I guess I'm a "moderate" when it comes to the Model 59.

On the one hand I appreciate its history, its status as one of the original wonder nines, and its barrel locking system. I might some day be tempted to buy one of my own just for general interest reasons.

On the other hand, the grip is blocky, the trigger reach is too long, and as someone said above, it's "generally" reliable.

And of course, my general thoughts on the Wonder Nines, coming from a 1911 back ground, is that they offered very little that the Browning Hi Power did not. I still think that way. With 13 and 15 round magazines, good triggers (once you remove the magazine safety), and the option of either the standard single action or SFS systems, the Hi Power is tough to beat in the Model 59's size and weight range. In fact, in a used Model 59's price range the FEG P9 still beats the Model 59 hands down. The DA feature just does't bring enough to the table to make it a Hi Power killer.

Now, don't get me wrong, I do carry a S&W 6906 in the summer months and I actually like it. It's light, compact, and has a decent grip, a suitably short trigger reach and a DA trigger pull that is light enough to be useable - all things the Model 59 doesn't offer.