Smith & Wesson Model 39-2 info needed

[SkunkSlayer]

Just purchased a S & W 39-2 9mm, need info please about this pistol.

Anything you can tell me. Thanks S.S.

Edited June 29, 2010 by SkunkSlayer

[Guest davidz71]

If memory serves me correctly, the Illinois State Police were one of the first agencies to issue the S&W mdl. 39. I bought one in '74 or '75 and it ejected spent casings in a tighter pattern than I could shoot my Colt satin nickle Combat Commander on a target! The model 39 was double action, had a slide mounted safety and had an aluminum frame. Mine was pretty accurate. I think it had an 8 round single stack magazine. Wish I could remember more about it but I kinda wish I still had it because it was a good pistol. I see one every once in awhile at gun shows.

[VERO1]

It has an alloy frame and a steel frame. It is double action, holds eight shots,and has a 4" barrel. They stopped producing them in Feb 1983.

Anything in particular you wanted to know about it?

[mikegideon]

Here's a link to the Model 39 manual. I have a 59 (avatar), which is the double stack version. Great pistol.

http://stevespages.com/pdf/s&w_39.pdf

[DarrellG]

I bought one bay in the late eighties and loved it... Great shooter and one of the few I regret selling.

[SkunkSlayer]

It has an alloy frame and a steel frame. It is double action, holds eight shots,and has a 4" barrel. They stopped producing them in Feb 1983.

Anything in particular you wanted to know about it?

Yep I do. This pistol does have a 4" barrel & 8 shot, it's sa/da. Receiver on this one looks to be stainless ?? It's very dirty, looks like it has not been taken apart in a very long time. Thanks for the site mikegideon.

Edited June 29, 2010 by SkunkSlayer

[VERO1]

The 39's have alloy frames. If it is stainless it would probably be a 3906. From what I remember the 39's were either bright nicklel or polished blue finishes. Any chance of posting a picture or two?

[Garufa]

Yes, need pictures! My first pistol was (and still is) a 39-2. Great gun. Got mine when I was about 13 (with Dad's blessing) so I'm a little sentimenal about them. True it is an aluminum framed, 8-shot, double action 9mm....the first produced by an American company. Nickle was an option and some versions where steel-framed. Those are worth a fortune now.

Personally, I think it's one of the nicest looking semi's ever. Must be the wood grips & S&W blue.

In the early 80's this model along with it hi-cap brother the Model 59 mutated into the 439 and 459 by adding a windage adjustable rear sight. From there they evolved into the metal S&W semis available now.

Good historical info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_%26_Wesson_Model_39

Edited June 30, 2010 by Garufa

[hipower]

What Garufa said. I really regret selling a beautiful 39 some years back when the hicap phase hit us all.

[mikegideon]

Yes, need pictures! My first pistol was (and still is) a 39-2. Great gun. Got mine when I was about 13 (with Dad's blessing) so I'm a little sentimenal about them. True it is an aluminum framed, 8-shot, double action 9mm....the first produced by an American company. Nickle was an option and some versions where steel-framed. Those are worth a fortune now.

Personally, I think it's one of the nicest looking semi's ever. Must be the wood grips & S&W blue.

In the early 80's this model along with it hi-cap brother the Model 59 mutated into the 439 and 459 by adding a windage adjustable rear sight. From there they evolved into the metal S&W semis available now.

Good historical info here: Smith & Wesson Model 39 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 59 came out later than the 39. I bought my 59 when they first came out, and had shot a 39 a few years earlier.

EDIT: I gotta correct myself. If Wiki is correct, the 59 came out in 1970. I bought mine around '76 from a S&W rep. He led me to believe it was brand new.

Edited June 30, 2010 by mikegideon

[SkunkSlayer]

Sorry no pictures at the moment, leaving out of town in AM, I'd say it's nickle instead of SS w/blue slide.

This one has adjustable sights & Pachmayr grips. Serial # A 4267xx

[LngRngShtr]

Let us not forget the other 39 variant,..

The S&W M-52 the only "production" semi S&W ever guaranteed accuracy of when it left Springfield 2 1/2" at 50 yds. from a machine rest

and the little fat gun the S&W 469 and s.s. counterpart 669 some say the mini-gun was inspired by DEVEL corp. and the old ASP guns the custom shops put out.

as far as the 39's go the older ones had a wide external extractor when they broke and you sent them back to S&W they replaced slides with narrower external extractors. First released in 1955 to civilian market

The A sequence started in 1971

Last one was SN A747148 shipped out in 1983

Some were suppressed for the military ( SEALS ) "Hush Puppies" the Mk 22 Mod 0 for dog and sentry removal...

Hope this helps

John

[leroy]

Sorry no pictures at the moment, leaving out of town in AM, I'd say it's nickle instead of SS w/blue slide.

This one has adjustable sights & Pachmayr grips. Serial # A 4267xx

I'd say you are right on the nickel. I've got it's brother (...factory nickel...) downstairs in the gunsafe. The S & W 39 and 59 were built in anticipation of the military going over to the 9mm standard. They were sold to several police departments. I always liked the look and feel of the 39. They are a great shooter. The original 39's had checkered walnut grips with the old time S & W medallions.

Hope this helps.

Kind regards,

Leroy

Edited June 30, 2010 by leroy
spelling!!!!!

[jpeyton358]

The 39's have alloy frames. If it is stainless it would probably be a 3906. From what I remember the 39's were either bright nicklel or polished blue finishes. Any chance of posting a picture or two? 

S&W 39-2 bought in 1973 for $97 Had it nickel-ed, satin and gold in lay. Still carry it everyday. Retired Detroit Cop.  

[TNWNGR]

I owned a lot of S&W M-39's over the years as well as the 59 and 469. It's a surprisingly compact gun and was at its very best with the 3913 and the DAO variant of the same. If properly broken in they have an excellent DA/SA transition while shooting. If you take a close look at the Walter P-38, PP, PPK you'll see where S&W came up with their design. That same design is actively produced by Taurus, Beretta and others.

[gregintenn]

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I have a blue one. I really like it. Although it looks like my father's model 52, there's no comparison in accuracy.

 

I can tell you a 1911 holster will fit it like a glove.

[Garufa]

 

I have a blue one. I really like it. Although it looks like my father's model 52, there's no comparison in accuracy.

 

I can tell you a 1911 holster will fit it like a glove.

 

I just had to go check my safe to make sure you haven't been in it.  :lol:

 

That's the first semi-auto pistol of any kind I've ever had.  Got it when I was around 13.  Doesn't see much action but when I take it out I wonder why I have any other 9's.

[gregintenn]

I just had to go check my safe to make sure you haven't been in it.  :lol:

 

That's the first semi-auto pistol of any kind I've ever had.  Got it when I was around 13.  Doesn't see much action but when I take it out I wonder why I have any other 9's.

Except for a Luger, it IS my only 9mm.

[DaveTN]

There are Model 39's with steel frames. And they are worth a bunch.

[gregintenn]

There are Model 39's with steel frames. And they are worth a bunch.

If I'm not mistaken, they would be marked Model 39 and not 39-2.

[Grayfox54]

The Model 39-2 is one of my favorite 9mms.  :up:  It just feels right in your hand. I had mine out to the range just last weekend.

It was the first DA 9mm pistol made by an American company and caused quite a stir when it came out. It was also the first DA 9mm to be adopted by a major police dept. IIRC: The Connecticut State Police. (?)

The steel framed guns are indeed rare. Only 927 were produced. They are all marked Model 39 (no dash). Here's an odd bit of trivia for you. The steel frames were made in the mid-1950s. However, they weren't assembled and sold until 1966. So the alloy framed guns actually came out first. Steel frame guns are highly collectible and nice examples are now worth several thousand dollars.

There was no Model 39-1. It never got past the prototype stage at the factory. Rumor has it that it was intended to be a target model and later evolved into the much loved Model 52.

There was also an extremely rare Model 39 variation called the Model 44 which was SA only and had a solid trigger resembling a 1911. Only 10 were made with six of those sent to the Army for evaluation. One reported to sell in the $20,000 range. 

Info courtesy of The Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson 3rd Edition by Jim Supica and Richard Nahas 

[swim615]

Here's a link to mine with some pics and info.

 

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/75810-picked-up-my-first-cr/

[Pete123]

I had one in the early 80s and loved it.  At that time, the staggered column mags were big and bulky.  I loved the way that gun felt in my hand.  Wish I still had it.