4526 is it a pig in a poke

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walter o

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Just bought a 4526 at the gun show yesterday as new in box with all papers. But after i got it home i began to wonder what i bought, little info on it.
Trigger is better than any D.A.auto i have ever had , the decocker will take some getting used to for me. I like the way it feels in hand ,almost like a 1911.So is it a good firearm ? why did S&W develop it and then stop.
was it worth $375.00
well i called S&W customer service and the gun was under recall .They sent a fed ex label and off it went . Back to me under 3-1/2 weeks repaired with 2 light punch marks under decocker lever. Evidentially they still have the parts needed to take care of the recall items. Put my fears to rest.2/25/2019
 
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Jeez, ANIB for $375? It is a scarce variant, in that condition with proper amd numbers matching box... it's easilly worth twice that and if offered by a well-known seller at auction, three times that price might be possible.

The Sig-style frame mounted decock lever was never S&W's taste or style and they only offered it on a few models. It was a request in the FBI contract for 1076 pistols, and if not for that request, S&W likely would never have developed that frame mounted lever system.

If you never use the decocker, the pistol acts basically like a 4506 except with a smooth slide that has no lever to help grasp it.

Let me say up front that I am fully aware some people may never understand this next statement, but alas... if it were me, I bought that for $375 and it is in mint condition with matching numbers box, I would definitely not shoot it. I would be looking for a shooter grade 4506 for $500-$600 to scratch that itch, I'd tuck the mint 4526 away as a NIB example of a scarce variant.

It would be a lot of enjoyment to sell that when I hit 70yrs old, along with a few others I've tucked away.
 
That's a great deal! I agree with everything Sevens said about it, except the part about not shooting it. Crabby patties are meant to be eaten and S&W 3rd Gen pistols are meant to be shot! Go have some fun with that beautiful pistol you just bought. Go kill some paper and tell us how much you enjoyed it!
 
DMcBB said:
That's a great deal! I agree with everything Sevens said about it, except the part about not shooting it. Crabby patties are meant to be eaten and S&W 3rd Gen pistols are meant to be shot! Go have some fun with that beautiful pistol you just bought. Go kill some paper and tell us how much you enjoyed it!
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I don't expect everyone to agree with my angle, but it simply occurs to me that for nearly all of the "typical use" function, a mint, NIB, NOS, unused with original box 4526 on the shooting range punching holes in paper is effectively no different than the tens of thousands of 4506 pistols that were made and sold, and are widely available on the secondary market.

Finding a mint, new-old-stock 4526 with original box? Well, the fantastic SCSW 4th Edition by Supica & Nahas says they were made in 1991 only, and it actually says exactly "Values are a guess. Probably a very scarce gun, few sales reported."

Yep, I support folks doing what they wish with their guns, as long as it's safe and not immoral. This particular one won't ever be made again, even a shooter grade one is difficult to find, and it sounds like it hasn't been shot since S&W tested it... almost 28 years ago.

I wouldn't shoot this one, but that's just me.
 
There are two questions here - how much you paid or its value, and how much you like it. You can pay a bargain price on a gun that doesn’t serve your needs or wants.
 
walter o said:
called S&W and they confirmed that my gun was under recall .They emailed a fed -ex ship label and back it go's to them
Hate to turn it loose it feels good in the hand
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Did they assure you they will be able to repair and return it? Sometimes, with old and obsolete guns, they are simply destroyed upon return.
 
Info from Roy Jinks from a previous discussion -

"The Model 4526 was cataloged by Smith & Wesson until 1991 when it was officially discontinued with a total production of 1,365 units. However, the firm continued to produce limited quantities until 1996 to supply police agencies who had purchased this model."
 
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Jeppo said:
Sometimes, with old and obsolete guns, they are simply destroyed upon return.
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I wouldn't consider that a general rule except perhaps with the infamous SW9M - at least that I've ever heard about or had experience with. I know with the frame de-cock models, they replace the sideplate - what else I'm not sure.
 
I am confused

Why not sell it to someone who really wants/collects that model, probably for double or more what you paid for it? You can then go find a 4506 or 4586 or whatever in really clean, but not unfired shape, for maybe $450-$500 and shoot that. You will have a couple hundred dollars (or more) in your pocket and a gun you would enjoy just as much, and some collector will be thrilled to find an unfired gun for his collection.

I can fully understand those who say they don't want safe queens and don't want guns they can't shoot, but I also know that collectors will pay a huge premium for unfired. Why diminish the value of an out-of-production gun if you could find another just as good for your purposes and be ahead financially? By the way, the decocker lever was cobbled together for an agency contract and was a fairly inelegant design. For actual use, I would pick a 4506 or 4586 any day.

Of course, it is your gun and you should do as you wish.

By the way, if S&W can't replace a part on a 3rd gen pistol sent to them, (especially a "safety" part or a recall) they are quite likely to tell you it is beyond repair and offer you an M&P or something else to replace it. I do not know if they can do the xx26 repair or not. If not, you won't get that gun back. They are not going to send a recalled gun back unrepaired. I would be sure they can do the repair before I sent it in...unless you really want an M&P.
 
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I just asked a question about my m4536 not long ago . We are about in the same situation . If we ever have a problem with the mag release (both the same type ) we are in trouble . Mine is used , no box , but in really good shape . Like someone else said , they may be very small runs , but they are only worth what someone that wants one is willing to pay .
 
Congratulations! That’s a fantastic deal! Me personally, I would keep in the safe. That’s a prized possession.
 
Outstanding gun, same as the 4506 but with the decock lever.. I have one also. They do come up on occasion on gunbroker. There were two other variants of the 45 with the frame decock lever 4536 and 4576..
 
These are rarely encountered pistols, even rarer to have them NIB. Since you picked this one up for $375, I think you could sell it to someone who really wants one for quite a bit more, then buy a shooter grade 4506, or sit on it and wait for its collector value to rise. Then again, it is your pistol and if you really like it and want to shoot it... it is your pistol.
 
jsbethel said:
I wouldn't consider that a general rule except perhaps with the infamous SW9M - at least that I've ever heard about or had experience with. I know with the frame de-cock models, they replace the sideplate - what else I'm not sure.
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Certainly not a general rule, which is why I wrote sometimes.

Last week, I sent a revolver back to Smith with the understanding I would never see it again because it cannot be repaired (verified by them from the photos I sent). I realize this isn’t likely to be the case with this subject gun but thought I would bring the possibility to the poster’s attention. It doesn’t hurt to clarify this with Smith when discussing potential return of old, out of production guns.
 
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I did the same back in 2012, with the result being that they sent me a newer version of the gun at no cost. They told me before I sent it in to remove any custom parts that I might have put on because the gun was not coming back to me.

OTOH, if I sent in one of my 3rd Gens and was told that it was unrepairable, I'd demand that the gun be sent back. They can't just keep and destroy my property. They can send it back and tell me that they will not assume any liability for damage or injury, but that's about it.

Back a few years ago when Toyota determined that the frame on his 2000 Tacoma was beyond repair, they told him that he could leave the truck and get a large check from Toyota. Or, he could drive it out of the shop and they'd give him nothing.

What they didn't do was crush the truck without telling him what was going on. Just as S&W wouldn't take your property and destroy it without telling you what was going on.

Jeppo said:
Certainly not a general rule, which is why I wrote sometimes.

Last week, I sent a revolver back to Smith with the understanding I would never see it again because it cannot be repaired (verified by them from the photos I sent). I realize this isn’t likely to be the case with this subject gun but thought I would bring the possibility to the poster’s attention. It doesn’t hurt to clarify this with Smith when discussing potential return of old, out of production guns.
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