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An American classic - Smith & Wesson 39 - First Gen. Auto

dadoser

dadoser

Master Class
An American classic - Smith & Wesson 39 - First Gen. Auto -
(Show & Tell Thursday)
    • Design relied on several features of the Walther P38.
    • Initially developed in the mid-1950's for the U.S. Military pistol trials.
    • Introduced to the civilian market in 1955.
    • 4" barrel; 8 round capacity.
    • First commercial 9mm double action produced in the U.S.
    • Adopted by the IL State Police in 1967.
    • MK 22 Mod 0 - "hush puppy" variant was a suppressed version used by SEALs in Vietnam.
    • the 39-2 was introduced in 1971.
    • Production stopped after 1983.
Mine is a 39-2. Based on the serial number it was made in 1973/74. I bought it a few years ago for nostalgia reasons. I went into a LGS to buy a S&W 22lr revolver they had listed on an auction site. Saw this in the counter and walked out with both. My father was on a small town southern IL police department from 1969 until his retirement. His department switched to the Model 39 following the IL State Police adoption of the weapon. I remember him switching from the Model 19 revolver to this auto. I have yet to shoot this. (He died on Oct 4th 2010 - kind of ironic I'm posting this the day before the 14th anniversary of his death.)



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It is a great handgun and exceptionally accurate. In my late teens, about 68, I worked at the Illinois State Fairgrounds where State Troopers control traffic at every gate. I became friends with a trooper and he raved about the new pistol. Years later when my PD was switching from revolvers to semi autos the Model 39 heavily influenced my decision to select a descendant, the S&W Model 669. The ISP marksmanship unit also collaborated with Winchester ammunition to develop a +P 9mm round. A lot of firearms and ammunition advances in the 70's stemmed from experiences with the Model 39. It is a classic and important pistol with a storied history. Congratulations on your acquisition of a fine pistol.
 
dadoser said:
An American classic - Smith & Wesson 39 - First Gen. Auto -
(Show & Tell Thursday)
    • Design relied on several features of the Walther P38.
    • Initially developed in the mid-1950's for the U.S. Military pistol trials.
    • Introduced to the civilian market in 1955.
    • 4" barrel; 8 round capacity.
    • First commercial 9mm double action produced in the U.S.
    • Adopted by the IL State Police in 1967.
    • MK 22 Mod 0 - "hush puppy" variant was a suppressed version used by SEALs in Vietnam.
    • the 39-2 was introduced in 1971.
    • Production stopped after 1983.
Mine is a 39-2. Based on the serial number it was made in 1973/74. I bought it a few years ago for nostalgia reasons. I went into a LGS to buy a S&W 22lr revolver they had listed on an auction site. Saw this in the counter and walked out with both. My father was on a small town southern IL police department from 1969 until his retirement. His department switched to the Model 39 following the IL State Police adoption of the weapon. I remember him switching from the Model 19 revolver to this auto. I have yet to shoot this. (He died on Oct 4th 2010 - kind of ironic I'm posting this the day before the 14th anniversary of his death.)



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The first semi auto , center fire I ever shot. I threw a tin can out on my range and started making it dance. Man was that 39 accurate ! It was like a guided missile. I just couldn't miss with it.
 
S&W also used the model 39 basic design to make a 38 AMU version for the US Marksmanship Unit.

In 1960, the U.S. Army Marksmanship Training Unit was so impressed with the performance of the Model 39, it requested that Smith & Wesson produce a similar model chambered for a proprietary cartridge it had developed, the .38 AMU, which was little more than the .38 Spl. Mid-Range wadcutter load but using a semi rimless case. The new pistol was designated as the Model 52A, and approximately 90 pistols were delivered. They were used by the Army's pistol team for a short time.

S&W saw possibilities for this type of pistol, and in 1961, the company released it on the commercial market as the Model 52. It was similar to the Army pistol, except it was fitted with a longer, 5-inch barrel, used a setscrew to lock out the double-action option on the trigger, and it was chambered for the standard .38 Spl. Mid-Range wadcutter cartridge.

The company saw the Model 52 as the target pistol of the future, and great pains were taken to ensure quality. The company wanted to make sure it was the most accurate out-of-the-box target pistol available to the American shooter. One of the most prominent design features was the barrel shape, in that it increased in diameter at the muzzle so as to lock into a special threaded bushing that was screwed into the front of the slide and secured in place by a spring-loaded plunger. The setup removed all play in the barrel.

According to History of Smith & Wesson by S&W historian Roy Jinks, "To insure the accuracy of the pistol, extra rigid inspection was incorporated by having the Model 52 machine rest tested at 50 yards to insure that the pistol would shoot five-shot groups having maximum spread of two inches. Any pistol that could not meet this standard was returned to production for reworking."
www.shootingtimes.com

Smith & Wesson's Model 52 .38 Master - Shooting Times

By Paul Scarlata Introduced in 1961, the .38-caliber S&W Model 52 was one of
www.shootingtimes.com www.shootingtimes.com
 
HayesGreener said:
It is a great handgun and exceptionally accurate. In my late teens, about 68, I worked at the Illinois State Fairgrounds where State Troopers control traffic at every gate. I became friends with a trooper and he raved about the new pistol. Years later when my PD was switching from revolvers to semi autos the Model 39 heavily influenced my decision to select a descendant, the S&W Model 669. The ISP marksmanship unit also collaborated with Winchester ammunition to develop a +P 9mm round. A lot of firearms and ammunition advances in the 70's stemmed from experiences with the Model 39. It is a classic and important pistol with a storied history. Congratulations on your acquisition of a fine pistol.
Click to expand...
When I turned 21 in 1985, I really wanted a model 469 as my 1st handgun. My father steered me to get something with at least a 4" barrel (and revolvers were cheaper back then) - I bought a S&W Model 66-2 4" stainless 357.
 
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