Here we go again...sucker for "Wonder 9s"

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imarangemaster

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My S&W Shield 9mm is still my EDC gun, so I m partial to Smiths. You may remember from earlier posts, I first got a Model 59 in the late 1970s, and carried one for years, then let it go after having switched to other duty weapons. A couple years ago, I got another one from a family member and loved it. The fancy faded, though, and I parted with that awhile back.

Fast forward to last week. I walk into my local gun shop and the owner, a friend of mine, says "you have to see this!" He hands me a VG to Excellent (about 98%) early Model 59, stamped "Fresno Co." It is part of an estate. How much, I asked? $350. We started the CA DOJ 10 paperwork.

Dang I am a sucker for the early "Wonder 9s"! :D I still have five pre-2000 14 round magazines for one...
 
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This is my jealous face! The only 59's I have ever seen in person looked liked they had been dragged by a squad car and put away wet. Okay not quite so bad but wow, sounds like a great snag. The whole 10 day wait seems so absurd.
 
I remember at the POST academy in 1975. One guy from Gilroy PD had a Browning P35 High Power, and I liked it. But when the Salinas PD boys showed up withbrand new S&W Model 59s, they were the buzz of the Academy. Everyone wanted to try them. I couldn't wait to get one, and did in 1976. I carried it as an off-duty until 1979 when I moved to Washington state and worked a couple years on a small PD in the Vancouver area until I got a job at a larger city PD in the Seattle area.

The chief of the small PD was a dyed in the wool IPSC shooter and loved his wheel gun. The first qualification there, I brought out the 59. I challenged the chief to a "mano y mano" shoot off, and put 46 rounds into the 10 and X before he did his 18 with speed loaders. He asked "where can I get me one of those, and allowed me to carry it. He bought a nickel plated Model 59 right after that.

After that I went to a PD in the Seattle area in 1981, where they issued 59s, then later 439s. I hung on to my personal 59, finally selling it when I was on an SO in central California in about 1994 or 1995.
 
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The "wonder 9" moniker....... was only for Hi-cap guns with DA/SA triggers.........

the 59 was the first IIRC; hi-cap like the Hi-Power with the DA/SA trigger of a Model 39.

Beretta 92s and Sig 226s soon followed.......................
 
adwjc said:
I don't think it was Cooper, he called them "crunchentickers- the solution to a non existent problem." Didn't stop me - bought my first 59 in 1975.
Click to expand...

Yep, I was a big Jeff Cooper fan, and it didn't stop me either. I bought my first 59 in 1976!:D I do like the 1911, but my Glock 21 in .45 ACP is much kinder to my 65 year old arthritic hands and wrists! Its actually fun to shoot the G21. I sold my 1911A1 because it was not fun!
 
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The only downside to the 9mm is that it was a direct
replacement for the .38 Special...with it's bad habits
as well. Upside is that you can fit a buncha 9mm's
into a double-stack mag and hose someone's day up!

As long as they're not wearing any body armour ;)
 
Big Shrek said:
The only downside to the 9mm is that it was a direct
replacement for the .38 Special...with it's bad habits
as well. Upside is that you can fit a buncha 9mm's
into a double-stack mag and hose someone's day up!

As long as they're not wearing any body armour ;)
Click to expand...

Yes, but...the 9mm ammo of the day when we were swapping out .38's for the 9's is VASTLY improved, so much so that many PD's that switched to .40's after Miami are now trending back...to the 9mm.

Sam
 
Yep, even the FBI scrapped the .40 Glock 23s and went back to the 9mm Glock 19. Our SO used 9s to great lethal effect. Golden Saber +P, Gold Dot +P, and +P+ Hydrashock. Even the Illinois state police 115 grain 9BPLE (+P+) has been making bad felons into dead ones for 25+ years.... I keep my Glock 19 loaded with 9BPLEs and my 9mm Shield loaded with Gold Dot 124 +Ps. Up in the mountains, though, it is my Glock 21 .45 loaded with Winchester Ranger T-Series 230 +P.
 
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BTW, my new 59 has a serial number of something close to A272,XXX. I'll post a picture and the exact serial number tomorrow if I can figure how to do it without the extortionists at photobucket! Probably going to stop at the range Tuesday at shoot a few rounds.
 
Shooting the "new to me" Model 59 for the first time tomorrow. Local indoor range has half price on Tuesday's for LEOs and retired LEOs. Will be like visiting an old friend. Also shooting my new Uberti S&W Schofield clone. Couldn't afford $2K for a real S&W performance shop Schofield, LOL
 
Serial Number A266271. Anyone tell me "born on date?" You cn see from the wear that is was a duty weapon, especially from the right side grip wear, it was carried in a duty holster (right hand), and rubbed things.
 

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