My S&W Shield 9mm is still my EDC gun, so I m partial to Smiths. You may remember from earlier posts, I first got a Model 59 in the late 1970s, and carried one for years, then let it go after having switched to other duty weapons. A couple years ago, I got another one from a family member and loved it. The fancy faded, though, and I parted with that awhile back.

Fast forward to last week. I walk into my local gun shop and the owner, a friend of mine, says "you have to see this!" He hands me a VG to Excellent (about 98%) early Model 59, stamped "Fresno Co." It is part of an estate. How much, I asked? $350. We started the CA DOJ 10 paperwork.

Dang I am a sucker for the early "Wonder 9s"! I still have five pre-2000 14 round magazines for one...

They can be hard not to like. Im stuck with a 559 for now. Not quite the same as a nice 59 but it keeps me busy.
Jim

This is my jealous face! The only 59's I have ever seen in person looked liked they had been dragged by a squad car and put away wet. Okay not quite so bad but wow, sounds like a great snag. The whole 10 day wait seems so absurd.

I remember at the POST academy in 1975. One guy from Gilroy PD had a Browning P35 High Power, and I liked it. But when the Salinas PD boys showed up withbrand new S&W Model 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 wheel 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. He bought a nickel plated Model 59 right after that.

After that I went to a PD in the Seattle area in 1981, where they issued 59s, then later 439s. I hung on to my personal 59, finally selling it when I was on an SO in central California in about 1994 or 1995.

I think you can make a case for the BHP with modern ammo--and a few minor mods--being a "wonder gun".

However, it is NOT sufficiently idiotproof for general issue.

The "wonder 9" moniker....... was only for Hi-cap guns with DA/SA triggers.........

the 59 was the first IIRC; hi-cap like the Hi-Power with the DA/SA trigger of a Model 39.

Beretta 92s and Sig 226s soon followed.......................

And don't forget the CZ-75...

Anyone remember if it was Cooper or Shimek that coined "wonder 9s"?

I don't think it was Cooper, he called them "crunchentickers- the solution to a non existent problem." Didn't stop me - bought my first 59 in 1975.

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Tony

Yep, I was a big Jeff Cooper fan, and it didn't stop me either. I bought my first 59 in 1976! I do like the 1911, but my Glock 21 in .45 ACP is much kinder to my 65 year old arthritic hands and wrists! Its actually fun to shoot the G21. I sold my 1911A1 because it was not fun!

It was Robert Shimek that coined the term:

Wonder Nine - Wikipedia

The only downside to the 9mm is that it was a direct
replacement for the .38 Special...with it's bad habits
as well. Upside is that you can fit a buncha 9mm's
into a double-stack mag and hose someone's day up!

As long as they're not wearing any body armour

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Marlin & Calico Specialist

Yes, but...the 9mm ammo of the day when we were swapping out .38's for the 9's is VASTLY improved, so much so that many PD's that switched to .40's after Miami are now trending back...to the 9mm.

Sam

Yep, even the FBI scrapped the .40 Glock 23s and went back to the 9mm Glock 19. Our SO used 9s to great lethal effect. Golden Saber +P, Gold Dot +P, and +P+ Hydrashock. Even the Illinois state police 115 grain 9BPLE (+P+) has been making bad felons into dead ones for 25+ years.... I keep my Glock 19 loaded with 9BPLEs and my 9mm Shield loaded with Gold Dot 124 +Ps. Up in the mountains, though, it is my Glock 21 .45 loaded with Winchester Ranger T-Series 230 +P.

BTW, my new 59 has a serial number of something close to A272,XXX. I'll post a picture and the exact serial number tomorrow if I can figure how to do it without the extortionists at photobucket! Probably going to stop at the range Tuesday at shoot a few rounds.

They are amazing, and have an interesting development past. I have had one now for over 30 years, and it is the pistol I trust the most, just above my 4506 no dash.

Shooting the "new to me" Model 59 for the first time tomorrow. Local indoor range has half price on Tuesday's for LEOs and retired LEOs. Will be like visiting an old friend. Also shooting my new Uberti S&W Schofield clone. Couldn't afford $2K for a real S&W performance shop Schofield, LOL

Serial Number A266271. Anyone tell me "born on date?" You cn see from the wear that is was a duty weapon, especially from the right side grip wear, it was carried in a duty holster (right hand), and rubbed things.

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	S&W.JPG (229.5 KB, 42 views)

SCSW4 by Supica & Nahas suggests early 1975 on that SN.

Thank you sir! I shot my first one in fall of 1975!

Both magazines have an "A" on the base plate. What does that mean? I seem to remember it had to do with a magazine revision.

Thanks in advance.

The followers are the old 14 round with the four equal legs (though I replaced then with 15 rounder ones with the two short legs in front. The mags have a much later serial number (A39XXXXX) electropenciled in the front. Typical PD armory mix and match on guns and mags.

ANyone know where I can get a set of new replacement screws for the grips?

I bought this Model 59 brand new in 1976. I have not used it all that much, but it's always functioned perfectly with whatever I fed it. I used it once or twice as my backup gun to a 1911 in combat pistol matches back in the '80s, and it met my expectations fully. It's still in the original box with all the papers, and I'd rate it as being in 99% condition.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Took it to the range today. Did several rounds of 15+1 to check function. Performed flawless with Winchester 124 grain Nato stamped ammo. At 10 yards I kept the group about 3" on rapid fire. Not too shabby. It shoots tighter than my Glock 19!

Ink I may get a new set of original grips and grip screws. Most of the wear it has is on those items.

Soooooo, will you be "hangin' on" to this one?

The Model 59s were originally equipped with fourteen-round metal-based magazines.

About 1979, S&W did provide some upgrades for 59s for police departments, one of which was an "improved" magazine follower. I don't have information on how it differed from earlier examples. FYI, both magazines provided with my 1976-shipped Model 59 have an "A" stamped on the base plate. The followers on these are black plastic, and have two support legs, enabling 15 rounds to be inserted in the magazine.

Fifteen-round magazines with improved springs, followers and plastic bases were to follow as standard for the Model 59's successor, the second-generation Model 459. They will work fine in Model 59s.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Hmmmm... Just saw the price of grip screws $7 each! I think I will just clean and dress these up. I did find a set of the think Uncle Mike's rubber grips for $12 NIW including shipping. I tried a p[air on another cops gun and liked them WAY better than the Pachmyr's. Never got around to getting them though. They will work until I find a set of NOS 59 Derlyn grips.

I often find that factory original S&W stocks can be found on e-Bay.

Often it will take some patience, but they usually turn up.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

LOL! I hope to! The last one fell victim to my need to buy a complete cowboy action shooting armory again. I did SASS for 20 years, got boa\red and sold off the guns. 5 years later, I missed it.


Acquisitions in the last 8 months to re-start....
Uberti Schofield $1,100
Uberti 1860 Henry $1,300
1872 Open Top $500
Double barreled hammered shotgun $400
Brass, lead, powder, and reloading dies for all of the above $500

That is just my first run set. I also have a complete back up set, though the guns were cheaper. My total is about $4,500 just into guns for the spoort...I just have expensive tastes. Funny, it doesn't seem like I made that much when I sold all the stuff I had when I left the sport 5 years ago.

Yep, thanks. That's where I was looking when I found the Uncle Mike's. I'll just keep looking.

I had three aftermarket 59 mags with plastic floor plates, and no spring retention indentations in the bottom of the sides (slab sides). I replaced their followers and springs with S&W OEM ones I had in my parts drawers, and they functioned great. You can never have too many magazines!

I personally find the Uncle Mikes rubber grip panels for the 59/659 to be absolutely GENIUS! They look great, they feel fantastic, they are far better in feel than the original slim plastic grips and they aren't obnoxiously chunky like the Pachmayr grip.

Don't get me wrong, as I grew up in the 80's, I love a huge lot of Pachmayr grips across countless pistols and revolvers but on both the 39's and 59's, I cannot stand the Pachmayr grips. The 39/52 has an awful palm-swell and the 59 series takes an already fat gun and makes it clinically obese.

The Uncle Mike's panels are the best thing I've ever found for the 59-series pistols.

Yep, I agree. I remember how much I liked them on the other guy's gun. We switched to 439s shortly after, so I never got a set. The female officers and guys with small hands filed a grievance demanding a smaller grip, is what I understand. Instead of allowing an option of either, they switched. As one of the rangemasters at the time, I argued that it was loke making the 90% who wore extra large underwear switch to everyone wearing small (whether it fir ot not) to accommodate to 10% that wore small panties....

I'm actually thinking they are switching to cut down on
how many suspect deaths are occurring...9mm is still a
round I consider less-than-optimal, even with the new
stuff available today.

My thought always has been "As many as you can get,
in as big a mag as possible, using Black Talons, Hydra-Shoks,
or Winchester Ranger SXT's"...which is why I own a pair of
100-rds per mag Calico Pistols (pic w/ 50-rd mags shown)

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Marlin & Calico Specialist