4506 cosmetic differences

[TheDrake]

Hi guys, wondering if you can give me some info on the 4506.

I have an early make 4506 with square trigger guard and trijicon night sights. I was looking to sell this because I want an early one with square trigger guard and the adjustable shielded sights. I found one for sale and something looked odd about it and I noticed it does not have the step on the side of the frame above the trigger hole. It also has an angled relief on the right side of the slide where the safety/decocker is. it angles down toward the red dot on the frame. Is there a time line for these difference? are these differences in the dash and no dash models? I cant find any info.

Looking at my 4506 further, it looks like my slide was machined to accept the trijicon night sights. im not finding any pics of a 4506 as old as mine that has the step in the frame with a novak style sight. It almost appears that they started making these on leftover 645 frames? I will attach a generic pic for reference.

 

[Gunhacker]

Some of the early 4506's were made on "leftover" 645 frames... sounds like yours is one of them if it has a 645 style stepped frame marked 4506. S&W wastes nothing as uses up what they have. These as know as transitional guns, and often they will have features from both worlds.

There also the possibility that the original early slide was replaced with a newer style "novak cut" slide, but it's just as likely that it was sent to Novak who milled old style fixed sight and install his Lo-mount sight, that was service that his shop offered. Novak had a close relationship with S&W in determining some of the improvements made to the 645 design that went into the making the 3rd Generation 4506.

Novak's shop also briefly supplied slides for the very early 4506's until S&W completed their tooling up to produce their own.

 

[TheDrake]

the frame is not the same as the 645 unless they just changed some things while machining from the blank frames? The 645 has checkering on the front of the grip, the 4506 has groves and you can also see a slight difference in shape to the trigger guard.

at this point, my concern with the slide is.... its it original S&W or was it sent out and modified? Im a collector and I want all original stuff. Its bad enough this thing has old trijicon sights that barely glow LOL

 

[lrad]

IIRC the transitional did use the 645 frames, but thought they were numbered 6450, 6541, 6542. The frame TheDrake is referring to is the earliest 4506 no dash. It does have a step in the frame much like the 645, with the longer squared trigger guard but with the one-piece wrap around grip. Also the frame will have the red dot for safety where as the 645 has the dot on the slide. The 4506-1 has the flat side frame plus the round trigger guard. I think this information is correct, if not I am sure someone will be along with the correct answers.

 

[645/745 fan]

Could it be a 4566 frame?

 

[TheDrake]

I have seen the transitional model with an odd model number. Mine is market 4506. I am also seeing 4506's with the round and square trigger guard with the non-stepped side and they are not -1 models. I have found pretty much every combo out there. Some look suspicious...., -1's with silver controls and no dash with black controls. I thought the flash chromed parts were all on earlier models. I wouldnt imagine there to be a whole lot of these old smiths out there that had parts swapped out to change the look cosmetically but I have been wrong before.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

To each their own, but it would not be enough difference to me to change guns.

 

[jughed440]

Some discussion on the subject of early 4506s

http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-wesson-semi-auto-pistols/444042-sw-4506-different-models.html

What is the serial # prefix on your 4506??..if you don't mind sharing.

 

[18DAI]

Question for you fellows that own them. Are these hooked trigger guard 4506s without the step in the frame as thin as the regular 4506 no dash guns?

If so, one of those has just made the top of my buy on sight list. Only thing I liked better about the 645 and 4506 no dash was how thin the slide was. I dont have calipers, but my 4506-1's slide is a bit thicker. The thinner slide guns seem to point quicker and handle just a teensy bit better than the later guns. For me.

But the later guns had uniformly better triggers and were just a tad more accurate, for me. Thanks for sharing the info on these scarce 4506 variants. Regards 18DAI

 

[jughed440]

Question for you fellows that own them. Are these hooked trigger guard 4506s without the step in the frame as thin as the regular 4506 no dash guns?.....

I don't have a caliper to measure with. Maybe this pic will help

L to R..
4516 (no dash) with step in the frame.
4566 TSW
4506 (no dash) without the step in the frame

 

[18DAI]

Thanks jughed440!!!

To my MK1 Mod 0 eyeball it appears that the 4506 slide, without the step in the frame is the same width as the 4516 ND slide. Which means it IS thinner/narrower. Now I have to find one! Best regards, 18DAI

 

[smithfan4152]

Steps in frame

Those steps are there due to a slightly larger size, the sights are the same size. Where the ejection port is you can even see a difference in thickness, seems they also may have decreased the angle which came up the side.

 

[jughed440]

18DAI, i borrowed a good digital caliper from a neighbor who reloads.
All 3 slides measure different and the 4506 falls in the middle.

4516 ND, .935"
4506 ND, .978"
4566 TSW, .990"

So the difference between the 4516 and the 4566 is roughly 1/18".

 

[18DAI]

Thank you sir! Much appreciated! Best regards, 18DAI

 

[TheDrake]

what step are you guys talking about? where is there info about thinner slides?

 

[jughed440]

what step are you guys talking about? where is there info about thinner slides?

 

[TheDrake]

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