questions about S&W 5906 variations

**carrguy1** · December 20th, 2013, 06:14 PM

I picked up a 5906 from a member here a little while back for a very decent price. I haven't had a chance to shoot it yet but I'm please with it for the price. It has a fair amount of carry wear but I wasn't looking for a mint one.

I have some questions about the different variations. I know the early ones came with the squared trigger guard which I don't care for. I was looking for a rounded guard and preferable the novak style sights which is what I wound up with so I was pleased. I just realized the other day the rear sights are actually night sights. They're dim so I didn't realize at first. The front sight is not a night sight so I was confused as to why a gun would have night rears but not in the front. How do you line it up in the dark? Also, not only is the front sight not a night sight but it doesn't even have a white dot on it. The depression is there for one but there's no white. Did it just wear off?

The safety dot is also not red as I have seen on most if not all pictures I've researched. It's just stainless. Did they come like this or has the red worn off (on both sides) like the front sight white may have? I've looked close and see no hint of red so if it has worn off of both sides there's none left behind.

Mine also has the black trigger and hammer. Is there a difference between the black or stainless trigger and hammer or is just cosmetic?

Finally, and this one is the strangest to me, the engraving for Smith & Wesson, the S&W logo, and the model and serial numbers all seem to be shallowly "etched" rather than stamped more deeply like I have seen on most if not all of my research pictures. It seems to be etched on similar to how it looks on the 5906TSW models. Note that the serial has been blurred below.

Anyone have any insight to any of the above? Thanks in advance.

**Arrdy** · December 20th, 2013, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by carrguy1

...
Finally, and this one is the strangest to me, the engraving for Smith & Wesson, the S&W logo, and the model and serial numbers all seem to be shallowly "etched" rather than stamped more deeply like I have seen on most if not all of my research pictures. It seems to be etched on similar to how it looks on the 5906TSW models. Note that the serial has been blurred below.

Anyone have any insight to any of the above? Thanks in advance.

That's laser etching on the serial number and logo. They have been doing that on their wheel guns for a while.

**Bill67** · December 20th, 2013, 06:57 PM

My first guess is that it was cleaned, maybe beadblasted lightly enough to get it smoothed out, but enough to remove any traces of the red and possibly the front sight.

**mongo** · December 20th, 2013, 07:34 PM

Looks like the 5906 I have. the Novak night sights are one front "dot" an two rear. If the front one does not "light", the little glass vial that holds the tritium gas is broken. Night sights do not last forever. The tritium gas has a half life of bout 12 years. That means that after 12 years it will be half as bright a new, and the next 12 years it will be again half as bright, and so on. If your 5906 is a old as mine, it should be about 20 years old, and those night sights will not be so bright anymore. They can be replaced, but they are a little expensive. Other that that, at least by me, the S&W 59 series 9mm's are really fine handguns. It is DA/SA and will have "second strike" capabilities. Also you can use any series 59 series magazine. Do not let anyone tell you there "plastic fantastic" is better........

**mrnyman** · December 20th, 2013, 10:47 PM

I second what Mongo said, also OP bear in mind that real night sight is not painted on it is nuclear material in a sealed glass vial inside of a glass tube suspended in a shock absorbing material, however there are companies that make "night sights " that are painted on such as some Trijicons that are sold to countries like Germany where real tritium night sights are illegal.

**carrguy1** · December 21st, 2013, 12:08 AM

Originally Posted by Arrdy

That's laser etching on the serial number and logo. They have been doing that on their wheel guns for a while.

It would make sense that it was laser etched I was just curious about it since every other picture of a non TSW 5906 I've seen has been stamped or engraved deeper.

Originally Posted by mongo

...If the front one does not "light", the little glass vial that holds the tritium gas is broken... If your 5906 is a old as mine, it should be about 20 years old, and those night sights will not be so bright anymore. They can be replaced, but they are a little expensive...

Good call on the broken glass. I'll have to look closer to see if I can find any evidence of that. If not I'll still assume that's the case since I can't imagine someone (or the factory) adding night rears without a front. I have some glow in the dark paint that needs to be charged with light. It's supposed to last a long time (like overnight) if it's been charged well. I may put some of that on if I decide it's too expensive or too much trouble to replace the sights.

Originally Posted by mrnyman

I second what Mongo said, also OP bear in mind that real night sight is not painted on it is nuclear material in a sealed glass vial inside of a glass tube suspended in a shock absorbing material, however there are companies that make "night sights " that are painted on such as some Trijicons that are sold to countries like Germany where real tritium night sights are illegal.

Thanks for the info. I was aware that night sights were tritium powered and have a half life. A guy I used to work with had a tritium tube on his key chain to make it easy to find in the dark. He told me all about what it is.

**Mity2** · December 21st, 2013, 10:15 PM

I think your 5906 was sand blasted to clean up some point in its life, which is why engraving is really shallow.
Because mine is pretty frigging deeply engraved...

(mine is old one. I like the early hook trigger Guard. I specifically looked for it. either late .89 or early .90. Carried ALOT)

**carrguy1** · December 22nd, 2013, 12:00 AM

I'm not saying it wasn't sand or bead blasted at some point but I find it hard to believe that that much material would have been removed to go from the deeper engraving to what I have. I'm more inclined to go with the laser etching theory especially since the font sizing and spacing are completely different.