Pick up the gun, close your eyes and point it at something.
Open your eyes and see how well your eyes line up with the sights.
For me, it is one of the best pointing guns I have ever shot. A friend of mine let me shoot his a long time ago and when he told me about this and I observed that he was correct, I had to get one for myself. It is not anywhere near the most accurate 9mm I own but it is one of the best handling ones.

- Ivan.

 

Looks like a great example. There's nothing to be ashamed of in owning a Smith 39, as it's significant for being the first 9mm double-action auto made by a US manufacturer. The first of many that would follow in the coming decades.

 

I envy that. I've hunted occasionally for a clean affordable example. They are historic for certain, attractive, and loved. I've got some later gen S&W 9mm autos I really, really like and getting the daddy model is very desirable. Nice work.

 

Smith 39 and subsequently 59 series family were a success for S&W, and released for 3 generations before Glock dominated the US semi-auto market.

On the other hand, I wish Colt had released SSP pistol in the 70s to compete. Colt missed that opportunity and we will never know how it could've shaped up Colt's history in DA/SA pistols. For some reason, Colt put effort on that design and just locked it in the vault without any attempt to sell to civilian market.

 

Colt in their infinite wisdom decided they were making enough money on sales of 1911s and Pythons to civilians and M16s to the government so they didn't need to add a double-action 9mm to their lineup. By the time they realized their mistake it was too late.

 

I love the 39 series guns. Even have a nice one of my own:

 

It was not just an icon, it was the icon that changed police carry from wheel guns to semi=autos. The few I have fired were wonderful shooters. Reminds me of shooting the CZ 75. Best bud had one but I could never find a perfect one so I never got one. I did get versions of the later double stack. Congrats, lucky you. Enjoy it. If it were me, I would carry it for a while.

 

It is super easy to remove that wretched magazine safety, and it improves the DA trigger pull, somewhat. That long tab on the rear sight lifts up, use something non-marring and lift up that front tab, then rotate the sight 90 degrees either direction. The sight should lift out without drama. There's a spring and detent thingy in a hole under that sight, lift those out and then re-install the rear sight. DA trigger pull should be improved somewhat. S&W used to sell an adjustable sight that dropped right into the cut for the rear sight, and that's how you installed it. A wooden toothpick might be sufficient to lift out that front tab, if not, something plastic can do it. I did that on my old 39-2, and I thought it made a big difference in my particular pistol. That adjustable sight is NOT a very sturdy item, but it was good enough for the time and place. I was able to adjust the sights for whatever load I was fooling with back then.

 

You will never go wrong with a S&W 39. Yours is a fine looking example, if you like what it looks like wait until you shoot it. You'll wish you had bought one years ago.

 

I've got it's fat twin, the double-stack Model 59. It's a nice-looking gun but I agree with the OP that those old double-action triggers are horrible. Very heavy and stacks prior to the break. We've really been spoiled in recent years with decent DA triggers on modern semi-autos.

 

Out of the box, the double action is not my favorite, but no doubt it could probably be tuned by capable hands. These SW DA/SA still consider reasonably priced now.

Picture of the pistol from another side. Grew up in the 80s and always like it. Not sure why I never thought of getting one until now.

 

That is a very nice gun. Lucky you. I would have bought that one in 2 seconds.

 

The 39 is one of the most beautiful handgun ever.

 

Though not as handsome as the Model 39, I have a no-dash Model 59 whose trigger reset runs circles around my Sig SRTs … even with modern HP rounds, I have never any issues with FTFs, FTE, etc..

 

Are those stock grips? They look much better than on my 39-2.

 

I have a 39 with no dash. Oddly enough I can recall looking at them in the late 60s and early 70s and thought they were top heavy and ungainly - now after years of "modern firearms design" they fell "just right"! I need to take a picture of it but it is not as pretty as those above - then again, I only paid $250 for it in the late 90s.

I'd agree the DA trigger pull is nothing to right home about, though I've never particularly cared to try to tweak it.

I sure made a mistake - the gun shop I bought it from had a big box of used stainless mags for $5 each and I kept passing until someone bought them all at one whack!

Riposte

 

Here are a couple of pics of one that was a duty gun and the frame was well worn. I glass blasted the frame and reapplied a DuraCoat finish

 

Ahhh... the memories.... I can remember drooling all over the magazine ads from the company called ASP showing some of the very slick custom versions of the Model 39 they specialized in.

 

My Dad carried one in LE during the '80's, dept issue. It was stainless. I like it better in blue. I put more than a few rounds through it back in the day. That heavy da trigger and thumb safety made it a super safe carry gun I always thought.

 

That thingy on the left side of the rear slide is a DECOCK LEVER!

 

When our department first let us start carrying personally owned semi-autos before the full transition from revolvers, I carried a couple different 59 versions and also 45 versions (4513 was a great off duty gun). This was in the 80’s and we went from model 66’s so I went with the stainless versions.

Of course, I was young and did not appreciate blued guns as I do now. Your 39 looks great and these Smith’s were really good guns.

 

As I recollect, both the Model 39 and the Colt Commander came from the military trials for a new 9mm pistol in the early 1950s. I think the Commander did better later when it was bumped up to 45, but, as was mentioned earlier, the Model 39 had a great impact of law enforcement.

Even the US Navy used some Model 39s.

 

Are those stock grips? They look much better than on my 39-2.

Those appear to be Model 59 grips on your 39, as the panel lacks the (frame's) subtle palm swell curve.

The grips on my 59 are not stock, but $40 (Ebay) Turkish walnut panels ... presently, there's a somewhat similar set of Turkish walnut M39 panels on ebay:

SMITH AND WESSON S&W MODEL 39, 52, 439, 539, 639, 9mm WALNUT WOOD GRIPS aa | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for SMITH AND WESSON S&W MODEL 39, 52, 439, 539, 639, 9mm WALNUT WOOD GRIPS aa at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

I have three of these. One nickel and the others blue. The used nickels seem to be about twice the price as the blued. I started with the nickel and love how it feels. I bought it new in the 70's. I acquired a blue one a couple of years ago that was like it came from the factory with the wax paper creased and crisp as it had never been taken out of the box. I just got my third this week at a pretty good buy. $625 in the box and has had less than 100 rounds through it. Super condition.

 

The cheap black plastic grips on the Model 59 spoil the looks of the weapon, so I bought this set of Turkish grips off of eBay. They fatten the grip somewhat but they make the pistol look so much nicer.

 

I too rescued one that I had acquired. Terrible external condition, and someone had used JB epoxy to bond a metal mount for a flashlight on the frame! Took some dremel work to get it all off, glass beaded, Duracoat applied, and touched up small bits. Came out respectable and it is a very good shooter too.

 

The trigger surface on my 39-2 is very smooth, almost slippery. Has anyone ever tried texturing it?

 

I have a 3913 lady smith with bobbed hammer and looks like nickel slide over a aluminum frame. Very nice gun, sorry no pics.
Lucky

 

The 39 was the first 9mm I had ever fired. We were firing 357 across a farm pond shooting at rocks about 6 inches diameter, about 70 yards. They handed me the 39 and I was hitting them nearly every round. I was instantly amazed. Never actually bought a 39 but grabbed a 915 when they came out. Love the third gen smiths. They had wonderful triggers. Not sure why they are not still made.