My first post and I'm guessing it's been answered many times already, but I can't seem to find the answer. Had a 39 in nickel way back when before moving to a NO GUNS city, and always was sorry I had to let it go.

Hello and welcome to the forum from Canada.
S&W had a problem with extractors breaking in the late 60's early 70's and re-designed them (made them shorter) with the change to -2 in 1971. According to the Standard Catalog of S&W they may have also changed the barrel guide rod hole and feed ramp at the same time.

Thanks a lot

Long ago, I had an early 39, serial 8008. It had the long flat spring extractor and a barrel bushing that took the force of the recoil spring. It worked ok but the bushing was starting to bend...Got a new top end from Cheshire and Perez in Monrovia, CA; the new slide did away with the bushing, the extractor was the new style, and the feed ramp of the new barrel was better. The old ramp had a slight "hump" in it that the new one did without. I got the 39 from a San Quentin guard, nice guy who had some wild stories from work! Good Luck!