AMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULYIAUGUST <strong>1978</strong>8 -
By MASSAD F. AYOOBT THE time of the Model 39's intro-A duction, no one seriously predictedthat it might become a tool for domesticlaw enforcement. Policework in the fiftieswas strictly revolver-only, save for, therandom .45 automatic in the hands of aTexas ranger, Southern sheriff, or metrofelony squad detective. The .357 Magnumrevolver, after twenty years, wasjust making inroads to real policeacceptance.By the Sixties, though, things hadchanged. Armed robbers were becomingmore sophisticated and were operating inteams. Ambushes of cops were escalating.The unnerving spectre of the RiotYears had given lawmen an itch for firepower.And the police began to take a secondlook at the Model 39.It burgeoned mostly in California, thatbellwether of modem law enforcement, insmall communities. The two biggest stepscame later. The milestone was in 1967when, accompanied by headlines in boththe gun mags and the law enforcementjournals, Illinois State Police adopted thegun for its entire force, which now has anauthorized complement of 1700 sworntroops. Salt Lake City PD followed, thefirst large metro agency to do so, and thetwo were held up as shining examples ofprogressive thought by police gun buffs.The biggest spun came with the introductionof the 15-shot Model 59. With250% of the firepower of a service revolver,the 9 mm DA auto was more attractivethan ever, and police across thenation began ordering them. Soon, thefactory was producing three 59s for everytwo 39s.But by 1977, a disturbing trend hademerged: an inordinately high percentageof the agencies that adopted these autoswere switching back to the wheelgun. Tosee why, let's look at some of the agenciesthat went to the 39 and 59, why somekept it, and some didn't.Salt Lake City, at this writing, is completingthe transition to the Model 64(fixed sight, stainless) S&W .38 revolver.The reason, their Major Bryant told me,was purely "that the troops weren'thappy with the Model 39." They hadbeendemoralized, he said, by several incidentsin which the .auto went off whendropped on the muzzle, and by jammingon the practice range. Neither gun norcartridge ever failed on the street, however."We only had three shootings withthe 39," said Bryant, "but when we didshoot someone with the 9 mm, they wentdown."Wrentham, Massachusetts, may havebeen the first police department to adoptthe Model 59. I wrote an article on it forthe Massachusetts Police Associationedition of SENTINEL magazine, andrightly or wrongly, was attributed somePart Ill: Law Enforcement(Above) Model 39 or 59 has firepowerthat can be comforting to lawmen suchas these Illinois State Troopers. That is, ifthey are completely confident.Illinois State Police trooper with 39 (opposite)on firing line with the Model 39.Author believes more training is neededthan with a revolver.,S &WAutosfor L ~ Enforcement TMassad Ayoob photograph courtesy of Trooper Magazine, and Organization Services Corporation publication.AMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULYIAUGUST <strong>1978</strong>
- Page 1: " I THE AMERICANAUNOFFICIAL MAGAZIN
- Page 6 and 7: INDUSTRY INSIDERBy MASSAD F. AYOOB
- Page 8 and 9: -NIARLES C THOMAS-PUBLISHEI- I?r ?I
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- Page 12 and 13: SNUBmNOSEDREVOLVER1 FREE: Targets a
- Page 14 and 15: PA DISSENTING VIEW ON MAGAZINE SAFE
- Page 16 and 17: The New PistolcraftAt Jeff Cooper's
- Page 19 and 20: The Evolution ofModem PistolcraftBy
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- Page 23 and 24: Charter544 Bi^gShot LoadsBy GEORGE
- Page 25 and 26: Throat opening can be done with cas
- Page 27 and 28: Now you see it trimmed down to mana
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- Page 31 and 32: Little is known of his second ventu
- Page 33 and 34: engaging the cartridge case groove
- Page 35 and 36: AMERICAN HANDGUNNER . JULYIAUGUST 1
- Page 37 and 38: II ShootingIll Law EnforcementPart
- Page 39 and 40: neared completion, factory manageme
- Page 41: Smith & Wesson Model 595107 Rear Si
- Page 45 and 46: when an automatic is adopted. One r
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- Page 51 and 52: Here's what makesDan Wesson revolve
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- Page 57 and 58: INTRODUCTION TO 39/59(Continued fro
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- Page 70 and 71: THE AMERICAN. . . the only magazine
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