I inherited an old 439 recently and I understand that S&W doesn’t support the old gen guns anymore. It is the polished frame and seems to be safety only (doesn’t decock).
In both single and double action the trigger seems to me to travel too far aft to where it’s almost hitting the frame before hitting a noticeable wall and then releasing the hammer. All rounds fire fine in either mode. As of yet I haven’t had a failure to release the hammer, but SA feels like it’s approaching 8-10 lbs and I frequently pull full aft on a SA shot before pausing then giving it a second, harder squeeze to release the hammer.
Any old school Smith auto experts have an opinion or idea? Thanks.
You need to get the pistol looked at by either an old S&W LE armorer or a gunsmith. It should have a slide mounted safety/decock lever and the decock should function. Could be the slide is gunked up. As for the trigger pull, the same thing might apply. Maybe just a detail strip and thorough cleaning will correct the problems.
The 39 series (39/639/3906) were semi-complicated pistols, you could have an issue with the sear spring, the trigger bar and trigger play spring, among other possibilities.
You really need to have someone look at it hands-on.
Some things, if the 439 has a red or at least a dot on the left side, watch the decocking lever, it should decock just before it reaches that dot. If not, the sear release lever is toast and needs to have a new one FITTED. The dot is on the slide right “under” the decocking lever. Although it is supposed to help, the trigger play spring is more than likely broken off, won’t affect decocking or trigger pull. It’s the gold colored spring on the trigger bar right above the trigger. If broke-don’t worry about it. The trigger pull may be a result of a broken trigger bar. Usually right in the back, center of it or on one of the sides. Does it feel gritty? Also, pull the grips(be careful) and check the frame underneath for cracks. While I had the keys to the ammo locker, I broke 4 frames while having SW.
It sounds as if the trigger bar is broken.
If ever replacing certain parts, stay with a blue decocking barrel and firing pins. The SS will crack, while fun for a second, a broken decocker wedging the firing pin forward is a hoot!
Haven’t touched one in almost 25 years but shot the piss out of them, took care of 800 for 3 years and until they shut down Dam Neck after 911, almost made A in IPSC with a stock 5906 out of an Safariland SSIII. They can be driven like a rented mule and shot fast like a cheap date.
I had a couple challenges, finally cleaned one course called “Hammer Time” and worked my ass off training to beat(one time haha) a SEAL buddy who was a Grand Master who also taught me some shooting tricks to help out. That guy could run a gun, he would shoot his stock P226 and also had a nice race gun, didn’t matter to him. He was like the Iceman, no mistakes.
A few things ended the 3rd gen SW auto’s. The move to striker fired, non fitted parts and although listed as safe action(Glock), for all intents and purposes, double action only. The big nail for SW for us was the quality control, the mallet fell when a batch of 75 went back because the slides/barrels were so far off with machining that the sights could not be drifted enough to even be close. It was visible and not sure what caused it, a high incidence of cracking along the slide in the extractor channel. The crack would dislodge a piece of metal and wedge the extractor open. That 75 was part of a refit to get rid of the abortion of the 46 suffix (DAO) that stopped and been sporting Glocks every since.
OP if you do keep it and have it repaired one suggestion is go to a left side only decocker, the right side lever held by a small spring/detent will fall off after the spring gets weak. Use a bobbed hammer instead of the standard one. For me it was a must as the hammer bite was bad, would have blood splatter all over. An “action job” is easy if you have the right stones (haha) and hit the right parts. The big one was the surfaces of the trigger bar(draw bar) which will help with smoothness and lessen stress on it.
You should have someone with experience working on old S&W semi-automatic pistols take a look at it. It sounds like the safety does not bear on the sear enough to release the hammer when the safety/decocker is rotated. If the trigger requires too much travel, it sounds like an issue with the drawbar.
If it has a really long trigger pull and the SA trigger breaks at 8-10 lbs., it would not be unusual and sounds like my old issued service pistol. If that’s the case, double action should be in the 20 + lb. range. I had two drawbar failures in 5 years, it appears to be the Achilles heel of the 439 IMHO.
You are located about 800 miles from my house, so stopping by for me to have a look at it is not convenient.
I’ll attest to that. It happened to a friend of mine while we were on the range at the academy. Amazing how fast a pistol magazine empties on full auto.
In the early 1980’s I saw second generation S&W pistols with badly cut slide dovetails. We took several 459’s, turned them upside down and stood them up on a flat surface on their sights. The dovetails were cut so crooked the 459’s leaned way off to one side. We also saw a few others that were so badly made the bore axis on the barrel was not parallel with the slide.
When we were issued 439’s then later 5904’s, I had two service pistols that had slides cracked in the same area as you describe.
Thanks everyone for the replies. I’m semi familiar with the older Smiths, previously owning a 5906 and currently a 1006, but I’ve never dug into the lockwork of either.
Looking around for a local gunsmith with any sort of experience with the older guns, if that doesn’t work I’ll look at Novak or another I found online in NH.
Couple of things from above:
No obviously broken parts, and the trigger pull is fairly smooth until it hits the last of its travel then it builds up. Both SA and DA feel similar to my 1006, except the 1006 releases further forward.
Primer hits look solid and there are no light strike issues in SA or DA.
I didn’t see a spring and detent under the right side safety, which is attached to the main body with an Allen head screw. Removed and replaced it today.
About a two hour drive from Dallas is LSG, Mfg., in Comanche. Along with being an all-purpose gunsmith shop, it was an authorized S&W warranty station for decades (before S&W dropped all their warranty stations a few years back). Frank Smith is the gunsmith there and it is my understanding there is nothing S&W he can’t fix.
Who is the 'Smith in NH that works on S&W metal framed guns? A friend recently came into a haul of S&W (8) 3rd Gen pistols of sizes, various calibers, and action types. There were an additional 4 pistols in boxes that were in various states of disassembly/ repair that need work and he’s been looking for smith to take these basket (box) cases and evaluate the feasibility of getting them up and running again.
Thanks for info already posted also!!
Recently picked up a NIB 439 from an estate. It shoots and runs fine. Unlike some previous examples I owned, this one appears to have a hardchromed barrel; is that correct?
A couple other questions, as this group seems knowledgeable. One of my previous 39s, and one of a buddy’s, either doubled or went full auto. It wasn’t a stuck firing pin, because at other times they ran normally.
Both guns had been used, but appeared in great shape.
Were sear issues common with these guns, or was there another problem? Both of those pistols are long gone, so I’m just asking.
Thanks,
Moon