I've been carrying and shooting my Model 39 lately, since my Hi Power decided to turn into a little machinegun.

I really like this gun. Nothing feels as good in the hand as a Model 39. My question is about the extractor.

Of course, my no-dash has the looooong extractor, later replaced with a shorter (and presumably better) one. Is this something to be concerned with? Should I hunt down a spare?

Any ammo I should be wary of? I don't shoot steel case, but I have shot a lot of aluminum case stuff through it.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

Without having been an active handgun guy back in the early 1970's to witness the scene, I can only run with my thoughts and ideas long after the fact.

There has been some known "breakage" of these extractors over the years but it's been my experience that it's way more known and far less actually experienced. I would guess that anyone connected to the Illinois State Police may have some helpful insight as to how much ACTUAL problem the early style extractor was.

I can tell you this much...
When they updated the 39 extractor, they did the same exact thing for the Models 52 and 52-1. And it's been my experience that you sometimes find (not often... but also not rarely!) that some old 52/52-1 pistols get sold with a whole kit that the original owner kept for his gun and this kit will often have an extra replacement extractor or two that he bought, kept, and never needed. And maybe never will.

To be sure, it is -BAD- to allow any semiauto to slam home on an already chambered round. Rifle or pistol, this is a bad practice. It seems obvious on a 39/52/52-1 with an extractor that does not pivot or lever on a coil spring that it would be a WORSE practice.

If you can find a spare extractor? Well heck yeah, buy it! They aren't exactly common.

Sourcing the extractor may be an issue unless you can find one from Numrich/GPI or some other specialist. The extractors on 1-3 generation S&W autos required fitting and the factory would only sell them to someone with the appropriate gauges. (They asked for the numbers stamped on the gauges for proof.) That last may have changed, but it isn't a drop in part.

I don't know how many of the ISP 39-nothings broke extractors. I don't know that anyone kept those statistics but if they did the data would be long gone.
Most, if not all, the issued 39-nothings had a modified long extractor like mine pictured below. You'll notice a "crack" about 1/2 way in the extractor. That is the modified style before S&W went to the 39-2 style. On top of the slide above the right side of the extractor you'll notice a small hole. That was for the pin to hold the modified extractor.
It's quite possible some guns weren't modified and may have been purchased by the Troop when he retired before his gun was modified.

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183rd FBINA

Great pistol. I will echo what Sevens said and say that as long as you chamber from the magazine you should be good to go for quite a long time. I certainly wouldn't stop shooting it for fear of breaking something...if something is going to break let it be me who breaks it!

Haha, that reads -so- funny "dangit, if this sucker is gonna break... I wanna be the guy who breaks it!"

Confession time!
I found a fine buy on a 33xxx no-dash Model 39 (I want to guess 1964) and when it arrived, it just stole my heart. It is not flawless, but it's soooo close and I own a laundry list of 1-2-3rd Gens and that includes two 39-2's.

Bottom line is that I have twice been "close" to shooting it, I even actually brought it with me on a range day once.

I bet I'll try again one day. Honestly, what I truly want is to find a box for it, which will no doubt be easier to do than to convince myself to shoot it.

It's a beauty and still geeked that I found it for reasonable money.

Looks like your 39 no dash is a fairly early example , if you post its serial we can give you an approximate DOB.
Replacement extractors are unobtainium, if you dont care which revision you have and want to shoot it alot perhaps trading into a 39-2 or 439 would be a safer bet....if strictly a CCW the 3rd gens offer a few more benefits like dovetail sites.

IIRC with the older extractor you should never just drop a round in the chamber then let the slide slam home.

With CNC machining and state of the art metalurgy, why couldn't a machine shop reverse engineer a run of this obsolete and almost impossible to find part?

Would it be too costly? Too difficult? In violation of some patent?

Just thinking ....

Randy

It's just really not all that much in demand, really. And they do appear on Numrich occasionally-- Numrich has no magical "out of production part producer", it's just that some guns come to them and get parted out.

help with shipping date for my 39 serial number 62483

Probably late 1966. Is it a steel frame?

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

its a AL frame

How does one remove an extractor on a model 39 no dash pistol?
This gun has no pin hole or pin on top or bottom of slide. I think it has an plunger and spring inside of extractor slot!. I need to know the correct procedure for removal.

Roger Rice, its not complicated. I have seen it done by S&W gunsmiths and did what they did. There is no spring and plunger in the rear. Remove the safety. Chuck the slide up in a vice. Pry the front out just a tad and tap the front rearward. Spray with oil before. Should slide to the rear. Now, DONT
DO IT! OK?

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

Thanks for the knowledge on procedure of extractor removal. I am leaving well enough alone! Or if its not broken do not fix it.

Just wondering, how or why did your Hi-Power go full auto. Does it just shoot out the magazine or can you control bursts? Is it a Browning or one of the cheap European knock-offs? Sorry but I am a Hi-Power collector (all browning) and have never heard of this problem. Either way, go to a good gunsmith and get it corrected. It is dangerous and possibly a Class III violation.

Well, that post was five years ago. Its been fixed and no problems with it since.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

IIRC pre-39s started at 1000 and went to 2600.

Sold Pre-39 12xx about 7 years ago for, again IIRC , $1400 bought it for about $300 a decade earlier.

Seems like I need to have a 39 around the house; must have bought and sold a half dozen over the years..... but have carried a 3913 with full hammer or a 3913NL both with Hogue wood grips.... which give the 39xx much the same feel to me as the 39 only smaller (like the cut down 39s from the 70s/80s) but still 7 or 8 +1rds.

By the way NICE gun!!!!!!!!!

Roger, you are a wise man! Mike

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member