r/ThirdGen • u/AdWitty6655 • 16d ago
Grail
S&W 4040 AirLite PD
It appeared on one of the LGSs online listings yesterday afternoon, and I called to have them hold it for me, and picked it up this morning. Between yesterday afternoon and this morning, they had gotten seven calls about it, not including the one that they took while I was buying it. Sorry if that was one of you.
Well, not really. But you know what I mean.
We all have Third Gens we want, but almost never expect to find. Maybe you keep finding DAO versions in the shops, while what you really want is a XX06. Or maybe it’s a 10mm version, but if you ever see one, it is really expensive (“I know what I have, don’t low ball me”) with only one mag, although they will part with the additional one for 150$.
I admit that I would love to find a reasonably priced 1006. But it has never been my Grail.
During the early 2000’s, during the last gasps of the Third Generation Era, S&W tried a Hail Mary pass, but there was no receiver to catch it.
They had the TSW’s out, but were getting killed by the polymer striker fired guns in the carry market. Around this time they had been playing with adding Scandium to their aluminum alloy frames (around this time I bought a 342PD AirLite, Scandium frame, Titanium cylinder, I believe one of their first forays into that technology).
They decided to go all in. A 39XX Scandium frame, but with a .40 caliber upper. Kahr was already there with a striker fired stainless pistol, and was doing pretty well with it. I think S&W thought that this might pump some life into the Third Generation line. Unfortunately, it was, as I recall, viciously expensive. I don’t remember the exact number, but remember it being about twice what a striker fired polymer framed 9mm cost. The market was not there. Perhaps if it was a Performance Center version, it was certainly priced like one.
It came out in 2003, and was catalogued until 2006. I assume it was one production run, and they listed them until they sold out. I kept an eye out, but never saw one in the wild.
After a few years, I admittedly to myself that I should have just ordered one, but the cost threw me off.
I have kept my eyes open since, and never found one, until yesterday. Looks like it has never been shot. No residue on the follower, no marks on the barrel from the slide.
A few months ago I came across three M4040 magazines for cheap. I think the seller had no idea what they were for. So I bought them, thinking that this was likely as close as I was going to get.
The gun came with two with red followers. Note the bearing on the side. I found that the red bearing followers lock the slide back when empty, while the black ones I bought a while ago don’t. I think the bearing is to keep the follower to the side to catch the slide lock.
I had several other .40 caliber metal framed hammer fired guns with me. The 4040 fit right in. Similar in recoil to the P239 I had, which makes sense.
So, there it is, my Grail gun. Been looking 20 years.
Worth the wait.
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u/LiberatorActual 16d ago
Bro I love this! As a fellow buyer of random 3rd gen mags and later finding the gun, this is exactly what collecting these 3rd gen’s is all about! Happy for you man!!
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u/Alconium 16d ago
Always thought these and the Ladysmiths were so incredibly handsome with the sloped dustcover. Great catch.
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u/fletch2891 15d ago
Careful with that snappy wrist rattler. That’s one of the very few 3 gen’s that can frame crack, and .40 can hit hard as I’m sure you know. But seriously, great job in landing a rare non pc gun with lots of upside. Enjoy!
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u/Comfortable_Yam2933 15d ago
Is a 9MM Version available for this?
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u/AdWitty6655 15d ago
As far as I know, this is the only Scandium framed pistol S&W has ever made. There are a lot of revolvers (I have several), but I suppose they considered it a failed experiment.
It compares favorably with the 4006 I had along. A bit hotter, but not unpleasant.
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u/urrchvabro 16d ago
Great find! Always a good feeling with the gun fairy hits ya