I had a 645 long ago. It's in the top 10 of guns I wish I'd kept, although my recent hankering is for the adjustable sight model. Anyway, when I had the 645, I did not have a 1911. So I'm curious, aside from grip angle, is the 645 grip thicker and/or longer (from the palm to the fingers) than the 1911? I like the 1911, but it's nearly my size limit. I really like the CZ97, but the grip is just a tad too large.

Thoughts?

Can't comment on the grip of the 645 as I also sold mine long ago. I can comment that on a 1911 a change in grip thickness, mainspring housing and or trigger length can make a world of difference. I don't have huge hands and have found that a short trigger and flat mainspring housing are a must.

__________________
Dave

I've been shooting 1911's for so long that the grip feels just right. I do prefer a flat mainspring housing, but it isn't necessary for me to be happy.

I've never shot a non 1911 that feels as good to me.

I'm not sure but that I'd like a non 1911 if I devoted years to its use. I just don't think it would be worth the effort to me.

I'm a big believer in shooting a handgun that feels 'just right' to me.

That's a function of LOTS of practice over time. It isn't something that comes to me in a few range outings

I confess. Although not perfect, the first time I picked up a 1911, I knew it was for me. For sure, I knew flat backstops were for me, even in a Glock. I've bought other guns, 3913 and 3953 among them, and enjoy them just fine and they are flat. But I've never found anything I liked more than the 1911, some perhaps the same, but I still buy others and shoot them well.

The 645 is more of a want than a need. I wouldn't carry it, but as a target gin and home defense I would like to own one. I just want to be sure it's not so big in the grip, as the CZ97. As usual, no one has a 645 locally to handle.

Funny this came up. My LGS just took in a 645 on trade this week. I've been tempted to grab it but so far the thought of a safe already full of underused 1911's has held me at bay. I'm weakening with each visit though. Next time I pick it up for a fondle, it may just come home with me.

__________________
Dave

Go get it! I have a bunch of 1911's but when I saw my 645 I just had to have it. It just looks brutish in a good way.

This thread is lacking a 645 pic.

You're KILLING me!!!

The grip on the 645 is straighter than the 1911 and the front strap is flat.

I enjoy the straighter grip as it feels more natural to me.

I use Pachmayr wrap arounds on the 1911 frame but just use grip panels on the S&W.

This fills in the rounded grip on the front of the 1911 making it easier for me to shoot.

BLM

Good to know. How does the 645 grip compare to a straight 4506 grip?

Ive said it once....I'll say it again...two piece grip panels should have been a feature carried over to all 3rd. gens.....beautiful gun

__________________
witty signature goes here

I got one of the first 645s when they came out in the 1980s. At the time, I worked for a well known company that was affiliated with a local distributor. I was happy to find one at cost, so I took a chance.

On the plus side, it was pretty accurate out of the box. Better than any Colt, for sure, including the Gold Cup. No, it wasn't quite up to a Clark modified bullseye gun, but it was close.
Also, it fed everything, if you tinkered with loads. I even used mine with Lyman 255gr. SWCs intended for the Long Colt. The trigger was OK weight- wise. It was a pretty clean let off, but the long pull was weird compared to a revolver or tuned 1911.

On the downside, the grip was too upright for me, so it always seemed to point a bit low. I prefer an arched mainspring housing on a 1911 for that reason.

The 645 was also the first stainless gun I owned. It was kind of cool to be able just wipe off powder residue!

Best regards,
Jim

If there was ever a gun that you put in your hands, and it felt just right, you knew it was a match made in heaven...the 645 was it for me.

The only other pistol I can say this about, in the past as well, is a 1911. Both just felt perfect, and it is hard to describe to others.

Which explains it better than I could why I bought one just the other day... my very first 2nd Gen ever. Overpaid for it too (and at the worst possible time) so I'm both a bit embarrassed about it as well as upset that I acted on pure impulse rather than my usual rules, restraint and logic.

But GOD it was pretty and it fit in my hand like it was made for just me. I got caught up in the moment and next thing you know, I'm driving home with it. What the Hell just happened back there?

I'll post pix in time. I'm still a little bit in shock over it. I don't do well with acquisitions when I break the rules and overpay. It will take time for me to sort this out in my brain and figure out what it's going to take (i.e., what I'll need to sell) in order to pay for it.

Karma is a bear. React, but don't over react. Take your time, choose a gun from your safe that you can replace, if need be. For instance, don't sell a Colt Commander, blue, in 9mm, just because there's a blemish on the slide. It will be impossible to replace that gun...

I think that was directed at moi. Don't worry, I won't sell anything truly crucial to the collection. I've got a few candidates but that damn Model 645 cost me almost twice the value of the average everyday gun in my collection... so it's going to be painful regardless. For now, I can't even think about it. This was not a planned, well-conceived acquisition by any stretch. I hope it will work out well in time, but for now it's just a big fat debt sitting there in my budget.

Buy one, sell two. That's what it's gonna boil down to.

"Beware of the man with one gun." We don't want to admit it, but we all have too many guns. There, I said it! That's the first step in the addiction healing process right?

You didn't think before you bought - that doesn't mean you didn't do the right thing. We buy guns to enjoy, not for necessity. You will enjoy the 645, probably more than you would whatever two guns you sell. Believe me, if I could get that darn 645 to fit me, I, too, would have overpaid for the right specimen.

Yeah, I know you are right. I know it was a good move. This is just me being me. I'm the kind of guy that plans and starts saving for big purchases six months in advance... and this *was* a big purchase by my standards. The fact that it was totally unplanned and unbudgeted and utterly off the radar screen tends to shake me up. It's starts when I'm driving home and I start to think to myself "How the Hell are you going to pay for that thing you crazy old man"???

But trust me... I'll survive. Gonna be a problem for a while but I'll survive.

I've held a 4506 and like the CZ97, it's a bit long for me, from the blackstrap to the frontstrap. Funny how the 1911 is thinner, in the sides, as well as shorter from the front strap to the backstrap.

So the question is, is the 645 grip, from the frontstrap to the backstrap as big as the 4506?

OK, so I've been following this since the first, but never did any
real measuring. I too, thought my full size frame 1911's, (Colts),
felt thinner, front to back. none of them are stock, and I put arched
mainspring housings on them. My full size S&W's always felt wider,
front to back, even with straight grips. (They all have arched grips
on now). Somehow the arched feel better to me. My 645 feels much
thinner than the 3rd gens, but still not like the 1911's.
So I measured and ALL are within 1/16" of one another, REALLY.
All were measured centered, at 90 deg from front straps. I can't
believe it. Must be the "diameter".

I have several 1911s and carried them on and off duty. My department was one of the very first to issue the 645 and I carried it every day for years and shot it a lot. It was very accurate and dependable and after thousands of rounds never once jammed failed to fire. That being said, when they went to glocks we were allowed to buy them and I passed. It is a heavier gun than the 1911. I am 6'4" and have real large hands. The grip is bigger, longer and the angle just never felt quite right. carries more rounds but you don't get something for nothing. If you are at your upper limit with the 1911, then you will never carry the full size 645 concealed, it will be a safe queen. I continued to carry the 1911 off duty and still do regular with CCW now after retiring. The smaller folk in the department had a hell of a time carrying it in the cruiser even with a sturdy duty holster, it rides up cause of length digging in the seat. Forget off-duty unless you like suspenders. I had none of those problems cause I'm and was glad to have it because our previous issue gun was a Model 15 with 38+P in a 125gr JSP.

OP,

I would advise you to be very cautious concerning the 645. I have found it to be usable in my medium-to-small hands, but it is NOT as small as a 1911.

Great gun, BTW, but you probably shouldn't buy one without getting your hands on one first.

P.S. If it does fit and you do get one, you may need to Loctite the Phillips screw on the safety.

645 grip area is bigger wider, longer front to back, that a 1911

Agreed on the 645 grip being bigger. Do we think that the 645 and 4506 are bigger because S&W planned for the 10mm? It's a shame their frames and grips are bigger than the 1911. Folks might say, if you want a 1911, then get one. I have a few. But the S&W are sleeker looking in certain ways and their function is different. The CZ97 is very accurate and sleek as well, but again probably built for a 10mm. Am I wrong on that?

One thing is 1911s can be all over the map given different grips, grip safeties, mainspring housings, and triggers. Now there is also the rounded grip like S&W and SIG use. Below the PC Center Commander on the bottom has a different feel compared to the Colt Wiley Clapp Commander.



Also there is the bobbed frame which I think was started by Brown. Here on a DW Commander.

__________________
NRA Life Member

I had a first year 645 back in the day.The problem I noticed with the grip was that it made the gun sit too high in the hand.The 1911 has a superior grip over the 645.Pachmeyers help the 645 a lot to fill the hand better,but you still have to get use to the unnatural high bore axis.Yet there might be some shooters who may not care about this at all.