Are there any gunsmiths out there that you know of that have the parts to convert a 4566 from Safety/Decocker to just a Dcocker??? I have a 4566 that I would like to have switched over. If I remember right I think a couple years ago that the Smith and Wesson factory will no longer do this conversion?

Thanks.

John.

I've been told they're no longer ordering new stock for the spring-loaded/decock-only assemblies for either the 9/.40 or .45/10 slides. Might have to really look around for one.

However, and this might be even more of a problem ... If you're talking about a 4566, and not a 4566TSW, the older model 3rd gen slide lacks the necessary two extra machining cuts needed to accept the end of the decocker body spring, too.

It typically also requires a tech, smith or armorer to fit a new sear release lever, too, as changing the safety/decocker body changes the tolerances with how the original sear release lever was fitted. Fitting involves filing the lever's foot to the correct length (for each particular gun and its combination of frame, slide & safety/decocker body), and maintaining a critical angle of the bottom of the lever's foot.

It's important to have the decocking "timing" fall within the correct range. For example, you don't want an overly long sear release lever that drops the hammer before the decocker body has rotated enough to capture the firing pin's shoulders, and properly cover the rear of the firing pin before the hammer hits it.

The factory (PC) used to only charge about $105 for the conversion (parts & labor), but that was in the early 2000's. Last I heard, even the PC doesn't have the spring-loaded/decock-only assemblies. FWIW, it was originally created as an option for LE customer agencies. At least, that's what they told us in one of my armorer classes toward the end of the 90's.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Besides the decoker-only parts needed, the slide needs to be milled unless it's one of the later models that already had it done at the factory.

BMCM posted on one of his threads showing what needs to be done, but I can't find it right now.

Did you see this thread?

Anyway to Switch Decocker w/ safety to Decokcer Only?

.

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Waiting for the break of day

As cited, if it is not milled, you have to get the work done for the .45 decocker to fit. Karl Sokol did mine because the S&W performance center turned me down on the work. I am sure any competent gunsmith or machinist could mill and cut the hole as it is not that complicated.

Midway actually has some of these items you are looking for in stock at this moment, on their web site search "Smith & Wesson Spring Loaded Decock Assembly S&W 4506" and you will find them.

The slide machining is a piece of cake. I've done a bunch of them.


You also nee to replace your original manual M/S safety with one of these...
Smith & Wesson Spring Loaded Decock Assembly S&W 4506

Which is basically a drop in part. You retain & use your original ambi lever with this part too.

All that remains before placing the arm in service is to check that the decock timing is still with in factory specs. A new sear release lever will need to be fitted it the timing is out of spec.

Cheers
Bill

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Because they don't make a .46

BMCM, your pic gives a great example of how the cuts machined for the ejector depressor plunger channel and the firing pin channel intersected at small spot at the rear. A small bit of steel at that intersecting spot would often crack and break out, creating a "connection" at the intersecting spots. It's not considered a "problem".

In your pic, look inside the lefty side of the manual safety body cut of each slide.

In the carbon steel slide, the interesting cuts are still "separate" at the rear of the channel cuts, separated by a bit of steel.

In the stainless slide, the little bit of connecting steel has been broken out and left a space, connecting the rear parts of the intersecting cuts.

The first time I saw this in a 4513TSW slide, I thought the slide was damaged, so I called and discussed it (as an armorer) with one of the guys in pistol repair.

The tech sort of chuckled when I described the spot, and explained how it wasn't an unexpected spot for a small bit of non-critical steel to fail and fall out of the slide after being subjected to enough recoil forces. This was observed to happen in the earlier 3rd gen slides. (There's another spot inside the disconnector cut, on the bottom of the pickup rail, where a thin triangular shaped bit of steel will usually break and fall out of one side in older 3rd gen's, but new machining methods can now remove it during manufacturing.)

The tech told me that they had decided to start "pre-breaking" and removing that itty bitty bit of steel at the intersection of the ejector depressor plunger & firing pin channel cuts in the newer .45's, which probably explained why I'd seen it in a brand new 4513TSW I'd stripped to inspect. He further said they were planning to eventually introduce the same machining revision in the other caliber model lines, breaking out that bit of steel so it didn't have to do it later. Naturally, when I pulled some other slides from NIB .45's (4513/4566TSW's), to satisfy my curiosity, I found the new "open" spot where the cuts intersected.


Thanks for the pic. I saved it as an example to help illustrate this, if needed at some future time.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Spring loaded decocker assy's are shown available at the following vendors:

Smith & Wesson Spring Loaded Decock Assembly S&W 4506

Smith & Wesson Spring Loaded Decock Assembly S&W 4506 - Smith & Wesson - Shop By Brand

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer