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Title:PISTOL, SEMI-AUTOMATIC -  SMITH & WESSON PISTOL X100 EXPERIMENTAL 9MM SN# X107
Maker/Manufacturer:SMITH & WESSON
Date of Manufacture:1952
Eminent Figure:
Catalog Number:SPAR 1467
Measurements:OL: 18.5CM 7 3/8" BL: 9.6CM 3 7/8"

Object Description:

SMITH & WESSON PISTOL X100 EXPERIMENTAL 9MM SN# X107
Manufactured by Smith & Wesson, Springfield, Ma. in 1952. - Experimental. Submitted for Army trials in 1950s. Similar to commercial S&W Model 39. Has 7-round in-line magazine. Records indicate weapon manufactured on 11/18/52. Weapon appears to be complete and is in very good condition.

Markings:
Slide: SMITH & WESSON - MADE IN U.S.A./MARCAS REGISTRADAS/SMITH & WESSON/SPRINGFIELD, MASS.
Slide: S & W trademark.
Barrel: 10
Frame: X107.
36 hand painted on frame & slide.

Weapon transferred to the Museum on 21May 1965. At that time weapon was appraised at $75.00.

Notes: "At the end of World War II, Smith & Wesson was left with worn-out tolls and machinery. Manufacturing facilities were out of date, and the company was in need of new products. To meet these challenges, the firm hired the newly promoted president, Carl Reinhold Hellstrom. He became president of Smith & Wesson in 1946, and returned the company to commercial production after World War II. Hellstrom was the driving force behind the development of new products including a new line of automatic pistols, the Model 39 and the Model 41.
Smith & Wesson's Chief Designer, Joe Norman, was responsible for the development of the Model 39. The first Model 39 prototype 9 mm was developed by October 1948 (serial number X-46). The gun included the best features from a number of previously successful automatic pistol designs. The Model 39 utilized the barrel bushing and breech locking system from the Browning design 1911 Colt, the unlocking system was from the FN High Power, while the modified double action trigger mechanism came from the Walther P-38. Uniquely, the first Model 1939 prototype had a 25 degree grip angle, not the 15 degree used on production guns. In all, a total of 31 X serial number Model 39 prototype or preproduction guns were built between October 28, 1948, and August 10, 1954. Included in these were a number of Army double action test pistols, six steel frame single actions, made at the Army request, and at least one gun made in .380 caliber. In addition, at least one .22 conversion unit was made by the factory.
The idea to develop a 9mm pistol was motivated, in part, by the United States Army's interest in obtaining a small, light weigh hand gun to replace the Model 1911. The experiences of the war and the exposure to the European 9mm automatic pistols resulted in the Army issuing a request in 1948 for a 25 ounce pistol chambered for a cartridge of between .30 and .35 caliber not to exceed 7 inches long, and a double action mechanism was considered desirable. The creation of NATO in 1949 and adoption of the 9mm Parabellum by NATO in 1950 added to the Army's interest in procuring a lighter and smaller handgun. All of these factors led to a series of tests which were held at Aberdeen Proving Ground and at Fort Benning, Georgia in the early 1950s. In addition to the Model 1911 which was included as a control, five automatic pistols were evaluated in the test. These were:
9 mm Parabellum and 45 Automatic, which were to become Colt Commander.
9mm Parabellum and Colt T-4
9mm Parabellum High Standard
9mm Parabellum Inlgis lightweight version of the Browing Hi-Power.
9mm Parabellum Smith & Wesson Model 39
Neither the Colt Commander nor the Smith & Wesson Model 39 were specifically developed for thos tests; however, both were given high marks and were to become commercially successful pistols. In 1955 the Army decided to retain the .45 caliber Model of 1911 because of the large existing inventory of Colts." - Richard A. Mc Millan, S&W Journal, Volume 40, Number 1, Spring 2006. Smith & Wesson Collectors Association

"AN ARMY 9MM PISTOL - In the summer of 1955 it appeared that the Army was close to being ready to discard the M1911A1 .45 caliber pistol and adopt a new 9mm pistol. The 9mm had already been agreed upon as to the common NATO caliber to be used with the Parabellum 9mm cartridge already used in several European countries for sub-machine guns, to be the chosen cartridge. Thepistol to replace the cal. .45 M1911A1, and that any firm in the world could enter the competition by simply a new 9mm pistol to replace the cal. .45 M1911A1, and that any firm in the world could enter the competition by simply submitting five candidate pistols for tests. After tests of the various type pistols, a winner would be selected, and the winner would receiver an award of $150,000 as compensation. The pamphlet described the requirements that had to be met, including a maximum weight of 25 ounces, compared to the 39 ounces of the caliber .45. We had tested two new 9mm pistols, one by Smith & Wesson, and one by Colt. The Colt was like a scaled down .45 caliber M1911A1, which had been designed by John Browning. The Smith & Wesson was more like a Walther 38, in that it was double action. The safety in this feature, is that a long heavy trigger pull is required to fire the pistol unless the hammer is pulled back to the cocked position. Then the pistol fires with a short light pull, and thereafter remains cocked unless the hammer is lowered.
In general, either pistol was close to meeting our requirements, but both needed some correction. Since many 9mm pistols were available from various countries, the concept was that the US Army would determine the best by careful tests, and would not need to undertake a normal development program. Many officers going to Korea had paid out of their own pockets to equip themselves with a lighter pistols than the caliber .45. We finished the brochure, but just before the end of June 1, I got a call from Lt. Colonel Pete Grant in the Pentagon calling for a postponement, that later turned into a cancellation. Some time later Pete explained what had happened. The Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for logistics had been asked to concur in funding the $150,000 award to the winner, but had disapproved the action on the basis that there were ample stock of caliber .45 pistols in depots, and that pistols were seldom used in combat. This ended the program for a new personal defense handgun at that time.
By 1981, the Army had resurrected the program, and barring further delays, plan on having a new 9mm pistol by 1983. The Air Force has expressed preference for the 9mm Beretta Model 92S for aircrews." - Roy Rayle

References:
Rayle, Roy E. RANDOM SHOTS: EPISODES IN THE LIFE OF A WEAPONS DEVELOPER. Merriam Press. Burlington, Vt. 1997.

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