4506 - School me
- Thread starter mitchntx
- Start date
DiscoRacing
New member
Have two...
and paid much more for each than 400
excellent shooters... never jams.
and paid much more for each than 400
excellent shooters... never jams.
sigarms228
New member
Looks really nice. My LGS has a few NIB but they want $599 for them. They have been there for quite a while so if they go down some I may buy one. I dry fired one and it had the best DA trigger pull I have ever experienced on a DA/SA pistol.
I have one that I bought new. It is a good shooter but it has the most annoying "click" when resetting the trigger after a shot.
I have a 5906 that is much better.
I have been told the problem is a leaf spring reseating. You do not feel it when shooting single action. The smith said he could fix it but could not say for sure the spring would survive being tweaked.
I have left it alone and really have not shot the gun but once or twice in the last six or seven years.
There are just too many 1911 platforms that don't have the problem.
I have a 5906 that is much better.
I have been told the problem is a leaf spring reseating. You do not feel it when shooting single action. The smith said he could fix it but could not say for sure the spring would survive being tweaked.
I have left it alone and really have not shot the gun but once or twice in the last six or seven years.
There are just too many 1911 platforms that don't have the problem.
Bisquitlips
New member
I started with the 645 and went on to a 4506. The smoothing of the trigger pull in DA was profound. That was about 20 years ago and I still remember those pistols and their differences.
Loved the 4506, but in those days had to sell it for financial reasons. Every now and again I will go out on Gun Broker and see what they are selling for. I will definitely add one to the collection at some date in the future.
I say you got a good deal on that specimen. Congratulations!
Loved the 4506, but in those days had to sell it for financial reasons. Every now and again I will go out on Gun Broker and see what they are selling for. I will definitely add one to the collection at some date in the future.
I say you got a good deal on that specimen. Congratulations!
I have first hand experience with a very similar gun... mine is also a 3rd Gen S&W, but in 10mm.
Your pistol was perhaps the finest example of it's breed in it's heyday, and it is a dated design these days. You've got a stainless steel upper and lower, no aluminum, polymer or alloys. That means that it's durable and it eats up recoil, but by today's standards -- it's a massive brick, overly heavy, like carrying a cinder block, etc etc.
The adjustable sight model (you have) had very nice sights, but with the most horrendous protective ears around the rear sight. The fixed sight models (of the later 3rd Gens) were Novak fixed sights, also the best of the best in their day. They are quality, durable, work great, and look much better than the adjustable with it's freakishly awful protective ears. The early Novak fixed sights were, IMO, the basis for the finest fixed sight we see today. (some may not agree)
Your pistol wears the OEM "delrin" factory original grip. Though it looks great, these have a reputation for not being all too grabby or grippy and they've also been known to chip, scuff and wear. Yours look hardly touched -- nice looking! Back in the day, Hogue made the most popular replacement grip...most went with a very grabby & durable rubber grip, but a fancy wooden Hogue grip was available also. These are still easily found as new old stock, check Gunbroker.
These pistols were made with a dual function ambidextrous thumb safety. Flip it up and the pistol is ready to fire -- flip it down and the trigger connects with nothing. Safety flipped down and the hammer will automatically drop/decock. If the safety is flipped down and the slide locked open, you can chamber a round and the pistol will automatically drop the hammer for you. Again, back when DA/SA was in it's heyday, this system worked very well, but it's clearly NOT popular these days and legions of folks who may be too simple minded to adapt to a particular handgun will profess with great froth & energy that any safety on a pistol that flips UP to fire and DOWN for safe is straight from Lucifer.
It's a fantastic handgun that is end-of-the world durable. It was built and designed as a workhorse duty gun, not really a concealed carry gun. It wasn't used nor designed for competition, though I'm sure some folks employed it as such.
If not for the tremendous renaissance of the 1911 design and it's extreme popularity these days -- and the obvious popularity of the polymer revolution, Smith & Wesson might still be making these. But they aren't. They hung on for a bit even as the polymer guns quickly encompassed the market for both duty and concealed carry, but when Smith & Wesson got drawn in to building the 1911 (as did, well, nearly everyone) the "other" non-polymer pistols went the way of the dodo bird. From a purely business standpoint, this was inevitable.
In the year 2012, they are a fantastic reminder of the road that semi-automatic handguns have taken to arrive as we know them today. But their time has passed and while they will always have their place in history, they don't occupy a lot of space in the "now." Such is progress.
Fortunately, they were popular enough that Smith & Wesson made a lot of them. For under four bills and looking as it does, my opinion is that you got one heckuva great buy, even if it's not cutting edge technology.
It's almost hard for me to believe that I don't have a fine 4506 in my cache.
Your pistol was perhaps the finest example of it's breed in it's heyday, and it is a dated design these days. You've got a stainless steel upper and lower, no aluminum, polymer or alloys. That means that it's durable and it eats up recoil, but by today's standards -- it's a massive brick, overly heavy, like carrying a cinder block, etc etc.
The adjustable sight model (you have) had very nice sights, but with the most horrendous protective ears around the rear sight. The fixed sight models (of the later 3rd Gens) were Novak fixed sights, also the best of the best in their day. They are quality, durable, work great, and look much better than the adjustable with it's freakishly awful protective ears. The early Novak fixed sights were, IMO, the basis for the finest fixed sight we see today. (some may not agree)
Your pistol wears the OEM "delrin" factory original grip. Though it looks great, these have a reputation for not being all too grabby or grippy and they've also been known to chip, scuff and wear. Yours look hardly touched -- nice looking! Back in the day, Hogue made the most popular replacement grip...most went with a very grabby & durable rubber grip, but a fancy wooden Hogue grip was available also. These are still easily found as new old stock, check Gunbroker.
These pistols were made with a dual function ambidextrous thumb safety. Flip it up and the pistol is ready to fire -- flip it down and the trigger connects with nothing. Safety flipped down and the hammer will automatically drop/decock. If the safety is flipped down and the slide locked open, you can chamber a round and the pistol will automatically drop the hammer for you. Again, back when DA/SA was in it's heyday, this system worked very well, but it's clearly NOT popular these days and legions of folks who may be too simple minded to adapt to a particular handgun will profess with great froth & energy that any safety on a pistol that flips UP to fire and DOWN for safe is straight from Lucifer.
It's a fantastic handgun that is end-of-the world durable. It was built and designed as a workhorse duty gun, not really a concealed carry gun. It wasn't used nor designed for competition, though I'm sure some folks employed it as such.
If not for the tremendous renaissance of the 1911 design and it's extreme popularity these days -- and the obvious popularity of the polymer revolution, Smith & Wesson might still be making these. But they aren't. They hung on for a bit even as the polymer guns quickly encompassed the market for both duty and concealed carry, but when Smith & Wesson got drawn in to building the 1911 (as did, well, nearly everyone) the "other" non-polymer pistols went the way of the dodo bird. From a purely business standpoint, this was inevitable.
In the year 2012, they are a fantastic reminder of the road that semi-automatic handguns have taken to arrive as we know them today. But their time has passed and while they will always have their place in history, they don't occupy a lot of space in the "now." Such is progress.
Fortunately, they were popular enough that Smith & Wesson made a lot of them. For under four bills and looking as it does, my opinion is that you got one heckuva great buy, even if it's not cutting edge technology.
It's almost hard for me to believe that I don't have a fine 4506 in my cache.
Love mine. It is absolutely the first handgun I would grab if I needed one immediately and I own a Sig P226 if that tells you anything. This was my fathers duty pistol his entire career as an Officer and it was passed to me shortly before he passed away. I have never experienced any malfunctions, very accurate for me, I like how it is balanced and how the grip size/angle is, mags arent hard to find, I havent had to replace any parts so I am unsure how hard they would be to find. I dont imagine it would be to difficult though. To me and having owned and still own a fair amount of firearms it is still my favorite full size .45acp and the sole reason I bought more 3rd gen Smith & Wessons and one of the biggest reasons I reccomend them. Outstanding pistol.
Single Six
New member
Good choice. Love those 3rd Gens! I would respectfully disagree with 1goodshot however, and say that I think the Ruger P-90 is the strongest .45 ever made.
Hollywood use(s)...
It's a very popular .45acp pistol for the era(late 1980s-early 1990s).
I'm not crazy about the S&W adj sights & the slide mounted, Walther type ambi safety but the stainless design & robust handling made the 4506 series a top semi auto pistol in the US market.
The S&W 4506 .45acp was a sidearm of Don Johnson's Sonny Crockett(Miami Vice), Vic Mackey(FX's The Shield) & Oscar winner; Denzel Washington(2001's Training Day).
IMFdb.org can provide a long list of media where the Smith & Wesson 4506 pistol was used.
Many gunners mistake S&Ws older 645 model with the 4506. They look a lot alike & are both .45acp caliber but the 4506 line was a 3rd generation. It had many R&D improvements and changes. The same basic style was also used in S&W's big 1006 10mm semi auto pistol.
Clyde
It's a very popular .45acp pistol for the era(late 1980s-early 1990s).
I'm not crazy about the S&W adj sights & the slide mounted, Walther type ambi safety but the stainless design & robust handling made the 4506 series a top semi auto pistol in the US market.
The S&W 4506 .45acp was a sidearm of Don Johnson's Sonny Crockett(Miami Vice), Vic Mackey(FX's The Shield) & Oscar winner; Denzel Washington(2001's Training Day).
IMFdb.org can provide a long list of media where the Smith & Wesson 4506 pistol was used.
Many gunners mistake S&Ws older 645 model with the 4506. They look a lot alike & are both .45acp caliber but the 4506 line was a 3rd generation. It had many R&D improvements and changes. The same basic style was also used in S&W's big 1006 10mm semi auto pistol.
Clyde
g.willikers
New member
I've only had the opportunity to shoot one.
A fellow competitor had a couple he used for action pistol and uspsa matches.
So he let me try it.
While I wouldn't trade a 1911 for one, it was a sturdy beast, no doubt.
The muzzle flip was excessive, and follow up shots kind of slow to execute, due to the low grip.
And the da/sa action was never a favorite.
But then the owner wouldn't trade his for a 1911, either.
Enjoy it, it's a beauty.
A fellow competitor had a couple he used for action pistol and uspsa matches.
So he let me try it.
While I wouldn't trade a 1911 for one, it was a sturdy beast, no doubt.
The muzzle flip was excessive, and follow up shots kind of slow to execute, due to the low grip.
And the da/sa action was never a favorite.
But then the owner wouldn't trade his for a 1911, either.
Enjoy it, it's a beauty.
Several years ago after storing all my weapons for a short period of time I identified an immediate need for a HD gun. I asked my dad for a loaner. With numerous choices available, he provided a 4506 and several magazines. After running a couple of boxes of 45s through it with no failures I can say I carried it with confidence for more than two months. It is built like a tank and has a presence that is very comforting when you are hoping for the best and planning for the worst. I like the SA/DA feature, and the safety-decocker, but not the magazine disconnect. I hated to return it to him.
A very subjective opinion. I'm sure I'm in the minority here but I happen to like the looks of the "ears" on this pistol (I think it adds to the overall robust appearance of the large, sturdy Model 4506) and the "ears"aren't just fins on a fifties-era car-they do provide some protection to the adjustable sights. And I much prefer adjustable sights on any handgun that I own that isn't being carried in a pocket or some other "deep-cover" place where a snagged sight could impede a smooth and quick draw.
Another subjective opinion: I never cared for the looks of the squared-off trigger guards that came with early Third Generation Smith pistols (my Model 6906 has one and I wish it had the later rounded guard).
Single Six
New member
ClydeFrog: I thought that Sonny Crockett used the 2nd Gen 645 [?].