S&W 910 9mm - Good Hand Gun?

[Serrinon]

Hi All,

A number of you have already helped me to narrow down my first hand gun choices. I thougut it was going to be a Glock 17 or a Springfield XD, but today I tried out a S&W 910 and it just fit perfectly into my hand. I don't know what it was, but it just seemed right.

The problem is I can't test it out or anything. So I was hoping some of you experienced shooters could help me understand if the gun itself will we be a accurate, reliable, etc... as the other guns I was looking at.

Thank you so much!

[Serrinon]

Bummer, no body has a feeling on this one? Hummm, not willing to risk buying a handgun that has 0 endorcements. Found some reviews that had positive things to say, but you never know who paid them to write the review :P

[Tony Orlando and Dawn]

Any of the third generation S&W's are solid reliable guns. I've never owned a 910, but I've owned a slew of other 3rd g S&W's over the years. All have been super reliable.

[Bulzeye]

You just knew I had to chime in with my opinion, didn't you?

First, S&W makes good stuff.
I don't know anything specific about the 910. I do have a friend that bought a similar 9mm from them, but can't remember which model. He had some feeding problems, but I don't think he ever followed up to investigate the cause of the problem. It could have just been a bad magazine. He was also a first time gun owner and may not have been gripping the gun properly.

Aside from reliability, you already have the most important part nailed down...

I tried out a S&W 910 and it just fit perfectly into my hand. I don't know what it was, but it just seemed right.

That is really important.

Make sure it is rated for +P ammo before using any.

I myself have an old model 39 which is the original handgun in that line. It's a single stack 9mm with the manual safety decocker mounted on the slide. The 39 is a good gun, and the 910 and it's cousins probably fall into that vein.

The trigger is TDA (DA/SA) so you will have a heavier first shot pull than with subsequent shots, unless you cock the hammer first. A large part of the industry is getting away from this mode of operation in preference of DAO type functioning with lighter than traditional triggers. Nothing wrong with either one, just understand how your gun works and how it compares to others so that you get what you want.

This is something to think about...
Almost all S&W semiautos have magazine disconnect safeties (I think all except their new 1911, which has a warning to that effect because people know to expect a mag disc safety on a S&W). This can be a good thing for safety since it will disable the gun in the event the magazine is removed. So, even if you goof up and leave a round in the chamber accidentally when removing the mag for storage, the gun will not fire even if the manual safety is off and the trigger is pulled.

This feature is also a favorite of some police agencies because an officer who is fighting somebody for control of his gun may be able to dump the mag before his weapon is taken away and thereby 'disarm' his attacker before he can shoot the officer. The officer can then continue to wrestle without concern for the gun, or draw his backup weapon. If he is then able to regain control of his primary gun, which often happens shortly after the bad guy drops the gun becasue it won't work, all he has to do is pop in a spare mag and he's up and running again.

The downside to having a feature that can automatically disable your weapon is thatit can automatically disable your weapon. If that mag comes out of the gun in a fight because you accidentally bumped the magazine release button or fumbled a reload, you are hosed even if you have a round in the chamber, safety off, gun pointed at the bad guy, enough time to get a shot off, and you pull the trigger. Not a happy turn of events.

It would be tragically ironic for your last thoughts toinvolvetrying to figure out why your trusted sidearm didn't do anything when you needed it to most.As you can probably guess, my 39 has been retired to the safe for target practice, plinking, and teaching.

Just some things you shouldthink aboutbefore buying a gun with this feature for defense.

-Bulz

[Serrinon]

Awesome, thanks for the info guys. How would I go about finding out if it can accept +P ammo.

[Tony Orlando and Dawn]

Send S&W an email or check in the owners manual next time you're in the gunshop.

[Bulzeye]

How would I go about finding out if it can accept +P ammo.

Just call S&W. 1-800-331-0852
http://www.smith-wesson.com
I've had very good experiences with their knowledgeable staff.
Ifyou like the feel of the 910, you may want to get a catalog or ask about similar models you didn't see in the store. Some may have differing features and actions to suit your preference. Variations may include steel or alloy frames, fixed sights, adjustable sights, night sights, ambidextrous safties, decocker-only safeties, DAO vs DA/SA, gun size, different finishes, and grips.

They can also give you some history on used guns if you are ever considering buying one. Just get the model and serial numbers.

My old 39 is not rated for +P, but I think most of their newer models are.

[Serrinon]

Wow, that 800 number was priceless. Fast and frieldy support, and yes it does accpt the +P ammo. I think I might go ahead and buy it today if they still have it in stock at the store in town.

[Retaks]

I had one. It was a good gun but i wanted more power. Sold it abd bought a 457S. They are both goodguns.

[Bulzeye]

Almost all S&W semiautos have magazine disconnect safeties (I think all except their new 1911, which has a warning to that effect because people know to expect a mag disc safety on a S&W).

Since I posted this, I handleda couple of S&W relatively new M&P pistols, and read an article on them. It seems that S&W has eliminated the mag disc safety on the M&P line, and Gary James writes about them very positively in the April 2007issue of Guns and Ammo. He reviewed the 9mm compact version, but has shot several and also shared the experiences of others who are familiar with them.