To my surprise while at a local gun show to which I have been going to for quite awhile now about 4 times a year, for the first time I came across a 4 digit Model 39, that after some hesitation I couldn’t leave it behind. Ser #2865, I was concerned that it didn’t have those things that I thought it should have such as the short safety tang and no relief grip, i didn’t understand the rose coloring of the slide release and the frame is in a matte finish, not shiny as most seem to be(is this a valid frame finish?) still I just couldn’t leave it. It has the long safety and grip cut out, in very good shape, albeit I can’t seem to score one with its box, to me it’s still a part of history and I got it for $450 out the door, even if some things don’t seem quite right, Its either a refurb or hopefully something different, but I didn’t think I could go wrong for the money.

Attached Images

2545525B-3AD5-4644-A9FC-CE0A90E44200.jpg (123.4 KB, 149 views)

Mine is not much older and has a plum colored slide release. Yours is one of the first couple hundred to have the longer safety and relieved grip panel.

I can't help with the matte/brushed frame appearance.

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Psalm 27:2

Hello NDFRC, darn nice find for $450. From one pic it looks right. congrats.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

Looks like the frame was likely sanded and refinished but still an excellent find. It's only about 200 SNs into the MODEL 39 marked 9mms. You made out OK. Enjoy it !

If you really need one in the original numbered box ... just holler. I have, 2 pre-39s in the correct box, 3 with TiredGunsmith's Pre-39 but I cannot sell that one. He bought his brand new. I am the 2nd owner. Also, probably 2 or more early Model 39s (lower 4 digit SNs) in the box.

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ANTIQUESMITHS
LM1300 SWHF425

This same M39, ser#39 is up for sale on GB right now!
ONE OF KIND S&W 39 9MM SERIAL #39 ALL STEEL NO RSV - Semi Auto Pistols at GunBroker.com : 805846453

Sal, the box I want is your ser#7195 box, that’s close enough to my M39 ser#7175! Do you still have it? It’s so close it would at least make a good conversation peice, I mean a box that’s 20 off is better than no box or just some random box! No?
Keith

Keith, I rarely sell anything but one day soon I should start selling some. I did not sell it but at this very moment I cannot place it. I found 1177 (which is a much later type box with paper label) and 8392 (white crayon numbers on bottom) in hand (of the early 39 boxes that are only boxes) so 7195 has to be here somewhere. It too has the white crayon numbers on the bottom. You're welcome to come visit to help look. Email me via regular email. Sal

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ANTIQUESMITHS
LM1300 SWHF425

I saw that one, too. I can write now, after the fact, the seller did not respond to a request I made over a week ago for close-up pictures of the grip frame, with the grips removed, and close ups of the mag well area. I asked as Serial number: 39 did not leave the factory as a nickel gun.

Even considering the known detraction (not shipped in nickel) ... and the sellers failure to respond ... I went as far as I felt comfortable and may have gone further if not for the last few counter bids that seemed completely out of context.

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ANTIQUESMITHS
LM1300 SWHF425

Wow only 4 off from mine (1173). I 100% assume I'll never see matching boxes to any of my guns, but you never know...

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Psalm 27:2

Lots of mystery on nickel #39. To much contradiction. I saw a nickel gun in a blue box imprinted as a blue gun but an end label with an N in the fin box. Plus a letter indicating it shipped as blue. Any thoughts?

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

You should letter it to find out when shipped. Shipping date will better determine what box might be "more" correct than others. Some very low number guns were shipped in the 1960s in blue, pre-bangor punta boxes with solid silver border line and paper end-label.

Those shipped in more reliable sequence usually have the diagonal line across the face of the box and only indicate S&W 9mm automatic. These have the serial number and another AIR ( as i recall) designation in white crayon, hand written, on the bottom of the box.

I have 1021 (with the experimental side & extractor) no box, 1093 and 1130 (no boxes) then I jump to 1369 which was Bob Frielich's (TiredGunsmith) personal gun, he purchased new. It has the original box, cleaning tools and extra mags (Later) 39 mags but no green booklet. The lowest complete pre-39 I have is 1843 that is complete in the box with the green 9mm booklet.

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ANTIQUESMITHS
LM1300 SWHF425

Already done. It shipped in September 1955 to the military PX distributor in New York, so it ended up being sold on a base somewhere.

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Psalm 27:2

A302000? Am I close?

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

Sal,
Love this post and it just keeps going. I was watching and bidding on that one also. I was surprised by the late bidder who came out of no where and won it. I'm sure many of us would like to have that gun. Take care my friend.

SAL,
Let me know when you are ready to sell as owning one of your pre-39's someday is at the top of my list.
Rich

Rich, I was being run up the proverbial flagpole on this one. I feel strongly the last few counter bids near the end were likely shills. That's where I get off. Once someone throws in the stink bomb resembling a shill ... I wouldn't care if it was one in a zillion ... I'm out.

We should all lay back when suspicious bids start showing up. Perhaps it's my background as investigator that makes me more suspicious than the average bidder. I take something like a shill bid as a personal foul.

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ANTIQUESMITHS
LM1300 SWHF425

Question: if you sent a first gen. auto back to the factory for a refinish or change of finish, would it be stamped on the left frame flat under the grips?

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

I have attached a few pictures of small things I have noticed that changed between the 39 and the 39-2. There is the obvious barrel bushing, but also the slide stop and slide stop notch in the slide. I have noticed more changes as well and will post them as I have time.

Attached Images

	1-18-10S&W39&39-2BarrelBushing.jpg (147.5 KB, 64 views)
	1-18-10S&W39&39-2SlideStopNotch.jpg (64.3 KB, 67 views)
	1-18-10S&W39-2&39SlideStop.jpg (156.0 KB, 66 views)

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J.D. Roy

Hello Roy, you are well on your way of being a 39 nut!
You still have a few more to go.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

I have been tracking these and other changes through the forum and gunbroker etc for a while now. I have only had the funds to get a few Model 39s, but I have a very nice Model 39 that was one of my first guns several years ago.

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J.D. Roy

I was talking to Sal today (Model3SW) about pre 39 paper work.
Has anyone compiled a gallery of the different variations of booklets/ instruction sheets that shipped with pre model 39 and early Model 39s particularly the ones that had green print on them? I have 2 dated Sept 1958 and both are different from each other. See pics
Thanks in advance
Mike
Front page Sept 1 1958

Front page Sept 1 1958

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John 1:17
NRA Life Benefactor

That settles it. I know what I want for my 39th Bday


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The thing about collecting 1st and 2nd gen model 39's is you can never get enough.

I think this is the first manual.

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

Yes, this is the first (pre-39) manual, however, I am not sure when (or at about what serial number range) S&W stopped providing this type with the 9mm (pre-39 or how far into the Model 39 stamped 9mms).

Of the most complete Pre-39s I own, 1843 came to me from a reliable source, with the original box and this exact booklet.

The most irrefutable (to verify booklet enclosure) pre-39 I have is the Tired Gunsmith's (Bob Frielich) pre 39 SN:1369 that Bob purchased new in 1955. It, too, has the original numbered box and this identical booklet.

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ANTIQUESMITHS
LM1300 SWHF425

Man, that was the most I have seen a steel frame M39 go for... $4000 on GB tonight! Wow!
Smith & Wesson Model 39 No Dash STEEL FRAME 99% - Semi Auto Pistols at GunBroker.com : 809032450

I just don't know what's going on here. Makes no sense what so ever.

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ANTIQUESMITHS
LM1300 SWHF425

Sure it makes sense. The buyer surrendered to the seductive power of
the mod-39. There is a lot of new, young money coming in to the market. They are very quiet and private. They dont display at shows or clubs or buy publicly. They use an agent to make their purchases and transfer ownership confidently and legally. They are not in the Ferrari , gold Rolex crowd.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

So...how do you know about them? How many are there?

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

It seems when these very desirable yet rarely seen guns come up on the big Auction the sale prices get inflated above the "normal" market values. The question is whether this becomes the new normal or is it just an outlier that buyers and sellers recognize? The answer I believe is a litttle of both.

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John 1:17
NRA Life Benefactor

It occurred to me the last online sale of that ‘special’ steel M39 serial #39 a couple weeks ago sold for over $6k. Perhaps the new normal for these have been set.

I think we'll see that one coming up for auction again. I was the #2 highest bidder. I only stopped bidding only because I became very suspicious of the other bidders running up my bids all along and especially near the close of the auction.

Sometimes the suspected shill bidders have low and / or no feedback (an easy to sport, tell tale) and sometimes bidders with high feedback ratings. Go research that bidders prior purchases in the past 3 months. Look at them all. Perhaps you'll notice a suspicious pattern, too.


R.S. "Sal" Raimondi, Sr,
Just a collector like you guys.

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ANTIQUESMITHS
LM1300 SWHF425

I recently had the treat to view a Letter on a 52A. Three steel frames were made . Two were sent to Ft Benning and one to Kirkland AFB. Later, 87 alloy 52As were produced. Number unknown of how many were sent out and how many stayed in the factory safe. Ok, 90 guns made. The guns in the safe were released thru normal channels by the factory. The Letter stated this gun was one of 44 sent to Gil Hebard at a 1964 cost
of $52.25 each. Just thought I would share the info.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

Do you know the serial numbers for any of these 52A pistols?

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

Side note -- it isn't always that a rare gun goes NUTS on Gunbroker. A very close relative of the 39 sold last night, a Model 147-A, one of 112 ever made, it went for only $3,035 which is less dough than I have seen a 147-A pull.

Kevin, in the members section a month or two back Roy answered with the known test or x numbers of the few sent out for tests.

Of the 87, 52-As released via commercial channels I have seen only 358xx serial number range, in my lifetime.

Mine was purchased new from Cherry's by Dr. John Parker, M.D. (a WWII US Navy fighter pilot) of Perry, Florida, however "letters" as shipped from S&W to Gil Hebard who was a major distributor / warehouse back in the day.

Best Regards, Sal

PS: I purchased mine (from Dr. Parker) about 25 years ago.

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ANTIQUESMITHS
LM1300 SWHF425

I have the Sns. of the three steel prototypes. The guns released were in the range of 35850-35927, 78 guns. These were alloy guns. The alloy guns sent for testing I do not have yet. There may have been 10 in the test.
Im still searching. Where are they, not a clue. Just the fun of being a collector and investigating a mystery.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

your dyslexia (or Martini) syndrome is showing. Did you mean 87 instead of 78 ?

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ANTIQUESMITHS
LM1300 SWHF425

And maybe Lackland AFB...not Kirkland.

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

Rich, I smiled broadly when I saw your image of your "39" line. Beautiful, man, just downright beautiful!

Later.

Yes, Lackland AFB.
The posted serial number range stated works out to 78 guns, not 87.
The range of numbers does not incl. the 10? sent out for testing.
I have not found the exact quantity or serial numbers of the test guns.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

Or possibly Kirtland AFB in NM (sounds like Kirkland)

If we're getting ooober-technical, 87 manufactured, 10 to testing, leaves 77 remaining sold to commercial market.

But then again ... who really knows beyond a reasonable doubt ?

I do know they are ultra-rare ! (and RARE is the legit term for them).

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ANTIQUESMITHS
LM1300 SWHF425

I believe we are getting uber. or ooober, technical. But we are investigating a mystery. That is quite fun. Its what we do. Im attempting to work with Sn. ranges and production numbers from the guys at the entrance to the S&W cave of ledgers. A little patience and being polite all ways works out. I would agree it is a rare, very limited production gun released to the gun fraternity. They almost teeter on the brink of being experimental. An experiment that did not quite work out. But when the Big Guy at the top corner office gets the call from DoD/Pentagon/Army,
the Eng Dept. said, sure we can do that. At least in the old days.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

Sal, you were right it back up for sale on the international site.. $7k !

Hello NDFRC, Mr. Marbles mod-39, Sn. 39, has reappeared.
It is a neat pistol. Its just not in the original, as left the factory configuration. He sent it back for some changes. The recent hammer price was $6150.55 back in April. That is a healthy sum for most of must, but deep pockets prevail. Good luck to the present seller.

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Mike 2796
SoFo Bunch member

Mike, The guy who was offering it for sale, last time. is THE SAME GUY that is listing it for sale currently on another venue.

Back then I surmised the high bidder was bogus, so I stopped bidding. It seems apparent my suspicion was correct. Sal

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ANTIQUESMITHS
LM1300 SWHF425

Most likely under the left grip panel however I have noticed other later 39s stamped at the mag-well area. I'm still not sure if the mag well stamp would be a factory S&W marking.

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ANTIQUESMITHS
LM1300 SWHF425

... AND ... it is the SAME seller.

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ANTIQUESMITHS
LM1300 SWHF425

Seems to me that folks interested should be made aware of it's recent history and the owner/seller should feel free to give his side of the story and/or explanation for why it got bid so high but did not sell.