Well today went very well indeed. I sold my Stoeger 8040 for $350 cash at Wal-Mart, then headed straight to Austin Gun Liquidators to have a second look at the used S&W 645 I have been writing about. I showed up with cash in hand and I told the guy it was a second generation pistol, and that the best I could do on it was $350 plus tax. He went and talked to his boss about it, and presto he said "yes, sell it!" Its a beautiful pistol, American made, its a .45 ACP, and very fine craftsmanship here. They even gave me a nice carry case for it for free, and I got fifty rounds of Federal Brass 230 grain for $20. So total for everything it was only $400 out-the-door. My wife even approved of the purchase and said "you need to hold on to that one." I couldn't agree more with her its just a great looking pistol and its very light weight for a pistol this size even fully loaded. It has a de-cocker also which is neat. I'll post the range report up here soon.

Great price on a great gun. Looks like it is in great shape. I would buy them in that condition, for that price, all day long. You will really enjoy it.

The 645 was all the rage back in the late 90's and at one point most of our City PD officers were carrying one before it fell out of favour and the H&K fell in.
I remember hunting for one until I found a deal on a Model 745 (which I sold off years ago).

IMO they were like a 45 version of the Model 39 but kinda fell by the wayside as the next generation of smaller 45's came out .
Used to be if you wanted a 1911 in .45 you thought Colt,
Seems now everyone and his brother makes a new improved version of the old 1911, Les Bayer, Kimber, Para, S&W, Ruger, Remington etc etc.

The 645 is now becoming a classic and clean ones dont pop up too often.
I think you did great at $400 OTD.
I saw one recently for $400 plus tax and was very close to buying it.

Mind you they are big guns, very big for a single stack 45 and more modern designs are available but to the purist that wants the mid 90's DA original S&W 45 SS auto they are really cool in their own right.

Thanks for sharing it and Enjoy !

Redacted,

Good on you! I bought one about 4 months ago and can't be happier. The 645 reminds me of a DA Gov't Model. in fact, it's the gun that Colt should've built instead of the Double Eagle.

Although it's a 'Dragoon', it seems to me somewhat thinner than the 4566s I own. I like its heft and balance.

Even though it shares the three-digit 2nd Gen naming convention, its more of a 3rd Gen than people think.

Something about the polished flats of the slide and the sharp edges. They don't make 'em like that anymore.

CONGRATS!

Beautiful pistol!

Congratulations on what may possibly be the best gun purchase you'll ever make!

If I could find them for $400 OTD, I'd buy them until I ran out of cash or they ran out of 645s.

I can't wait for the range report. Mine's a tack-driver....ENJOY!

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645, 457s

Like you I just bought a 645, I wanted a gun in a 1911 style but I wanted it double action. I have had several Ruger P90's and they were really good guns. But this gun just feels better in my hand. Yours looks fantastic! I just ordered a barrel for mine, when I received it the rifling was almost gone. The gun is smooth and not worn at all except rifling. I paid a heck of a lot more for mine than you did. Congratulations on that fine handgun. I will post picks of mine when I get the thing right. Mine also has the adjustable rear sights, I ordered a fixed rear sight for it also. Mine was also Magna Ported which will have to be done to the new barrel. But I am not sure as of yet I will have that done to the new barrel, depends how it shoots. The Magna Porting sure gets the inside of the slide dirty.

I have been looking for an affordable 645 for quite awhile. I am not sure I could have bought that one as I think I might have passed out when I saw the price. You can't touch one around here for under $500 and even that price is considered a find.

Nice score! 400 bucks for what appears to be a pristine example. I'd love to find one in that condition and price too. Awesome.

Very nice score.

If you want to pop your eyes out, put an empty case in the middle of a loaded mag, insert into weapon and shoot until it stops. Chances are very high the case will be fully chambered, slide fully forward and the hammer down. Not may autos will do that (never seen a Glock that could) but lots of Smiths will.

I wish they had made a 645 version of the Shorty Forty Five. That'd've been just too sweet.


Cat

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Think for yourself.

All,

Many folks don't realize HOW GOOD the 645 truly is. They were made from 1985 thru 1988. Mine in a 1988-vintage gun with German and Belgian proofs. I think it was a pistol sold at one of the Army or Air Force exchanges overseas.

I sent it off to Karl Sokol at Chestnut Mountain Sports. Karl will 'modernize' the piece (not too much mind you) by the following mods:

--Trigger and Hammer changes to the .312" and 6906 bobbed hammer, respectively
--Install a Novak Trijicon front sight via dovetail
--Install the nylon grips (ROBAR-ized like my 4566s)
--Action job with trigger overtravel screw
--Gentle bead blast
--De-Horn
--Make the installed Ed Brown safety as smooth as silk
--Chamfer the muzzle and do a 'reliability package' to the barrel (like it needs it!?)
--General smooth-up

That is a beautiful gun. I have owned mine for several years and carried it faithfully for at least two of them. Great find.

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Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum...

The 645 kis a great gun - totaly reiable with a wide variety of lead and jacketed bullets.

Watch out for that Phillips head screw which secures the safety lever on the right side - it loosens and falls out. I secured mine with a drop of blue Loctite.

Even better...go to the range with your favorite 1911 "snob" (The more expensive the 1911 the better lol)...pick up his/her *spent* brass and load it into your mag...*hand-cycle* ALL 8 rounds...watch them die just a little inside LOL.

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645, 457s

Marvelous buy on a wonderful pistol. You will enjoy. Please psot a follow or wit range reports and a picture or two. We all need a good drool.

Oh Chefjon, that's just child abuse that is.

Funny as hell too, but still child abuse.

Can't wait 'til I get the chance to do just that. Thanks.


Cat

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Think for yourself.

Thanks for the heads up about the screw, I knew about before hand but I decided to chance it anyways...anyone can see this was to good of a deal to pass up. What I think I'll do is go to an indoor range, put about 100 rounds through it. If the screw is still there and tight I will leave it alone. Otherwise ill put some of the blue loctite on it.

Thanks, does anyone know where I can find information on my serial number?

I bought this one new in January, 1987 - they were state of the art back then. It's still in excellent condition, complete with the box and papers. Totally reliable; will even feed empty cases from the magazine.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

I was only five years old in 1987. I was looking in the used case at the new Gun Liquidator here and it caught my eye. I asked to look at it and I was very impressed, price tag was nice also. I didn't want a 1911 and this was the next best thing for .45 ACP.

Okay...found out some info on my serial number. It was made September 1987, so that makes it twenty five-years old. It has a very low serial number and was the sixty-fifth pistol produced at the beginning of the second-generation run. The first three letters are "TBF," I am still not sure what "TBF" means because every other question I found had a "TAA." They said they would repair it but since it was used I have to pay for repairs if it ever needs it.
Good to know everything about your pistol. Now its range time!

Congrats! Great deal on a superb 45. The 645 is one of my favorites. Enjoy yours! Regards 18DAI

I bought mine recently from a friend. My Dept issued the 9mm 439 but I remember when the 645 came out and they were all the rage.

Mine has been personalized engraved with a Sgt's name, the department and the years of service...I think it was a retirement gift from that department. (Guess how many dept do that now).

Anyway it was his mother's second husband...his father had passed and she remarried...she gave it to my friend who didn't like it so he sold it to me.

They are so stout...you can shoot them all day and I get more felt recoil from my LC9 I carry concealed.

Great rescue of a fine pistol!!!

UPDATE: Made it to an indoor range today, just me and the 645 no distractions. The pistol fired flawlessly through all one-hundred rounds of Independence 230 Grain FMJ rounds. Its definitely more expensive than I thought, but the range always jacks up the prices on target ammo. The sights work great, but I was flinching to much and had to much anticipation. So basically I couldn't figure out how to compensate, up or down , left or right. Over-all for a first time .45 ACP user Id say I did fairly well, but man does it pack a punch. Most of my shots were withing acceptable margins for a newbie so hopefully with another trip or two I can post some targets up.

I bought a 645 new when I had an FFL after seeing Miami Vice; Don Johnson had one. I loved it and immediately ordered another. I bought two of the military holsters for them and carried them one on the left side and one on the right side; riding my 3 wheeler on the bush Alaska trails. I probably only fired them both 2 magazines full but liked them so much I wanted to keep them pristene. The holsters covered them completely. So those two are side by side in the S&W rows in the gun safe. Mine both have black plastic grips. I'd go with cocobolo if I could find it but like stock grips. I think I paid around $300 for each of them wholesale. Bought extra mags. Odd, one mag had an orange follower but the other gun had black followers. One sweet S&W.

I always wondered why S&W didnt continue their autos butt design like the 639. A buddy of mine had one years ago, that has great feel in my hand, that little hump toward the bottom of the butt. I liked it so much I went out and bought one of the few (at the time) 1911 clones that had a similar feel, a (dont laugh) Star model PS, which is "1911 like", but not a true 1911 clone. The company is long gone, but that gun and the 639 sure felt good in the hand. Kind of sad S&W never made a 45 auto with a similar grip/butt design as the 639 (or did they?)

I am about to buy a 645 locally I have been eyeing for a while.

AH the 645!! I do believe this model is having a renaissance of sorts lately...that is they seem to be popping up EVERYWHERE!
Beautiful piece you got there, now I'm going to go and fondle mine!
And will somebody que the music from Miami Vice please! Dale

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"Long live the S&W 3rd. Gen.!"

Just for fun, some Don Johnson by request!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qvnsou7FgY

Here are the targets first go around:

14 Yards:



30 Yards:

Are there major differences in the 645 and 745? the outward appearance looks the same.
I've had my 745 for 10 years or better, it's one of my favorite.
thanks in advance.

According to Wikipedia, which is not really a reliable source yet still considered common knowledge; "there is pretty much zero difference." They are still officially both second generation pistols according to S&W.

The 745 was special model "The S&W 645 was introduced in 1985 and discontinued in 1988. The S&W 745 was produced from 1986 to 1990, primarily as a single-action competition gun for IPSC shooting."

And BTW: The Phillips Screw was still on there tight and solid, even after a combined weight of 230,000 of TNT!

Redacted,
Nice snag on that 645. I've been real happy with a CS45,
which is the only reason I haven't tried a 645 or 745. It's
hard to find a fault with the older S&W's. They work So well.
You had a good session at the range, too. S&W guns
look great, but really shine in their intended role: shooting.
Glad you scored on yours, TACC1.

I just purchased a Smith&Wesson model 645 for $400.00. But I was wandering where I could find a manual for same. Anybody have any ideas? Thanks Pete.

Here you go, as a PDF file just save it to you're computer.

http://www.vintagegunleather.com/gun...centerfire.pdf

It is a owners manual that covers all the S&W center fire pistols Metal frame. That's all you can get.

Where is Austin Gun Liquidators?

Real nice find!

I am on my second 645. I bought one new when they first came out, then picked one a couple of years ago.

I don't think I could let mine go for $600.

Great grab...you did well.

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Lt. Dan, what R U doing here?

I've got a Model 745 on layaway. Bringing it home this Friday (09/14/12). So I'm researching the model. Since many keep talking about Don Johnson using one in Miami Vice I figured I would post a photo of the actual 645 that he used in seasons 3 and 4. Known as the "Hero" gun in the movie business. From Smith & Wesson 645 - Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games

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I type. Therefore I am.

"My wife even approved of the purchase and said "you need to hold on to that one."

Translation: No more gun dealing!

Nice purchase!

I have both and have not really looked that close but for all I know the only difference is the 645 is DA (first shot) and the 745 is SA. Oh, I think my 745 IPSC has a blued slide too. Before I got my 745 I saw a single action 645 listed on GB. The seller's story was that in the first year of 645 production, before the 745 was available, the S&W Custom Shop would convert a 645 to SA only. Anybody know if this is true?

I just had to add: I love my "new" (to me) 645 too. It's the perfect happy medium between my 3rd Gen. 4567 and my SW1911 Pro; kinda the best of both worlds.

Here's the thread where I enlisted the help of the forum experts to help me decide:

Fourth S&W: 645 or 4506?

Enjoy it, and put lots of rounds through it. IMHO, the 645 is a stainless steel workhorse and I plan on keeping mine forever.

- Dave

I've read about SA 645's, but the ones I've read about the work was done by gunsmiths - no mention of S&W doing it. That's a good question. Does anybody know if S&W did that conversion?

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I type. Therefore I am.

Also bought a 645 back in 1990,love it to this day.But like mentioned watch the right side ambi lever.Mine kept coming loose,loc tited it,and when it got hot it would still loosen.Dropped off,i found it,wife put it up somewhere,and i havent seen it since.Will probably have to break done and see if S&W still stocks it, and drop a hunk of money on a little hunk of stainless.

These look great guy's, looks like I'm on the hunt for another 2'nd gen Smith.

I work in a pawn shop, and recently we acquired the inventory of a dealer that gave up his license. We were going through the handguns, all the Sigs, Glocks, etc., and we came across a very nice 645. I didn't hesitate, told my boss, "This one is mine, how much?". He sold me the pistol for $400, tax included. It has replaced my M&P9c as my daily carry, and I hope to own it til my days end.



We also have a 659 in the shop that is going to come home, and I have a line on a 639 adjustable sight pistol. I love the 2nd generation guns!

I would have doen the same thing. Actually I m now looking for either a 639 or a 659. A 459 would be okay as well.

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I type. Therefore I am.

I have a Sugar Land PD trade in 639 with adjustable sights I'll trade you for a 645 fixed sight.

As the proud owner of a fully polished 645, it has caused me to spend money. I had to get it a matching 659, a 5906, and a 59 as mates. If I found another 645 locally for $400, there would be no question that I'd add it to the group.

Do you have any pics of your shiny 645 you can post?

- Dave

Sent from my Incredible 2 using Tapatalk 2

Tempting, but I have a fixed sight 745 and I'm going to keep it. Thanks for the offer though.

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I type. Therefore I am.

Quick question from a newbie on these guns - I haven't done any research on this subject yet so maybe this has been covered - If so please forgive me- I am wondering what is the different between the 645/745 and the 4506 - I recently purchased a 4506-1 and so far am very happy with it - so happy in fact I think I need another .45 smith - love the weight and feel - nice change from the plastic .45's I am used to - thanks in advance for the info!