Smith & Wesson 3913

The Smith & Wesson Ladysmith is a series of handguns targeted towards women that include revolvers and a compact third generation semi-automatic pistol, the Smith & Wesson 3913.

Description
The LadySmith version of Smith's model 3913 is referred to as the 3913LS. It has a stainless steel slide with an aluminum alloy frame. The 3913LS had a different look to the slide and frame, that appeared to some to be "racier". It is chambered for 9x19mm only. It has a 3.5 inch barrel and the single-stack magazine holds eight rounds and one in the chamber. It is one of their third generation semi-automatic pistols that S&W refers to as a "traditional double action". This refers to a mode of operation wherein the first pull of the trigger is longer and heavier, and causes the hammer to rise from its resting position and then fall to strike the firing pin and fire the cartridge in the chamber. After the pistol fires that first time, the pistol is in what is called "single action", wherein the hammer stays cocked and subsequent trigger pulls are much shorter and lighter. The safety/decock lever on the side of the slide can be lowered which will (a) safely drop the cocked hammer, and (b) prevent the pistol from firing by disconnecting the trigger and by rotating a block between the hammer and firing pin. It is the firing pin block that makes dropping the hammer with the decocker safe, albeit somewhat unnerving. The original 3913 has been popular with law enforcement officers that need to carry their primary sidearm concealed. The Lady Smith is very flat because it has a single-stack magazine and only a single thumb safety on the left side compared to the two-sided ambidextrous safety on the 3913NL.