Reacquired a Model 39 (no dash)

[RainDodger]

Haven't been here in a long time! Decades ago I traded off a nice Model 39 and regretted it ever since. Yesterday I reacquired one, likely from the mid-60s. It's had some handling over the years but there's not a lot of evidence of firing. It's all original with the exception of the rear sight, unfortunately. Someone replaced it with a "Micro", which looks to be sitting in the factory dovetail. I'd love to find the parts and pieces to put an original sight back on it. I'll start looking and see what I can find. If one of you can estimate a year of mfg, that would be excellent. I'm guessing early to mid 60s. Serial number is 61967. This may end up being a "project pistol" for me... I'll be shooting it for the first time this coming week.

thanks, all...

Roger

 

[demkofour]

Congrats on obtaining a nice pistol! As per the database maintained by our own cougar015 over on the SWCA site, S/N 61909 shipped on 05/06/1965. Others a bit closer to yours don’t show ship dates. A letter from the SWCA would confirm your gun”s actual ship date.

 

[RainDodger]

Yeah, I figured that I'd have to ask S&W for an exact date, but I think around about '65 is a pretty close guess. Now I need to pull the odd sight off the slide and see if I can get the parts to re-install the factory sight... providing someone didn't mess with the dovetail. Thanks for looking for the serial number for me.

 

[cougar015]

Congratulations on getting a 39, Rear sights are easy to find and hopefully the gun wasn't modified so you can replace it with an original. S/N 61967 Shipped on 6/18/1965

 

[RainDodger]

Sorry to take so long getting back to the thread! Thank you SO much for the ship date info! I really do appreciate it. The week before last I started looking for rear sight parts and eventually came upon a complete 39-2 slide from Numrich. I bought that slide for less than I could buy all the rear sight parts. Surprisingly, it's in a bit better condition than the original slide. It fits well, the gun looks better with the correct sights and I'll test it at the range tomorrow. Yep, it's kind of a franken-pistol now, but it looks good and ought to work fine. It was never a collector item for sure. I'll keep on the lookout for the rear sight parts and eventually return the original slide to "normal" condition if I can. (Some previous owner had also removed the front sight, tipped it up and re-inserted it into the slide at an angle to match the height of the rear aftermarket sight! It's quite horrendous.) In the meantime I should have a shootable and nice looking Model 39.5.

 

[kennethg]

I also foolishly sold a 39 when the 39-2's became available. Since then I was able to gather other 39's. The last one came with a complete 39-2 slide that I put on it when I take it to the range. It supposedly was from Berkeley, CA PD. Not verified. I find the 39 grip frame the most comfortable of any pistol I have ever fired.

 

[Sevens]

I have only one Model 39 no-dash, it has a 311xx serial number. I can only guess at when it might have been made, my guess is maybe 1960?

I would love to hear a closer date.

Pistol is in really high condition but it is not mint. As I own a pair of 39-2 pistols, I have not found it in me to shoot this no-dash. I have had it for a while… maybe a decade, or almost?

It is a beauty.



If anyone has a close guess for a date, I would love to hear it.

 

[cougar015]

Sevens, S/n's in the 311XX range shipped mostly in February 1960. PM me your s/n and I'll do better.