I realized...

S

SaxonPig

New member
...that I have never owned a nickel auto pistol. Many revolvers (I like the shiny ones) but no autos. Fixed that.


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The Smith Model 39 was a very wonderful little 9 mm.

Smith designed it for the Army which was looking for a 1911 replacement.
Colt also developed the Commander with LW frame in 9 mm. This was around 1950.

And then....... :(
 
Nice S&W 39, you can tell by the arched backstrap (mainspring housing). I have a nickel 59 which has the flat backstrap (mainspring housing). If memory serves me correctly the Illinois State Police issued the 39 in 1968 and continued until 1981. They then went to the 439 until 1988.
 
My first centerfire auto was a blue M39. Carried it for a few years, went to a Colt Government and gave the 39 to my Father 30 odd years ago. After he died, my brother and I were divvying up the guns, brother wanted it and he still carries it when hunting. They're great guns from days gone by.
 
357python,

Yes, the Illinois State Police carried the Model 39, the first major department in the U.S. to issue an automatic and was expected to be the off duty gun as well.

The funny, silly thing, about the first issuance is the State Police were saddled with cross-draw flap holsters on the left hip and weren't allowed to have magazine pouches which would have screwed up the lines of the belt with
shoulder strap.

And because they were issued WD40 as I guess a "lubricant" the guns jammed. That gave the aluminum framed Model 39 a bad rep.

As time passed the Illinois State Police also got Winchester, IIRC, to make plus P plus 9 mm rounds.

The most sought after Model 39s are the few made with steel frames.

After my .45 Combat Commander, the Model 39 was my second auto.
I shot at an indoor range run by state police officers. A couple of them
told me about the Browning Hi Power, which then became a lifelong love affair with that gun.

Now, this is for SaxonPig: You must seek out a chrome or nickel plated Hi Power and be sure it has the gold trigger!!!!!!!! :)
 
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Enjoy it! :)

My only nickel finish gun is an old Colt Series 70 Gold Cup plus a few beater top break revolvers which are wall hangers.

Ron
 
I remember choosing between that very gun and an all stainless 659 in the late '80's - I chose the 659 (which I still have) but really liked the nickel one too.
 
Man, that is pretty SP. I've owned several Model 39's over the years but they've all been blue. I still have one. Probably my favorite automatic.
 
Remember not to use copper solvents on any nickel finish.
I'd rather have hard chrome if I want "shiny"
Click to expand...

The concern about copper solvents doesn't apply to ANY nickel finish, only those guns which had a copper undercoat. Many of the newer nickel-plated guns don't. (My CZ-85 Combat is one that doesn't.)

(For those who don't understand the warning -- many plated finishes will develop micro-cracks that you can't see, but which can admit some solvents. If there is a copper underlayer/base, as las the case with many older guns, the solvents eat away the base ayer and the finish above flakes away.)
 
I'm pretty sure the older S&W nickel plated autos uses a copper base, at least on the aluminum frame. I think that's the only way they could get nickel to adhere to aluminum.
 
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