What kind of knowledge base have we got on the old original wood stocks for these pistols? I will assume these are walnut... were there any variations on this?
I know that the original Model 39 and pre-Model pistols had a smaller decock lever and the original left side stock panels have a different cut at the top.
I also know that later 2nd Gen era wood stocks have a cut at the top rear of the right side stock to make way for the new ambidextrous lever on the right side of the pistol that no 1st Gen pistols ever had.
It's also been observed due to simple manufacturing streamlining that the very latest of the Model 52-2 pistols that were shipped will often show a ambidextrous cut on the right side stock panel even though no Model 52 of any era or year or engineering change ever actually had a right side safety lever.
With all of that said, in my collection of old stuff, I have a pair of 39-2 stocks without the right side top cut for a lever and the inside of the left side stock is stamped "M 9"
Upon further investigation and pulling more old favorite pistols out of the safe, I see variations in this stamping of both the "M" and the "9", and in some cases this is stamped on the inside of the right side stock rather than the left.
Does anyone have insight to this "M 9" stamp?
Was this to somehow differentiate this from a Model 52 stock? It would certainly seem that's why the "M 9" would be stamped, but this really makes me ask -WHY- ? I can otherwise find no difference in size, shape, fit or otherwise between 39-2 and 52 stocks in any way?
I can say I have observed many older 52's, mostly 52-1 series guns where the color of the wood stock surely seems much darker than any others, and this might also hold true for older 39 stocks.
I am in the process of putting up some pictures which I will add to this discussion.
I know that the original Model 39 and pre-Model pistols had a smaller decock lever and the original left side stock panels have a different cut at the top.
I also know that later 2nd Gen era wood stocks have a cut at the top rear of the right side stock to make way for the new ambidextrous lever on the right side of the pistol that no 1st Gen pistols ever had.
It's also been observed due to simple manufacturing streamlining that the very latest of the Model 52-2 pistols that were shipped will often show a ambidextrous cut on the right side stock panel even though no Model 52 of any era or year or engineering change ever actually had a right side safety lever.
With all of that said, in my collection of old stuff, I have a pair of 39-2 stocks without the right side top cut for a lever and the inside of the left side stock is stamped "M 9"
Upon further investigation and pulling more old favorite pistols out of the safe, I see variations in this stamping of both the "M" and the "9", and in some cases this is stamped on the inside of the right side stock rather than the left.
Does anyone have insight to this "M 9" stamp?
Was this to somehow differentiate this from a Model 52 stock? It would certainly seem that's why the "M 9" would be stamped, but this really makes me ask -WHY- ? I can otherwise find no difference in size, shape, fit or otherwise between 39-2 and 52 stocks in any way?
I can say I have observed many older 52's, mostly 52-1 series guns where the color of the wood stock surely seems much darker than any others, and this might also hold true for older 39 stocks.
I am in the process of putting up some pictures which I will add to this discussion.
