How rare?

Gunbroker has two used ones showing some wear. For an unfired one, I bet you could get $900, maybe more. Maybe way more for the right buyer. But that's a guess.

If I had no plans to sell it, I'd shoot it. But there's not going to be any support if it breaks. So if you aren't attached you might want to sell it and fund a shooter with current support.

539s are uncommon, I think the $900 figure for an unfired one is about right, but........ I say shoot it!

39/539/639 parts arent super rare, and you are highly unlikely to break anything unless you run thousands of rounds a year out of it anyway.

Pics, man, we need pics!

Jeff olson

Since the Model 539 was produced in rather limited numbers back in the early '80s it does have a certain collectible status about it. You stated that it's unfired; do you also have the original box and paper work that went with it? If so it would definitely add value to the gun.

Why would you buy a gun if you were not going to shoot it?

Shes a beauty!

They are great handguns, especially if you favor single-stack grips. If it feels good in your hand, I would keep and shoot it, but if youre not crazy about it, by all means sell it unfired.

I have a nickel 39 and its a keeper!

NIGHTLORD40K said:

Shes a beauty!

They are great handguns, especially if you favor single-stack grips. If it feels good in your hand, I would keep and shoot it, but if youre not crazy about it, by all means sell it unfired.

I have a nickel 39 and its a keeper!

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Well said as unfired with accessories or not are worth more.

My daughter "borrowed" my M39 quite a few years ago and never returned it. She preferred it to my other pistols and she can shoot it quite well. She prefers the single stack M39 more than the M59 or the others.

Without the box and paperwork, I'm thinking I would enjoy firing it though I'd handle it very carefully. I think the value difference between simply un-fired and NIB leaves you room to have some fun.

Just, no juggling!

Todd.

Very nice pistol. Unless you wish to save it as a part of a financial nest egg why not shoot it and enjoy it?

My 2 cents

I’m voting to sell it. Put it out there at a good price and let it roll. Take that money and buy something that seems interesting.

Jeff olson said:

Going to leave it. I'll take a Star instead. My dad didn't shoot them for a reason. I'll keep with tradition.

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What Star are you considering?

I'm normally in the "shoot it" crowd, but I would sell that one or keep it to sell later.

Similar pistols are a dime a dozen. If you don't already have something similar to shoot, you can get one cheaply.

Shooting it would throw hundreds of dollars out the window.

I remember when these came out. I was too young to buy a handgun at the time. I thought an all steel S&W model 39 was the best thing ever. I bought one, new, in the box several years ago. I have shot a couple magazines through it, cleaned it up and put it away. 539s are great guns. They are one that is overlooked by collectors, for what they are and the number made. In reality, they should sell much higher than what they do. They just came to market at a time when the wonder nines were the thing. 539s were not high capacity and didn’t make it. It was so much starting to happen, at that time with 9mm pistols. To me, they are great pistols. They look good, feel good and are very well made. They came out about the time S&W was really getting their act together building simi-auto pistols. As of yet collectors have not grabbed on to them. I think at some point, they will. If you shoot one some, limited, it’s not going to hurt the value very much. I don’t think you will go wrong buy one, just don’t look for a big jump in value real fast.

Gary W. Strange said:

I remember when these came out. I was too young to buy a handgun at the time. I thought an all steel S&W model 39 was the best thing ever. I bought one, new, in the box several years ago. I have shot a couple magazines through it, cleaned it up and put it away. 539s are great guns. They are one that is overlooked by collectors, for what they are and the number made. In reality, they should sell much higher than what they do

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I'm skeptical. The S&W auto steel-frame auto designs got some ergonomic stuff wrong. Their silhouette got developed before truly modern handgun shooting techniques developed. In particular, their design predated the widespread understanding of the importance of getting a high grip on the gun with both hands. The trigger guard basically has the opposite of the "undercut" that is prevalent on many modern guns (and a common modification to those lacking it). And without some great historical significance, I'm pretty dubious they'll ever accumulate too much value.

But I have no skill at speculative collecting, so who knows?

In any event, I say shoot it. I don't think you're destroying much future collector value.

I would shoot the______ out of it!

Jeff olson

If it were mine I would probably leave it unfired, put it away, and see what future prices might bring from a collector.

The Star PD will make for a great CCW but if you're going to be shooting it a bit you may want to stock up on recoil spring guide buffers. Also might want to consider running lighter weight bullets through it (185 gr. or 200 gr. versus 230 gr.).

Bill Raby said:

Why would you buy a gun if you were not going to shoot it?

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Collectibility, rarity, uniqueness.....shooting a NIB isn't going to add to that value.
Ammunition is expensive, rare, collectible or unobtainable.
As an investment that I can fondle.
Pride of ownership.
Guns that have a historical background.

I only have 4-5 safe queens.....NIB FN Hi Powers (tangent sight w/stock slot) that I bought twelve years ago for $500ea. Last GB auction I saw that model went for $2,800. Shooting them doesn't help the value, it hurts it.
I have other Hi Powers that I can shoot.