Re: S&W 4506
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Strykervet</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I love the 3rd gen. Smiths, especially the big ones! These pistols are at the bottom of the cost chart, but pretty high up on the quality and performance charts...
I have a 1006. The 1006 is the 10mm version that the 4506 was modeled after; they are almost identical in all respects. Considering that the 1006 is THE tank of the 10mm world, I'd reckon that the 4506 is likely the most well built .45ACP on the planet. I'd give anything to see how much it would take to blow one up, in either caliber!
Also, nothing screams "Big ass handgun!" like the 10 or 45 -06. Nothing weighs as much either.
Accuracy... It isn't too bad with the right load, but it isn't custom 1911 accurate either. I bet in .45 it may even do better than 10mm in these particular pistols, but I don't know. The only hang up about them really, and I don't know if this applies to .45, is that the 1006 is prone to jamming up from time to time. This can be alleviated somewhat to a greater or lesser degree by selection of ammo, recoil spring, and just general fine tuning --if something is in the way or not working right, fix it. In case anyone cares, the reason the FBI dropped the 1006 is because of this, not because of the round or women being too small (though that should have been obvious with the 1006). Had the weapons been hand fitted after assembly, they likely wouldn't have had this problem, but it would have made them much more expensive at a time when plastic frames and stamped parts requiring no fitting at all were coming onto the market. If you take this pistol to a reputable gunsmith worth his salt, he can likely get it running quite smoothly.
The crunchenticker trigger... Some are okay, some aren't. I bought two 1006's, and, a la "Good, Bad, Ugly", I proceeded to tear them down and mix and match parts. I then stoned the parts I chose, and put the rest in the other pistol and sold it. The one I sold has an okay trigger. The one I kept is, well, phenomenal for a 1006. Usual pre-travel, almost no over travel. Smooth and crisp. The other one left a lot to be desired. It seems like they didn't do anything to fit them at the factory, so most are in dire need of some kind of smoothing. For instance, the trigger bar is rough as sandpaper! Just smoothing that out makes it feel ten times better. This kind of attention to detail would have made these pistols worth more I think, you can certainly tell the difference between a worked 1006 and one that hasn't been.
Don't bother sending it in to Smith to have this work done. They don't do much of what needs to be done to it, to these kinds of pistols, and they'll also change your parts out if modified (sometimes) as well as re-install the magazine safety plunger (which I removed from mine --I HATE magazine safeties!). If not comfortable doing it yourself, find a competent gunsmith.
Sights. I like the adjustable ones, only way to go. The other one I had came with the Novak sights, just not for me. Those adj. Smith sights are unique. Tough as hell and NOBODY makes 'em like that anymore. The only other weapon I've seen with sights protected like that is the SAW. I think both were made that way because both were designed to have the shit beat out of them. When these pistols came out, remember, many cops including NYC if not mistaken, were still carrying Smith Model 10's and such. These things were old and beat to shit. Been used forever and were ready to be replaced. Smith got some departments with the 4506 and others. Smith was likely expecting the 4506 to have the same run as the Model 10. Until Gaston Glock came along.
If you like the adj. sights, make sure you get the pistol that way, don't compromise. It requires a whole 'nother slide to change them out, and the sights themselves aren't cheap either. If you like Novak sights, go for it, but don't get the Novak model and expect to be able to put regular adj. sights on, they don't work. There are adj. sights that fit those cuts, but they aren't the same thing. Also, it costs almost as much to replace the entire adj. sight assembly (wings and all w/Trijicon sights) as it does to just buy another pistol. No joke. 3rd gen Smiths are THE most undervalued quality pistols on the market, period, no arguments.
If you are gonna IWB carry one of these, might I suggest the Milt Sparks VM2? Spreads out the weight and carries quite well for how heavy it is in that holster (but I like that holster for ALL IWB carry, regardless of make or model of pistol). Just here it seems to stand out. You wouldn't think it would make a good IWB carry piece, but it actually does.
If they made an aluminum frame version, I'd get that. Not sure if they made one in .45. They never made one for 10mm, but I know of folks that have modified 4013's into the "1013", the 10mm Smith that never existed.
These pistols are the best bang for the buck by far, so, so undervalued! </div></div>
If you really want your third or second generation S&W to shine. Send it to Wayne Novak's shop in Parkersburg WV.
His people can do complete trigger, carry, reliability packages for all.
