Long story short, maybe they work in later models but they don't work in a 39 No-Dash.


Now the long story, in case you're hard up for reading material:

I recently got a great deal on a Model 39 No-Dash pistol, it looks almost like new, with only a couple of very tiny nicks on the frame, but it only came with one mag, so I felt I needed to find at least a couple of spare mags when I could.

In learning about the 39 I read several articles that said S&W basically used a Walther P38 mag in the model 39. So I got to wondering if a P38 mag would work in it. I knew it would need to have a slot cut for the mag catch, but I've modded Uzi mags to work in my 9mm AR-15, which also requires cutting a slot, so I wasn't worried about cutting one in the P38 mags.

I did a Google search and found a thread on this very forum where a poster said P38 mags worked fine in a 39 series pistol. So at a recent gun show I traded some old gun parts I didn't need for 3 new-in-the-wrap P38 mags. Basically I got the P38 mags for free, so why not try them?

I can't remember what exact model the other poster's pistol was but I can say that the P38's wouldn't even go into my 39 No-Dash. Or rather, they could be forced in, but they all fit very tight and had to be pried out. Turns out the P38 mags are .020 to .025 wider front-to-back than the genuine S&W mag. That doesn't sound like a lot but it was enough to make them difficult to insert into the frame.

Being the rather stubborn type that I am about such things, I was determined to make them work. It took over 3 hours of trial and error fitting to get the first mag to work reasonably well. If I had know it was going to take so long I wouldn't have bothered but you know how it is, each time you take it out and file a little you think, "ok, that will get it" and before long you've spent well over 3 hours on it.

After I had figured out the spots to file on the first one the others only took about an hour each to get working. And while they are usable for range work, they still don't easily slide in or drop free like the real S&W mag. So, from my experience I can tell you that P38 mags in a 39 No-Dash is what I'd call an "only if there's no other choice" prospect.

I'm only writing all this to counter the other thread where the poster said they work fine.

Not only the magazine but in fact the whole S&W 39 is a copy of the Walther P 38. After WWII several P 38 where brought into USA and S&W decided to make their own American copy of this great gun. So the actual gun was altered in design but the magazine was not (except for release system).

I can't say why your P 38 magazines doesn't fit into the M 39, but mine fit like a foot in a stocking (sorry I'm from Europe so I do use some "local" expressions). My M 39 is a -2 but since the original S&W M 39 magazines fit in all S&W M 39 no matter what "dash" the P 38 should do so al well.

I'm wondering if the magazines you got are original? Could they be from the Walther P 1 (which is a much newer (1963) copy of the P 38)? Unfurtunatly early P 1 are stamped P 38. I'm not saying there is a difference between the P 38 and the P 1 magazine but just saying that the problem is the P 38 magazines you got. They should fit your S&W M 39 perfectly and since they don't they must either be damaged or not originalt P 38 magazines.

What stamps do the P 38 magazines have (pictures please). Oh and by the way they are probably worth more money then a original M 39 magazine so keeping them original (if they have the right stamps) could be worth money. I surguest you buy 9 round S&W singelstack magazines.

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The P38 and Model 39 mags are similar but not directly interchangeable,
Besides having different releases (Heel vs Button ) and different shaped followers one is slightly wider .

The Model 39 mated a P-38 style DA trigger and slide mounted decock/safety lever to a Browning High power style tilting barrel
with a single stack 9mm magazine .

The Model 59 mated a Model 39 slide to a frame using a 14 shot double stack 9mm magazine like the Browning High Power .