38 revolvers could be shot well but scores with the snub nose. The ISP demanded that all officers be armed on a twenty four hour basis. While higher capacity and greater hit probability compared to the revolver are often quoted, the real advantage was in its flat profile.

The reasons for the adoption of the Model 39 by the Illinois State Patrol in 1967 are often misunderstood. In 1957, the 9mm pistol became the Model 39 as Smith & Wesson moved to a new numbered system. It should be noted that while exact figures are difficult to pin down, the general consensus is that less than one thousand steel frame 9mm pistols were introduced, with the single action even more rare. A single action pistol, the M 44, was also offered but did not prove popular and this particular model single action variant is a rare handgun. The pistol was originally offered with both steel and aluminum frames, but the steel frame pistols are quite rare. The original 9mm Smith & Wesson was officially introduced in 1955 though it did not garner any police or military contracts at this time. It is lively in the hand in combat firing and the pistol feels good in the hand. The Model 39 is extraordinary in its fit and ergonomics. A great advantage of the Model 39 over any other double action first shot pistol is the shape and angle of the grip frame. While beefier than needed, perhaps, for the 9mm cartridge, the Smith & Wesson Model 39 was well within the parameters demanded by NATO specifications. Among the advantages of the Model 39 compared to other handguns is the thin cross section. When compared to other 1950s service pistols such as the Star Super, the Beretta 951, the Walther P 1 and the French M 1950, the Smith & Wesson Model 39 comes off well. The pistol is light enough due to its aluminum alloy frame, thin enough, and boasted a total capacity of nine rounds of ammunition. At the time of its introduction, the Model 39 was designed to be competitive in military contracts. The pistol was supplied with nice looking checkered walnut grips and a single column eight-round magazine. The pistol features the popular inertial firing pin. This lever or bar also trips the sear, dropping the hammer safely. When the safety lever is moved to the ON position, a safety lever is interposed between the hammer and the firing pin. The pistolР В Р вЂ Р В РІР‚С™Р Р†РІР‚С›РЎС›s main features were the double-action first-shot trigger and a slide mounted safety lever that acted to decock the hammer from the single action mode. Smith & WessonР В Р вЂ Р В РІР‚С™Р Р†РІР‚С›РЎС›s engineer primarily responsible for the development of the Model 39 was Joseph Norman.

The Model 39 featured an enclosed slide and the angled camming surfaces first used in the Browning High Power which were used for barrel unlock along with the obligatory American locking lugs. The open top slide and oscillating wedge lock-up were definitely European in taste. The Walther P 38 was the first service pistol with a double-action first-shot trigger, slide mounted decocker, and a number of other features that marked it as an advanced design. The pistol has sometimes been called an Americanized P 38. The Model 39 is a double-action first-shot 9mm Luger caliber pistol with a single column magazine. But the most startling innovation was the Smith & Wesson Model 39 originally simply called the 9mm Automatic.

Among the introductions were the new short action revolvers based upon work done by custom pistolsmiths prior to World War Two. But the company had to produce innovative and effective firearms to survive. Hellstrom headed a company flush with funds from wartime contracts. The application of aluminum technology to lightweight revolvers came first but self loaders also benefited. While aluminum is very common and hardly a rare earth element, the widespread use of aluminum in military aircraft made the technology feasible for handguns. In the heady days following World War Two, Smith & Wesson introduced a number of innovative designs.

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