Type Semi-automatic pistol In service 1990–Present Weight 1058 g (37.3 oz) | Place of origin United States Produced 1990–2011 | |
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Used by California Highway Patrol, Colorado State Patrol until 2008, California State Parks until 2009, PA State Constables, Wisconsin DNR-Parks and Forests, and the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Juvenile Justice Commission (Model 4046) until 2009 | ||
The S&W Model 4006 was a semi-automatic handgun introduced by Smith & Wesson on January 17, 1990 along with the new .40 S&W cartridge. It is a 3rd-generation S&W pistol.
Contents
Design
The S&W 4006 features a stainless steel frame and slide double-action with 4-inch barrel, slide-mounted de-cock/safety and an 11-round staggered-column magazine. It was one of the new 3rd-generation S&W semi-autos, designed with input from famed gunsmith Wayne Novak of Parkersburg, WV. The 4006 introduced the new .40 S&W cartridge and featured a wraparound one-piece grip made of Xenoy versus the earlier standard 2-piece grip panels, as well as low-profile 3-dot Novak sights. A lightweight aluminum alloy–framed S&W 4003 was produced that weighed 800 grams (29 ounces) and was more comfortable to carry. The 4046 model was a DAO (double-action-only) pistol in all stainless steel. The first 2 digits in the model number indicate caliber. The last digit, either a 3 or 6, indicates aluminum or stainless steel frame, respectively. Various safety features include a safety lever (which blocked the firing pin from the hammer) as well as a magazine safety (which kept the pistol from firing when no magazine was inserted). While a true double-action pistol, the firearm shares this magazine disconnect feature with Browning Hi-Power pistols: it cannot be fired without the magazine in place. This feature was developed to meet the needs of various law enforcement agencies interested in providing another level of safety for their officers.
Users
The Model 4006 has been used by many law enforcement agencies as a standard duty sidearm, including by the California Highway Patrol, California State Parks and Rec., and until recently, the Colorado State Patrol. California State Parks and Rec, carried the Smith & Wesson model 4006-CHP from 1996 to 2009, as the primary duty weapon issued to State Park Peace Officers. The 4006-CHP was unique in that it had an adjustable rear sight (no fixed Novak rear sight), no trigger play spring, and was engraved with the State's Grizzly Bear logo and the words California State Parks under it. Additionally, the slide, frame, and barrel were engraved with a unique identification number, which started with PR, which stood for Parks and Recreation. This number helped department armorers keep track of when a weapon went into service, who it was issued to, and kept State Park Peace Officers from inadvertently swapping parts with other officers during field stripping and cleaning, as the three main parts were hand-fitted. California State Parks and Rec. used other variants of the 4006, from 1996 to 2009, State Park Peace Officers K9 handlers were issued the 4006-TSW, with a tactical light, to free up their off hand for dog handling; also, investigators and command staff were issued the smaller, aluminum-framed version, the 4013-TSW. As of September 2009, both the California State Parks and Rec. Department and the Colorado State Patrol have both retired the venerable 4006 in favor of the lighter and more versatile Smith & Wesson M&P 40, also chambered in .40 S&W. From possibly the mid-1990s until 2008, the Atlanta Police Department used the 4003 TSW until replacing it with the Smith & Wesson M&P.
The model 4046 (double action only) is issued by Brink's to its armored truck crews. The 4046 was the first semi-automatic pistol to be issued by Brink's as a duty sidearm, replacing .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolvers. As of 2011, it was being superseded by the Smith & Wesson M&P 40 in Brink's inventory, although some guards were still being issued 4046s and .38 revolvers until completion of the changeover to M&Ps.