Unusually Configured 645

[S&W59]

Today I found a peculiar S&W 645. It was standard in all respects except it had the factory rear adjustable target sight that is found on the original non-10th Anniversary commemorative model 745's. This isn't the shielded rear adjustable sight tower but the flat black sight with an elevation screw labeled 'up' with a directional arrow and a windage adjustment screw labeled 'R' with a directional arrow for turning it to adjust right. I've seen this exact sight on regular production model 745 IPSC guns. The frame is plainly labelled 645 with no dash or suffix. What am I looking at here?

[VASCAR2]

The S&W 745 were single action pistols and the one my friend owns has a blued slide on a stainless steel frame. If your pistol has a stainless slide and frame with DA/SA it could be part of a special small run. Lou Horton, Gil Hebbard & other vendors sold batches of unique guns similar to Talo or Larry Vickers pistols today.

For many years you could order directly from the S&W custom shop so it is possible someone special ordered the sight on this particular pistol.

This is only speculation on my part so hopefully someone more knowledgeable will chime in.

Might make it easier to identify if you post pictures of the pistol.

[Sevens]

What is most likely is that you found a regular 645 that someone installed an aftermarket adjustable sight on -- that sight they used on the very last run of 745 was very popular on the market. I know that Pachmayr packaged and sold them, I don't believe the sight had any Pachmayr branding on the sight itself. The sight looks for all the world like an LPA-style sight but I can't say for sure if that is actually who made them.

Originally Posted by S&W59

I've seen this exact sight on regular production model 745 IPSC guns. The frame is plainly labelled 645 with no dash or suffix. What am I looking at here?

If you have seen this, then you have seen altered guns, none were shipped that way.

The very first 745's were all 10th Anniversary IPSC marked, and wearing DVC-serial number prefix. They made some 5,000+ of those. All of these had the pre-Novak Novak rear. Then for 2-3 years, they made "regular" 745's that had the same pre-Novak looking big fixed rear sight that the DVC/IPSC guns had and all of these were regular serial number prefix, all in the Txx-xxxx range. (Mine is a TBM-17xx)

The very last breath of 745's were also T-series, with the factory adjustable rear sight, but none of these were IPSC Anniversary marked. I believe these were all produced in 1990. Unsure how many were made, but less than both of the previous versions.

But as far as I know, a DVC-prefix, IPSC marked 745 never had an adjustable rear sight as shipped.

[824tsv]

Weren't the 745 adjustable sights made by Millett?

[Sevens]

I would guess not Millett, but I only say that because I’ve never seen a Millett rear sight that wasn’t very loudly marked as to the fact Millett made it.

[4T5GUY]

I have seen several of these adjustable rear sight 645’s for sale. In fact I took a rather terrible picture of one just a few minutes ago. I’m sure that they work just fine, but I haven’t seen any that “fit” correctly.

Sevens you are correct in that the adjustable rear sighted 745’s had LPA sights.

Jim

[S&W59]

I've seen a few of the sighs by themselves being sold as Smith&Wesson factory adjustable sights on Ebay. Is it possible these were a factory option as 4T5Guy seems to be seeing what I am; 745's with these sights installed.

[banger]

Isn't it much more likely that the original owner simply drifted out the original fixed sight... and put in an adjustable?