My first center fire firearm was a S&W Model 59. In 1975. I walked into the local gun shop, paid cash, showed them my driver's license, and walked out with a new 9mm. Those sure were the good old days.

I put more than 30,000 rounds through it, using my cast lead bullets. When the stainless 659 became avvailable, I traded in my Model 59 for more than I paid for it. The slide was pretty loose on the frame by then, but it still shot very well.

I put a fully adjustable Miniature Machine Co. rear sight on My Model 59. It was a LOT of fun to shoot. At 20 yards, it fired 1 1/2 inch groups, with the cast bullets. Jacketed bullets gave me about 1" groups, but I couldn't afford to shoot them regularly.

Back then, I could reload a box of 9mm for $1. Primer, powder, and bullet. Two cents a round. And, a LOT of time. I was casting one bullet at a time, and then they needed to be inspected, and then sized and lubricated, on a Lyman sizing press.

I had a single stage reloading press, as well. It certainly wasn't fast, but it worked well. I didn't even have a carbide sizing die; I had to lube the cases before sizing them. Messy. I found out a sizing die was good for about 20,000 rounds. They you have to buy a new one.

I bought a Browning HiPower 2 years later, with the factory adjustable rear sights, and found it wasn't as accurate as the S&W Model 59, though it did function almost perfectly right out of the box.

The Model 59 took a fair amount of ammunition, a few hundred rounds, to 'break in' properly. The Browning only needed about 50 rounds. The grip on the Browning is much slimmer, too, than the grip on the Model 59.

I liked the Model 59 better.