In the recent times of Covid, along with the countless other things driving people to buy more firearms, the used gun has taken somewhat of a beating. I get constant messages from people saying they can no longer find deals because there’s nothing left on the shelves. To their defense, the used market isn’t as easy to find deals like it was before the world went insane, but it’s still very possible to find bargains if you know what to look for. This latest edition of Pawn Shop Finds was purely by luck. I found an incredible 5906 at a local gun store while I was picking up another project they’ve been helping me with. Let’s dive into the perfect Smith & Wesson 5906 I found and how it is to shoot.

Finding The Smith & Wesson 5906

It all started when I stopped by a local gun shop to pick up an 870 that I had some VangComp iron sights installed on. I was talking to the salesman behind the counter when I was just glancing over what they had, because let’s face it, that’s what I instinctively do. I will be completely transparent and admit I have been looking for a super clean 5906 for a while. There are a ton of police trade-in 5906s on the market but the vast majority are beaten up or shot out.

I ended up seeing this particular 5906 on the top shelf of the counter with its original box and one spare magazine. Oftentimes, it’s hard to see exactly what condition a gun is in when you’re looking through a glass counter but it looked pretty clean from the outside which immediately piqued my interest. I was still very skeptical right up until the salesman pulled the gun out and handed this incredible example to me.

I could tell this particular 5906 was either fired very little if at all. Every alarm in my head was screaming BUY BUY BUY! I instantly knew I had to have it. With a price of $375, this Smith isn’t the typical steal I will usually write about that costs less than $200 but it’s still a great price for what it is. I know some of you guys get discouraged when trying to find used deals but they are still out there.

Shooting The Smith & Wesson 5906

Now don’t get me wrong, I will 100% shoot every firearm I own because truthfully I’m just not the type of guy to keep guns in my safe unfired. I know there are plenty of guys out there who truly collect but I love to shoot all my firearms. That being said, I still feel a little dirty going out less than an hour after I bought it and putting a couple hundred rounds through this 5906. It’s crazy to think this Smith & Wesson is a year older than me and is in perfect condition. The safety was slightly sticky from sitting for so long but once I sprayed it down with CLP, the gun felt like it was brand new.

The Good And Bad

The DA/SA action on my 5906 is fairly heavy compared to the majority of guns I typically shoot. After the first couple of magazines, I decided to throw it on a trigger weight scale to see how exactly heavy they were and I was a bit surprised by the readings. The double action comes in at a smooth but heavy 8lbs with the single action coming in around 6lbs. It’s not a bullseye trigger by any means, if anything it feels like a really heavy combat trigger, but the single action reset is one of the shortest resets I have felt out of any handgun I’ve shot in a long time.

I don’t think it’s fair to compare a handgun from the 1990s with a modern handgun. Rather, I can appreciate this is a snapshot of what production guns were 30 years ago and enjoy it for what standard DA/SA triggers were at the time. With all that being said, I absolutely love this handgun and think it’s one of the better-looking firearms I own. It has this crazy sex appeal that not a ton of guns have. Whether it was the 90s action movies like Lethal Weapon or Reservoir Dogs, it has this super cool feel to it. That’s one of the favorite things about having a variety of firearms. They don’t all have to be tactical or for a specific purpose, sometimes it’s just nice to own a firearm that you can appreciate and shoot for sport.

Overall Thoughts

I’ve done a few of these Pawn Shop Finds articles, and I will be completely honest and say this is hands down my favorite find thus far. It may not be the cheapest find I’ve ever had, or even the best gun I have bought for the money but it’s one of the cleanest and really a great representation of the 5906 during the 90s. I’ve always enjoyed the 3rd generation of Smith & Wesson handguns and couldn’t be happier with the one I bought.

I know some of you are somewhat discouraged with the used gun market and say there are no good deals out there, but if you just take your time and have persistence, I have no doubt you will find something for a great price in the end. Let me know if you have one of these 5906s or if you have found a great gun buy lately at your local gun shops. I’d love to hear about them in the comments below. If you have questions about used guns or any firearm-related questions, feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there.