I found an unusual 4506 in a local shop. The model and serial number appear to be hand engraved. It also has a "45 Tactical" noted slide on it. I know this slide was offered on other models, but I've never seen it on a 4506.

The other side of the slide doesn't have anything abnormal or info leading me to believe it was a police dept gun.

Anyone have any insight on this gun?

Edit: I've recently ensured the opportunity to take any pics of this gun needed. I probably paid way too much, but I like her. ;-)

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I have had two model 4506 pistols. One I bought and put in my safe, the other I carried on duty, it had been to the range once (50 rounds). I retired shortly thereafter and was given my duty weapon. I sold the one in my safe, and kept my duty weapon. Neither looked like your photos. I do have a .45 with an alloy frame, which has Tactical on the slide. The 4506 models do not.

Very odd - looks someway amateurishly done - what is the barrel length? Can you post pictures of the entire gun?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Unfortunately, that is all I took.

When I got home and started researching it, I learned how odd it was. I plan on going back to look at it more tomorrow & I'll take more pics.

Hard to tell from your pics. I would need to see the length of the slide and whether or not the trigger guard is rounded to be sure.

But it appears to me that somebody cobbed a 4566TSW slide onto an L.A.P.D. Commererative, two tone 4506 frame.

I can tell you that is definitely an L.A.P.D. Commereative frame. That is the exact style of laser etching they used on those. Shame someone took the slide off one of those. They are beautiful guns. Regards18DAI

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7 +1 Rounds of hope & change

Well done, 18!

As soon as I saw the thread title, I had prepared my response before reading the thread: "I'm sure 18DAI will be along and will answer your question."

Now, the only remaining question is more of a rhetorical one: Why would somebody perpetrate such an atrocity on a LAPD 4506 Commemorative?

Sixgun, I realize your interest in the gun is probably just your curiosity at seeing such an unusual-looking S&W and wondering what it was, but if you're in the market for a 4506, there are many great examples for sale out there. 18DAI has posted extensively about this model, and you might find his research helpful in selecting just the right one of these -- again, if you're looking.

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Ukraine -- now more than ever

Q: It thought that the LAPD 4506 was limited to 500 units, with the Serial # starting with LAP0xxx. The frame in the photo has a serial # that begins with UJB45xx or VJB45xx, What am I missing?

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

Dunno. Overrun frame?

Im trying to figure out how they got a TSW topend to go on a non TSW frame. I just went upstairs and tried it. With a 4th revision 4506 frame and a 4566TSW topend. No go. Regards 18DAI

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7 +1 Rounds of hope & change

I too have a very unusual gun, a 3913NL two-tone. I'll tell you the same thing I was told by more knowing forum members, the only way to know for sure is to drop the $75 on a factory letter.

Could the slide be a pre-rail TSW slide?

I'm going to agree that the frame is an LAPD commemorative frame.

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Un-Reconstructed Southerner

Is there something I need to be looking for? It cycles, de-cocks, cocks, and (dry) fires without issue. I just got it home. I will say the "re-set" is around 1/8"....

What will the factory letter tell me? I can get the documents from Cabelas corporate that will confirm it was shipped to them from S&W. Will the factory letter show the length of slide, any custom stuff, if the gun was a factory demo (as I suspect this gun was), etc?

Thx

Sixgunz, the slide is definitely a 4566 slide instead of, as the shop's tag says, a 4506 5" gun. If you're happy with it, that's all that matters, but seems to me the shop's labeling smacks of (perhaps unintentional) misrepresentation.

Good news, of course, is that you can look for a 4506 slide (complete, of course) that you can change out for the 4566 slide when you want to scratch the full-size gun itch. That's sorta what I do with my non-TSW 4566 -- bought the longer slide to give me the option whenever I felt like it.

Just for grins, here's a link to a closed auction for an LAPD 65th Anniversary Commemorative, just for comparison purposes:

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/707547822

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Ukraine -- now more than ever

I thought of that. If I can prove the gun was shipped from S&W to the seller in "as is" condition, does that change things?

It will tell you how that serial number left the factory. If it was a special order, it will tell you that too. Some letters are one page, some are two pages.

My own opinion -- and just that -- is that the chances this was shipped this way from the factory to a seller are very small. But if you get a factory letter that says it was shipped the way you have it now, perhaps as an unusual special order, I don't see that it really changes anything about you having a 4506 engraved frame with a 4566 TSW slide on it.

My gut tells me this gun was changed somewhere along the line after leaving the factory as a commemorative 4506 for somebody, somewhere. Again, though, just my opinion, and the important thing is, if you're happy with a gun you bought, that's what counts.

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Ukraine -- now more than ever

Pretty much what he said, chances are small, but "never say never with S&W." If it bothers you and you need to know, get a letter. If you don't really care and like the gun, don't worry about it and enjoy some fine shooting.

The SCSW says there were 500 units and the serial started with LAPD0xxxx, true.

It also says these were sold through the department's pistol club shop for, I suppose, as long as they would sell at the $969.95 price tag, and the rest were later sold through distributors at $659.

I wonder if the rest of the guns were sold with the LAPD engraving and the fancy slide and grips, or if S&W engraved the rest the way that Sixgunz's pistol shows, with different grip panels and (perhaps) a standard 4506 slide.

Maybe somebody who owns one of the $659 guns will chime in on how his or her gun is engraved and if it has the fancy slide and grips.

Just a thought.

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Ukraine -- now more than ever

I found older threads about the U stamped by the serial number designates pistol is used, demo or LEO trade in. My 5906 is stamped with a U

Some of them, like my 4013, were "U" stamped on the trigger guard's side.

.

Sixgunz: Your 5th picture says it came with the box. Can you show us the box's label?

.

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Waiting for the break of day

Man after my own heart. When in doubt, buy it.

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A republic if you can keep it

Strange..........................

Could it be a special order for a guy with UBJ initials and 4565 serial# is also a .......Model # ...... 45 (caliber) 6(compact slide) 5 (? cus it's not blue) ??????????????????????????


Or a "lunchbox gun"????????????????

Is there a serial number on the frame under the grips?

Im starting to lean twards BAM-BAMs opinion. Possible employee's or lunch box gun.

The trigger is flash chromed with a MIM hammer. And someone with some knowledge got a 4566TSW slide to fit and function on a non TSW frame. Very interesting gun.

The L.A.P.D. Commererative scroll laser etching with a non L.A.P.D. serial prefix is a puzzle too. A Jinx Letter on this gun would probably be an interesting read. As would the product code if the box is available. Regards 18DAI

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7 +1 Rounds of hope & change

S&W employee "VJB" who wanted a .45 when he retired at 65. Just a WAG. Nice gun.

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Made it, Ma! Top of the world!

I was wondering when someone was going to buy this! I looked it over really hard twice at the Glendale Cabela's (I assume this is the same one due to the interesting nature and features lol) and also wondered how it came about. I never asked to look at the box, but is it numbered to the gun? I thought it was was a Frankengun that had the frame refinished and engraved. But, what was interesting is when I first saw it, there was also a 4516 for sale that appeared factory correct with the same "engraving" of the model and serial on the frame. I'm not sure if this helps your quest for information on this gun but I still think these were custom fabs from someone who liked their single stack Smith 45s.

SVT28

SVT28 did the 4516 have roll marks on the slide or was it laser etched?

Do you recall if it had the long beavertail or the short one? Thanks! Regards 18DAI

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7 +1 Rounds of hope & change

At this point we may have to chip in some bucks so he can get the letter and solve this mystery.

Slide was laser etched, short beavertail. I didn't think they made 4516TSWs or 4506TSWs so thats why I passed on both. I think they were priced at $699 for the 4516 and $799 for the 4506, both price points that were way too steep for me. (Even though they'd go great with my 4566TSW, 4586TSW, 4513TSW) Too much money to gamble without a factory letter. If they were <$500 I would have bought both.

SVT28

If you look closely, it is also a 2nd gen wide trigger and not the 3rd gen narrow trigger.

Actually, the TSW slides with the front frame rail slots fit just fine on the standard 45 rear rail only frames in my experience (just tried it) in much the same way as a front and rear railed standard 3913 slide will run on a Value Line 908 rear rail only frame, but not vice-versa.

This is the part that has me puzzled.

Agreed!

John

Pics of the box. It looks like it's a re-tread box with new stickers on it.

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I don't see the sku/product code listed in the 45xx section of the 4th edition bible. I see a 149174 for the LAPD commemorative under 4506 but unless I missed it.

Yes, there is.

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Yeah, this thing has GOT to be lettered.

For one, I agree it has a 2nd Gen trigger. Didn't notice that until I went back and looked.

Puzzling that it did leave the factory with a 5 inch barrel. To me, that says it has been changed/altered AFTER leaving the factory. Where? I have no idea.

Smith & Wesson was infamous for deviations from the norm, but this is quite strange. They would use up old parts after model changes, I assume to be thrifty.

My guess is that this might have gone through the old Performance Center. The owner may have been displeased and sent it back. Being thrifty it was reconditioned and sent out the door.

I could be wrong.

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Un-Reconstructed Southerner

This is a GREAT point.

In the first pictures of the pistol it clearly shows a U stamped on the trigger guard.

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Un-Reconstructed Southerner

For arguments sake, is there any way that no other option but a 5" barrel notation was available when S&W printed out the sticker when "4506" was input as a model?

I know that on some automated systems, once you select one option, your subsequent options are limited.

IDK

I wonder if whoever bought the other gun is a member here.. it's a shame you weren't able to snag the pair. Looking at the label, I think this gun may have been a dealer special or an employees gun.

I bought a 4516-2 a while back with what I assume is factory front slide serrations NIB and the dealer also had a 4506 with the same serrations. In hindsight, I wish I bought both.

SVT28

That plastic box, of course, is the new/current style box. I guess you noticed the "022317" date code on the sticker, like is the current dating format.

In the first picture I can see that there's another sticker under the top one.

My 4013 was a "U" stamped pistol & the product code started with a "6", which also signifys a "Used" gun, & it had two labels stacked on top of each other, like yours.

Being the curious one, I used a hair dryer, on low heat, to warm up the top label until the glue was soft enough to lift the top label (they're plasticized & moderately tuff but go slow) & read the bottom label.

Don't know if you're interested this angle?

.

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Waiting for the break of day

I would say entirely possible with the way S&W labels are computer generated these days.

Some excellent detective sleuthing in this thread. The "U" on both the box and the frame clearly indicates that this gun was recycled through the factory (after its original configuration, purpose and/or ownership, whatever that was) and was then resold by S&W as a used gun earlier this year. The new box style in combination with another label underneath the new label is intriguing. I'm not surprised at the new style box in and of itself given the recent shipping date... but with an older label underneath? Could be nothing more than a re-purposed box... or it could be a valuable clue.

As far as I know, there was no other barrel option for the 4506. If there were, I would think it be a 4566. The only variations on the 4506 of which I am aware are the following:

4505: Blued
4526: Stainless with frame cocker
4546: Stainless DAO

All of these had 5 inch barrels.

I'm leaning towards this was a custom gun at some point. I'm still perplexed by the top end. SOMEONE SOMEWHERE had access to the means to make it fit. I have tried every TSW slide I have on a 4506 frame, and they just don't fit. I don't have a non-TSW slide, but I assume it would fit. It seems plausible that a regular old guy could swap the non-TSW slides, but how did the TSW slide get on there?

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Un-Reconstructed Southerner

Note: IIRC Some of the early PC Shorty9s, or was it the SD-9s shipped in boxes labeled as "5906"

Once again, no mystery here.

S&W 45acp, TSW, TDA (4566TSW, 4513TSW) Top ends (slide/barrel/recoil spring assemblies) will fit and cycle just fine on 4506, 4516, 1006 frames with no problem. (I just did it again!)

Non-TSW top ends will NOT slide on to TSW frames because a non-TSW slide lacks the grooves at the front of the slide to match with the frame rails on the TSW frame.

I would like to see a clear picture of this pistol looking straight at the muzzle.
Then we could see the interface between the slide's grooves and the frame's rails (or lack, thereof).

John

Here you go.

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Perfect!
Thank you!

As you can see quite clearly in the 1st picture, there are no rails protruding inward from both sides of the dust cover on the standard 4506 frame.
These frame rails fit in the grooves you can see on either side of the recoil spring tunnel of the 4566TSW slide.
The TSW frame HAS those rails.

The second excellent photo shows the dust cover and lack of rails on the typical large non-TSW semi-auto frame (40 single stack, 45, 10mm).

The 3rd shot shows the rear rails only of the non-TSW large frame.

4th and 5th show the inside of the TSW slide and the front grooves on the recoil spring tunnel.

Clearly, someone has placed a 4566TSW Top End and a 2nd gen wide, flash chromed trigger on an unusually marked standard 4506 frame.

Other than the laser engraving of the frame, nothing more than swapping parts.

The big question is who did it and why?

John

And the next question is: Would the mothership have let that gun go out the door that way as a factory refurbished used gun?

I say no way.

Truely an odd mix. I wonder how this would affect price/resale value.I see no benefit, unless someone had all the extra parts and assembled a new gun. Before I would have this gun lettered I would call S&W and see what they can tell you about this gun.

That's a good point. This being such a recent factory sale of a refurbished "used" gun, they should at least be able to tell you who it went to... and if that was Cabela's, it would tell you that the gun probably shipped in the same configuration that Cabela's sold it in. That said, I just can't see the mothership selling a factory refurbished "U-stamped" gun with a mismatched frame & slide as shown in the latest pix. I still believe the mothership cares enough not to put out a gun so mismatched even if it is functional like that.

I called S&W and was told the gun was originally built in January, 2001. There was a note that it was a special order (unknown by whom) It shipped to Cabelas in May, 2017 as a used gun...which matches Cabelas’ information. There were no notes regarding the engraving or shorter slide.

Wow! So it appears that the mothership did ship it out to Cabela's in its current configuration.

16 years old and a "U"........."factory direct" S&W to Cabelas'..........hummmmmmmm????????

Demo gun?..... concept gun?........????????? Built from parts?