*RARE SMITH & WESSON XM-10 MODEL 459M SEMI-AUTO PISTOL SUBMITTED FOR MILITARY TEST TRIALS OF 1988.

*RARE SMITH & WESSON XM-10 MODEL 459M SEMI-AUTO PISTOL SUBMITTED FOR MILITARY TEST TRIALS OF 1988. SN A862208. Cal. 9mm. Matte black finish with 4″ bbl. Unusual fixed sights found only on Smith & Wessons submitted for military test trials and a few other special government orders where fixed sights were specified. Slide is marked only “SMITH & WESSON” and the frame only with the serial number on left side and Smith & Wesson logo on right side. It has ambidextrous safety, a serrated short spur hammer, checkered & squared trigger guard, serrated front & backstraps and is mounted with special matte finish black nylon grips that each have an impressed Smith & Wesson logo at the top. Also accompanied by 1 matte finish high capacity magazine marked only “S&W” on the base plate. Bbl is marked “9mm”. Accompanied by a green leather, red velvet lined Arno Werner style case with gold embossed decoration on the lid, embossed in the center “SMITH & WESSON / MODEL XM-9 / MILITARY SEMI-AUTOMATIC PISTOL / EXPERIMENTAL PROTOTYPE / AND TEST PIECE / FOR THE U.S. ARMY TRIALS / 1 OF 40 / SERIAL NUMBER A862208 / **** / THE PISTOL USED BY THE FACTORY / FOR PROMOTION AND PHOTOGRAPHY / **** / DONATED BY SMITH & WESSON / FOR THE BENEFIT AUCTION / THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART / ARMS AND ARMOR DEPARTMENT / CHRISTIE’S NEW YORK / OCTOBER 8TH 1985”. Interior is French fitted for the pistol. Also accompanied by a packet of information regarding the XM-9 & XM-10 test trials. It appears that the XM-9 test trials, which involved another series of model 459 pistols called the model 459 A consisted of 30 pistols all in the A 669,000 SN range, ended in controversy when the contract was awarded to Beretta. Smith & Wesson protested and the Congress in 1987 ordered a retest. This retest started off with controversy and the test trials were cancelled. In August 1988 the retest was again scheduled with only 3 companies competing and again Beretta was the winner. The pistols submitted by Smith & Wesson were a modified model 459 A, designated the model 459 M. The new 459 M pistol had a narrow, long extractor and a modified fixed rear sight. Beretta was again awarded the contract and even though Smith & Wesson protested to the Congress and through the courts they were unsuccessful. As of this writing the SN’s of the M-10 test trial Smith & Wesson pistols are unknown. There apparently was another contract for 803 Model 459 pistols for the FBI, which apparently was never delivered and subsequently sold on the open market. There were also contracts apparently for the U.S. Customs service all of which had matte finish. CONDITION: Appears to be new and unfired, retaining virtually all of its orig factory matte finish with only light wear on the bbl. Case is equally new. Believed to be the only example to ever come to public auction. 4-47801 (7,000-10,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2013

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	3080	$17,825.00	RARE SMITH & WESSON XM-10 MODEL 459M SEMI-AUTO PISTOL SUBMITTED FOR MILITARY TEST TRIALS OF 1988. SN A862208. Cal. 9mm. Matte black finish with 4″ bbl. Unusual fixed sights found only on Smith & Wessons submitted for military test trials and a few other special government orders where fixed sights were specified. Slide is marked only “SMITH & WESSON” and the frame only with the serial number on left side and Smith & Wesson logo on right side. It has ambidextrous safety, a serrated short spur hammer, checkered & squared trigger guard, serrated front & backstraps and is mounted with special matte finish black nylon grips that each have an impressed Smith & Wesson logo at the top. Also accompanied by 1 matte finish high capacity magazine marked only “S&W” on the base plate. Bbl is marked “9mm”. Accompanied by a green leather, red velvet lined Arno Werner style case with gold embossed decoration on the lid, embossed in the center “SMITH & WESSON / MODEL XM-9 / MILITARY SEMI-AUTOMATIC PISTOL / EXPERIMENTAL PROTOTYPE / AND TEST PIECE / FOR THE U.S. ARMY TRIALS / 1 OF 40 / SERIAL NUMBER A862208 / * / THE PISTOL USED BY THE FACTORY / FOR PROMOTION AND PHOTOGRAPHY / / DONATED BY SMITH & WESSON / FOR THE BENEFIT AUCTION / THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART / ARMS AND ARMOR DEPARTMENT / CHRISTIE’S NEW YORK / OCTOBER 8TH 1985”. Interior is French fitted for the pistol. Also accompanied by a packet of information regarding the XM-9 & XM-10 test trials. It appears that the XM-9 test trials, which involved another series of model 459 pistols called the model 459 A consisted of 30 pistols all in the A 669,000 SN range, ended in controversy when the contract was awarded to Beretta. Smith & Wesson protested and the Congress in 1987 ordered a retest. This retest started off with controversy and the test trials were cancelled. In August 1988 the retest was again scheduled with only 3 companies competing and again Beretta was the winner. The pistols submitted by Smith & Wesson were a modified model 459 A, designated the model 459 M. The new 459 M pistol had a narrow, long extractor and a modified fixed rear sight. Beretta was again awarded the contract and even though Smith & Wesson protested to the Congress and through the courts they were unsuccessful. As of this writing the SN’s of the M-10 test trial Smith & Wesson pistols are unknown. There apparently was another contract for 803 Model 459 pistols for the FBI, which apparently was never delivered and subsequently sold on the open market. There were also contracts apparently for the U.S. Customs service all of which had matte finish. CONDITION: Appears to be new and unfired, retaining virtually all of its orig factory matte finish with only light wear on the bbl. Case is equally new. Believed to be the only example to ever come to public auction. 4-47801 (7,000-10,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2013 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium**, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

.red{fill:#B50938;} .white{fill:#FFFFFF;} .blue{fill:#005596;}