July/August 1978 - American Handgunner

But .in the fine print, it mentioned thatwhen you wore the thing it was a goodidea to engage the thumb safety.It still is a good idea. It has long beenestablished that a 39 or 59, if dropped onthe muzzle from a height of three feet ormore, will go off. Smith Parabellum buffsargue, logically enough, "If it's only goingto go off when it hits the muzzle, thatmeans the one accidentally-loosed roundwill go into the floor, so why worry aboutit?" It is true that while this accident hashappened in some police departmentsthat issue such guns, including Salt LakeCity PD and Illinois State Police, no onehas been injured. That's because theyusually get dropped on the street or in thesquadroom. And it's true that the 39 or 59won't go off if dropped on the hammer.But let's suppose that you've just comehome, end gone to the master bedroom tochange your clothes and put the gunaway. You set it on the night table, and itslides off, muzzle down, and your kids aredirectly beneath you playing in the roomsbelow . . .Police officers are well advised to keepthe safety on, if only for one reason: thereis about one chance in five that if they'reshot in the line of duty it will be with theirown gun, and many a felon has grabbed a39 or 59 from a patrolman's holster andbeen unable to shoot him because hedidn't know where that inconspicuous,flat, tear-drop lever was.On the negative side, the Smith safetyis relatively awkward to release in ahurry, and requires an upward movementinstead of an instinctive downwardwipe-off like a Colt or Browning auto.This means that you have to lift yourthumb, breaking your hold, at the crucialmoment when your fist should be tighteningto fire accurately in defense ofyour life.It can be learned, though. I eventuallyworked out an odd technique for drawingthe locked Smith Parabellum. As myright hand scoops the gun from the holster,the right thumb flips the safety upinto "fire." The fingertips of my left handhook at the second joints of my right fingers,and my left thumb sweeps over thehammer, cocking it, and stops down nearmy right wrist:It is superfast, and avoidsthe long, muzzle-jerking double actionpull for the first shot. The odd placementof the digits keeps the left thumb out ofthe slide's way.If you carry a 39/59 as a concealed defensegun, though, you'd be better off tocarry it with a round in the chamber,safety off, and be prepared for that firstdouble action round with no fooling. Justbe really careful about dropping thething.The DAISA ControversyMany handgunners, most notably JeffCooper, denounce the concept of adouble-action-first-shot auto like this onebecause the long stroke of the first DAround requires a different finger positionSmith &Wisson Model 395107 Rear Sight Windage Nut 6> Sear Pin 6126 Trigger Play Spring Rivet6001 Barrel 6076 Rear Sight Slide 6127 Trigger Play Spring6005 Barrel Bushing 6078 Extractor Pin 6132 Stock Ri ht6011 Trigger Plunger Pin 6079 Manual Saf Plunger Spring, 6133 Stock: ~e!l6013 Ejector-depressor Plunger Extractorpriring 6141 Dust Shield-Military6014 E ector-depressor Plunger Spring 6081 Slide Stop Button 6143 Drawbar6015 EJ ector Ma azine Depressor 6083 Slide Stop Plunger 6144 Hammer6017 ~iector spfng 6084 Slide Stop Plunger Spring 6145 Insert6019 Firing Pin 6088 Slide 6146 Magazine Tube-Military6022 Firing Pin Spring 6095 Rear Si ht Windage Screw 6147 Magazine Follower6027 Frame Stud 6103 Sear ~e!ease Lever 6148 Ma azine Spring6031 insert Pin, Trigger Pin 6106 Frame 6149 ~akspring6032 ---- Maoazine . .-Tube 6107 -. . Disconnector -. . . .. 6151 Stirruo6034 ~a&%e Assembly6108 Disconnector Pin6036 Magazine Butt Plate Catch 6110 Drawbar Plunger6037 Magazine Assembly-Military 6111 Drawbar Plunger Spring6039 Magazine Catch6113 Sear6040 Maaazine Catch Nut6114 Sear Plunger6041 Magazine Catch Plunger6115 Sear Plunger Pin6042 Maaazine Catch Piunoer Snrina 6116 Sear Piunaer SorinaStirrup PinTriggerMagazine Bun PlateMainspring PlungerStock Screws (2)ExtractorRecoil Sorina Guide Assembly6049 Manual Safety - ' - 6117 Sideplate- ' - 6326 Slide Stop Piun er Rivet -6054 Manual Safety Plunger 6121 Trigger Plunger 7158 ear sight windage Screw Plunger6056 Rear Si ht Leaf 6122 Trigger Plunger Spring 7158 Rear Sight Windage Screw6059 Recoil Spring 6125 Slide Stop Plunger Springon the trigger than do the succeeding,short SA pulls. On police practice rangeswhere Smith Parabellums are used, it iscommon to see the first shot go high andwide, before succeeding ones settle in tocenter.Some people, myself included, don'thave this problem. Since the trigger iswide and smooth on a 39, my finger justfinds its own position for followup shotsafter the first DA round is out of the barrel.The tendency to put that first onehigh, I tend to believe, is largely becausethe trigger pull is so long. It's difficult tothese pistols, a red light goes on in myhead after the first shot: "Malfunction!Malfunction! The double action triggerhasn't returned!" It's a legacy, no doubt,'of heavy practice in DA revolver shooting.I suspect it's one of the reasonsrevolver-oriented police have a difficulttime adjusting to the 39/59. When youchoose to carry a 39 or 59, realize earlythat you'll have to put in lots of practice.PointabilityI never liked the pointing characteristicsof the 39; it's the only automaticI've ever shot that points high in instinc-put a good double action trigger in an tive shooting. The straighter-gripped 59,auto, and any Smith wheelgun (or Colt, in my own subjective, hands, is moreRuger, or Dan Wesson) has a better DA adaptable to pointed fire. But it's all relapullthan a 39/59.tive; I know people who think the 39 is aI will admit that when shooting dne of natural pointer, and for them, the 59