July/August 1978 - American Handgunner

II ShootingIll Law EnforcementPart I: HistoryExcerpted from the neiv hook. "History of Smith& Wesson" by Roy G. Jinks. Published by BeinfeldPublishing, Inc.. No. Hollyicood, CA. Availablefrom Amerirun Handgunner: see ad in thisissue.AMERICAN HANDGUNNER - JULY AUGUST 1978ncluded in theI history of theSmith & Wesson9MM pistol i-.the htory of twoof their rarestautn-loading pistols:the 9MMsingle actionModel 44 and the double action Model 39-1.called the Model 52-A when sold commercially.Both of these models are deeply rooted within thestory of the Model 39 and should be included inthis section.In 1946. after (:. R. Hcllstr~im was electedpresident of Sniitli & Wessun. he made a cornmitmentto iniprove production facilities and developnew models. One of the new models hewanted developed was a 9MM semi-automaticpistol featuring the double action first shot design.This type of pistol was manufactured byWalther in Europe prior to World War [I. Theassignment of this task fell to Joe Norman, Smith& Wesson's chief designer. On October 28, 1948.Joe Norman completed a prototype pistol serialnumbered X-46. The factorv tt>sttd this and othersamples and. certain that the gun had good lawt~nforct~ment and military possibilities. supplied asample for testing to the Springfield Armory.Early testing by the U.S. (iiivcrnrncnt broughtrequests fur the factory to supply the army with asingle action version rather than double action.Thus. on July 11. 1953. Smith & Wesson conipleted6 steel-framt.. single action, 9nim pistols:5 of whirti were supplied to the U.S. Army fortesting at its facilities at the Springfield Armory.Interest by the U.S. Army in single and doubleaction 9mms stagnated. and test results were~xchanged only between Smith & Wesson andthe Springfield Armory. Still, the factory continuedits (Jev~lopmt'nt plans, tcstinghoth stcclandaluminum-framed pistols.In 1954. the decision was niade to place the9nin1 double action into production as a liglitwightalloy-frame pistol. Production parts wtwassen~hltvl December 8. 1954. and the first 10productinn Smith & Wessun 011ul1Ic a(-tinn 9mmshrre con~plt~teil. Still having sornc rrscrvationsrcgardini; the acceptance of the doublt~ actionpistol. the factory also planncri and pr~irlurcdparts fur tlr- single action niodcl. On DccrrnhcrI.'^. 1954. UMI pro(Iuctinn-typt- single action YMMr)ist111s were (,omi)lctwl and -vnt to various aovcrnrncntand police ap-nci~bs for testing.Smith & \\ t.ss