Lucked into a 39-2 deal.

[VAdoublegunner]

I stopped by one of the local toy stores yesterday, nothing to see, but just before I was leaving an older gentleman came in carrying a small blue/metal corner S&W box. He explained that he had the gun since about 1970 and he only shot two shots with it then put it away (I thought he may have meant 2 mags). He said he didn't need it and wanted to see what it was worth. It had all the papers, tools and 2 mags, plus the box looked in excellent shape with the upsidedown handwritten label. Not being one to intrude on the store where I shop while a customer is trying to make a deal with them, I heard what he had to say then walked outside before the store made their offer.

When he came out with the box he had the "look" and I asked him what they had offered. It was pretty lowball. I asked what he was expecting for it and said I might be interested in it. We had a good chat about early 9mm autos and about my cousin in law, the late gunwriter Robert Shimek. I told him the story about where Shimek's term "wondernine" originated for the 39s bigger brother Model 59 when Bob brought his new one down for a Fall visit with his wife's uncle (my grandfather) in NC back about 1974 (I may have to write that up sometime, it's a good story and I may be the only one still alive who knows it!). A quick look told me it was in fine shape with all the extra goodies so we negotiated something that made both him and me happy and with a quick exchange of carry permit info and handwritten bills of sale a deal was struck.

It is an early transition model 39-2 with the hole in the hammer and 9mm CTG on the barrel, s/n A122xxx, which dates it to 1970 and about as early a 39-2 that I have seen in a while in that condition. It is as pristine as they come, no visible finish wear at all on the barrel or frame rails from being shot. I don't think the action has even been worked that much. The temptation to shoot it is great. S&W made really fine automatics in that era. It is more in collector grade shape. However, not being one to abuse good guns, I don't think being a safe queen is exactly its purpose in life either; still in a quandary about that. I did enjoy shooting Bob's Model 59 but never owned a S&W automatic until I bought a first year 4006.

I know pics are obligatory, so I'll have to post some up tomorrow when I dig the camera out. Meanwhile, I'm looking up a bunch of info about the 39-2 beyond what the SCSW has to offer. It is indeed a handsome pistol. Sure wish S&W made them like that again!

 

[VAdoublegunner]

Special Features Question about the above

In the "Special Features" block of the above pistol's box label, it has the code "P-63" written and then a # followed by 4 digits. Any collectors know if that means anything about its configuration?

 

[opaul]

Congrat's on a very nice Smith and great restraint and gentlemanly behavior on waiting outside and not interfering with the LGS. Can't wait to see your pics!

 

[grif684]

Yes, that is a fairly common area where dealers will write in their inventory info, such as "page 63, line 20", it makes it easy to look up when they sell it, sounds like a nice -2, I especially like the early transitionals myself, and searched for a few years before finding a NIB original at a fair price. A coworker picked up a Government model Colt exactly the same way recently, he was in the shop looking when a guy came in with it and was offered $275 for it. He declined and walked out, followed by my coworker, who offered $400, which the gentleman gladly accpeted. Right place, right time, I wish it would happen to me someday......

 

[VAdoublegunner]

A few quick photos ----

The gun still has some dried oil/grease on it. I need to clean it up a little with some CLP or Rem Oil, but this is as it was. Another mag is in the pistol.

 

[bigmoose]

Awww, great score on that fine pistol. Some gentle range time with that beauty shouldn't do any harm. They really are a joy to shoot. Congrats.

 

[Lost Lake]

What a wonderful find!!!

 

[Engine49guy]

What a great gun !
I stumbled onto one in A-194000 serial range same condition recently and fealt lucky to get it for $450,

I have been around long enough to remember when they could be found at every gun show for under $300 , also remember passing on the older ones because of the " fragile extractor " rumour, DOH!

I especially like the transitional guns hole in the hammer and fully enclosed barrel bushing , other neat but subtle differences are the magazine release and the magazines metal follower on early guns .
I havent had mine out to the range for pretty much the same reason of it being unfired but then again I have a shooter grade 39 and 39-2 already to use ,
If you have a chance to pick up a 39 no dash I highly recommend doing so.

 

[gtk]

congrats on a nice find. I love mine, and had the same problem: "shoot it" or let it be a "safe queen". I solved my dilemma by purchasing another 39-2 that wasn't in quite as good of shape.

What is the circular disk under the gun?

 

[VAdoublegunner]

It's on the flyer soliciting donations for the NRA World Shooting Championships in 1970, printed like a bullseye center with wadcutter holes punched in it. It must have been something S&W put in the box when they packed it in 1970.

Yeah, I gotta admit that being a big fan of the 3913, this one just speaks to me. It seems a bit more refined and feels so nice in the hand, much like a 52. The trigger, both DA and SA is superb for a TDA.

Most importantly, I am happy that the gentleman who let me take it home felt that it was going to a good home and someone who appreciated it for what it was.

 

[VAdoublegunner]

The "Wondernine" Story

As I mentioned above, the late gunwriter Robert T. Shimek (he always used the "T") was my "cousin in law", actually married to my father's cousin. I thought I would share here the most probable yet not actually verifiable origin of the term 'wondernine' which many of us used in the 90s and some still do. Bob is generally credited with coining the term in gunwriting literature. Whether this is fact or not I do not know for certain. But he certainly did use the term early on in firearms literature and it was widely adopted thereafter.

His father-in-law often visited his "little brother" (my grandfather) in North Carolina during the fall, and we reciprocated by visiting in NW Pennsylvania from time to time. Bob and his wife Laurel lived near Pittsburgh. I believe he was still working as a policeman at the time. His writing career was just starting. One year, I'm pretty certain it was 1974, they came with them to NC to visit.

Since we lived out in the country shooting, and especially quail hunting, always seemed a part of family get-together traditions. So naturally during one backyard picnic during their visit, the talk turned to guns. I had just built a flintlock rifle, still in the white, and was eager to show it off. Amid much braggadocio and side wagers, I was challenged to hit an empty soda can tossed into the pond from about 75 yards away. I centered it with the first shot. Bob tried out my rifle and liked it. He mentioned that he had a new pistol he was very excited about and fetched it to show off. It was a S&W Model 59. He went on and on about the ergonomics, the double stack mag capacity, the traditional double action so you didn't have to cock it like a 1911, the reliability of it, yaddayaddayadda....much to the interest of the men and less so to the women present. Of course, challenged by the flintlock match, we had to go try out the new 59!

There was a large brush pile we collected during the year and burned periodically in our Angus cow pasture, not far from the house. It seemed a natural area to shoot his pistol safely. Unfortunately, my grandmother's hen house, in which she kept her pet peacock, was also nearby. After firing the pistol a few times, including demonstrations of how fast one could empty a magazine and reload another one, the peacock was in high dudgeon, flapping about and screaming to high heaven. If you have heard them scream, you know what I'm talking about. I don't think he really liked me much anyway since I always tried to catch him when I was younger. After a while of this, my grandmother trod determinedly over to us and asked, in a typical NC country way, if we wouldn't "mind taking Bob's new 'wonder' across the road where the big field was to shoot it since we were scaring her peafowl and we were going to have to reckon with her." Uh-oh. So we slunk off across the road. Not totally chagrined by the experience, and summoning up what modest dignity we had left after being bested by a peafowl and my grandmother, it became sort of an inside joke during the rest of their visit to refer to Bob's 59 as the "wonder gun".

I believe that not long thereafter Bob started to use the term "wondernine" in his writing when referring to the new generation of high capacity doublestack traditional double action automatic pistols that soon followed the revolution the Model 59 started. Whether he derived it from the peafowl incident, as it came to be called, or not I cannot say for absolute certainty. But there is certainly a case to be made for it. We continued to refer to it as 'Bob's wondergun' for many years, even long after the term wondernine first appeared in print. Especially whenever the peacock incident was mentioned. Funny thing about that old bird....one day a peahen mysteriously appeared outside of his pen. My grandmother called around since we didn't know of anyone nearby keeping any. It turned out that he had called himself a hen in from over 5 miles away. That bird was loud! The 9mm never had a chance against him.

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I'll have to save the one about the quail hunt during that visit with his brother in law shooting his bow with flu-flu arrows and me using a Tower flintlock pistol reproduction loaded with a birdshot charge for another time. I don't think our old English setter bird dog 'Whitey" was ever quite the same after that.

Many who enjoyed Bob's writing in Peterson publications were dismayed and shocked to hear of his sudden untimely passing back in 2000 at age 55. He had suffered a severe auto accident earlier that year and was having a very difficult time recovering. No more about that. His wife still lives in PA. He was a fine outdoorsman, an all around good guy, and a member of our family in every sense of the word. It is times like this in the fall, or when I pull out an old magazine with one of his articles, or when I run across a great S&W classic like this 39 or like his "beloved Model 27" (I have an 8 3/8" Model 27-2 myself) that he is remembered for what he contributed to our hobby interests.

 

[Lost Lake]

Thank you for the wonderful story VA!!!

 

[viceunit]

That was a great story, well told. I enjoyed Robert T. Shimek's writing, he is missed.

 

[A10]

Firstly, what a great find on the 39! It's real tough to find one in that kind of condition, it seems like the frames are magnets for dings, scratches, and rub marks. That one is a fine example!

VA, thank you for the story on your cousin. It brings a nice personal feel to one of the gun writers I admired greatly and who taught me much in my younger days. So, it was actually your GRANDMOTHER who essentially coined the term! What a great story! Matter of fact, I've got a Wondernine on my hip right now (at least a direct descendant), my 669. It has become my house gun.

 

[squidsix]

My all time favorite 9mm. Well done.

 

[Cyrano]

VERY pretty 39-2! Does it have the new 5 groove rifling? Probably not, with the older barrel marking.