What's the story on safe carry of a 39-2?

[.455_Hunter]

I know the 39-2 does not have a trigger actuated firing pin block, but neither do many other popular guns.

Does the safety block the firing pin in the "on" position?

Let's assume a round is chambered...

If the gun is dropped with the safety "on" (hammer fully forward), what scenarios would cause it to fire?

If the gun is dropped with the safety "off", (hammer fully forward) what scenarios would cause it to fire?

If the gun is dropped with the safety "off", (hammer fully COCKED) what scenarios would cause it to fire?

Does the half cock notch play any role in this discussion?

Thanks for your input.

Hunter

 

[shawn mccarver]

The only safe carry methods with the 39-2 are as follows: (1) completely unloaded - no round in magazine or in chamber; (2) half-loaded, or Condition 3 - full magazine, but no round in the chamber; or, (3) full magazine with round in the chamber AND safety ON.

The safety does block the firing pin when in the ON position.

WARNING: Do NOT carry a round in the chamber with the safety OFF, as there is nothing to prevent inertial firing if the weapon is dropped.

The half-cock notch is NOT a carry safety. Its sole purpose is to arrest the fall of the hammer if it slips from your grasp during cocking or to arrest the uncontrolled fall of the hammer in the event of sear failure. The half-cock notch can be sheared fairly easily from a bump by en elbow, door frame or steering wheel, and the pistol WILL fire if there is a round in the chamber as the half-cock notch is far enough back that a hammer fall from that distance has enough energy to ignite the primer. NEVER, EVER use the half-cock notch as a carry safety, on either the 39-2 or the 1911.

 

[.455_Hunter]

WARNING: Do NOT carry a round in the chamber with the safety OFF, as there is nothing to prevent inertial firing if the weapon is dropped.

How does this differ from a non-series 80 1911?

 

[flagman1776]

The forgoing is correct and the description is also true for the non series 80 M1911. If one must carry to protect their life, then a choice will have to be made.

 

[gmborkovic]

If there is inertial firing on a loaded chamber, from what height and angle?
I believe Col Hatcher did a full study of this on the 1911?

 

[Muss Muggins]

The only way to carry a 39-2, or any of the similarly styled S&W semiauto's, is full mag, round in chamber, safety on . . .

The only safe carry methods with the 39-2 are as follows: (1) completely unloaded - no round in magazine or in chamber; (2) half-loaded, or Condition 3 - full magazine, but no round in the chamber; or, (3) full magazine with round in the chamber AND safety ON.

The safety does block the firing pin when in the ON position.

WARNING: Do NOT carry a round in the chamber with the safety OFF, as there is nothing to prevent inertial firing if the weapon is dropped.

The half-cock notch is NOT a carry safety. Its sole purpose is to arrest the fall of the hammer if it slips from your grasp during cocking or to arrest the uncontrolled fall of the hammer in the event of sear failure. The half-cock notch can be sheared fairly easily from a bump by en elbow, door frame or steering wheel, and the pistol WILL fire if there is a round in the chamber as the half-cock notch is far enough back that a hammer fall from that distance has enough energy to ignite the primer. NEVER, EVER use the half-cock notch as a carry safety, on either the 39-2 or the 1911.

 

[.455_Hunter]

I wonder if all the purchasers of the resent flood of Italian police surplus Beretta 92S pistols realize they lack the trigger activated block of the later SB, F and FS series.

 

[shawn mccarver]

How does this differ from a non-series 80 1911?

It does not differ. Serious risk either way. Because the 1911 is so popular, other solutions have been offered to minimize the possibility of inertial discharge. The most popular is that used by Colt on its Series 70 1911s, which is the titanium firing pin in combination with the heavy firing pin spring. S&W, Springfield, and others use this method on models without the Series 80 device.

 

[NovaJoe]

I like the 39-2, and I like to carry it hammer down, safety off. But since that's not safe, can you suggest an alternative model? Like the 39-2, but safe in my preferred mode?

 

[Arik]

The only way to carry a 39-2, or any of the similarly styled S&W semiauto's, is full mag, round in chamber, safety on . . .

While I have no experience with the 39-2 you mean to tell me that a 5906/46, 4506, 4006/46 should all be carried with the safety ON or risk accidental discharge?

 

[Biggfoot44]

All true , BUT on my current and former 1911 patterns I made sure to have a healthy firing pin spring and use secure holsters , and didn't obsess.

On my previous 469 and DA/SA pistols generally , I carried on safe for other reasons anyway. And yes I have done so since first using bottomfeeders , and the practice is "normal" for me.

 

[kaveman]

I like the 39-2, and I like to carry it hammer down, safety off. But since that's not safe, can you suggest an alternative model? Like the 39-2, but safe in my preferred mode?

439, 539, 639, or any of the 3rd gens,......39xx. All have the firing pin block and are drop safe.

By "any similarly styled S&W auto" I suspect he means all the first generation guns without the firing pin safety,.......pre-39, 39-2, 59, (52?).

The early guns are perfectly safe with loaded chamber and safety off except for the singular possibility of being forcefully dropped directly on the muzzle. In that unlikely event the firing pin 'can' travel forward with enough force to set off a primer. The later versions with firing pin safety changed that "can" to a "cannot" and most everything made today shares that feature, but there are still millions of guns in daily use that don't have firing pin safeties and they're hardly from the horse-and-buggy days.

The important thing to understand is that not being 'drop safe' doesn't mean the thing is going to kill everyone in the room if it's dropped,............it means that there's a technical possibility that a round 'could' be discharged into the ground if it hits hard enough and in exactly the right orientation. If it falls any other way the finish is just going to get scuffed up.

I'll bet you could take a 39-2 into an empty room with a primed case chambered, safety off, and you'd wear yourself out throwing it to the floor before you'd ever hear a pop.

 

[shawn mccarver]

While I have no experience with the 39-2 you mean to tell me that a 5906/46, 4506, 4006/46 should all be carried with the safety ON or risk accidental discharge?

Not so. Beginning with the 2nd Gen (459, and other 3-digit model numbers) and after, all of those type of pistols from S&W have firing pin blocks preventing discharge from inertia if dropped.