S&W Model 39-2

[JRD]

52's had lapped slides and frames and hand fit barrels and bushings. They were high end bullseye pistols with excellent single action only triggers. They are a delight to shoot, but your ammo options are limited to 38 mid-range wadcutters only. And mags are long discontinued from the factory and hard to find.
Yet if you are into them, they are so much fun to shoot with clear adjustable irons sights, a crisp trigger, mild recoil, and superb accuracy.

[Green Frog]

As Paul Harvey used to say, “...and now for the rest of the story!”

After doing all the work on getting Dad’s 39-2 exactly like I wanted it, I decided I didn’t want to repeatedly expose it to the “slings and arrows of cruel fate” so I embarked on Project 39-2-2.0. First I read or reread everything I could find on the 39 series of pistols and decided to go to the second generation so I could use a stainless steel receiver. I had bought a more-or-less complete slide tentatively identified as a 439 to harvest the ambi- safety, so I started looking around for the rest of the parts I would need. I found a reasonable (if not really cheap) example of a Model 639 on that well-known auction sight and I was on my way.

On first try, everything went together with a minimum of fuss and bother, but when we got to the range my first pull of the trigger (and subsequent tries) resulted in a click rather than a bang. The nose had somehow broken off of my firing pin during assembly. So, I went home and moved the firing pin from the 639 slide and presto, I was back in business. Off to the range again today. I had most of an old box of Norinco 9mm FMJ left over some some previous tests and didn’t stop or miss a round until they were all gone. Works like a champ! Anyway, now I have a gun set up like I want it, and the freedom to carry and shoot it as often and as much as I want without worrying about damaging an heirloom. I’m still considering what I want to do about sights, but Project 39-2-2.0 is up and running more quickly than any other gun project I’ve ever done.

Froggie

PS See before and after pictures of donor and the finished Franken-Smith.

[Petrol & Powder]

I'm confused.
Why was it necessary to swap slides?

[rintinglen]

My guess is black sights, but the cool factor can not be over looked. I like the two tone look very much.

[Green Frog]

^^^This^^^ Also, I had this leftover 439 slide laying around, and I always wanted a two tone semi-auto reminiscent of the ones popular in the old days of IPSC. Anybody can own an out of the box stock gun; I wanted something different. Today they’re putting stainless or nickel slides on blued lowers which makes no sense to me, but that’s me. Strange things are happening in these days while we are under house arrest and thinking strange thoughts.

Froggie

I'm confused.
Why was it necessary to swap slides?

[onelight]

Nice project ! And good finish , gave new life to some good gun parts.