Advice on 2 4566's

[mackpro68]

I'm a newbie here and need some info. Our local Gander Mt. has some used 4566's for sale. I assume they are police trade-ins, I have not been able to inspect them do to store being so busy due to gun buying frenzy, but they look in great condition. All are stainless, the first one has a silver hammer and an straight back strap and comes with 3 mags for $499. The others have black hammers and arched backstraps and come with 1 mag and they are priced at $449. What is the difference with the hammers and back strap? Does this mean the one is older or newer than the others? This could be my first Smith in 19 years. My first handgun was a S&W 645, got it on my 21th birthday. Wish I sill had it. Friday at lunch I'm going to check them out alittle closer. Thanks for any info.

 

[mackpro68]

I'm a newbie here and need some info. Our local Gander Mt. has some used 4566's for sale. I assume they are police trade-ins, I have not been able to inspect them do to store being so busy due to gun buying frenzy, but they look in great condition. All are stainless, the first one has a silver hammer and an straight back strap and comes with 3 mags for $499. The others have black hammers and arched backstraps and come with 1 mag and they are priced at $449. What is the difference with the hammers and back strap? Does this mean the one is older or newer than the others? This could be my first Smith in 19 years. My first handgun was a S&W 645, got it on my 21th birthday. Wish I sill had it. Friday at lunch I'm going to check them out alittle closer. Thanks for any info.

 

[j38]

I'm not sure about the "silver" hammer you refer to, but expect it is an earlier iteration of the 4566. You can see my 4566 - an ex-Rome, N.Y. PD turn-in that was shipped from the factory in 1998. I reported this was a '94 pistol in a post earlier this year but have spoken to Customer Service again and been assured it is really a '98 gun. The black hammer you describe may look like this one. I'm not sure what you mean by an arched back-strap - as it may be either a one-piece, factory grip , or, as below, a set of after-market Hogue rubber grips. Serial no. on mine is VMM3xxx. This is a very accurate and reliable .45.

Maybe another member knows more about the the other flavor of 4566 you are looking at - but I don't think you'll regret buying either one.

Good Luck,

Jerry

 

[Bullman]

The silver hammer you speak of is most likely an early production gun with a machined stainless steel hammer. The black hammers are MIM (metal injection molding) parts.

 

[presspics]

The black hammer models are later models (newer). The black parts are MIM. The MIM parts are excellent and give a smoother trigger pull out of the box. The grips can be changed. S&W offered straight backstraps as well as the arched style.

I'm partial to the later guns with the MIM parts. Like I said, they have smoother triggers and I think they have a better fit and finish.

 

[BUFF]

S&W learned that stainless steel is a bad choice for hammers and triggers when they first made the Model 60, the first stainless steel handgun.

S&W's silver-colored triggers and hammers are regular, forged, color case hardened pieces that have been flash hard-chromed for appearance and additional corrosion resistance.

Yep, the black colored hammers and triggers on the autopistols from S&W are later than the silver ones.

 

[smith10]

Originally posted by BUFF:
S&W learned that stainless steel is a bad choice for hammers and triggers when they first made the Model 60, the first stainless steel handgun.

S&W's silver-colored triggers and hammers are regular, forged, color case hardened pieces that have been flash hard-chromed for appearance and additional corrosion resistance.

Yep, the black colored hammers and triggers on the autopistols from S&W are later than the silver ones.

+1

To OP, either version will be a fine weapon, snag one!!!

 

[KurtC]

Only the TSW models (1998 to present) have MIM hammers and triggers. 1994-98 were blued steel, and pre 1994 were flash-chromed carbon steel.