Crazy “factory target” with old production 745

[Sevens]

This is simply STRANGE so I wanted to put it to the forum.

Imagine a S&W Model 745 with an included factory target…?

It is a Model 745 in high condition with all the box and goodies and also seems to show a dated test target.


The target is marked with a 9/19/87 date. So it looks for all the world like a factory included test target but this is not something I have EVER seen S&W do outside of the Performance Center PPC-9 series of pistols and that would have been some 15+ years later than this 1987 marked target.

I have never seen this before from S&W. Not with a 52 or 41 or any of the elite level target pistols from the PC.

Has anyone seen something like this from S&W…?

 

[Tntcwg3]

The post that launched a thousand searches, lol! I've not seen one like that, either. I read somewhere that there was a very short run of PC 745's, thought to have been built to exhaust a leftover parts supply, but I wouldn't have expected the test target to have been included with the IPSC guns. I'd be curious as to what the Julian date is on the box label, it's a shame they didn't include it in the listing photos.

 

[Sevens]

You can see a side shot of the box and it is one of the shorter runs of boxes where the Lear-Siegler company logo appears proudly.

Random gun stores simply don't have the collective knowledge of the folks who live, eat and breathe these items like so many of us do.

 

[Yendor357]

The photo is kind of blurry. Are there 4 shots together, and one about an inch and a quarter high?

Either way, that’s pretty fantastic shooting. There is what appears to be a number 25 on the target, so maybe it was 25 yards?

The ammo appears to be 185 Super Match Rem.

That dude had some talent.

 

[Sevens]

That is the only photo I could capture, it is surely a craptastic picture.

 

[Tom S.]

My guess (and that's all it is, is a guess) is the gun was sent back to S&W for some kind of repair and the target came back to verify the gun was repaired and in working order.

 

[cherrypointmarine]

The only one I have came with my 6in Target Champion . It's the one that was modified in Germany , so it doesn't count . Wonder if it's one of the 745's with the adjustable rear ?

 

[hoytx10]

I have one of the factory 745’s with adjustable rear and no test target is in the box. The pistol is extremely accurate, however.

 

[Tntcwg3]

I have one of the factory 745’s with adjustable rear and no test target is in the box.

Same here!

 

[Lt.Donn]

My guess (and that's all it is, is a guess) is the gun was sent back to S&W for some kind of repair and the target came back to verify the gun was repaired and in working order.

I'm with you

 

[Exchipy]

My guess (and that's all it is, is a guess) is the gun was sent back to S&W for some kind of repair and the target came back to verify the gun was repaired and in working order.

… and maybe Jerry was putting in some time at the factory as a test shooter, under his contract.

 

[laytonj1]

Only test targets I’ve seen were on the Classic DX series revolvers.

Jim