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S&W 908: The Budget 3913

ev239

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I had the opportunity to pick up a 908 for a steal of a price so I jumped on it. I previously owned the second gen S&W 469, but had traded it off. My father in law got the 457, the 45acp version of this "Value Series", last spring for a great deal at a gun show (yeah, I know how often does that happen?).

Anyways, for a price much less than a 3913 that included a total of 3 mags not to mention a less than desirable nylon holster, I picked up my first 3rd gen S&W auto. I'm a little thrilled that it's covered under S&W's lifetime warranty (from what I understand all 3G's are). It's a very slim gun! Slimmer than my Sig P239 and lighter as well. It's not quite as thin as my Kahr, but not many guns are. I still need to give it a good cleaning as it's barrel looks like it may have been a little neglected. It's definitely not a looker, but as a working gun it sure looks the part. Not as nicely finished as the 3913 and containing a few *gasp* plastic parts, the 908's still has a good feel. This week I'm planning on taking it to the range to give it a little workout and see how well it operates. If all goes well, it will then move into the rotation.

Pictures...of course...
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My view is, if you can find a pistol in a fighting caliber from a name brand maker for under $250 that works then it's a good value. Any blemishes to the finish are marks of character.

***Range Report!!!***

Ok, just got back from my lunchtime range after running the 908 through the paces. I put a little over 100 rounds through it with a few hp's to check feeding. I came away liking it very much. I brought my Sig along to compare triggers and sights. I'm a big fan of the "dot the i" as with three dot sights I tend to miss the middle dot when quickly acquiring the target. The 908 lines up very instinctively so I didn't have too much of a problem with it when doing double taps. Accuracy was similar to my Sig. I'm no master marksman so both of these weapons are more accurate than I am. I can easily do head shots at 10 yards so take that for what it's worth.

The trigger is pretty smooth and very different than my previous 469 primarily in DA. Mostly because the 469 employed a half cock notch which you could feel as you pulled through DA. Compared to the Sig trigger it feels a tad lighter and just a hair less smooth, though it is a shorter pull than the Sig.

I wanted to go ahead and give it it's first carry day. I've been carrying a Sig P239 in a Crossbreed SuperTuck and since they are both very similar in size I figured why not try it out. The CBST's kydex is molded specifically for a P239, but since the backside is all leather the gun never "snaps" in like kydex-only holsters. I was a little worried that it might slide or wiggle around, but after trying it out...success!

Here are some shots.

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It's always nice when an existing holster works well for different guns. You'll notice that I prefer to carry it with the flat mag base as it conceals better and still offers a full hand grip.

Overall, I'm very satisfied and think I got much more than my money's worth.
 
Excellent find and I agree wear marks give a working gun character. If I didn't have a Kahr CW9 this was one of my choices for summer carry or the stainless version. $250! Dang it man you just don't find a quality pistol for that kind of cabbage everyday! Great review and nice pics!
 
Thanks for the report. One question, wouldn't this be a budget 3914 instead of 3913 (stainless)?
I am a big fan of the 39 series. I lucked into a 3914 and it is quite nice. I'm not an auto fan but this is a great carry piece. I cannot tell much difference between it and your 908.

Ive always been curious about the 9xx series. I knew they were "budget" but also know S&W would not have made a cheap weapon.
 
Yes, it is more like the 3914 just because of the blue slide. There are quite a few differences between the 39 series and the 9xx series. First the sights are plastic and there are more components that are MIM. They only have a left side safety instead of ambidextrous ones. Also I believe the locking lugs are machined differently on the barrel and the slide though I could be confusing the difference between 2nd Gen and the 3rd Gen Smiths.
 
Every 908 I had made me the marksman that I certainly am not. Always regretted selling these off, because they were good shooters.

Even my wife asked if I was sure I wanted to sell my carry 908 due to my zeroing in on the target at the range. I should have listened to her!
 
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