Was the 645 made in two different stainless finishes? I looked up the sold prices on one of the auction sites and they averaged about $700 except for one which was described as "bright stainless" and sold for $1475 with a whole bunch of bids which looks like the one I am looking at. It looked from the pictures to be different than the others but some of the other pictures weren't great so it was hard to tell how bright they were. The expensive one had Pachmayr grips on it and so does the one I am looking at.

Was there any possibility that there were two different models of the 645? I know auctions are weird but I think the higher priced gun was presented as a high polish factory model although the ad was vague. It certainly brought better money and more bids than the others. In the Colt Python market bright stainless brings bigger bucks.

I believebthe 645 came in only a brushed stainless finish and originally had plastic S&W grips like the one below.

I believe the 645 came in only a brushed stainless finish and originally had plastic S&W grips like the one below.

Yes. The 645 had some flats brushed. The step down on the frame and the top of the slide was left bead blasted.

"Bright stainless" is one way for gunbroker consignors to talk up a mothers/flitz job on a factory brushed finish. There have only been a few "bright stainless" finishes from the factory, one that comes to mind is an early original model 60 no dash. The 645 was never offered in this finish.

Nowadays when I see "bright stainless" as a description on gunbroker, it just means non original aftermarket polished finish. Some people dont mind the high polish look. If a gun has been professionally polished by someone like Patriot Gun Polishing, I could see it adding value to a gun with the right buyer.

I digress. A factory finish 645 like the picture posted in this thread, with no box, should be bought between $550-$700 depending on mags and if the gun is complete (ie. Screw holding decocker on right side still in tact etc)

Hope this helps
SVT28

Sent from my LM-V450 using Tapatalk

I have never seen a factory high polish finish on a Model 645. The flats on the slide and the raised portion of the receiver will have a brushed finish, but not highly polished.

__________________
VCDL, GOA, NRA

I agree. No such thing as a factory 'Bright Stainless' finish on the Model 645.

I scored mine as clean as they come nowadays, and the slide flats do shine, but they aren't polished. (Pic attached).

Any ad claiming a 'Bright Stainless' finish is one created by a prior owner's hand-application of Flitz to boost its appearance in order to garner a higher sales price.

Attached Images

IMG_20200808_113758325.jpg (120.7 KB, 26 views)

The 645 came with a brushed finish with a semi polish on the slide. The bead blast finish came on it’s predecessor.

My 645 is as Laketime described. Love that pistol.

__________________
Kind regards, Heinz