The 459 is basically a Model 59 but with added 2nd Gen "improvements." Not to slag anyone's favorites, I simply (myself) don't believe that the improvements were all that fantastic.

The 459 added upgraded sights. Nearly all of them wear a fully windage and elevation adjustable and highly durable protected rear sight, the original 59 had a somewhat fragile windage adjustable only rear sight. A rare few 459's had a very durable fixed rear sight.

Some 459's had a right side (ambi) thumb decock lever where no 59 ever had one before.

All 2nd Gens including the 459 have a firing pin lock which makes the pistol drop safe, no 39/39-2/59 ever had this feature. This is a fine upgrade for safety but there is no doubt that it does NOT enhance the trigger pull, weight, feel, smoothness... and basically every facet of the trigger.

And the 2nd Gens were the first arrival of stainless steel and also full carbon steel frames as regular production items, carbon steel was never more than an experiment for the 39/39-2/59 models.

While I see your angle and argument, I cannot agree that a 459 was "early Value Line" because in my opinion, even the first two Value Line models were very specifically made spartan compared to the current flagship model -AND- were advertised and marketed as lower cost guns with lower MSRP's attached.

Nothing about the introduction of the 459 was made spartan or "lesser" and for sure, the price was not lower or advertised as a budget model.