Mell Why did the Smith and Wesson Model 39 not work?
The extra weight slowed the normally supersonic 9mm round to below the speed of sound, eliminating the sharp crack of a bullet exceeding Mach 1. The pistol’s imminent issue to SEAL units required it to be able to work after being transported through water.
What is the model number of a S & W 9mm?
They can be easily spotted by their four-digit model numbers. S&W continued the numbering trend they had started on the 9mm pistols — the 3900 series are full size and compact single stack pistols, the 5900 series are double stacks, and the 6900 series are compact double stacks.
When did the s and W semi auto pistols come out?
The S&W Model 39 and the 439 that followed are among the only S&W semi-autos to come standard with a blued finish and wood grips. 2nd Gen Pistols In the late 1970s the S&W models 439 and 459 were released, which are considered the first of the second generation pistols.
What kind of magazine does a Model 39 9mm have?
The aluminum alloy-framed 9mm pistol had an 8-shot single-stack magazine, a 4-inch barrel and a traditional double action/single action trigger with a slide-mounted safety/decocker, similar to what many people are familiar with from the Beretta 92 series. The Model 39 was developed as a potential replacement for the U.S. Army’s M1911A1.
What kind of suppressor did Smith and Wesson use?
As the Vietnam War ramped up U.S. Navy SEALS requested a new suppressed pistol. The Naval Ordnance Laboratory picked the Smith & Wesson Model 39 and proceeded to adapt the CIA’s P-38 suppressor to it, including slide lock. The pistol used a heavy, full metal jacket 158 grain round developed with the assistance of Remington Arms.
When did the Smith and Wesson Model 59 come out?
The new pistol, called the Model 59, hit the U.S. domestic market in 1971. The Odyssey of the Smith & Wesson Model 39/59, from its Germanic origins to the gun shops of America and the jungles of Vietnam, was unique and very much a product of the Cold War.