370 shipped), but I don't have any regrets about not trying the 69 Series anymore. Definitely didn't want a backwards slide-mounted safety version, so I was pleasantly surprised to find an excellent condition 6946 online. Any advice from the professionals here that have extensive knowledge about the 3rd Generation guns?

[NCPatrolAR]

Replace the recoil spring when you get it. Also the DAO trigger takes a little getting used to if you are acustomed to shooting guns like the Glock or M&P. Mags might be hard to find at times (as well as holsters) so pick a few up whenever you see them.

[Bulldog7972]

I just picked up a 6906 as I too always wanted a 69XX series pistol. They have a lot to offer. 12+1 rounds in a small,lightweight package. The 6946 probably would have been nice because of the safety you mentioned but I'm OK with it. I know it's not a Sig,Glock, H&K or M&P but for what I intend to do with it, it should be fine. I do think these S&W pistols get a bad rap.

[SWAT Lt.]

I like the 3rd Generation S&W autos and the 6906 was our issued duty gun for about 8 years. Very reliable when properly maintained (i.e. they don't run dry) and pretty accurate for a small gun. I shot mine extensively and cannot remember ever having a malfunction. Didn't see many malfs on the range that weren't attributable to maintenance issues. I did break a trigger bar after many, many thousands of rounds which rendered the gun inoperable.

Replace the recoil spring when you get it and again after several thousand rounds, depending on the type of ammo you use. We issued standard pressure ammo, but found they would not work well with a somewhat worn recoil spring and +P+ ammunition. Same gun, same ammo, new spring, and it ran like a champ.

OTOH, I am not found of the S&W DAOs, as the trigger must be let out quite a bit to reset. Under stress this has proven difficult and folks think their gun has malfunctioned after the first (or whichever) shot when they actually failed to let the trigger out enough to reset.

[Battlepack]

Picked the 6946 up today, threw in a new recoil spring and lubed, then shot a box thru it in the cold. I was making good hits at 12 yards, surprisingly since I didn't know what to expect out of the DAO trigger (which was pretty smooth). I don't think I will have too much trouble switching between it, my 1911s, and an M&P. The grip was a little more blocky than I was anticipating. My only complaint was that I found the mag release somewhat small.

After looking at the schematic for the pistol, I don't think I will be detail stripping it!:D

[varoadking]

I like mine...and all my other DAO Smiths for that matter...

I found one LNIB at a LGS a few years ago for $275.00 and couldn't resist. Factory magazines are somewhat scarce and 'spensive, but that's about all the bad I have to say about that...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/varoadking/guns/6946-r.jpg