HOW CAN THIS BE? LONG SLIDE S&W MODEL 59

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KEVCON

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Hello fellow enthusiast. I need help in deconstructing a recent purchase of mine. I live in California, and some of you may know, it is very hard to collect in the State as we are restricted to what is already "in state". Recently, I came across a S&W 59 "long slide". Of course, being a S&W collector, I had to purchase it just for the novelty of it. However, I would like to know if this is a one off abomination that someone Frankenstein-ed together or perhaps some factory escapee?

Here is what I believe I know:

  • Bar-Sto barrel and bushing.
  • Millet rear sight.
  • Extended safety.
  • Ambidextrous safety.
  • Allow frame.
  • Steel slide.

Is this a Model 52 slide on a 59 frame?

Pistol will fire with no magazine.

Extremely accurate.

Is this a stock S&W pistol or heavily modified?

Here are the pictures to help you guys help me:









 
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I SERIOUSLY DOUBT THAT THE PISTOL WAS CONFIGURED LIKE THAT, AT THE FACTORY....

A LETTER REQUEST TO THE S&W HISTORIAN, ROY JINKS, PROVIDING THE PISTOL'S SERIAL NUMBER, WOULD BE THE PATH OF INQUIRY THAT I WOULD SUGGEST......

WHATEVER THE OUTCOME, IMHO, IT IS A BEAUTIFUL PISTOL......
 
It's a cool gun but almost certainly not factory, or factory modified - none of the extra features mentioned ever appeared on the model 59 and they would not have used non-factory parts like Millet sights at that time.

In the last photo you can see (I think) the different finish on the added portion of the slide. In that era, there were several talented pistolsmiths making long-slide pistol conversions, including Swenson and Jim Hoag (who recently retired). Perhaps someone here will recognize the work and comment.
 
murphydog said:
It's a cool gun but almost certainly not factory, or factory modified - none of the extra features mentioned ever appeared on the model 59 and they would not have used non-factory parts like Millet sights at that time.

In the last photo you can see (I think) the different finish on the added portion of the slide. In that era, there were several talented pistolsmiths making long-slide pistol conversions, including Swenson and Jim Hoag (who recently retired). Perhaps someone here will recognize the work and comment.
Click to expand...

I noticed that also. It looks like someone grafted an extension onto the front end of the slide Cool gun though. Kind of looks like a Hi Power.
 
Yes, that is how the long slides (at least Jim Hoag's) were made - bar stock welded onto the forward end of the slide, and machined/polished to match. Not to mention all that internal work to get the longer barrel to fit and shoot straight ;).
 
Like others --if you look close there appears to be a color difference on the end which changes with time when a barrel is welded. It was likely made out of two slides. I like it.
 

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As I mentioned I live in California which is less than gun friendly and very hard to acquire anything. I found this long slide 59 on a California on-line forum and my first thought, as one expressed it above, is that it had an obvious slide weld. I purchased it without a physical inspection (just a digital picture that wasn't as clean as those that I have posted). Upon picking it up after the mandatory 10 day jail time in California I took it immediately to the range where I was pleasantly surprised how will it shot. Extremely accurate, the trigger was very smooth and the reset was minimum (as I barely had to release the trigger). It actually shot better than my S&W M&P9 PC 5" that I brought with me on that same trip. Upon stripping it down at home so that I could take pictures of it to ask questions I was expecting to see obvious weld marks (especially on the inside of the slide)...but I could not see any. Yes, there is a definite color change on the slide that is near perfect that would indicate something. I can't see how this could be two 59 slides cut down to make one larger slide as there would be contour issues to address. The factory markings are near perfect on the slide. The milling, if there was bar stock welded to a cut standard 59 slides, is phenomenal. Almost too perfect which is why I was wondering if someone could have put a 52 slide on it and modified a Bar-Sto barrel and bushing to fit. However, it appears some of you believe this was professionally done, perhaps by Swenson or Jim Hoag, back in the day . I definitely would like to research that. Any suggestion on how one might proceed on that quest?

To answer someone else question the barrel is 5" (although I didn't actually measure it after taking it out of the slide - I probably should).

Does anyone know who was manufacturing the extended and ambidextrous safety back then? It would be nice to identify that source.

Kind of strange, if heavily modified, that it retained its factory grips.

Lastly, I thought 59 lowers were all steel and not alloy. Am I incorrect in this assumption?
 
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All 59 lowers were alloy. They made a tiny armful of steel frames and then marked them as Model 147-A.

This pistol? I swear we have seen this EXACT pistol in this forum before. My guess is that a previous owner was as baffled as you. It wasn't horribly long ago... I want to say a year or two at most. I don't know what search terms to use, but I just really think we have seen this before and we had a discussion on it.
 
HOW CAN THIS BE? LONG SLIDE S&W MODEL 59

Yes and agree with above. The previous owner of that 59 posted here not long ago (last year) looking for information and I don’t recall reading anything particular or him finding much history. Enjoy.
 
Interesting...the guy I bought it from said he knew nothing of the pistol, it origins, how it got the long slide, etc. My google search of "long slide 59" only pulled up his images that he had posted to sell it. I found no other information forums that I was hoping to find. I was baffled...hence my post.

I'm curious if a letter on this particular firearm would yield anything. Did people like Swenson or Jim Hoag buy directly from the dealer (factory) and make the modifications and then sell them? Or would it most likely be an individual that purchased it and then took it in for a long slide modification. If anyone does have the link to the other posting I would like to read it.

The reason I am researching this isn't to ascertain its worth (although that would be nice). It is too keep me from doing something stupid to it like I'm inclined to do to my older 3rd generation S&W that I pick up at a reasonable price that are not collector grade (engraving, re-coating, etc.). I would hate to find out I had something that shouldn't be touched to only find out I made it less desirable.
 
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As an S&W armorer I can state unequivocally that this pistol does not now exist nor has it ever existed. I simply refuse to believe the veracity of the photos. They were obviously photo shopped. Altering a slide like that would be beyond our technical expertise. You must send me this monstrosity immediately for proper disposal.
:-)
I always enjoy seeing well done alterations like this.
Would I pay extra for it? No.
Would I want it? Not necessarily.
I can appreciate the ingenuity and workmanship.

If you like it, that's all that matters.
I do cringe when I think about someone gouging you for a California model 59.

Edit: Since it has a Bar-Sto barrel, maybe that would be a good place to start your search.
_______________________
I don't have Alzheimer's- My wife had me tested.
 
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Gouging is a fact of life here in California. I just thought this particular 59 looked interesting and must have a story to tell. If, and when, I find it out I will certainly share it. It is enjoyable to shot and it will be tucked away in my S&W safe with the others I have collected.
 
That is definitely the same firearm and the user name "is" the guy that sold me the S&W 59 Long Slide. I don't know what to feel about that now, especially seeing he only owned it six months before selling it to me (and he tried to get me to buy the S&W 4006 he pictured next to it as well - I just happened to already have three of those - lol). The guys was nice enough, yet when I asked what history he had on the gun he said none. He knew I was an fanatic S&W collector and said he would like to see it go to someone that collected S&W's. Strange he wouldn't offer up any information he learned from his posting. Regardless, the one item out of his thread that I can act on is take the firearm apart and look for any designer / gunsmith markings (I wasn't really looking for anything when I took the dissembled picture - I just wanted to show the barrel and bushing to this forum for assistance). Thank you for looking up and sharing that previous thread.
 
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I would indeed querry Barstow. My M39-2 sports a 9X21 Barstow barrel that they fitted for me in 1983. It's clearly a high grade custom pistol from that era.
 
I would love to see your M39-2! Have you previously posted pictures? Excellent idea to contact Bar-Sto.
 
I replied to the previous owner in his thread that JohnHL was good enough to find for us. As your picture ls are better than his were, I can clearly see now that I was mistaken about the frame having a rail and divot cut for the counterweight. Upon reflection -- a doublestack frame would be far too wide to accept that old 52 weight anyway.

As for how you feel now... I can't see anything has changed. The previous owner didn't learn much from his thread here other than "everyone likes it!" and I think that hasn't changed either. This is a neat pistol and S&W pistol guys are gonna like it.

I would say that there is very little chance that a factory letter would have any helpful info. If this were a build that some outfit made a run of, I honestly believe that at least one of this lunatic fringe would have seen something like it before. I believe it is a one-off creation, very cool, not likely worth much of a premium but would be a joy to own.
 
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