I have, on occasion, carried my 439. Mike from St Pete makes a good point about defensive shootings. Odds are it will be confiscated and held as evidence, uncleaned, no one caring if it rusts, gets dropped, scratched, etc., until the investigation has ended and no charges can be brought against you. I have also heard that weapons held in evidence are sometimes lost and never seen again. That does concern me with carrying expensive or vintage firearms.
Do you carry a 39 series?
- Thread starter Cal44
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I have been known to carry my 3953 and I love it. I have a 39-2 and I love to take it to the range, but I don't carry it.
I've been carrying a 3953 since I bought it from a Forum member a couple of months ago. It replaced my Walther PPS40 while fashion will allow a compact vs subcompact pistol. I use a Bucheimer-Clark 14C-79 IWB holster for the 3953.
jscott
Member
And there is no firing pin safety. Familiar with a police shooting where an officer tried to get compliance from the driver of a get away vehicle, by tapping on the driver's door window. Gun discharged and killed the driver. Not judging the tactics, but the gun has an old style inertia firing pin.
jscott
Member
MAX
18th MP Brigade. Combat MPs. I salute you.
18th MP Brigade. Combat MPs. I salute you.
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FOR SURE AND CERTAIN!!
So an inertia firing pin struck a primer with sufficient force to fire the cartridge due to the force created by "tapping on the driver's door window". Now that right there is one for a physics case course, for sure an certain!! WOW!!!
Ralph Tremaine
So an inertia firing pin struck a primer with sufficient force to fire the cartridge due to the force created by "tapping on the driver's door window". Now that right there is one for a physics case course, for sure an certain!! WOW!!!
Ralph Tremaine
Xfuzz, that is a spectacular pistol you have there. About 2000 later than my serial #, and mine shipped in June of 1976, so about the same vintage. That nickle is beautiful!!!
Keep thinking about carrying this one that I found last fall, but I haven't been able to work up to shooting it yet!! I believe it to be NIB. I had one back in the middle 70s that I loved to carry, and I will probably carry this one sometime in the future, they first the hand perfectly, light weight, good looking, and have a lot of historical significance. What's not to like?!?
Came with all the goodies!!
Best Regards, Les
Keep thinking about carrying this one that I found last fall, but I haven't been able to work up to shooting it yet!! I believe it to be NIB. I had one back in the middle 70s that I loved to carry, and I will probably carry this one sometime in the future, they first the hand perfectly, light weight, good looking, and have a lot of historical significance. What's not to like?!?
Came with all the goodies!!
Best Regards, Les
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Jeppo
Member
I have a solution ;-)
I'll trade you straight across for one you won't think twice about shooting...and I'll even pay the shipping both ways.
Keep thinking about carrying this one that I found last fall, but I haven't been able to work up to shooting it yet!! I believe it to be NIB. I had one back in the middle 70s that I loved to carry, and I will probably carry this one sometime in the future, they first the hand perfectly, light weight, good looking, and have a lot of historical significance. What's not to like?!?
Came with all the goodies!!
Best Regards, Les
I'll trade you straight across for one you won't think twice about shooting...and I'll even pay the shipping both ways.
I sometimes carry a 6906, its fatter twin. As long as the gun is reliable, accurate, you have functioning magazines for it, and it shoots your ammo of choice, why not carry it? Unless you want to keep it as a collectable and in top condition.
Smith357
US Veteran
I used to carry my old 39-2 regularly, still do on occasion.
jscott
Member
Rct269
Admittedly there may of been some over exuberance on the part of the officer, but it involved a quickly occuring narcotics takedown and I will not judge his actions. However, my Dept. banned the carry of the 39 until a subsequent generation pistol came out, which was a shame because I had to sell mine. I'm certain that civil litigation followed and it could be speculated that the event may have had something to do with the redesign of the firing pin system in that pistol. Who knows?
Admittedly there may of been some over exuberance on the part of the officer, but it involved a quickly occuring narcotics takedown and I will not judge his actions. However, my Dept. banned the carry of the 39 until a subsequent generation pistol came out, which was a shame because I had to sell mine. I'm certain that civil litigation followed and it could be speculated that the event may have had something to do with the redesign of the firing pin system in that pistol. Who knows?
squidsix
Member
There is a 39-2 in a lined pancake holster at my right waist right this minute. Matching magazine carrier with a 3904 mag on the left side.
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If you are 100% confident and proficient with it, why not carry a model 39? Yes, you might have to use it, meaning actually firing it to defend yourself (a tiny fraction of defensive firearms encounters, on the order of 0.1% if I recall correctly) but to me the potential of the gun being damaged against being alive to tell the tale is a good trade off.
jscott
Member
Regardless of previously mentioned issues with the pistol, a blue steel 39 with wood panels may be the most attractive pistol ever.
I carry a 3953 95% of the time, and a CS9 when I need deeper concealment or my attire requires pocket carry. To me, the 3953 is the perfect carry pistol.
I own multiple 39 series pistols with night sights... My EDC is a 3953 that I added night sights to.
For those of you that have the original 39, with the long extractor and are afraid to carry worrying about breaking the extractor and not being able to find a replacement. Jack First has newly made long extractors. Not cheap but you can put that 39 back in business. I ordered one as a spare, and it was right about $70.
Keep thinking about carrying this one that I found last fall, but I haven't been able to work up to shooting it yet!! I believe it to be NIB.
Came with all the goodies!!
Best Regards, Les
Wow that is sweeeeet.....You were telling us about that one at the Bunching last weekend......
You need a Texas Ranger style floral carved holster and belt w/ double magazine pouch.......... for attending; West by God Va.; BBQs!!!!
Maybe that Indian at the other end of the State can whip you up something.... if he really exists* He's got to be close to your Cabin**
Footnotes:
* In the old pre-PC days I would have had a Ringo Kid and Tonto joke in here somewhere!!!!!!
** How far are you from Somerset Co. Pa.......... we talked about it once; or it might have been SubbyFan......recall one of you were not far as the crow flies...... by W. Va. roads/mountains it was a bit longer.
jscott
Member
Night sights are nice, but many old school cops were taught that, minus a flashlight, the first round will provide all of the light you may need to see the sights. Try it sometime in the dark.
BAM-BAM:
Don't know where in Somerset Co. your cabin is, but from the town of Somerset to my camp is about 100 miles according to the map on my iPhone, and about a 2 hour drive. But it is routing by the back roads, taking the major highways would add about 50 miles. I'm on the North Fork, a tributary of the Potomac.
I'm down in Grant County WV, south-east of Petersburg. But don't get there as often as I should.
I like your idea regarding the BBQ rig!!
To the OP: Sorry for the thread drift!!
Best Regards, Les
Rock185
US Veteran
I did carry a 39-2 years ago, and still carry a 3913. I've owned several 39XX guns, but carrying the 3913 is not due to nostalgia for me. It just happens to be a pistol that functions reliably with any and all of the many different types of ammunition I've used, fits my hand well and is the right size for me......ymmv
Attachments
My main kayak/fishing/out of the county gun is an M59, bought new in 1980. Runs like new, wish I could say that, and was my boy's second carry gun after he asked what to do if three BGs were trouble.
Get a better angle and line them up for your 22Mag Derringer, was my answer and gave him the Smith.
Can't go wrong with a good M39.
Get a better angle and line them up for your 22Mag Derringer, was my answer and gave him the Smith.
Can't go wrong with a good M39.
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Stephenwhodat, night sites on the 3953 are great but it is NOT a model 39 which is a first generation series. A model 3953 is a 3rd generation which may come with or can have night sights added.
jscott, I'm not sure firing a round in the dark is the best way to see your target. lol
S.B. I've only seen one dust cover in the last 20 years and I bought it.
jscott, I'm not sure firing a round in the dark is the best way to see your target. lol
S.B. I've only seen one dust cover in the last 20 years and I bought it.
Oldawg
Member
Model 39s
I just gotta call BS on that story. In order to get the firing pin to fly into the primer hard enough to set it off, it would take one helluva "tap" and you would have to be tapping with the muzzle. On window glass? Nah! I suspect he had his finger on the trigger also. Makes a good story though.
I just gotta call BS on that story. In order to get the firing pin to fly into the primer hard enough to set it off, it would take one helluva "tap" and you would have to be tapping with the muzzle. On window glass? Nah! I suspect he had his finger on the trigger also. Makes a good story though.
I call BS too. It's going to take a whole lot more than just tapping on window glass with the muzzle end of a pistol to get the firing pin to strike the primer with enough force to ignite the primer. Maybe the hammer was cocked and a finger was on the trigger while he was knocking on the glass.
jscott
Member
BS is a strong word. Suggest before accusing a member of such, you apply some research. Refer to Kilo66 post of 1/2/15 with links to dates, names, place, statement of police firearms examiner, and news article. Hill Country post of same date also has a link.
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jscott
Member
Please refer to my response to Old dawg.
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