Arrival of a 39-2

[BWoz]

Hi all,
So I picked up a 39-2 with 2 mags and the box, to add to my 5906 I scored a couple years ago. I love these pistols and have been keeping my eye out for them.

When I was interested in the 5906, before purchasing I joined here and received a warm welcome along with vast info about the gun. I was hoping to get a little info about this piece of history.

I posted a few pics below, I know some of you can decode the box#s and come up with the born on date. This one was not NIB but she has not been fired much, as there is very little wear showing anywhere.

Thanks for looking.

[Green Frog]

Nice find, BWoz. According to SCSW 4, your 39-2 was made in the production run of 1973-1974 (A175001-A235000.) You’ll probably need a letter to get closer.

Glad you got a nice box with it. Did it have the cleaning kit and documents included? Some folks like to store their guns in the boxes, but I’m of the school of thought that wiping down with an oily rag and on a rack in my safe so dry air gets around it.

If you can get some ammo (big if these days) you owe it to yourself to take it out and shoot it. Lots of folks here (myself included) really like the feel of the single stack/39 Series pistol in our hand. Enjoy!

Froggie

[cmansguns]

Bwoz: Very nice find indeed. You got a good one.

I love mine. In fact it has since become my favorite at the range over my trusty old Browning Hi-Power, especially now a days when 9 mm ammo is so hard to find, and expensive. I've got enough stash to take her out now and then and that gun puts them right where they belong if you do your part.

Mine is a 1977, and I have noticed some differences to earlier ones like yours that I am wondering if anyone know the timing (year wise) of these changes and the reasoning behind them. Obviously the changes were not enough to require an official "engineering" change or we would have had a different dash number.

1. The magazines...mine have a black plastic follower, yours appear to have the steel "X" shape follower.

2. The hammer, mine is a simple spur, yours is a ring spur.

3. Mine came with box, all docs, but the cleaning rod/brush was twisted wire with brass brush. I haven't ever seen a picture of what the factory actually put in the box for a 39-2 of my (1977) vintage.

Anyway...I don't wish to hijack your nice thread about your nice find, so am just wondering the "when"...but more important the "why" of the changes noted above. If they are for the usual reason (cost savings) then the twisted wire "lab brush" as some experts have described mine could be a factory item although I doubt it.

[gmborkovic]

Hello BWoz, nice early example of an early 39-2. Ship date was latter part of 1973. No data on born date only shipping and to whom. Does your 39 on the front grip at the bottom at the mag well, have a little cut to facilitate easier mag removal? Do your mags have the X follower?

[41 Roadmaster]

The 39's are becoming collectable and are fun to shoot. In my opinion the Mod 39 is S&W's most aesthetically pleasing pistol, just as the 19 is in revolvers Looks like you have found a very nice piece and congratulations are in order.

[BWoz]

Thank you everyone. I to feel these are some of the nicest pistols out there. I really wanted to get one of the .45 versions. This one came up and I had to have it.

No she never came with cleaning kit, papers, the only thing in the box was 2 mags with X followers (see pics below) and pistol wrapped in that brown waxed paper. I asked what was included in the box? He said everything that came with it new. It would have been nice to get papers and cleaning kit.

No I don’t believe the grips were cut on the front to help with mag extraction.

As far as born on date. I thought he had figured that from serial # of the 5906. But looking back at that post on my 5906, I see it was calculated from Spec. Ord. #. The Spec. Ord. # on this is blank, so decoding likely won’t be possible. 1973 makes her around 48 years old.

Cmansguns, good shooting, I hope to get out soon to put a few down range. Hope she shoots as good as she looks. Yes I see the hammer I read somewhere that it had to do with the way it was manufactured and assembled, the hole was needed for some sort of alignment deal. IDK.

[gmborkovic]

Hello BWoz, I did not mean the grips were cut. Your pic of the mag well shows the cut on the frame. Thanks.

[ReloadforFun]

Perhaps ironically, my 39-2 is only about 350 off on the serial number from yours.

[BWoz]

Originally Posted by ReloadforFun

Perhaps ironically, my 39-2 is only about 350 off on the serial number from yours.

That would make their born on date close. Couldn’t say how many they would turn in a day.