Beentown71
New member
Your experiences with this handgun. If you have a photo that would be cool also. I am thinking of adding this to my lineup of 9mm's.
Thanks in advance,
Beentown
Thanks in advance,
Beentown
Tell me about the S&W Model 39...
- Thread starter Beentown71
- Start date
HuntAndFish
New member
Nice gun, feels very good. Good caliber. Not as dependable as the later S&W pistols though. Good range gun.
papavillars
New member
S&W 39
My wife has shot one for over fifteen years. i replaced the springs last year. Three girls learned to shoot with this weapon. I can email a pic but do not know how to post pic on these forums.
My wife has shot one for over fifteen years. i replaced the springs last year. Three girls learned to shoot with this weapon. I can email a pic but do not know how to post pic on these forums.
DiscoRacing
New member
My girl has one... got it year or so back... Just found a set of Ajax grips still in a dusty store corner..
DiscoRacing
New member
Dont agree.... havent had a single problem with this one...and she shoots it at least twice a month...throwin at least 100 rds each time.
HuntAndFish
New member
The one I owned had extraction issues. Later learned that this was a common problem with the 39. Replaced the extractor at least once, replaced the extractor spring many times. Apparently if you get a gun that works, you don't have this issue.
DiscoRacing
New member
hmmm...interesting...sorry to hear that you got the bad one...good that she has a good one tho.... the world will stop turning as we know it when her gun lets her down....hope that day never comes.
HuntAndFish
New member
If I wanted to buy one today, I would definitely attempt to shoot at least 3 full magazines through it first. If it has an issue, it will bobble during one of the 3 magazines.
Remington 51
New member
I bought mine (39-2) new in 1977 and have shot it extensively over those 30 years.
I still have it. In 1977, times were good for me and I had money to burn, it was about the best 9mm single stack available other than the yet unproven Browning-Sig.
It has been quite reliable.
Are there better autos these days?....sure there are. And, one would certainly hope so. But I always judge anything new against my 39.
Beyond reliability (no compromise here) my questions for 9mm autos I would consider these days, compared to the 39 include....Is it as light? Does it conceal as well? Does it fit the hand? And is it as accurate?
It was the among the first viable 9mm American made autos made at a time when .38/.357 revolvers ruled.
Criticism? As newer stuff came out, I found that I never really cared for the setup of the decocker/safety all that much (just personal preference) nor did I care for the mag safety at all (foolish redundancy).
I still have it. In 1977, times were good for me and I had money to burn, it was about the best 9mm single stack available other than the yet unproven Browning-Sig.
It has been quite reliable.
Are there better autos these days?....sure there are. And, one would certainly hope so. But I always judge anything new against my 39.
Beyond reliability (no compromise here) my questions for 9mm autos I would consider these days, compared to the 39 include....Is it as light? Does it conceal as well? Does it fit the hand? And is it as accurate?
It was the among the first viable 9mm American made autos made at a time when .38/.357 revolvers ruled.
Criticism? As newer stuff came out, I found that I never really cared for the setup of the decocker/safety all that much (just personal preference) nor did I care for the mag safety at all (foolish redundancy).
I've had several 39-2s and a 439 fixed sight with no problems from either over the years. I got my first one in the mid 70s after buying an early 59. The hicap would not feed ball reliably so I traded it in on my first 39-2. Great guns. My only Smith autos now are 910/915s. But I don't think my Walther P5 or Sig P6 serves me any better or worse than the 39-2s that I use to have. And I really like the P5 and P6.
warningshot
New member
SW 39s
We had an 'Old-Timer' bring out a 39. Heck! It shot well. Handled a lot better than some of the Hi-Cap wonder nines of late. Good condition & good price spells value to me.
We had an 'Old-Timer' bring out a 39. Heck! It shot well. Handled a lot better than some of the Hi-Cap wonder nines of late. Good condition & good price spells value to me.
DiscoRacing
New member
Ours is the dash 2 model....maybe thats why we havent had any trouble with it.
Mike Irwin
Staff
I think the Indiana State Police was one of the first large users of the Model 39 and they eventually dropped it because of the extraction problems.
The ones I have shot, though, have been reliable.
I've often thought about picking up either a 39 or a 59, but I never seem to see them.
The ones I have shot, though, have been reliable.
I've often thought about picking up either a 39 or a 59, but I never seem to see them.
carguychris
New member
The 1st-gen guns lack a trigger-actuated hammer block and may discharge if dropped on the hammer with the decocker/safety off. For this reason, many experts consider them unsafe to carry in DA/safety-off mode. Later-generation guns incorporated a hammer block.
IIRC all Model 39 variants except some law-enforcement special-orders have mag safeties. This may or may not be a problem depending on your opinion of the devices.
Newer magazines available for the pistol hold 9rds rather than the original 8rds. 3rd-gen full-size 3904, 3906, & 909 mags will fit in a Model 39 or 2nd-gen x39 but not vice versa. Fortunately, replacement mags for the Model 39 are much easier to find and more affordable than those for the 3rd-gen single-stack guns, although the market is not awash with $10-$15 police surplus mags like for the double-stack 59-series. Expect to pay $25-$30 for an aftermarket mag and $40 for a factory mag. 3rd-gen compact 391x, 395x, and 908 mags will not work because they are too short.
I love 39-2s and need to get me one someday.
IIRC all Model 39 variants except some law-enforcement special-orders have mag safeties. This may or may not be a problem depending on your opinion of the devices.
Newer magazines available for the pistol hold 9rds rather than the original 8rds. 3rd-gen full-size 3904, 3906, & 909 mags will fit in a Model 39 or 2nd-gen x39 but not vice versa. Fortunately, replacement mags for the Model 39 are much easier to find and more affordable than those for the 3rd-gen single-stack guns, although the market is not awash with $10-$15 police surplus mags like for the double-stack 59-series. Expect to pay $25-$30 for an aftermarket mag and $40 for a factory mag. 3rd-gen compact 391x, 395x, and 908 mags will not work because they are too short.
I love 39-2s and need to get me one someday.
HuntAndFish
New member
Good thread. I learned stuff. Hope you did too Beentown.
varoadking
New member
Close...Illinois State Police...
I have one, and I like it very much. I like the way it looks, I like the way it feels, and I like the way it shoots. This pistol was handed down to me by my Dad, so it has a great deal of sentimental value to me.
It gets a lot of attention when I take it to the range. In a world of tupperware, it stands out. It has that old-school thing goin' on.
And, for what it's worth, I've never had a single problem with it. It's one of the ones I would never part with, for any reason.
It gets a lot of attention when I take it to the range. In a world of tupperware, it stands out. It has that old-school thing goin' on.
And, for what it's worth, I've never had a single problem with it. It's one of the ones I would never part with, for any reason.
Attachments
MO. Shootin
New member
I have a 439 and it looks just like these guns posted. It is an excellent pistol very accurate with reloads or federal 115 grn ammo. I have fired the gun at least 800 rounds with out a single problem. It is the gun I compare my new 9mm semi auto pistols to. I love it and so does my wife.