S&W Model 39 9 mm

[UncleEd]

Met a fella the other day who was conceal carrying a Smith Model 39 9 mm.
He showed it to me and let me handle it.

Oh how I liked that model. I know that as an 8-shooter it might not have a
place in today's hi-caps, but I still have fond memories of it.

I know Smith could never bring it back, but I sure wish the company did.

Been quite a while since I owned one. Maybe, just maybe a used one is
in my future.

Anyone else liked or have a fondness for the old Model 39?

[Snyper]

They are great little guns that were very popular with females due to the small grips

They made them for over 15 years so there should be lots of used ones around

[peggysue]

Get the M39-2..best. keep in mind they function best with FMJ bullets..they fit a man hand better than a girls .. not a small gun

[P5 Guy]

They made three generations of them. Great carry pistols, even if they are only 8+1.

[UncleEd]

PS Guy,

If I recall, the Illinois State Police were the first of any large department to adopt the Model 39 and the troopers were advised by Smith that it's really
only an 8-shooter, meaning load magazine, let slide drop leaving 7 in magazine.

Reason for that is 8 and 1 puts too much pressure on the fully
loaded magazine and bottom of slide, possibly causing a jam. The 8-round magazines had very little to no "give" in pushing rounds slight farther down with the slide closed.

A similar thing happens with 8-round magazines that are not designed to
allow some "give" in an 8 plus 1 situation for the 1911.

It's also a common "problem" with some hi-cap magazines.

Ooops, now I think I've hijacked my own thread.

[ThomasT]

I have a 39-2 in pristene condition. I have 4 factory mags for it also. It is extremely accurate. Its almost revolver like in its accuracy. And best of all it was given to me with the last 18 rounds in the only box of bullets that had been shot through it.

I have shot it a bunch since then. It feeds hollow points just fine. It has only had one malfunction. I let a guy that was about 6'5" shoot it and he limp wristed it! After I told him to hold on to it he shot fine.

I also shoot lead bullets. Not quite as accurate but good enough for practice.

I also have a model 915 that is pretty much the high cap version of the 39. And by using thin rubber grips the grip is the same size as the model 39. And I only paid $35 for that gun with an uncle mikes duty holster and two S&W mags and leather mag pouch. Plus this gun has had a trigger job done on it. If I could find out who did the 915 I would have the 39 done as well.

[longknife12]

Had one of the original ones. Dang nice, wish I had of kept it!
Dan

[mete]

Then came the M59 for those who miss a lot !
The M39 should be the #3 version , more reliable feeding !

[SmokinTom]

Sold my 39 about 8 weeks ago. Had it for years. Now I regret doing that.

[RickB]

Isn't the current M52 a pretty direct descendant of the 39?
I'll occasionally scroll through gunbroker, looking at 39-2s and 439s.

[Seven High]

S&W 39s and 59s had a bad habit of breaking extractors. I suggest that if you own one of these buy a spare extractor.

[mrray13]

Currently carry a 39-2 off duty in 8+1, never a malfunction. Mine is possibly one of those early ISP guns, and as a Deputy Sheriff in Illinois, I feel obligated to keep it on the job.

Seven High,

Originally Posted by http://www.warboats.org/mst2bremmer/stoner_ord_notes/stonerhtml/S&W_Model_39.htm

First generation Model 39 slides used either a long, spring steel extractor or a spring-loaded, pivoting claw extractor. Long extractors tended to be fragile and were replaced by the pivoting type. However, the long extractor would extract ANY kind of 9mm Luger round (domestic or foreign) and the pivoting type was picky.

From my understanding, this is what you are referring to. I believe the -2's all have the pivoting extractor. I know my -2 has eaten everything, from steel cased Tula FMJ to Winchester Rangers, no failures as of yet.

Great pistols, S&W needs to bring them back.

[agent109]

If you want a good single stack nine just get a Kahr. They seem to be the niche' for single stack anything!

[Sevens]

Isn't the current M52 a pretty direct descendant of the 39?

Well, a Model 52 is certainly a descendant of the Model 39, but they are different calibers and fill extremely different roles and like the Model 39, the 52 is very much long out of production. The 52 was a 5-shot semi-auto .38 Special designed to run flush hollow-base wadcutter traget loads. It was a semi-auto bullseye competition pistol. And the Performance Center Model 952 is an obvious descendant of the Model 52. It's expensive and elite and I simply NEED to own one, and that will happen one day.

The Model 39 is an iconic American handgun and here is something great that everyone in this thread should know: They made 347,551 of these pistols, and that info comes from Roy Jinks. That means no matter their iconic status, they are anything but rare and that keeps the "value" in check.

That means there is no excuse to not add one to your shopping list. You needn't get crazy and start chasing them, just keep your eyes peeled and one will come to you. There are -PLENTY- for all of us. And you don't have to pay a heap. I got mine this spring, mine was made in 1977 and it had one minor ding on the mainspring housing and it was missing it's original wood stocks, wearing Pachmayrs instead. And I took it home for $400. It's fantastic. You can also use new production 3906/952 magazines in them, they hold 9 rounds and they don't fit completely flush at the bottom of the grip, but it's also not a horrendous, huge thing sticking out. It's far less apparent.

Get one for yourself!

[44 AMP]

S&W 39s and 59s had a bad habit of breaking extractors. I suggest that if you own one of these buy a spare extractor.

That's good advice, if you can get them. I don't know for sure, I don't have one, and haven't been looking, but I do know that some parts for the 39 & 59 simply are not available. I have a friend who has been looking for a safety lever for several years, and as far as I know, is still looking.

[RickB]

I was obviously referring to the Performance Center 9mm gun, and not the old, long ago discontinued .38 Special model.

[TimSr]

I loved it becaus eof the small grips. I original had a model 39 for several years. It had fixed sights so I "sighted it in" with handloads. Sold it to my brother. I missed it, and got ahold of a 439 which was the same thing with adjustable sights and still have it as a house gun.

[Loupgarou]

The S&W 39-2 was the first gun I purchased and owned. I developed my range skills with it, way back in the day. Also carried it. This thread brings back good memories.

[Sevens]

but I do know that some parts for the 39 & 59 simply are not available

Again, with the production numbers of these guns be nearly 350k, it's not quite the same as tracking down parts for some unknown relic from days gone by. Parts are catch as catch can, but they come and go OFTEN, especially on Gunbroker. There are some Gunbroker sellers who must either work for some large municipality or they have cooked up a deal with one (or many) and if you look regularly, you'll see guys selling complete guns MINUS the frame, or with the frame cut in half with a portion of it missing. Or they will part out entire guns in small, single piece auctions with every little bit required EXCEPT the frame.

Numrich has a fixed-price Gunbroker offering right now for the extractor at $30.30 for one. But act quickly... they are only listing five hundred of them for sale.

As to the Model 39 extractor, it was redesigned very early in it's production life to a part that was more robust and less prone to failure.

[walks with gun]

S&W sure used to produce some nice looking guns, what the heck happened.

[GeoJelly]

My 39-2 was my first 9mm back in the 70's - it still has the price ($119) on the S&W label. Bought it from a hardware store back home. I've fired it some but I've never holstered it. It'll be my last 9mm (of, admittedly, only a few) that I'll depart with. It's a shame S&W no longer offers, AFAIK, the gloss blue anodizing on aluminum frames.

[rock185]

Yes, I am a bit of a fan of the 39 series. I've owned a 39, multiple 39-2s, 639s, 3906, 3913, 952 and 952-1. The 39 and 39-2s were most reliable with ball ammo, but much as I liked them didn't seem totally reliable with any type of ammo. The later 639s, 3906, 3913, 3914, 952s, etc were reliable with any ammo. I wish they were still in production too. I certainly did my part to support the 39 series. While they were in production, all that I owned were purchased new.

[Seven High]

44AMP: I just looked on Numrich's website for SW 39 parts. They currently show a manual safety as available.

[GyMac]

The fact that it's only an 8 shooter bothers me not at all. I think it's a great gun and really wish I had one. To me, it's the most handsome gun ever made

[carguychris]

FWIW I'm a fan of the 2nd-gen x39 series because they have various design improvements, a RH-side ambidextrous decocker/safety can be had, and SS finish was available, yet they still have separate screw-on grip panels. I used to own a 3rd-gen M3904 and I never quite warmed up to the skinny and slippery 1-piece grip.

IMHO two of the best enhancements on the 2nd- and 3rd-gen guns are a trigger actuated firing pin block and an improved fixed rear sight. The M39 decocker/safety locks the firing pin in the SAFE position but the design relies solely on an inertial firing pin in the FIRE position- not the safest option for DA safety off carry. The M39's screw adjustable rear sight blade has a reputation for shredding cover garments and for breaking easily if the pistol is dropped.