457 or 457s?

[jaysan60]

What do I have here? It has a stainless slide and a satin alloy frame but the model number stamped on the frame says 457 -- not 457s. Were there some early ones made like that? Thanks!

 

[18DAI]

Thats a 457 stainless. I don't recall them marking the frame "457S". Just the label on the box.

Nice pistol! Regards 18DAI

 

[jaysan60]

Thank you!

I thought all the stainless in this model were 457s. Any extra value here? Thanks again!

 

[GaryS]

My BDKXXXX is marked 457S on the frame. That's a 2006 production gun according to the factory, so maybe they did it later on.

Thats a 457 stainless. I don't recall them marking the frame "457S". Just the label on the box.

Nice pistol! Regards 18DAI

 

[vigil617]

I can't make out the serial number on the frame, but maybe that would give a clue about what you have. I kinda wondered if maybe yours had started out life as one of the two-tone Zander guns, which would have had 457 stamped on the frame, and later got a new top end.

More likely, though, is the prosaic explanation that S&W didn't stamp the "S" on 'em when yours was produced.

 

[jimmyj]

My Model 457 .45acp is two tone: stainless frame and blued slide.
Stamped "MOD 457"Serial # VZD76xx

 

[vigil617]

My Model 457 .45acp is two tone: stainless frame and blued slide.
Stamped "MOD 457"Serial # VZD76xx

Jimmy, you got me curious enough to copy and zoom in on the picture of the OP's gun. It, too, has a VJD prefix, with his being in the 4xxx series.

So maybe this frame was originally part of a two-tone model after all. Maybe the slide is even original too. How would someone have gotten the black finish off, though, without disturbing the laser markings?

Ideas, anyone?