After the Army abandoned its search for a new pistol, the Model 39 went on the civilian market in 1955 and was the first of Smith & Wesson's first generation semi-automatic pistols.
Following the Army's decision to discontinue its search for a new pistol, the Model 39 debuted on the civilian market in 1955, marking the beginning of Smith & Wesson's line of first-generation semi-automatic handguns.