Model 39-2 Rear Sight

[Green Frog]

If this were better placed in the gunsmithing section, I apologize and will move it, but since the question is specific to a gun that belongs in this section... here goes;

I remember seeing a fully adjustable rear sight for the Model 39-2 that came more often with the "lollypop" style sight adjustable only for windage. Does anyone know of such sights still being available?

I recently inherited a near-perfect 1978 vintage 39-2 that I bought from a retiring police chief for my Dad to add to his collection. It has ambi safety and came to me with 3 original mags but is otherwise just as it came to Dad all those years ago... probably was fired less than 500 rounds in its entire life.

Any suggestions as to source for the sight would be appreciated. BTW, I think I still have a Model 52 sight I came up with somewhere... would that be applicable to this gun? How about the "winged" rear sights from the earlier examples?

Froggie

[model3sw]

I have several OEM S&W New/Old stock fully adjustable sights. Email me from my profile in the forum. PS: the title indicates 59-2 which I thought was odd but reading into your post, you did intend to describe a 39-2, correct ? The 52 sight is different from the 39/39-2/59 sights. Yours should have a long "tongue" with a small hole in front of it to insert a device to pick it up. Once the tongue is raised high enough it turns 90 degrees and will remove straight up. You may want to take preventative measures not to make a "swipe" type radial scratch on the slide when you remove the original and when replacing the with the new, fully adjustable sight. Sal

[Green Frog]

Wow, I thought this would be harder! I fixed my title and will respond to model3sw and the PMs as received. Thanks for all your responses.

Froggie

[Green Frog]

Well, the deal is in progress with model3sw and myself. Thanks in advance, Sal and thanks also to the others who contacted me with offers. Hopefully this will get me off my well padded posterior and shooting Dad's lovely Model 39-2 as it deserves.

Regards,
Froggie

[Sevens]

Hi there Frog and glad to hear that you'll be getting what you need from another forum member. In any case, for the sake of info... no, the Model 52 adjustable rear sight won't work in a 39, 39-2 or 59 without the help of a machine shop and a gun crafter.

Also, I'm a bit curious that you said the pistol has ambi thimb safety. I've NEVER seen one on any 39/59, these first came around with the 2nd Gen pistols in around 1983.

While many parts between the three generations will cross, I'm actually unsure of the 2/3rd Gen safety working in the earlier 1st Gen slides. I would suspect it does not work and I wonder if perhaps you were mistaken about the thumb safety being ambidextrous?

[jsbethel]

Interesting discussion here on 39 ambi safety - Model 39 Ambi-Safety

Apparently there was an aftermarket part for this also back in the day. I saw the pictured interesting item on Ebay a few weeks ago.

[Sevens]

Cool and interesting, and another information nugget that I never knew!

[Green Frog]

Mine may indeed be aftermarket... I do notice the bluing is a little different from the rest of the gun, more plum colored. It uses an allen screw to hold the lever on the right hand side of the slide and IIRC there is some sort of spline arrangement to align the lever on that side and let it turn the whole safety like the original on the other side. Dad was left handed, so it was a given that any time I found a gun for him I had to plan on making it ambidextrous so we could both shoot it. Of course that gave the bonus of having a lot of ambi guns around! I probably installed the conversion for him when I got the gun for him nearly 40 years ago, so the details are sketchy.

Froggie

[model3sw]

Here is a picture of the factory S&W Adjustable rear sight blade as supplied with a 39-2 Connecticut State Police Commemorative, which I believe was "the" only production model it was supplied on. Of course it was also an accessory part. It was not made until the 39-2 run. Before then MMC made a sight and Millett made the best but the Milletts required the front sight to be milled off and the new Millett front sight staked in. I still have my Millett sight installation and stake kit for the few I did back in the day.

The factory adjustable sight lays low compared to the Millett, thus the factory S&W sight does not require any alteration or replacement of the front sight.

[fordson]

Thought I remember seeing fully adjustable M39-2 rear sights on Numrich and just checked to confirm. They have them for $34.40. They indicate that they are in fair-good condition but the photo looks good, and for the price, might be worth a try.

[Green Frog]

Originally Posted by fordson

Thought I remember seeing fully adjustable M39-2 rear sights on Numrich and just checked to confirm. They have them for $34.40. They indicate that they are in fair-good condition but the photo looks good, and for the price, might be worth a try.

They must have put them back on in the last couple of days. When I checked last week they indicated the item as sold out. Anyway, since my 39-2 is so nearly new looking, it is good that I was able to get a NOS example from my new e-friend model3sw both to match the finish and because he included detailed installation instructions to prevent damage to the finish of the slide. Life is good!

Froggie

PS Yep, just looked again and the $34.40 price is for a stripped, non-adjustable sight body. The adjustable sight assembly is still listed as sold out (and cost about $75+ when they did have it.)

[Karl in NY]

My first centerfire pistol was a M39, no dash. Despite religious lubrication, it was the only gun I actually wore-out, with excessive frame wear along slide rails. Since it was my only centerfire gun, it got heavy use, probably 100k rounds thru it. Now have a couple of stainless 952s, and still avoid aluminum frames, 50 years later, due to that early experience.

The M39 was a gift from a girlfriend, then wife, now ex-wife, but we remain close friends, just can't live together. She had a high-paying job, I was still an undergrad with little income. But, I was soured on steel slides on alloy frames, and still am.

[StakeOut]

Here's 2 Model 59 ,one withe the standard rear sight and one with a fully adjustable rear sight.

The pistol with the adjustable sighr also has the factory option grip insert.

[fordson]

Originally Posted by Green Frog

They must have put them back on in the last couple of days. When I checked last week they indicated the item as sold out. Anyway, since my 39-2 is so nearly new looking, it is good that I was able to get a NOS example from my new e-friend model3sw both to match the finish and because he included detailed installation instructions to prevent damage to the finish of the slide. Life is good!

Froggie

PS Yep, just looked again and the $34.40 price is for a stripped, non-adjustable sight body. The adjustable sight assembly is still listed as sold out (and cost about $75+ when they did have it.)

Different SKU numbers. The $39.40 price (SKU 332600) is for the "excellent" striped body (let's keep it family friendly here). The $34.40 (SKU 398950) is the fair to good complete assembly. For a good looking 39-2, you're probably right to wait for a better looking sight.

[model3sw]

Originally Posted by Green Frog

Mine may indeed be aftermarket... I do notice the bluing is a little different from the rest of the gun, more plum colored. It uses an allen screw to hold the lever on the right hand side of the slide and IIRC there is some sort of spline arrangement to align the lever on that side and let it turn the whole safety like the original on the other side. Dad was left handed, so it was a given that any time I found a gun for him I had to plan on making it ambidextrous so we could both shoot it. Of course that gave the bonus of having a lot of ambi guns around! I probably installed the conversion for him when I got the gun for him nearly 40 years ago, so the details are sketchy.

Froggie

It is not unusual to see plum colored slide lock / releae bars and safety levers. Don't ask me why but it just "is". I wouldn't be concerned about it.

Your safety lever with the allen head screw is likely from a newer model with an ambidextrous safety. I had a 659 (and if I recall correctly an early 469 New in box) with that same ambi safety type screw and have seen plenty of off-colored slide locks and safety levers, right from the factory on new (then new) 39-2s. not so much on the 39s. The 469 NEW had plum colored safety levers.