The Special Operations Community of the Vietnam era used a Model 39 with a suppressor for at least a few years.

What dash would this have been?

Were these marked in any special way?

Would this have been sold as a package like the H&K SOCOM?

Who was the manufacturer of the can, and how well did it perform?

What type of ammo were used in this set up, and in the Model 39? 115 grain FMJ, or was there a heavier bullet load floating around to get the speed below subsonic?

I wonder if any of these are still sitting in a unit armory somewhere just waiting to be pulled out, cleaned off, and used?

Thanks.

As far as markings go, some were made without any markings, including serial numbers.

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You do what you are.

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.

TN RAT
1. I had two 39-2 that weighed 26 oz, therefor that would be the alloy frame weight given.

2.The grips were wood, nylon on the 59.

3. That is a lanyard ring on the bottom of the grip frame. You can see the mag release at the bottom of the trigger guard in the photo.

4. Sorry, can't help with the view of the lock.

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Tony

I think there is an example on display at the SEAL/UDT museum in Florida.

Model 39
Military models had a skeletonized magazine and a dust cover