While I know there is a thread concerning these pistols (as well as a few pictures), I came across a gentleman recently that personally owns one new in the box. As we spoke he mentioned he may be interested in selling it and I asked if he wouldn't mind if I took some pictures for the loyal S&W Forum members before he did.... Hope you enjoy!

To the best of my knowledge there were only 30 of these guns sold to retired members when WVSP acquired the new guns.

I really wish S&W would bring back some metal guns!
















[IMG]http://i39.tinypic.com/sng***.jpg[/IMG]

As beautiful in appearance as it is in function. Thanks very much for sharing these photo's of the Melonite WVSP 4566TSW.

No good reason they can't sell this gun to the buying public. Other than maybe nobody would buy their cheap plastic guns then.

Thanks again!! Regards 18DAI

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7 +1 Rounds of hope & change

I am in love !!

If they we to offer those guns today (sans the department tattoo). I would already be done ordering it. You did make him a offer and it is now yours am I correct ? Thanks for the great pics of something we can't have. Darn you S&W.

I need another TSW(actually, three or four more!)for my very small collection of 3RD Gens! Thanks for posting!

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Lounge Lizard Extraordinaire

That's Purtiful!

Nice, but I really hate the rails.

Agree that uck prefix is around around 2008 just cant get into the plastic feel- like they are craming them on us "they will buy what we want them to buy" mentality. I have not bought a single new smith since the 9mm 1911. My friends and myself would buy these as often as money would allow.

I agree wholeheartedly and then some... That right there is the pinnacle of S&W's steel semi-auto craft. If only they would offer them for public sale. I'd sell my Harley and buy a dozen of 'em.
But alas today's S&W is much to concerned with the almighty $ and hawking plastic rubbish made from recycled trash bins and magic pixie dust mystery pot metal. Frankly I'd rather bet my life on a real steel gun that doesn't shed bit's when dry fired like an old panhead on the highway.

Beautiful pictures OP You have my thanks for sharing.

Cheers
Bill

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Because they don't make a .46

Wow, what great pics! They are the pinnacle of the 3rd Gens' evolution imo. Beautiful pistol in form and function. Thank you for sharing.

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NRA Certified Instructor

Well, thank you for finally satisfying our need to see one!!

That pistol in DAO would be the cat's meow but it's still something to look at - Wow!

I'm glad you guys are enjoying the pictures...
It's a heavy gun and when you have it in your hands, you know it's all business!... I'm definitely a fan of the metal guns. While I'm personally a little more fond of stainless finish vs the black melonite, it does look nice.

The machined rail is a really nice improvement to it's predecessor.

One of my favorite things about the gun is the barrel bushing being stainless while the barrel is black... if you look at the muzzle looks like a 20 gauge staring at you..

It's a shame S&W wouldn't do a limited run of them for the public, especially since they setup to make these guns.

Beautiful!

Now you make me feel bad about not picking up a plain Jane 4566 that i saw at 2 different LGSs. :banghead: They sat and sat and sat and i kept thinking of excuses not to buy em and one day they were both gone . But its ok I suppose, picking up a 4506 on Saturday!!! Yeaay!!

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Beautiful. I'd love to have that. If only I had the $$$$$.

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M&P .40, M&P 9c & Shield 45

I can't adequately express how much I want one of those.

I hate you for posting those pics cause now that is a must have!!!!

This classic looks like it was made just 2 years ago.

I think the melonite 3rd Gens are the best of the breed in both the 5906 and the 4566.

Nice pics.

Nice .45 pistol. I carried an issued 4566TSW for a while. Heavy, but nicely done for an all-steel, duty-size .45 pistol.

Am I seeing the details right in one of the closeups, and that's a coil pin being used as an extractor pin?

If so, they've made a change in the last year or so from the solid pins they've used for many years. I'll have to check into it. Might need some new parts for my bins.

Congrats.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Indeed:but who would Smith and Wesson sell them too?

The hundred odd fanboys on this webpage?Not much profit margin in forum group buys,sadly.

The Block fanboys? Why,they'd consider this gun to be an anachronism surpassed only by the Colt Peacemaker.Its HEAVY!Made out of METAL! ACH-it has a SAFETY! Its not TACTICAL!!!!!

Law Enforcement?Despite West Virginias fine choice in duty weapons, its a choice unlikely to be made by others. It would seem heavy,large caliber firearms with manual safeties are just too politically incorrect in these degenerate days.A bad guys feelings might get hurt looking at that big silver barrel bushing.

To the solace of myself and others here,the used market remains an option.

Actually those WVSP 4566TSW's don't have a manual safety. They are decock only IIRC. The "safety" paddles spring back up to the ready to fire position. Great feature for a duty gun. I have it on mine.

Fortunately they don't appear to have the tacky laser etched warning on the right side of the slide; "CAUTION DECOCKING LEVER AUTOMATICALLY RETURNS TO THE READY TO FIRE POSITION"

I have that idiotic warning on all my decock only 3rd gen pistols. I thought it was Rugers schtick to write all over nice looking handguns?

One negative thing I did notice on that 4566TSW in the photos. The MIM hammer has a horrendous obvious seam visible on it. None of my spurless MIM hammers have a seam that obvious. And most of those guns didn't cost $750 either. Regards 18DAI

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7 +1 Rounds of hope & change

Okay, checked into it ... and they finally approved the adoption of roll pins across the board for 3rd gen guns. I suspected that might happen sometime (hoped, anyway), when they expanded it in the M&P's from just the M&P 45's.

What's really needed is for a major distributor to invest the money to make a substantial order, like maybe 20K units ... and have enough people be willing to pay upwards of $1K each, or a little more, for them on the commercial market ... and S&W would probably be willing to find the time to work that order into their Houlton production schedule over the course of the next 2-3 years. (Can't interfere too much with the huge 1911 market demand, you know. )

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!!!!!!!!!

Coolest pic thread ever!!!!!

Why can't I get a 4505 like this?!?!?!?!?!

Why S &W?????? Why?????

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Un-Reconstructed Southerner

Are you listening to the public, S&W?

The dismaying thing is that they did listen to their public customers ... who weren't willing to pay the freight for the metal-framed guns, especially when it came to the increasingly expensive TSW's.

If commercial distributors and private buyers had been "standing in line" to pay $900 & up (retail pricing) for top-of-the-line TSW's, or even the reduced LE/Gov pricing, they'd still be making them.

I noticed something a while ago when logging onto this forum. Look at the number of people viewing the M&P subforum compared to this semiauto subforum. It probably accurately reflects the ratio of interest of the regular gun-buying public when it comes to plastic guns versus the metal TDA guns.

Then there's the inescapable consideration that it takes less time & labor to produce a M&P compared to the TSW. (And even now they're backed up several months for large LE orders for M&P's, as my former agency was told it might take 8 months or more to produce 500+ M&P's).

Then, there's the marketing fact that the 1911's are selling very, very well. Why would S&W want to take away CNC machine time from making SW1911's (a proven selling line) at Houlton?

I'd like to see the return of some of the 3rd gen line, myself. (I spoke with a friend who was able to buy one of the 4566TSW M's - Melonite - from the WVSP run, and he's very impressed with it, especially how well it shoots. Hardly surprising. )

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

I seem to remember a thread a few years back when someone was trying to get firm commitments for a run of 500 of some 3rd Gen Smith. I think he got maybe 10.

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Sure you did

I seem to remember someone indicating S&W would do it (or perhaps more correctly Lew Horton would do it) for an order of 50 units around that time. Sound familiar or am I thinking of a different thread?

I can't recall his nickname or the model he wanted to solicit - it could've been one of these actually or maybe the integrally-railed CHP-style 4006TSWs.

Wow, Great eye candy. ... Gotta be careful when passing through West Virgina!

50 sounds right, come to think of it, seems doable...maybe. So who's taking the orders, contacting Smith, and making sure everyone who said they're "in" is actually serious with some $$$$ ?

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Sure you did

I can see WV from the back porch ( when at home in Ohio ). Too bad I can't see one of those in my small collection of Smiths. It would go nice with the polished stainless 645.

Dang but that's a nice looking gun. Maybe I'll be able to get one of those 'old metal' guns one day.

I too noticed that stainless bushing surrounding the gaping .45 maw, VERY NICE INDEED!! Just the thing for making a perp feel Squeamish!
So I guess I won't tell you about the 4506-1 I picked up for $375 a few weeks ago. Now where to get mags for it? Dale

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"Long live the S&W 3rd. Gen.!"

I want a new 4566 TSW, listen to your customers S&W!

^^^^^^^^^^This^^^^^^^^^^

I like it except for the rails. We all know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I really don't like what I'll call "classic" designed guns with a rail added to the dustcover. To me, they all look like an afterthought.

But - beyond that - it is a nice looking gun.

I don't think there is much hope getting S&W to produce the metal guns though. Think of how many of the Classic revolvers they would sell without the IL - but the 29, 57, etc. all still have it. Sadly, we enthusiasts only have tiny voices.

I have one of these, but I also worked for Smith & Wesson. They sent me up to the Maine plant to do some work and I ended up testing one of these out. It shot like a dream...and because I loved it so much they gave me the last one they made. It was in 2012. It is very sweet!!!

This is the sexiest post I've ever seen on this forum... That is a mighty fine piece of Smith & Wesson history you have there, sir.

Also, can I have it?

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Find a way or make one.

I had a 4566 some years ago and after a while, for reasons unknown to me, traded it thinking they'll always be around if I want another. Lessons learned.

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Funny that you say that because that's how I feel with the classic Sig Sauer pistols. I'm not a fan of rails.

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Holy Necro-Bump, Batman!

Cool pistol, though. This West Virginian would like to own it.

Welcome to the Forum, Phrygiantheory!

We have a few musicians here, (Sorry, I'm not one of them) but we also have a severe shortage of former S&W employees!

Consequently, there is a great deal of unfounded speculation when it comes to the actual procedures within the company.

It's great to have someone aboard that has genuinely "Been There and Done That".

John

Absolutely awesome pistol.

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Life is short,live it fully.

In the plastic vs. metal guns, I had my choice between a new 9mm Shield and a travel-worn Model 469.

Well, it ain't pretty...

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CPT, Armor (Ret)
Luke 22:36