ikar

Out of curiosity, what's you opinion of the old S&W model 39 9mm? Lately, for some reason, I've been thinking of looking for one.

Marine Division Two

Good gun 1st gen S&Ws are functional accurate shooters with hardly an issue in all these years,CCW with confidence,I have also S&W 3913,6906,459,Sigma,Shield,and quite a few Rugers also !

bwinters

The first gen smith semi autos were very reliable with ball or ball configuration hollowpoints.

Iowegan

ikar, When I had my gunsmith shop, I used to get quite a few Mod 39s and 59s in with cracked barrels. These guns are nice looking, shoot quite well, and are made with precision ... the only problem I know of is weak barrels. These guns were made before 9mm +P or +P+ ammo was available and seem to hold up to just fine with standard pressure loads. If you do get one, avoid +P or +P+ ammo like the plague.

ikar

Got it, thanks. How hard would it be to see the crack unless it was severe?

How hard to find and expensive would a replacement barrel be?

Ceci

I have a 39-2 model dated 1973. Purchased it about four years ago. Great gun accurate shooter with no problems. That's good information from Iowegan about the plus P's. I don't shoot them anyway based on the age of my firearm. The price on them has gone up since I purchased mine. You would not regret getting one. Good luck on your search.

bearcatter

An early 39 was one of my first guns, nickel plated, walnut grips. I remember the serial was under a thousand. It shot as well as anything I ever had, and I don't remember any issues with it.

ExArmy11b

I almost bought a trade-in 39 a year ago, but I got a 5906 instead.

I have no love for alloy frame auto pistols, I see the advantage for their intended market, the LEO market when they were new...........a lightweight, hi-cap 9mm that would be light for all day holster carry. In the days before Glock this was a big deal.

DPris

The 39s were not drop safe & were known to produce ADs.
No firing pin safety, I'm aware of two agencies here in Utah where the 39 discharged accidentally, one of which resulted in a paralyzed officer who later committed suicide.
Two occasions involved my wife's PD, one involved the chief at my first PD.
These are not vague and distant Internet rumors.

Buy if you want to, just handle it carefully & make an informed decision up front.

And for those who may wish to post "Mine has NEVER accidentally discharged", that's great.
The vast majority of Ford Pinto owners & older General Motors pickups never blew up their gas tanks, either.
None of which was very comforting to those who did.
Denis

laidlerj

The S&W 39 is a fine pistol and a classic. You can still get replacement barrel from S&W for $121.51 (plus shipping).

Jim

Catman

Call me a heretic ....but, I have had WAY too many QC problems with S&W to ever trust / own one again.


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DPris

It's a classic in the sense of being a pioneering effort in early domestic DA pistol designs, but it had its problems & I wouldn't consider it a "fine" pistol.

Ayoob has commented on reliability problems with it, as well as the firing pin issue.
The chief at my first department banned it after his AD.
Officers who were issued it at my wife's PD referred to it as "The Jammer." One AD there occurred when an officer jumped over a fence and the holstered 39 discharged.
Denis

ExArmy11b

Save the 39's for the S&W autoloader collectors, or buy one as a range shooter

Cole Distributing had a bunch of them that looked like they had seen 30 years of holster carry, for like $200-250 each. I haven't checked in a while, they may be gone.

I did buy an Australian PD trade-in 59, it was S&W's "budget" 9mm and it's an excellent shooter. They are out there for cheap, since no one much cares about used S&W 59's and they are probably much better than the 39.

I just remembered that my Dad has a 39........but it's not something he shoots often if ever.

Iowegan

ExArmy11b, The Mod 39 and 59 were nearly identical ... same slide, barrel, and internal parts. The only difference was ... the 39 had a single stack magazine (8 rounds) and the 59 had a wider alloy frame to accommodate a staggered hi-cap magazine (13 round Browning Hi-power mags). These were not "budget" guns and were the forerunners of the "wonder 9" era for law enforcement.

I always considered the 39 & 59 decent guns and was not aware of any inherent safety issues.

DPris

Those who found out the hard way were.

We didn't know about the Pinto tanks either, till word got out.
Denis