4506 vs. 4506-1 S&W improvements
- Thread starter Orangecar
- Start date
I don't know........However my old 4506 has run forever with zero problems.
Trooper224
Well-known member
Many of the "improvements " were really implemented to ease production time and cost. It's not as if the early guns were deficient. Some engineering changes were made to accommodate the 10mm. Those were adopted across the large frame lineup to, again, simplify production. The early guns were already overbuilt for a .45, so it's not as if they needed to be made stronger. Regarding quality, in my opinion, the biggest difference is consistent QC. The 3rd gens were introduced at the tail end of one of the company's lowest periods of QC. By the time the -1 variants came along, S&W was at a period of peak quality control across the board.
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MattyD380
Well-known member
The 4506-1...
-Doesn't have the "step" on the frame, by the dust cover (as with the 4506 & 645). So it's thicker in that area.
-Has a slightly thicker slide than the no-dash 4506 & 645, and eliminates the "rib" at the top of the slide found on the 4506 and 645.
-It has a round trigger guard (though I think some early 4506-1s may have had hooked trigger guards?)
-Denzel Washington carried two of them in Training Day and took the 4506-1's inherent baddassery to astronomical levels; this cannot be said of the no-dash 4506.
As was described, the 4506-1 is basically a 10mm pistol. In other words, they took the 4506/645 platform, beefed it up to handle 10mm, and didn't bother making a less-beefy version for .45. The 4506 (no dash) and 645 are more or less the same, in terms of the frame/slide (though, of course, the grips, sights and other internal things are different).
I'd love to have a 4506-1. But my 645 gets the job done.
-Doesn't have the "step" on the frame, by the dust cover (as with the 4506 & 645). So it's thicker in that area.
-Has a slightly thicker slide than the no-dash 4506 & 645, and eliminates the "rib" at the top of the slide found on the 4506 and 645.
-It has a round trigger guard (though I think some early 4506-1s may have had hooked trigger guards?)
-Denzel Washington carried two of them in Training Day and took the 4506-1's inherent baddassery to astronomical levels; this cannot be said of the no-dash 4506.
As was described, the 4506-1 is basically a 10mm pistol. In other words, they took the 4506/645 platform, beefed it up to handle 10mm, and didn't bother making a less-beefy version for .45. The 4506 (no dash) and 645 are more or less the same, in terms of the frame/slide (though, of course, the grips, sights and other internal things are different).
I'd love to have a 4506-1. But my 645 gets the job done.
Trooper224
Well-known member
Don Johnson did it first in Miami Vice, season 5, with a no dash. So, that balances the badassery scale.
MattyD380
Well-known member
Fair point. I mean, I think any gigantic, stainless .45 with the S&W logo is worthy of badassery.
Though Crockett did start out with a 645... so it's got some skin in the game, too.
Well, actually, he started with a Sig P220 in the pilot. Which must have been a total unknown, at that time (I mean, I was 3 at the time--I've watched reruns). Then he went to the Bren-10, then the 645, 4506...
Though Crockett did start out with a 645... so it's got some skin in the game, too.
Well, actually, he started with a Sig P220 in the pilot. Which must have been a total unknown, at that time (I mean, I was 3 at the time--I've watched reruns). Then he went to the Bren-10, then the 645, 4506...
Trooper224
Well-known member
I was in my early 20s. Back then, the P220 was imported by Browning and marketed as the BDA. It was seen as a bit exotic for the time and spendy.
Ben-Kenobi
Well-known member
I have one and it's almost mint. It does look exotic and the heel release magazine is different.
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Jon651
Well-known member
I believe there were also some changes made to the slide rails, but I think this was done for ease of machining and standardization across the model line. I don't think you can use the slide from a "no-dash" on a "dash-one" model, except for possibly a few of the transitional 4506 to 4506-1 models. Someone else here may know more.
I learned this when I purchased a slide and barrel from a 4516 for use on my 4506. The first top end I tried was from a 4506-1, and while it did mount up to the rails on my 4506 it was mismatched as far as the slide stop and internals were concerned, making it non-functional. I had to use a slide specifically from a 4516 "no dash" on my 4506 "no dash" and it functions perfectly.
(In case you wanted to know, a 4506 lower with a 4516 upper makes what is essentially a 4596.)
I learned this when I purchased a slide and barrel from a 4516 for use on my 4506. The first top end I tried was from a 4506-1, and while it did mount up to the rails on my 4506 it was mismatched as far as the slide stop and internals were concerned, making it non-functional. I had to use a slide specifically from a 4516 "no dash" on my 4506 "no dash" and it functions perfectly.
(In case you wanted to know, a 4506 lower with a 4516 upper makes what is essentially a 4596.)
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Miami_JBT
US Veteran
I cannot play musical chairs with my 4506-1 and 645.
Trooper224
Well-known member
There are also internal differences in the frame and lower barrel lug design.
TexasDog
Member
OK, so according to what I'm seeing on this page, there are four versions of the 4506: 4506, 4506rev1, 4506-1, 4506rev3.
.This is a page from a 1994 Smith Wesson Stocking Dealer book I had picked up. Full of 1993 info.
It shows 45 Series parts breakdown (by model) as: M645, M745, M4506, M4526, M4546, M4566, M4576, M4586, M4516, M4536, M4556.
Unfortunately, it has zero information on part numbers for the 4505. I should then be looking for a 1992 handgun parts and accessories book?
I read (here) the 4505 is 4506-1. Appears so. I can put a 4516-1 slide or a 4553TSW slide on the 4505 frame. But not on a 4506 frame. Nor can I swap slides with a 4505 & 4506.
.This is a page from a 1994 Smith Wesson Stocking Dealer book I had picked up. Full of 1993 info.
It shows 45 Series parts breakdown (by model) as: M645, M745, M4506, M4526, M4546, M4566, M4576, M4586, M4516, M4536, M4556.
Unfortunately, it has zero information on part numbers for the 4505. I should then be looking for a 1992 handgun parts and accessories book?
I read (here) the 4505 is 4506-1. Appears so. I can put a 4516-1 slide or a 4553TSW slide on the 4505 frame. But not on a 4506 frame. Nor can I swap slides with a 4505 & 4506.
