Smith and Wesson model 4006 review

[@PPISAFETY]

I was around as an LEO at the introduction of the 4006, and got mine 10 days after introduction. It came with two 25 round boxes of Winchester 180 grain JHP's at time of purchase. I remember being so excited to get the pistol, and went directly from my dealer to the range to shoot it. It was love at first shot. On steel plates it hit noticeably harder than 9mm loads of the day, most of which were notoriously ineffective. I lived and worked close to Quantico and knew quite a few FBI agents at the time they adopted the 10mm pistols in the wake of the 1986 shoot-out, as did the Virginia State Police. I wrote a long comment correcting some minor points of history on the use of the 10mm and development of the .40 S&W, and my experiences with the 4006 as a police pistol (excellent), but KZbin appears to have eaten that comment four times now. Suffice it to say that if I were back on patrol (unlikely at my age), I would cheerfully carry a 4006 even today. If anyone wants to study the 1986 Miami gunfight that gave birth to the .40 S&W and the 4006, I can highly recommend the book by Special Agent Ed Mireles, who ended the fight with his revolver. Ed autographed my copy for me, but the Kindle version is still available for $6 on Amazon. It is called "FBI Miami Firefight: Five Minutes That Changed The Bureau". I highly recommend it.

[@thedailydefender1408]

Wow thanks for a great comment! I didn’t think about the “impression “ most folks / cops got the first time shooting the .40 S&W but you’re right I’m sure it made a noticeable impression on them. I have read Ed’s book, very cool you have a signed copy, that’s a treasured piece. There are some other very good pieces of information out there on it too. I don’t think many new shooters or people in the 2A community understand the impact of the Miami event through firearms, ammunition, tactics, etc…. I I’m still fascinated with it today as nothing has really been documented to that level. Both my 4006 and 4006TSW CHP are very nice pistols.

[@Hidden_Destinations]

You are very well spoken. Its a big complement.

[@thedailydefender1408]

Well thank you much !

[@dwayneelizondomountaindewh6073]

you have quite the collection there. very jealous. also let's be real these things look beautiful without the accessory rail. they just have good lines. same reason I love my old sigs, yeah, the rail adds to the usefulness I guess you could say, but the lines of the guns without the rails just look better.

[@thedailydefender1408]

I go back and forth on rails, at times I like them visually ( minus the practical purpose) and then other times I agree with you and the simple/ elegant lines….

[@Wcquick]

Good review, interesting history of the .40 and 10mm S&W pistols

[@thedailydefender1408]

Thanks.

[@mefirst5427]

Many years ago a CHP officer helped us with a flat tire, chatted with him a bit and he was carrying the S&W 4006 TSW.

[@thedailydefender1408]

Great comment, I wish a lot of the older firearms had more historical information associated with them.

[@Kobra112w]

I have a 5903 that I mainly carry with me but I was at my local gun store saw 4006 in really good condition in the counter and had to pick it up. I’ve come to really appreciate and enjoy this style of pistols I very much dislike the striker fire I love hammer fired

[@thedailydefender1408]

Myself as well. Certainly striker fire has a much quicker learning curve but with enough training one can master the da/ sa platform and I believe it a brings advantages to the ccw holder. I’d also argue revolvers and da/sa platforms actually improve trigger discipline and control.

[@Kobra112w]

@@thedailydefender1408 my backup is a Taurus 85 in shiny blued all steel. I fully agree with you on that:)

[@nancymontplaisir3467]

Very nice 40 I do have the 5906 tsw but the rail is black got it 22 year's ago I did buy some trade in's since then and mothers aluminum mag polish will fix about anything most need .You have a nice set of S&W 's

[@thedailydefender1408]

I see VERY few 5906TSW, in fact maybe one in the last 3-4 years in person, that one is on my short list. I’m not sure, I’d have to check, If they made the 5906TSW with the full integrated rail like the 4006TSW, the black rail may have been the only way they made that one. I’ve heard good things about the mothers polish you mention, I can vouch for Flitz polish on the stainless steel smiths as well.

[@nancymontplaisir3467]

@@thedailydefender1408 I was told the 5906tsw was available for selection by New York City Police Department but mine never saw service rail need's a wedge not to rattle but hold's the TR-1 & surefire 300 great

[@vevenaneathna]

new 9mm tech makes sense out of full size barrels. 9mm out of all these recently popular subcompact micro/pocket whatever does not expand, does not penetrate, ect. larger caliber looses less energy out of short barrels, but then they get snappy and you have to make frames out of metal... which is a no go. its like the taurus curve, consumers ask for the dumbest things. they will buy a cross over suv and then mock someone for driving an old station wagon, despite them being the same thing

[@hopefloats7573]

I just put a 14lbs recoil spring in mine after owning it for 30 years. Sweet shooter but still has more recoil than my PX4 45.

[@thedailydefender1408]

Hey thanks for the comment. I probably should do the same , it’s funny for a gun of its size and weight I don’t think it manages the recoil as well as some other .40s. Probably down to the design at the time and relatively simple spring choice/ design.

[@MrUC53]

Hey new to channel but not new in firearms. The last 6 months I’ve been salivating over the 4006 tactical. Enough to think I can take a pistol off my license and pick one of them up. That would be in a perfect world. But love the 4006.

[@thedailydefender1408]

Hey thanks for subscribing and the comment, as I mentioned in both videos the 4006 or the TSW CHP version are both extremely solid firearms, at least the two examples I have. I’d put them up there with the Sig p229 and HK USP in the same caliber, granted the does feel a bit more refined or up to date and the HK has the weight savings advantage w the polymer frame. As normal, it comes down to what the intended use is for the pistol. But again can’t take anything away from these smiths.

[@MrUC53]

Well my duty carry is the W.German p226. The TSW would be an upgrade for my carry because of the rail. Love the heavy metal guns. They are the best for me to carry.

[@thedailydefender1408]

@@MrUC53 ahhh nice sidearm. The TSW is heavy gun, I’ll see if I can get you the actual weight but from memory it’s considerably heavier than the p229. Now it’s fantastic to shoot. 40 in with all that weight, more like a hot 9mm. My off duty gun back in the day was 5904. I Love all metal guns but I have found being a little older now that weight can kind of wear on me for ccw so I’ve moved over to HK for most of my carry needs. Still an odd revolver tucked in from time to time and my 3913 or Sig 365 seem to be the best summer carry guns I’ve found.

[@charlesdesurne4696]

One of my favorites! i have one identical to this ....unfired

[@thedailydefender1408]

Excellent, always interesting to hear the unfired pistols, I completely understand the idea of keeping it pristine and collectible grade , but they are so nice to shoot. a while back I took that .40 and a couple others, Sig and HK and I was surprised to find the 4006 had the most felt,recoil which surprised me given its weight. I think back then it was designed with a pretty simply recoil spring / system opposed to what the other guys were designing.

[@charlesdesurne4696]

i usually shoot and enjoy all my guns , but i have three of them total , this one was from a collector who passed away and had many that were new in the box . i get more pleasure from this particular one being unfired ( since factory) than i would if i shot it . :) i noticed the recoil too ! not as you'd think for as heavy it is .!

[@thedailydefender1408]

Well I can certainly appreciate and respect that. I do know some folks who buy two of many of the guns they own. I lucked out and acquired a like new Sig p229 legion that way after a gentleman was lightening up his collection as he moved into his ore senior years…..yeah I can only assume it’s the relatively simple spring being used and not a dual or recoil reducing style or very heavy duty type like on a Sig. the HK usp in .40 is surprisingly nice to shoot considering it’s a polymer gun. @@charlesdesurne4696

[@charlesdesurne4696]

@thedailydefender1408 That sounds like a great buy ! I love the looks of those Legions ! features are awesome too ! the only sig ive ever owned is a P226 elite with the rosewood grips . at first i couldn't hit the bullseye , but i discovered that sig has their point of aim covering the target . once i realized that , i could shoot it better than any pistol ive ever owned ! accuracy is incredible ! i mean i stopped shooting the rings and started shoot the individual letters on the paper target . i dont know if all sigs are that accurate . its been nice talking to you, btw . :)

[@thedailydefender1408]

The legions are neat pistols especially in the 226 and 229, kind of the pinnacle of the design IMO , the early ones had grey guns triggers if memory serves me right not sure if that is still the case. The 226 mk25 is very accurate and very easy to shoot, I think the HK usp full size in 9mm might be even better , I need to shoot those two side by side……im a huge 229 guy on the Sig side and at times actually like the original ones better than the legions , probably that classic look that’s attracting me. I don’t get too caught up in the whole west German vs US build thing, I think both built and still build exceptional firearms. Some of the torture tests on the 229 and 226 were pretty crazy back in the day and unfortunately most folks have forgot that. I like to see all the variety out there now in the firearms industry and even the gucci guns are pretty cool, but I like these original combat designed firearms because they simply will not let you down, and just because the big fed agencies have gone Glock by no means does that make the guns they chose for 20 year service are obsolete, at least IMO. Great talking w you as well. @@charlesdesurne4696

[@paulbervid1610]

Great video

[@frankbutta9344]

Very great pistols! Congrats on the number of subscribers!

[@thedailydefender1408]

Thanks , we’re getting there thanks to all of you guys.

[@mr.45glockowner73]

Great Video 👍🏾👍🏾

[@thedailydefender1408]

Thanks!

[@jeffreylocke8808]

Model 4506 45 ACP becomes the 1056 10mm.

[@danschneider9921]

I went from a S&W 65-3 to one of these in 1992. We all thought that .40 was a "miracle" round as it really wasn't until the mid-90s that we started to see decent, LE grade +p and +P+ 9mm rounds hit the market. We all considered 9mm to be some wimpy Euro round, and anything that was made from polymer to be a toy. Boy how did times change. By the time I left LE in 2006, I would not have traded my G17 for anything...

[@thedailydefender1408]

Thanks for a great comment. It’s very interesting to look at the federal HST chart and see just how far 9mm has come. Technology really has taken the 9mm and gotten it very close, performance wise, to the .40, .357 Sig and even .45. Some of the other cartridges have performance advantages in certain areas but overall the 9mm now is very capable round, certainly for civilian ccw use. Minus normal Glock bashing, you hear very few negative comments on the 17 or 19 as a reliable, shootable firearm.

[@danschneider9921]

@@thedailydefender1408 I found that most people who bash Glock had to never had to bet their lives on it. I did and trusted them, still do as I carry a G43 now. The biggest issue we had as officers with the 4006/5906 was the weight, when you have to lug around a weapon on a duty belt for 8+ hours a day, weight counts for sure. Once we realized how reliable and durable the polymer guns were- it was hard to justify carrying all steel beasts anymore. They are cool- but just not practicable. I do remember once, back when you could "get away" with it, seeing a Sgt buffalo a suspect who was trying to fight him with his 4006. That is the one thing that is nice about the old metal guns.

[@thedailydefender1408]

Great comment and completely on point. You start adding up all the positives in the polymer striker column and it simply becomes difficult to impossible to justify the older all metal / hammer fired guns for depts. I was issued a revolver back in the day but personally and now as a ccw I still prefer my sig 229 or 239 or HK USP compact. But have carried Glock 19 and Sig 320 and totally get it. When you see the number of Glocks in duty holsters both LE and MIL its impossible to ignore that, and then to see the Feds go to Glock and 9mm the mold has been cast. @@danschneider9921

[@jeffreylocke8808]

A model 4006 sounds like a good S&W semi-auto.

[@thedailydefender1408]

For me it really is. Not sure exactly where it ranks for me in the collection but it’s up there.

[@kenbrawner9123]

Ohh yes, Great weapon system. REMOVE MAG DISCONNECT!!! BEST SIDE ARM!!

[@thedailydefender1408]

Agreed, just had it out today , just a remarkable solid pistol.

[@ASPushkin51]

Nothing to see and learn before 4:00.

[@fellspoint9364]

Thanks, Dick !

[@red9man2130]

The Model 4006 was one of the BEST Pistols s&w ever made. They are making terrible decisions regarding new models and soon will be losing a great deal of market share.

[@thedailydefender1408]

Two excellent comments, couldn’t agree more on the 4006, it was a bit of a sleeper for me but the tolerances seem better to me than other 3rd gens and mine is very solid /tight- in a good way. Even though it’s very similar to the 5906, it does appear the 4006 was build specifically for the .40, not unlike the Sig p229 or HK USP in .40. Which is a good lead in to your second point. I think the market has changed. I think it’s more interested in new model intro’s, modularity, & customization rather than what engineers or mil units or LEO needed from the firearm. I’m also a big HK fan and it’s also very interesting to see what they were doing back in the 80/ 90s with their firearms.

[@mvg03]

Are the 5906 and 4006 same height? I know same 4 inch barrel length… I own a 5906 and held a 4006 and it felt like the grip was shorter for some reason 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@jackhouston357]

How many were dumped?

[@rocksteel44]

...AUSGEZEICHNET!!!!!

[@tonymoore5568]

You talk too much to be intersecting.