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04-05-2018, 10:40 AM
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Model 39: slide will not stay open after last shot
Hello,
I have just bought a very nice S&W 39 (no dash, steel frame) from 1966. One problem is that the slide will not stay in the rearward position when I cycle with the empty magazine inside. The mag shows no wear, the slide release lever looks like new. Do you have any idea where the problem is?
Procol
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04-05-2018, 11:21 AM
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Does it achieve slidelock with other magazines? Does this magazine exhibit the same behavior with other 39-series pistols?
From the photos it looks like the mag body is out of spec, or the slide stop is out of spec, but would need to show them next to the same parts from other 39s to see for sure.
I think we need to know about what your other magazines do with this same gun, and what this magazine does with other 39 series pistols.
Last edited by squidsix; 04-05-2018 at 11:22 AM.
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04-05-2018, 11:24 AM
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04-05-2018, 11:54 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by squidsix
From the photos it looks like the mag body is out of spec, or the slide stop is out of spec, but would need to show them next to the same parts from other 39s to see for sure.
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Unfortunately I have only one mag. Could someone with a 39 please check how it looks like with your guns?
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04-05-2018, 11:57 AM
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Question, Did the early model 39s first gen even have a slide lock? I think these were made back in the mid 50s.
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04-05-2018, 12:06 PM
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Does the slide stop plunger actuate properly?
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04-05-2018, 12:11 PM
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The majority of fail to lock open is a magazine problem, spring tension, follower. However, If somewhere along the line a mod 59 slide stop was inserted in a 39 you would have the same problem. The 39 slide stop should have a small arm that projects into the mag well about .270 while the 59 only projects about .150 so the follower will not contact the slide stop to move it up. The slide stop plunger might be stiff. Also the recoil spring guide plunger might be frozen or stiff. need to be lubricated.
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04-05-2018, 12:17 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vmumford
Question, Did the early model 39s first gen even have a slide lock? I think these were made back in the mid 50s.
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Waaaaayyyy back in 1911 and before there were plenty of semi-auto pistols with a magazine-operated slide locking/release lever.
I know of only a handful of semi-auto center-fire pistols without them, to be honest. Are you thinking maybe of some other feature?
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04-05-2018, 12:19 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paulj84003
The majority of fail to lock open is a magazine problem, spring tension, follower. However, If somewhere along the line a mod 59 slide stop was inserted in a 39 you would have the same problem. The 39 slide stop should have a small arm that projects into the mag well about .270 while the 59 only projects about .150 so the follower will not contact the slide stop to move it up. The slide stop plunger might be stiff. Also the recoil spring guide plunger might be frozen or stiff. need to be lubricated.
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This is true, BUT the slide stop arm would protrude about .2" out the right side of the frame.
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04-05-2018, 01:05 PM
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What I can see is that the arm of the slide stop does not even touch the follower. Maybe it has been indeed taken from the Model 52. Could someone make a photo of both slide stops side by side for comparison?
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04-05-2018, 01:26 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by procol
What I can see is that the arm of the slide stop does not even touch the follower. Maybe it has been indeed taken from the Model 52. Could someone make a photo of both slide stops side by side for comparison?
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This makes the most sense. I don't have a 52 for comparison, and I no longer have metal-follower 39 magazines but I will shoot some photos when I get home of how it looks with mine.
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04-05-2018, 01:35 PM
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It appears the slide stop has been modified or from a different make. I don't have a M52 anymore so can't compare.
The picture below is my 39-nothing. I hope it comes out clear enough so you can see what the engagement and slide stop should look like. As you can see the slide stop has a tapered point on it that engages the follower. Yours appears to be flat. It's definitely not long enough. With the slide stop inserted and if you push down on the thumb piece the follower should move down a bit. Yours is not engaging because it's too short.
Hopefully if you can find another slide stop that should fix you up.
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04-05-2018, 01:38 PM
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The picture didn't attach to my post. I'll try it one more time.
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04-05-2018, 03:43 PM
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Thank you. Could you please take similar picture? That would definitely clarify this matter.
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04-05-2018, 04:00 PM
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I cannot attach the photo on the phone. Anyway, the arm of my slide stop measures exactly 5.5 mm (0.22 in.). How does yours?
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04-05-2018, 04:23 PM
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The arm on the stop engages the magazine follower so I would think that you need a new magazine spring. I have several and the 39 and pre 39 and they all engage them same way as your last picture Sorry I was looking at ISPCAPT picture. You have the wrong slide stop in your 39. It should protrude into and over the curved part of the follower on the magazine.
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Last edited by Fastsheriff; 04-05-2018 at 04:27 PM.
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04-05-2018, 04:55 PM
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Mine measures 7mm. As you can see it's tapered with the longest part on the bottom (mag) side. The top measures about 5mm. The longest (bottom) tip of it has to be long enough to engage the follower. Yours has either been ground off, broken off, or it's for another model.
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04-05-2018, 06:52 PM
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Quick view, your parts look OK. The older mags, like the one you show, are the better of the two types, however there were a number of small changes to the magazines of this type. Some have a long tongue at the base plate. some have a straight base plate, others beveled.
I'm thinking, perhaps the magazine, while locking in place, is not up far enough or the spring is weak. Easy fix is to take it apart, clean it, stretch the spring a bit and put it back in.
The only failure on a magazine of this type I have had in the past 30 years was a used 39 I found at a local show with a magazine that likely had been left loaded to max capacity for 50 years. I pulled it apart to see the spring actually was deformed. That was "the" only one, I ever encountered.
Let us see what the magazine ejector cut out looks like. If worn or damaged. Sometimes if people change the magazine release knob for a larger one, does this same thing.
I hoard these old magazines. I'm sitting on about 40 of them not including the mags that are with boxed 39s and pre-39s. I started buying them many years ago when I started noticing small variances in them but regardless of the small variances any 39 or 39-2 mag should function properly in any 39 or 39-2.
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04-05-2018, 08:25 PM
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04-06-2018, 04:53 AM
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Could someone please make a picture in a similar way to determine if my slide stop is indeed from the model 52 rather than from 39?
Procol
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04-06-2018, 08:53 AM
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From a model 39-2....
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Last edited by armorer951; 04-06-2018 at 09:14 AM.
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04-06-2018, 10:18 AM
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Thank you. Looks like mine is shorter some 1.5--2 mm. Maybe it indeed makes this problem.
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04-06-2018, 11:49 AM
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I did see some model 39 slide stop assy's on Ebay when I looked today. It apears you have the one with the shorter leg.
I searched "smith and wesson model 39 parts"
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06-14-2018, 01:50 PM
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Hi, the problem is solved. I bought an original, used slide stop for 39-2 and the pistol now works perfectly. Soon I will post some pictures of this beauty.
Procol
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06-19-2018, 03:43 PM
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He Said As The 39's Value Plummets
Quote:
Originally Posted by procol
Hi, the problem is solved. I bought an original, used slide stop for 39-2 and the pistol now works perfectly. Soon I will post some pictures of this beauty.
Procol
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It's one of them deals where you either prefer a firearm that works, no matter what, or one that might on one sunny day contribute mightily to a retirement plan (not right now, for sure, but M39 prices have been creeping up rather substantially of late).
Geez, I dunno. But it seems the way to go would be to properly fix the problem, e.g., NOT a 39-2 part. At least not such a pretty doggone obvious fix.
Quite frankly, however, I'm a tad perplexed that the 39-2 slide solution worked. That little ol' slide stop is pretty important and, as did others before me, I instantly thought of it when first reading of the problem.
So, how might a new slide have fixed the issue anyway, huh? Might it have been tied to one of those little spring loaded thingies under the lollipop?
Later.
Last edited by DCW; 06-19-2018 at 03:44 PM.
Reason: Who put the bang in the di-di-di-di-dit, "not."
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06-21-2018, 03:19 PM
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The 39-2 slide stop did solve the problem because it now catches the follower, the old one I had had too short leg to do that. And by the way, aren't 39 and 39-2 slide stops identical?
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06-21-2018, 03:46 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by procol
The 39-2 slide stop did solve the problem because it now catches the follower, the old one I had had too short leg to do that. And by the way, aren't 39 and 39-2 slide stops identical?
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I dont quite grasp what dcw is saying. Glad this is solved!
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