Found a 845 (45 Limited) and....

BLUEDOT37

BLUEDOT37

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I found a 845 (I believe) that I'm thinking of buying & have been trying to find as much info on them as I can but haven't found a lot so far.

The one I'm looking at does not have the model# anywhere on it. It has the PC crest on the right side frame & says 45 Auto Performance on the exposed chamber/barrel. It has Bo-Mar adjustable rear sights & a dovetail front sight. The SN# is MPC02xx & is on the left side frame. It does not have the box/papers/extra mags. Gun & one mag only. It seems to be in excellent shape, the bbl. looks bright & sharp rifling. Only a minor scrape on the slide & the blue on the rear sight's corner is faded some. It's definitely been shoot but the gun is super tight, slide/frame wise. The trigger is crazy light, probably in the 2# range.

The slide mounted decocker (left side only) does not perform a decock function because it's a SA only gun. With the decocker down, the trigger can still be pulled but the firing pin is blocked from hammer (which is unusually small & stubby) by the decocker.

Questions:

- what year was this made?

- how many were made?

- what was the original retail cost?

- do the 645/4506 magazines work in this?

- are replacement parts an issue for these?

- was this distributed by Lew Horton only?

- does the barrel bushing come out? Do you need a special tool? Is it made of a special metal?

- did they have any problems/issues to be aware of?

- what would be a fair price considering it's condition?

Thanks,

Ken


PS: Bought the 845 I was looking at. See post#20 below for pics.
 
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I can answer only some of these questions.
First and most important one is yes you should buy it.
- what year was this made - 1995 to 1997
- do the 645/4506 magazines work in this? - Yes
- was this distributed by Lew Horton only? - Yes, I think.
- does the barrel bushing come out? Do you need a special tool? Is it made of a special metal? - its built on a 745 so yes and no tool required although I speak for the 745/645.
- what would be a fair price considering it's condition? - check out 745s and 645s on gun broker and if you get of for a simular price you have a bargin.
If it shoots any thing like the 745s you wil not regret it.
Cheers.
 
According to the bible, there was a ".45 Limited", & a "845 Model of 1988". What does the slide have etched on it? It Is a Performance Center pistol. Sorry I can't be more help but I know even less about 2nd Gens than I do 3rd Gens. The "Limited shows to start with an introductory serial number of MPC00xx, but it doesn't give one for the "Model of 1988".
 
Limited model?

timn8er said:
According to the bible, there was a ".45 Limited", & a "845 Model of 1988". What does the slide have etched on it? It Is a Performance Center pistol. Sorry I can't be more help but I know even less about 2nd Gens than I do 3rd Gens. The "Limited shows to start with an introductory serial number of MPC00xx, but it doesn't give one for the "Model of 1988".
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure it's not the "Model of 1998". There's nothing on the slide, either side (other than S&W on the left), so I assume it the "Limited" model.
 
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BLUEDOT37 said:
I'm pretty sure it's not the "Model of 1988" (why would they call it that?). There's nothing on the slide, either side, so I assume it the "Limited" model.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that is kind of weird. I think its pretty safe to assume it's a "Limited". That's a good looking gun! Someday I'm going to have some PC guns.:cool::cool:
 
The follow up model of 1988 had a retail price of $1495.95.

No production figure is listed for the 845 Limited.

This is a brute of a gun, simple in form, with no grip safety a wonderful grip angle and enough weight to absorb the recoil of many full power loads.

Value in today's market. I'm really not sure but a $500 to $600 price range may be in the ball park depending on your location.

Some members have found 745's for less money but they lack adjustable sights.

Does the 845 have a brinnel bushing/ spherical ring or just the fixed bushing as does the 745?

Nice gun if the price is right. Let us know if you make the purchase and the cost.

BLM
 
From what I've seen in the past year or so, you should consider yourself lucky if you can get it for under $1200+/-. I've been watching 845s for about the past 18 months and have never seen one go for under $1200.

They usually start low but break the sound barrier in the final hour when auctioned.
 
Thanks for the info! I did not realize they were so pricey.

I went from a 745 to a 945 and probably could sell the 945 for what I originally paid.

Prices are sure on the rise for any good semi auto.

BLM
 
That is absolutely an 845

Stop looking for info and go BUY it before some one else does.

The 845 is what the 952 should have been, a worthy successor to the model 52. They slide moves like wet ice on glass, the trigger break is precise and the groups are one ragged hole.

If you are going to pass on it, many of us would like the opportunity to acquire it, myself included.
 
Bushing

Bruce Lee M said:
Does the 845 have a brinnel bushing/ spherical ring or just the fixed bushing as does the 745?
Click to expand...

I don't know which it has (never saw a 745 before either), but looking at the muzzle the bushing has a slight bevel/angle cut on opposing sides, which is why I asked if it needs a special tool (came with new?) to remove it.

I only got interested in the S&W 2rd & 3rd Gen. autos recently. This gun was there several weeks ago, but that was before I got the "bug". :)

PS: It does have the spherical ring bushing.
 
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Go buy the gun if the price is right! It will feed everything including empty cases.

Heavy, robust, what's not to like?

I've never seen an 845 but I'm sure it's the kind of firearm that I enjoy shooting having both a 745 and a 945 myself.

Maybe I should find one so I can have a full hand.:)

BLM
 
if I remember correctly, my bushing housing on my 845 was threaded. I bought mine used and it would turn out by hand.

SW told me to loctite, so I cleaned threads and screwed in by hand.

the sperical ring can be removed with no tools....however some are a grizzley bear to remove.

I sold my 845 years ago...was a very nice shooting piece. I much preferred the 845 over the 945.
 
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SW CQB 45 said:
if I remember correctly, my bushing housing on my 845 was threaded. I bought mine used and it would turn out by hand.

I much preferred the 845 over the 945.
Click to expand...
I never tried to take bushing housing out of one, did not realize it was threaded.

The 945 is an above average 45ACP pistol . . . but the 845 is special. It is one of those things that if you have not experienced it, it is difficult for someone to explain to you.

Like SIG and the X5/X6 family or a Ferrari Testarosa or a Leica S2 camera. Until you handle one for yourself, there are no words that can be printed to describe the event and how it affects you.
 
when I bought my 845, (used)....I noticed the housing was away from the slide. I was able to turn it with my finger.

could the previous owner have jacked with it....yes!
could it have been that way since new...yes!

SW told me they use an adhesive and it was not supposed to be removed.
 
Bought the 845

Went ahead & made a deal I was happy with & got this today. It wasn't very dirty so it cleaned up nice. I was able to even-out the few scuff marks it had. It's a real solid gun!

Checked the trigger pull & it's right at 3# consistently. Made some "primer-only" loads & verified it fires okay, pending me getting to the range in a day or two. Definitely no light primer strikes. Slide action is silky smooth.

Need to get a few mags now, since it only came with one. Any suggestions?

What strength recoil spring did these come with? I see the 645s had 14#, per Wolff springs web site. Were these the same? I generally load my 1911 ammo on the stiff side, no light loads. Should I think about a different recoil spring?

One thing I noticed, & maybe it's normal (?) for this series, but if you dry fire it without a Snap Cap or a fired case in the chamber, the hammer doesn't fall all the way down to hit the firing pin, it stops just before. (The decocker/safety is horizontal in the fire mode) Either mag in or out. Why? What is the feature of the gun that does this?

I appreciate everybody's help & input. I'm open to more if you have it. I'll let you know how it goes at the range.



845 Limited


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845 Limited


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845 Limited


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845 Limited


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