I have mentioned my new 59 I just got from a family member in some posts I have made with specific questions, but here is a detailed post with pictures of the fine old girl.

The serial number is A177724. According to a forum member that makes it 1974 production. It has the relief cut on the frame under the safety, "Patents Pending" on the right side of the slide, no hole in the hammer, and a barrel bushing that surrounds the recoil spring guide rod on the front of the slide. I did not see any punch marks on the extractor, which I have been told means no upgrades.

The finish is about 95%+. It came with full wrap around Pahmyr grips, but I replaced them with a pair of Uncle Mikes thin rubber grips. I will probably pick up a pair of stock Derlyn grips if I find some nice ones that don't cost a fortune.

After disassembling it and giving it a thorough cleaning and lube, I took it and three of the 59 mags I had in the safe and shot it today. I fired about 100 rounds of ammunition. Most was 115 RP FMJ (old yellow box) and three mags were of my carry 9mm ammo, Speer Gold Dot 124 +P Gold Dot. It ran like a top, and functioned flawlessly!

I have to admit, that it was a bit like rediscovering your high school "first love" that you gave your class ring to, and falling in love all over! I carried a 59 for almost half of my LEO career, leaving it behind in about 1987. Subsequent duty weapons were everything from Glocks in various flavors, 1911s, Para Ordnance P13, and even 439 and 469 S&Ws for a bit.

With that said, when I took it out and shot it today, it was if the last 26 years since I carried one had not happened. Maybe it is latent muscle memory from the ten's of thousands of rounds I fired from my 59 back then (having been a LEO rangemaster and firearms instructor at the time I carried it). Maybe it is just that the 59 was my "first love" as a duty pistol when I was in my mid-20s. Anyway, it was a happy journey back down memory lane for me...

Back in the day S&W built their own piece their own way, and never on e tried to copy somebody else's design!
The 59 is the original "Wondernine", thank for sharing it with us and your story!

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"Long live the S&W 3rd. Gen.!"

I share your enthusiasm for the 59! Yours looks earlier than 1974 but I`m just guessing that because of where Model 59 is stamped on the frame.
Sounds like a keeper! Enjoy!
Jim

S&W Model 59's ruled the roost back in the day !
Today mine feels a bit blocky with that wide spongy trigger break but still one of my favorites !
The 59 usually has black plastic grips although there are some wood aftermarket grips available on Ebay made offshore somewhere that look pretty nice...I have been debating a pair to spruce mine up.

Be careful as the Model 39 grips will mount and people advertise them as fitting a 59 but they are curved at the heel and dont look right.

Thanks. I had stock black nylon on mine back in the day, as the Pachmyr was too big. I had a set of Uncle Mike's thin rubber that I put on this one, but I just found a nice pair of stock black nylon to restore it. I got sa pair of those fancy grips from Thailand on Ebay for my CZ82, and they split withing a month. They were not properly cured. I have seen the 39 grips being sold as 59s. Dahhh??????

The serial number says 1974, but who knows? The frame may have been started out earlier and been in the bottom of the bin, then finished and serial number stamped later.

I wouldn't say the 59 is my most elegant pistol, but it is the DA by which I compare all others. When I picked up my CZ 75 or my FNP, I took them to the range with the 59, and I gotta say, I still really enjoy shooting that old standby.

Enjoy!

Very nice!

I like to see all metal pistols being used.

Thanks for the info and pics. The 59 is one of my all time favorite smiths. Like a old car, it brings back a lot of memories.

You're making David Michael Starsky proud.

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Because of the metric system?

ove the 59 ,like the uncle mike`s on mine,would make serpico proud also ,pacino carry`s a59 in the movie,

I had a 59 nickel that I kick myself for selling.

Well, that is a great story and it certainly brings back some old memories for me too! I remember when the 59s came out and all of the hullabaloo surrounding them. I was with LASO then and we were allowed the 39 as "off duty only" carry. The 59 was approved just after the 39 was approved for off duty and,of course, many of us wanted one and got on the list for one at our local distributor. Well, the day came and myself and two other guys that I worked with at the jail went to "Cheshire and Perez" in Monrovia to get them. My, oh my were we ecstatic to get them. I had mine for a few years then stupidly decided that I needed something else, bigger, better more beautiful and it went.....

I would certainly like to have it back but those days are gone..... I would like to return to the "old days" sometime, but without the unbelievably and impossible ignorance and stupidity of youth.....

Great gun and good for you to get it. Hang on to it. They're very nice old tech!

I remember at the academy in 75. One guy from Gilroy PD had a Browning P35 High Power, and I liked it. But when the Salinas PD boy showed up with 59s, they were the buzz of the Academy. Everyone wanted to try them. I couldn't wait to get one, and did in 1976. I carried it as an off-duty until 1979 when I moved to Washington state and worked a couple years on a small PD in the Vancouver area until I got a job at a larger city PD in the Seattle area.

The chief of the small PD was a dyed in the wool IPSC shooter and loved his whee gun. The first qualification there, I brought out the 59. I challenged the chief to a "mano y mano" shoot off, and put 46 rounds into the 10 and X before he did his 18 with speed loaders. He asked "where can I get me one of those, and allowed me to carry it.

Later in 81 to 88, at the larger PD we carried 59s as duty weapons, until 87ish we switched to 439 for the women with smaller hands. Kinda like making everyone wear small underwear so small people do feel left out.... I had kept my personal 59 until around 81 when I was issued one.

Got a set of original nylon grips, and put them on instead of the Uncle Mikes. Uncle Mikes are better for a duty weapon, but the Nylon just looks better, IMHO. Since I am not carrying it daily for a duty weapon (I have a Gen II Glock 19 from the early 90s that I use for that), I went with the "cooler" retro grips....

Great posts, thanks for the reminder of a cool gun. I lost mine in a burglary in 1978 in Tucson, one of these days I'll get another, perhaps next year with my tax return, hmmm.

Actually I believe the film stayed true to Serpico using a BHP.