Found a parts kit online for a model 457 45 Acp. Interesting thing is the slide is marked on the right side in what appears to be laser type script engraving " S.A. Target Conversion" from what I can tell looking at the computer screen. Has anyone heard of this type of conversion? Or can steer me to who did this type of work?
I found it on a site called everygunpart.com, they have quite a few S&W parts.

That's an interesting site. It seems that they sell complete (minus the receiver) gun kits. Too bad that they don't sell individual parts. Or maybe they do and I didn't see it because I was looking on my phone.

As to your question, that's interesting. I don't think of the 457 as a target model, but it is pretty accurate.

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Can open, worms everywhere.

^^^ yes,interesting site !

I'll echo that it's an interesting site, thanks for making me aware of it. Never heard of that conversion or who may have done it, I'm guessing a single-action conversion? That parts kit sure is pricey though, you could easily score a complete used 457 for the same price (or even less).

I had the same thought about the price. In fact, that's $100.00 more than I paid for a very nice 457 in box with two magazines around the beginning of this year.

Unless I had a really nice frame only, I can't see paying that much for a Value Line parts kit.

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Can open, worms everywhere.

Yeah, I paid about the same price as this kit for a New Old Stock 457 a few years ago. Other 457 parts kits come up and sell on Gunbroker for less than $200 if your patient. I guess the big difference would be the potential changes this SA Target mod did to the kit (and if that's something you're interested in).

Thank you all for the help, it is still something I am curious about.
I will keep looking into it and post here what I find.

That's an interesting site. As if I need something else to keep me awake at night, now I'm thinking Frankenguns. A blued 5904 slide on a 469? Sort of an officer's model TDA in 9mm. All for less than $500 with my pistol and the extra, unneeded parts I could sell, so the cost would go down and I'd have a primo carry gun, longer slide for extra accuracy, shorter grip for concealability and the holsters I have would still work and wouldn't the guys at the range think I had the coolest gun and it would up my personal coolness quotient and I better rein in all this fantasy before I get carried away.

A little irritated at this thread , I've been buying parts kits from them for a while now, looks like now I've got some new competition for the good deals!

Actually, I was almost tongue in cheek in an earlier post, but looking at the parts site further got me really thinking. The company has a 5944 kit. Double action only. Put that on a 469 frame and it would be a really sweet package. It seems I would have to switch hammer and sear to get DAO, while keeping the shorter hammer strut of the 469. Am I missing something? Is there anything about a TDA 2nd Generation frame that precludes the DAO 3rd generation slide? Opinions, expert or otherwise welcomed.

DAO slides are approx. 3/8" longer in the rear than TDA (da/sa) slides.

The 5944 slide could be shortened and reblued, but then the partially cocked hammer would hang out the back of the pistol.

OTOH, you could acquire a 915 or 5904 slide and convert to TSW style DAO. (Still partially cocked but not as much as original DAO and hence, a longer trigger pull.)

Otherwise, it could be made to work.

John

Thanks for the heads up, although it means another burst bubble. (They seem to be coming with more regularity lately.) Looking at the photos of the 5944 and the 5904 slides. it's easy to see the difference in lengths. In fact, I'd read on this forum about the longer slides, but since I wasn't considering any use of them, I never filed the info in my memory banks.