Smith Wesson 5906 Serial Number Date Of Manufacture

S&W Model 5906
TypeSemi-automatic pistol
Place of originUnited States
Production history
ManufacturerSmith & Wesson
Produced1989–1999
Specifications
Mass1070 g (38.3 oz)
Length191 mm (7.5 in)
Barrel length102 mm (4 in)
Cartridge9×19mm Parabellum
ActionDouble/single action
Feed system10- and 15- round magazine
Sights3-dot adjustable
  • Smith Wesson Model 36 Serial Number Dates DOWNLOAD (Mirror #1).
  • Seems like a quick internet search is all that's required to match a serial number to a manufacture date. But not Smith & Wesson. I do realize they weren't good about keeping them in order and that a higher serial number doesn't always mean a later manufacture date. But I can't find any information at all.

The Smith & Wesson 5906 is a pistol manufactured starting in 1989 by Smith & Wesson.

Once a very popular model with law enforcement and military units in the United States, the DA/SA 5906 has been superseded by polymer-framed striker-fired models from Glock, Heckler & Koch, SIG Sauer as well as Smith & Wesson's own M&P line of polymer framed handguns in both 9mm and.40 calibers.

Smith wesson 5906 serial number date of manufactured

Design[edit]

The 5906 is a full-sized, double/single-action (DA/SA), staggered-column magazine, 9×19mm pistol. Its construction is all stainless steel. The 5906 is equipped with a magazine disconnect feature which is designed to deactivate the trigger if the magazine is not fully inserted. The pistol comes standard with either a 10- or 15-round magazine. Other features include ambidextrous safety levers, a one-piece rear wraparound grip, and a choice of either fixed sights or a rear sight fully adjustable for windage and elevation. Once a very popular model with law enforcement and military units in the United States, the DA/SA 5906 has been superseded by polymer-framed striker-fired models from Glock, Heckler & Koch, SIG Sauer as well as Smith & Wesson's own M&P line of polymer framed handguns in both 9mm and .40 calibers.[1]

Variants[edit]

Smith Wesson Serial Number Database

The first generation Smith & Wesson semi-auto pistol designations consist of two digits, such as Smith & Wesson Model 39 and Model 59. Second generation pistols are designated by three digits; these include the Model 459, Model 659, etc. Many second generation designs were eventually upgraded with various improvements, thus becoming the third generation pistols; these are identified by the addition of a fourth digit to the second generation model number: 5903, 5904, 5905, 5906, etc.[1] However, there are exceptions to this numbering scheme, namely the third generation Value Series pistols such as the S&W Models 915 and 910, and the Model 457.

Site

5900 series manufacturing history[edit]

5906TSW

The Model 5903 was manufactured from 1990 to 1997, and featured an aluminum alloy frame and a stainless steel slide with a 15-round double-stack magazine. Produced from 1989 to 1998, the Model 5904 has an aluminum alloy frame and blued carbon steel slide, also with a 15-round magazine, and inspired two other derivative pistols, the Smith & Wesson Models 915 and 910. The Model 5905 featured a carbon steel (blued) slide and frame, and was produced in 1991 only in very limited numbers. The Model 5906, produced from 1989-1999, is an all-stainless steel model, and is therefore significantly heavier than the other models in the 59XX series.[2] The stainless steel double-action only variant of this pistol, the Model 5946, along with the Model 3953, produced from 1990 to 1999, was manufactured without safety levers, and is the primary issue service pistol of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Department of Fisheries and Oceans as well as one of three pistols available for selection by New York City Police Department.

The Model 5967 is a Lew Horton limited edition S&W model. Only 500 of these were made as a special offering in 1990. The pistol is a 3914 carbon steel slide on a 5906 stainless steel frame, two-tone tan polymer finish with brown Hogue grips. The sights are Novak Lo-Mount fixed three-dot sights. Product code is 103048, which is a 4-inch barrel and first (square) trigger guard.[1]

Users[edit]

Smith Wesson 5906 Serial Number Date Of Manufacturer

  • Bahamas: Royal Bahamas Defence Force.[citation needed]
  • Canada: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Model 5946),[3]Fisheries and Oceans Fishery Officers (Model 5946).[4]CSIS
  • Japan: Japan Coast Guard.[5]
  • Republic of China: National Police Agency (Model 5904)[6]
  • United States: New York City Police Department (Model 5946), Los Angeles Police Department.[7], Colorado State Patrol[8] (1991-1998)
  • Puerto Rico: Puerto Rico Police Department[9] (1990-2010) (Model 5906)

Smith Wesson Serial Number Lookup

References[edit]

  1. ^ abcSupica, Jim; Nahas, Richard (2007). Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson. Iola, Wisconsin: F+W Media, Inc. pp. 315–317. ISBN978-0-89689-293-4.
  2. ^Cite Cheaper Than Dirt Website
  3. ^Garry Breitkreuz (1999-04-27). 'RCMP NOW ADMIT THEY HAD FOUR SNIPERS ON THE HILL DURING GUN LAW PROTEST'. Archived from the original on 2013-06-13. Retrieved 2013-06-13.
  4. ^http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2007/ps-sp/PS63-1-1994-10E.pdf
  5. ^学研 「図説 世界の特殊作戦」 ISBN978-4-05-604649-6 p127
  6. ^http://www.ptpolice.gov.tw/_teams/mobile/CmsShow.aspx?Parm=200718112014797,2006112110379234,5
  7. ^http://www.lapdonline.org/lapd_equipment
  8. ^'Colorado Gun Laws'. Colorado State Patrol - CSP. 2014-08-06. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
  9. ^https://www.elvocero.com/ley-y-orden/la-polic-a-cambiar-sus-armas/article_0f136b94-4824-11e8-9300-6b9aebda805f.html

External links[edit]

Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Smith_%26_Wesson_Model_5906&oldid=972408846'
SERIAL NUMBERS:
for this particular 5906 example (in the OP), VAN78xx is explained as follows:
In March of 1984, Smith & Wesson began using a 3-letter serial number prefix for all of their products, including autoloaders. The 5906 was introduced in 1989. In 1994, the 'VAM' prefix began to be used, along with 4 numerals. By 1997, the 'UAMxxxx' numbering began. So by deduction, 1994 started with VAM0001-VAM9999, then proceeded to VAN0001-VAN9999, and so on. I don't know much about the rest of the numbers, but would assume that Smith & Wesson would go from 'VAN' to 'VAP' (and skip the 'O' in the alphabet) because of the problem in misidentifying a letter 'O' as a numeral '0' (zero). But I'm not sure of that!
MODEL NUMBERS explained:
The first two digits represent the caliber:
39 - 9mm
59 - 9mm
69 - 9mm
10 - 10mm
40 - .40 S&W
45 - .45 ACP
35 - .35 TSW
The third digit indicates the type of model:
0 - Standard Model
1 - Compact
2 - Std. with Decocker
3 - Compact with decocker
4 - Std., DA only
5 - Compact, DA only
6 - Non-Standard length barrel
7 - Non-Standard length barrel, with decocker
8 - Non-Standard length barrel, DA only
The fourth digit indicates material:
3 - Alum. frame / S.S. slide
4 - Alum. frame / steel slide
5 - Steel frame & slide
6 - Stainless frame & slide
7 - S.S. slide / steel frame (two tone)