Thanks for the info.
1. Does the info mean the 39's were steel framed, or later models were steel framed? The latter would lead one to believe both aluminum and steel frames were made.
2. Are those grips plastic?
3. Is that a lanyard ring at the bottom of the grip, or a magazine lock, or what?
4. Any pics of the other side showing where, I presume, the slide lock to be?
The "sterile" concept was always interesting to me. Especially since one could easily accuse the US of being involved in an operation that fielded US built pistols and other equipment. It would not have been that hard to determine the pistol as having been made in the states.
Now that I think about it, one could argue a sterile Smith would have to be linked to a US operation.