3rd Gen S&W 4526 Restoration Resurrection

That was a superb restoration. That previous owner is a criminal, really. He did have the right result with the threads where they are it was going to be truly silenced. Could you tell us how long it took for smith to resurface the slide??
 
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18DAI said:
I have seen your Youtube videos, OUTSTANDING! Sorry, I didn't realize that was you. Your videos should be stickies here.

In fact, I've watched your slide disassembly/reassembly several times this month in anticipation of a project I may be doing in February.

You sir are quite talented! Any chance we will see some videos dealing with the 2nd gen 645? Regards 18DAI
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No plans for a 645 yet but I have been asked to put up a video on teardown/reassembly of the Sig style de-cocker guns (XX76, XX26 series guns). Those XX76, XX26 guns are much more difficult to put back together compared to the other 3rd gens. I have also been asked to show, in detail, how to bead-blast these guns in order to duplicate the original factory finish along with how to re-blacken the stainless bits on the TSW guns like the slide stop and safety decocking levers.

I am on the fence about the bead blast video because I am afraid unscrupulous people will re-finish a gun and try to sell it online as new or like new.

What do you guys think?
 
Dukesamson said:
That was a superb restoration. That previous owner is a criminal, really. He did have the right result with the threads where they are it was going to be truly silenced. Could you tell us how long it took for smith to resurface the slide??
Click to expand...

I re-finished the slide myself and then sent it off to S&W to get the "warning" laser etched on the slide. Laser etching must be the last step in the entire process.

I was able to get the slide back within a couple weeks. I provided photographs of exactly where on the slide the warning was to be etched and also the type-font style.
 
 
BB:

I thought you would like to know this information regarding your 4526. I have a 4576 that I picked up in early 2007. I obtained a factory letter on it in the summer of 2007. The first part of the letter appears to be form intended to cover both the 4526 and 4576. Regarding you 4526, Roy Jinks wrote:
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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Production of my 4576 totaled 1,386 units. Both pistols were introduced in 1990 with a price of $740.00. HTH
 
Denver Dick said:
BB:

I thought you would like to know this information regarding your 4526. I have a 4576 that I picked up in early 2007. I obtained a factory letter on it in the summer of 2007. The first part of the letter appears to be form intended to cover both the 4526 and 4576. Regarding you 4526, Roy Jinks wrote: Production of my 4576 totaled 1,386 units. Both pistols were introduced in 1990 with a price of $740.00. HTH
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DD,

That is great info. I know that production numbers of 1300 makes this a rare gun but I am surprised that production was actually that high based on how few of these 4526's and 4576's come up for sale. I have actually seen the very rare 3rd gens like the 1046, 4056, 4054, 6944 etc. come up for sale more often than I have seen these 4526 and 4576 models and believe me I have been looking very hard for these two models for the last four years.

I suppose that if most of these were manufactured for the LE market then that might explain why there are so few in the consumer market? Maybe most of them are still in the LE inventories?
 
If my son ever did that to one of my guns, he wouldn't have to worry about the police
I'd break my foot off so far up his butt, he'd get a case of athlete's tonsils.

Great job.
Great pistol.

Honestly, it's hard to believe it's the same gun.
 
man that is awsome on the before pics i was gonna tell you to try some flitz but know i have to know what you did,talk about night and day difference,glad to see that nice piece back to life.
 

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BLUEBELLYYANKEE said:
DD,

That is great info. I know that production numbers of 1300 makes this a rare gun but I am surprised that production was actually that high based on how few of these 4526's and 4576's come up for sale. I have actually seen the very rare 3rd gens like the 1046, 4056, 4054, 6944 etc. come up for sale more often than I have seen these 4526 and 4576 models and believe me I have been looking very hard for these two models for the last four years.

I suppose that if most of these were manufactured for the LE market then that might explain why there are so few in the consumer market? Maybe most of them are still in the LE inventories?
Click to expand...
I was on an intensive hunt for 3rd Gens from January 2007 to fall of 2009, and since then I've still been looking, just not as hard. In all that time, I've seen only ONE Model 4576 . . . and I bought it. I've still never run across a Model 4526. I think some of the reason other rare 3rd Gens show up more often has to do with caliber, .45 ACP pistols are popular. Frankly, the .45 and 10mm 3rd Gens are some of, if not the, best examples of the 3rd Generation autos. JMHO, of course. ;)
 
I saw a 4526 a year or so ago in the used section of Bud's Gun Shop. I should have pulled the trigger, but at $750 for a less than great condition (though way nicer than the OP's pistol) I hesitated. Silly me.

I've seen a couple of 4576s over the last few years. One of them was in the classifieds here. It was the rarer (I'm told - but I've never seen production figures to support) round trigger guard variants. Someone here was quicker than me and took the prize home.

Surprised it wasn't mentioned here already, the rarest 45xx frame mounted decocker of them all: the 4536. Managed to snag one of those from a local classified. Pounced on it like a hungry cat on a fat mouse! I've only seen one other 4536. It was feaured in a thread from a forum member that found one NIB/LNIB condition at a LGS.

While clearly far from common, they do show up in places other than GunBroker, where I have alerts that haven't gone off for a couple of years now...
 
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