845

[Shutthefrontdoor]

I've had a 845 now going on a year, and I'll be damned that I haven't been able to bring myself to shooting it. It is as LNIB as I've ever seen a gun before, and the gentleman I bought it from assured me he'd never fired it before. By it's condition - I'm a believer. Relegated to a safe and diaper wiping... Feh!

So I went and found a shooter grade 845 on GB for a fair price and was delighted and how nice the FFL in Barrie, MA. was. Apparently, the gun belonged to a S&W employee; it was "built" for him and his retirement. the amazing thing to me is how easy the gun disassembled and reassembled - so smooth and snick snick. The odd thing to me was the serial number and inner stamping that the PC did back in their day on the barrel, frame and slide: 142A. If anyone can tell me anything about this gun I would be really appreciative. The serial prefix is TDA. I thought that kinda strange. Anyone? Oh, It's also a .45 Target Champion without export markings...

I have a few pictures, nothing great, but what a find. Needless to say - This will be one of three guns to the range next trip along with the 4506-1 and 945-1.

I am a very happy man who want's for nothing.

Pictures are not loading. Hopefully some later.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Congratulations on acquiring those 45ACP Smiths.

 

[toddcfii]

Many, most, all? PC guns had the main parts inscribed with a number so that the hand fitted parts were kept together as they were being manufactured. This was because once they were hand fitted they no longer would fit together with any other pieces belonging to other guns.

 

[Sevens]

I have a handful of PC awesomeness and in only one single example did they elect to mark my frame/slide/barrel with the same last two digits as the pistol's actual serial number. Kinda suggests to me that it was a random occurrence that they match the SN.

But yes, the parts are all matching in number and I'm sure you would find that out if you took apart your mint example also.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

and I'm sure you would find that out if you took apart your mint example also.

, now be nice

.

I know most, if not all, of my PC pistols have those assembler number engravings but in searching my computer's photos I find I have few naked pictures of them.

Guess mine are too modest for that type of photo.

Either that or I was hacked.

.

 

[Shutthefrontdoor]

I'm still wondering if there's any significance to the TDA serial prefix. This is a gun that begs to be lettered.

 

[Sevens]

I once saw in a S&W Factory letter from Roy Jinks that said 500 of the Target Champion were made specifically for export through WISCHO and 300 of the Target Champion were held back for North American sales, but in the same letter Roy claims that 1,161 were made in the serial number range of WPC-0001 to WPC-1161.

If that information sounds conflicting... I agree that it does. I often find things in factory letters that appear to be errors or at the very least, irregularities. If I were to collect examples and post them, I would probably fall out of favor here.

Unfortunately, I do not have a copy of this factory letter. I wish that I did. I do not recall the "TDA" prefix associated with any variant of 845 pistol but your photos show us that it exists.

With S&W, the mysteries run deep. There are so many that will never be solved.

 

[Shutthefrontdoor]

Thanks for that Sevens, and how right you are about the mysteries that must run deep. It does beg the question of how easy was it to get a gun made and a serial assigned (you know, sneak one through)….

Either way, a letter is in order for TDA, but the MPC I feel happy living vicariously through other’s letters that have been posted.

Back to the reality that I have a sweet grail gun to go head to head with a 945. I’m a happy lucky guy!