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Smith & Wesson 459

handgun

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General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionJun 3, 2026
Entity authorityQ25325431 ↗
Source-derived summary

The Smith & Wesson 459 is a 9mm double/single action pistol with locked breech short recoil action. It is an updated version of the Model 59 with adjustable sights and checkered nylon grips. The gun was created for the US XM9 Pistol trials.

This handgun did not complete the test and so was not considered. Testing procedures are discussed in the book Future Weapons. and also at Firearms Radio Network Handgun Radio XM9 Testing

This model was discontinued in 1988. 803 units were produced in a brush finish with special grips made to FBI specifications.

Users

United States

Federal Bureau of Investigation About 800 handguns issued to Agents.

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Smith & Wesson 459” as handgun. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA concise reference frame for defining the subject, testing terminology and identifying the institution closest to the evidence. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1988—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. The account is most persuasive where Smith, Wesson and handgun can be independently traced.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as handgun. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 3, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q25325431. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1988.

Critical limits

A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
Verify next

The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Smith & Wesson 459”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Smith & Wesson 459 primary sources, Smith & Wesson 459 archive and Smith research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Smith & Wesson 459”?
  2. Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
  3. Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Smith & Wesson 459” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.