What is the going rate for 4506's these days? I am a little late to the 3rd gen party.

ETA: Range report on page 2

I would say a solid $500-550 for something with 2 mags no box or papers in about 80-90% in the midwest region.

hope you are not in california because there is a very clean one with a "sale Pending" at an asking price of $1250

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I'd say more like 600-650. Especially if its clean. +/- for fixed sights and hooked trigger guard/pre mim.

SVT28

$500 is sweet deal territory for a nice condition 2 magazine gun. Value approaches $800 with box and accessories. Think of the cost of a new 1911 as a comparison.

The pistol I'm looking at is 90%, no box or papers with 5 factory mags and 4 aftermarket "hi caps". which I couldn't care less about. It has a square trigger guard and adjustable sights with round type grips.

Actually, you're right. I got $800 for this one, lnib,about 2 years ago. 4506-1 r3 ver 4 or was it rel4 ver 3
Anyways it went quick on an auction site, not the well used one. I think the MIM parts were in demand

Don't really miss it at all.


Pics to come.

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The mags may be a problem cause they will be valued at $20-30 a piece if you want them or not.
I agree that 600-800 is the range. New in box could be higher.

As you've described it, that gun would be tagged at $599 to $649 in one or two of my local shops. Some no-dash 4506 pistols tagged at $699.00 in the past year did not sell at that price. Perhaps the extra magazines will help but no factory box will likely hurt.

Prices are lower in my neck of the woods. A 4506-1 in nice shape has been sitting for sale for a while at $650.

A 4506-1 as you describe would bring around $650 locally. You occasionally can come across a better deal. But those usually dont have a box and have been carried a bit.

With a little Scotchbrite and Flitz they clean up like new. Great 45s!

And unlike a 1911 they go bang everytime. Right out of the box. With no gunsmithing or aftermarket parts needed.

Buy it. You will be glad you did. Regards 18DAI

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7 +1 Rounds of hope & change

Thanks folks. All good info thanks to all for bringing me up to speed on these nice pistols. I remember when the first came out and thinking that they were kinda ugly and somewhat pricey (for me at the time). Now not so much. They now seem much more "classic". Who still makes holsters for the early, square guard type?

Stoner Holsters lists the 4506 for several of their IWB models.....his holsters have worked very well for me .. Holsters by Stoner Holsters

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Aker, Safariland and Murphs also still make holsters for all the variants of the 4506. Regards 18DAI

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7 +1 Rounds of hope & change

I TOO THOUGH THE SAME THING LIKE YOU FRIEND BACK THEN. BUT QUICLY CAME TO REALISE HOW WELL AHEAD OF THEIR TIME THEY WERE! THE TESTAMENT TO THIS IS THAT THEY HAVE STARTED BECOMING COLLECTORS ITEMS ALREADY, WHILE THEY STILL PERFORM THEIR ASSIGNED DUTY WITH SOME POLICE DEPARTMENTS WORLDWIDE!!!! THE ADDED BONUS IS THAT THEY ARE SO OVERBUILT, THAT EVEN AS COLLECTORS ITEMS, THEY CAN STILL BE USED WITHOUT SHOWING WEAR AND TEAR! LOL! AS FOR THE "PRICEY," A "GUNS AND AMMO" CATALOGUE FROM 1991 SHOWS ABOUT EQUAL MSRP AS THE SIG SAUERS AT THE TIME. BETTER VALUE IF YOU ASK ME, IF YOU COMPARE THE MACHINED SMITHS TO THE STAMPED STEEL SIGS.

OH, AND ME PERSONALY I AM A BIG JUNKIE FOR THE SQUARE TRIGGERGUARDS. I HAVE BOTH, BUT I PREFFER BY A LOT THE SQ.TR. I KINDA SEE THE ROUNDED AS IF IT WAS "COST NEUTERED". HOWEVER, ONE HAS MORE CHOICES IN HOLSTERS WITH THE RND TRIGERRGUARD THAN THE SQ. FOR YEARS I HAVE USED A LEATHER BIANCHI S3 IWB FOR A BERETTA F92, AND HAS WORKED FINE. KEEP IN MIND, LEATHER CAN BE PLIABLE, AND A HOLSTER THAT FITS A SIMILAR SIZE GUN, MAY BE MADE TO FIT.

So I took 18DAI's advice and made the deal for the 4506. Don't have it in hand yet so no good picks. But now I have even more questions, most concerning magazines. The pistol will come with 5 factory mags. 2 with yellow followers and plastic base plates, 2 with red followers with steel base plates and 1 with a black follower and a steel base plate. Can someone give me a timeline for the use of these? Here is a pic
http://smith-wessonforum.com/attachm...1&d=1495218403

Attached Images

Resized_20170519_075535.jpg (81.2 KB, 108 views)

Good thread on the topic here.

Hint: The orange follower magazines are the oldest ones... the yellows replaced them... and the extended magazines are 3rd party, probably Pro-Mags.

TTSH,
Checked out the post link you provided. Very good info there and I think I have a very basic understanding, but where do the base plates fit into all of this. Are they time, serial or model specifc? I guess what I amm trying to figure out is could any of the factory mags be the ones that came with the pistol? How many mags were shipped with the pistols? The aftermarket mags are not a concern they just were a part of the deal.
Thanks for the reponse and the link.

I'd need to know your serial number (most of it anyway... to establish the approximate date it left the factory) to answer your question with any real certainty. My 645 came with two original magazines so I assume that early 4506 stepped-frame models likewise came with two magazines.

The infamous 4506 magazine recall occurred in December 1989/January 1990. The yellow follower magazines came out at some point right around or after that recall. But by the time of the recall, S&W was already putting out plastic floorplate magazines for the 4506... no longer metal floorplates except maybe by special order.

So is yours a very early 4506? If so, those metal floorplate magazines could be original with the gun (well, at least one or two of them maybe).

Or was your 4506 manufactured at some point close to or after the recall and the switch to yellow follower magazines? If so, then maybe the two yellow follower magazines were original to the gun.

Got that?

++++++++++

ETA: Another good older thread, this one on the 645/745/4506 rubber pad floorplate magazines, is here.

Yep I got it. I do not have the SN at this time. So another question while we wait, about what year did the 4506-1 make it's appearance?

1992....

Thanks for the info and the patience. This is my first S&W auto let alone my first Gen 3. I am pretty well versed in the revolver system I think but this grasshopper has much to learn about the autos.

Congrats on your new 4506!

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Gen.3= Glocks....3rd. Gen.=S&W....the "nomenclature police" around here will revoke your membership card for such transgressions........................btw...congrats on the 4506

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TTSH....has become the resident expert on all things pertaining to S&W mags........

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My 4506-1 was made 6/24/1992. TYU prefix and production code 108163

Right you are! My apologies to all.

A big congrats to the OP for his wise purchase. I have an early 4506 too. I've only had it for four years but it very quickly became my very favorite semi-auto that I regularly shoot. Its accuracy and reliability are superb. And, I'm also a fan of the square trigger guard. One of the best things I did was fit it with Hogue rubber grips. My accuracy improved immediately as the Hogues fill the gap between the right panel and my palm giving me much better purchase. It is something you might consider when you become familiar with yours.

A couple of posters above commented on how they were not very impressed with the 3rd gens when they were introduced. I can't really say why, but that was true for me as well. Maybe back then my mind was telling me that full-size semi-autos should be blued with wood grips. Now, I think they are gorgeous, even with OEM plastic.

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You are correct sir! The 4th Edition Bible is misleading in that regard. The 3rd Edition Bible got it right... 1992. I'll fix my post.

Only for the all-metal, center-fire S&W 1st, 2nd & 3rd Gens. That's mainly due to our laws here in MA where we need to be keenly aware of pre-ban vs. post-ban for our hi-caps... but also because even the low-capacity magazines for those all-metal S&W pistols are getting scarce if you want OEM.

That's not all that's confusing. Trigger guards are listed variously as "square, 1st, 2nd or 3rd.

Not to mention stepped-frame vs. non-stepped frame.

Here is a photo of my own Model 4506 (no dash) with its wide assortment of magazines.

Attached Images

4506.jpg (55.2 KB, 119 views)

My go to guy

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Oh man... then are we ever in trouble!!!

Very nice looking pistol! Is the spare slide assy in different caliber?

Nope. .45 ACP also. I bought the gun used with both slides and the magazines you see in the photo... one big package.

That's a nice one. I like the STG's much better.

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In moonbat Massachusetts, one takes what one can get.

Truthfully, for ancient me with my left arm handicap (and therefore my unique "TTSH Stance"), the square trigger guard almost always works better... but I still prefer the look of the rounded trigger guards on 3rd Gens.

Well, the only STG I have is an old 6904.

afaik

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Since we are talking appearance, I like the look of the straight back straps. However having not fired a 3rd gen (see got it right) .45 I have no point of reference if it handles better.

I'm with ya on the straight grips....but I installed some curve back grips because they just work better for me

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Ok so I got the SN for my new to me 4506 TCF85XX. 1988?

Ok so I got the SN for my new to me 4506 TCF85XX. 1988?
Sorry �� double tap.

Yep! First year production. So back to your magazine question: Those metal floorplate magazines would be the type that were originally shipped with your early production 4506.

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ETA: Would you believe that my own Model 4506 has a TCF85XX serial number too. Date on the box is December 28, 1988... so it is possible that your Model 4506 was really a very early-1989 gun (officially speaking!). Note that my own 4506 came with the rubber-padded metal baseplate magazines as shown in the photo above.

I'be never had anything from the first year of production . Pretty good I think for a first time Thanks for the information on the magazines and good luck to you with your retirement villa

It is always nice come here and find a new thread by a new owner of a 4506 or 45XX. Lots of good info is always exchanged about the finest production semi auto .45...ever! I hope you will come to love yours as much as I do mine.

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I did not see your edit until this morning when I got up to go to work. Our pistols surely know each other . Sadly I do not have the box so no date. Back when these pistols were made I was all about the revolver.

Depending on who answers when you call the mothership you'll at least get the year and most of the time month of when your firearm was made. I had a guy ask for all 6 serial numbers. Within a few hrs he emailed me the month day year and production codes for each one I gave him. .

Well here is an update. Got the 4506 in hand and it is in nice shape. Some holster wear on the top edges of the slide and to the stepped side of the frame. Pictures when I get my camera back from my daughter. I got 5 factory mags with it. One is clearly a 645 mag which I like a lot, 2 are red followed types with steel base pads that look as if there were rubber padded at one time. These have the mag lock cutout on both sides. The last two are yellow followers with plastic base plates. Ordered a straight stock from midway yesterday. Was the mystery of the double lock cuts ever solved? What can I use to minimize some of the scratches the she has accumulated over time?