I picked up a LNIB 4516 no dash over the holidays. Back this past summer I asked a local dealer I do business with to keep an eye out for a clean 4516 no dash for me. In November he called to tell me he had an "unfired since the factory 4516 no dash come in."
He is primarily a Colt dealer and has sold me some very nice S&W handguns. This 4516 no dash, while in excellent, like new condition, has indeed been fired a bit. The previous owner placing an inspectors sticker back on the frame prior to trading it in. No matter, it is an excellent "random" specimen to do a test I've been thinking about for some time. I intend to "test" the reliability of the 4516 no dash under "average Joe" conditions. For a year, I will regularly shoot this 4516 no dash with different typoes of ammunition, different types of 4516 mags and under as many different conditions as I can manage.
Now be advised that this won't be one of those gunrag torture tests or internet "how many rounds till a breakage occurs" tests. This will simply be testing the reliability and durability of the 4516 no dash model under condtions likely encountered by everyone on this sub board. I will do my usual maintenance and report any issues encountered while shooting this 4516.
The gun is a 1989 TCS prefix 4516 no dash. It came with the original box, Hogue grips intalled, original Xenoy grip in the box, manual, cleaning kit (still in the bag) and 6 magazines. Three with red followers, two with yellow followers and one with a black follower. Interestingly, the early mags with the red followers are stamped "For use only in 4516 Not for use in 4516-1". I hadn't seen that before. I have come across 4516 magazines with yellow followers stamped "For use in 4516-1 only" previously. I intend to shoot this 4516 no dash with every 7-round S&W 45 mag I have. I also intend to try it with the 8-round mags of its cousins too.
This 4516 no dash has a bushing in the slide, narrow guide rod and the dual recoil spring set up. As member catshooter has related to us, all the 4516 no dash models had the dual recoil spring set up.
My intentions are as follows. I will clean and lube the 4516 tonight. I will check the recoil springs and replace if needed. Then I will gather a few boxes of 230 grain 45 ammunition from different manufacturers, both ball & JHP's and run them through it on Saturday. A friend has some old WWII ball he is bringing me and I've also got a coffee can of old discarded 45 rounds to run through the 4516 as well. I anticipate 300 or 400 rounds for the first range trip. This should be more than enough for an initial indication of this examples reliability. If all goes well, then I will qualify with it and carry it. I also intend to shoot a few IDPA matches with it to see how it performs. If all goes as planned, I figure that this time next year, the 4516 no dash will have between 1500 and 2000 rounds through it.
Why bother? Well, I and several others have had very good experiences with the 4516 no dash model. I have also read quite a few accounts from members who had bad experiences with their no dash 4516's. Several folks here and elsewhere, who's opinions I respect, have advised that the 4516 no dash model should "be avoided in favor of later revisions", or "used only as a collectors piece." So I am curious as to how a "pristine, out of the box", properly maintained 4516 no dash will actually perform.
I have a lot of time behind a 4516 and a lot of rounds down range through the model. The majority of it on a late production 4516-3. My experience with an abused confiscated 4516 no dash is what started my interest in this model of compact 45.
The 4516 no dash is the most often disparaged 4516, IMO. So I thought I'd do an unscientific "test" to see how "bad" it actually is. Stay tuned. Regards 18DAI
He is primarily a Colt dealer and has sold me some very nice S&W handguns. This 4516 no dash, while in excellent, like new condition, has indeed been fired a bit. The previous owner placing an inspectors sticker back on the frame prior to trading it in. No matter, it is an excellent "random" specimen to do a test I've been thinking about for some time. I intend to "test" the reliability of the 4516 no dash under "average Joe" conditions. For a year, I will regularly shoot this 4516 no dash with different typoes of ammunition, different types of 4516 mags and under as many different conditions as I can manage.
Now be advised that this won't be one of those gunrag torture tests or internet "how many rounds till a breakage occurs" tests. This will simply be testing the reliability and durability of the 4516 no dash model under condtions likely encountered by everyone on this sub board. I will do my usual maintenance and report any issues encountered while shooting this 4516.
The gun is a 1989 TCS prefix 4516 no dash. It came with the original box, Hogue grips intalled, original Xenoy grip in the box, manual, cleaning kit (still in the bag) and 6 magazines. Three with red followers, two with yellow followers and one with a black follower. Interestingly, the early mags with the red followers are stamped "For use only in 4516 Not for use in 4516-1". I hadn't seen that before. I have come across 4516 magazines with yellow followers stamped "For use in 4516-1 only" previously. I intend to shoot this 4516 no dash with every 7-round S&W 45 mag I have. I also intend to try it with the 8-round mags of its cousins too.
This 4516 no dash has a bushing in the slide, narrow guide rod and the dual recoil spring set up. As member catshooter has related to us, all the 4516 no dash models had the dual recoil spring set up.
My intentions are as follows. I will clean and lube the 4516 tonight. I will check the recoil springs and replace if needed. Then I will gather a few boxes of 230 grain 45 ammunition from different manufacturers, both ball & JHP's and run them through it on Saturday. A friend has some old WWII ball he is bringing me and I've also got a coffee can of old discarded 45 rounds to run through the 4516 as well. I anticipate 300 or 400 rounds for the first range trip. This should be more than enough for an initial indication of this examples reliability. If all goes well, then I will qualify with it and carry it. I also intend to shoot a few IDPA matches with it to see how it performs. If all goes as planned, I figure that this time next year, the 4516 no dash will have between 1500 and 2000 rounds through it.
Why bother? Well, I and several others have had very good experiences with the 4516 no dash model. I have also read quite a few accounts from members who had bad experiences with their no dash 4516's. Several folks here and elsewhere, who's opinions I respect, have advised that the 4516 no dash model should "be avoided in favor of later revisions", or "used only as a collectors piece." So I am curious as to how a "pristine, out of the box", properly maintained 4516 no dash will actually perform.
I have a lot of time behind a 4516 and a lot of rounds down range through the model. The majority of it on a late production 4516-3. My experience with an abused confiscated 4516 no dash is what started my interest in this model of compact 45.
The 4516 no dash is the most often disparaged 4516, IMO. So I thought I'd do an unscientific "test" to see how "bad" it actually is. Stay tuned. Regards 18DAI
This 4516 no dash reminded me of why I became enamoured with the design in the first place. It is THIN! 1911 thin. It actually fit a couple of my old 1911 holsters too. Also fit my 59XX series holsters as well. It was a little loose in the JIT slide for the 4513TSW.
This 4516 no dash is lively in the hand. It handles easily and pints quickly and naturally.......with the Hogue grips installed, for me. Points as well, for me, as a 4 inch K-frame.
