Part Number: S&W3953
Caliber: 9x19mm (9mm Parabellum)
Capacity: 8 round magazine
Action: modified-Browning short-recoil operated semi-automatic with
DAO (double-action-only) trigger mechanism
Construction: stainless steel slide, aluminum alloy frame
Sights: Wayne Novak Lo-Mount, 3 dot
Grips: black Xenoy polymer, one-piece wraparound with
straight backstrap
Barrel: 3.5" (*)
Length: 6 13/16" (*)
Weight: 25 oz (*)
Safeties: magazine disconnect safety, firing pin block drop safety,
no external manual safety lever needed
Misc.: pistol comes with 2 magazines, blue plastic box,
instruction manual, safety manual, warranty card and
plastic 'empty chamber' insert.
Prices: typical dealer price: $420 or less
good gun store price: $450-460
(*) From S&W catalog.
The S&W3953 is the double-action-only variant of one of Smith and
Wesson's best-selling compact pistols in the Third Generation series -
the S&W3913. The S&W3953 and other pistols in the 39XX line are among
the smallest of the police-grade 9x19mm semi-automatic handguns
available today. The 3953's slide is finished in a uniform, brushed stainless steel that is not glaringly bright. The frame is a slightly darker color than the slide. Although the finish of the gun is stainless, the trigger and hammer are anodized black, which adds a nice color contrast to the whole gun (and probably lowers cost for S&W as well, since blued and stainless guns can interchange more parts). Until 1993 or 1994, all of S&W's stock stainless handguns came with stainless colored triggers and hammers. Note that S&W does not manufacture a blued version of the 3953.
Compared to high capacity 9mm pistols like the Glock 19 or SIG P228, the 3953 feels wonderfully compact. It is flatter than the S&W3913 since it does not need the ambidextrous hammer-dropping safety levers on the slide. Like all of S&W's Third Generation pistol models, the 3953's outline has no sharp edges or unnecessary protrusions. The ejection port is flared and the magazine well also has a slight flare to facilitate reloads. The trigger has a smooth surface. The trigger guard is rounded but has serrations on the front for individuals who like to place their weak hand finger there. The factory sights are Wayne Novak's patented Lo-mount sights with a 3-dot pattern. The front sight is fixed and the rear is drift adjustable for windage. The 3953's slide is about 0.5" longer than the S&W3913 to shield the hammer, but the overall length of the gun is almost identical to the S&W3913. Note that the 3953's hammer is bobbed and cannot be cocked to single action mode. With such trim dimensions, this pistol suits individuals with smaller hands very well. In short, the 3953 is a pistol designed for comfortable concealed carry and snag free draws.
The magazine release is on the left side, in the usual place. The external slide stop/release lever is also in the usual place on the left side. There is no separate takedown lever (like in the Beretta 92FS or SIG P22X series of pistols) for field stripping - the field strip process involves removing the slide stop lever - its a simple process that is quickly mastered.
The trigger pull is somewhere in between the normal DA and SA trigger pulls of the S&W3913 - not too heavy, but not too light either - and one of the smoothest I've ever felt. Since the 3953 is DAO, every shot has the same consistent trigger pull. When the slide is cycled the bobbed hammer protrudes slightly from the back of the slide (this is *not* a chamber loaded indicator, but merely an indication that the DA notch has been engaged in the mechanism, and a trigger pull will then cock the hammer fully and release it. Like the Glock, the slide must move to reset the trigger. So in the unlikely event of a 'dud' primer, the trigger will remain in the rearmost position and the slide must be manually cycled to get a fresh round - this is probably a good tactical habit to get into anyway.
Like all pistols in S&W's Third-Generation family, the 3953 comes with 2 eight-round magazines, one with a flat floorplate and another with a finger rest floorplate. The magazines have stainless steel bodies with red polymer followers and black polymer floorplates and can be disassembled for cleaning, if needed. The magazines are interchangeable with the rest of the pistols in the 3rd generation 9mm compact series - S&W3913, 3914, 3913LS and 3913NL.
To me at least, the hard plastic wraparound grips felt slightly uncomfortable to shoot in cold weather and were a bit slippery - I replaced them with Hogue's synthetic grips. The Hogue grips have a slightly curved backstrap that feels more comfortable to me. Hogue also makes smooth wood grips for the 3913/3953. I remember reading somewhere that Ramline makes a 9 shot magazine for the 3913/3953 series - I have no idea how well it performs.
The pistol fed, fired, extracted and ejected flawlessly. In my experience, I've found the 3rd. generation S&W pistols to be among the most reliable of police-grade pistols. Like other modern semiautomatics, the pistol can handle hollowpoints with no problems. So far, I've fired about 1200 rounds through mine and haven't had a single problem, even after one training weekend where the pistol fired 400+ rounds straight.
I've found the 3953 to be quite accurate - Winchester 115 gr. STHP's grouped to about 2" at 50 feet from a sandbagged shooting position.
Overall, the 3953 is a sleek, compact, 8+1 shot semi-auto handgun that offers ease of use and carrying for target shooting and personal protection. If the warranty card is mailed in, the owner will receive S&W's lifetime warranty and 2 coupons, each for a free factory inspection and cleaning.