Finally shot a 945

[photocosmo]

Zowie!

... I got to shoot his 5 inch PC 945-1.

EVERYTHING I have ever read about the 945 is true.

The trigger was light, VERY light. Twice I inadvertently triggered a second shot - which went through the same hole as the previous shot! - and the owner did the same, several times... Very fine gun. Regards 18DAI

In practice I was always told that one should be "surprised" by the trigger's break as a way to gauge proper or evenly executed pull without undue anticipation or flinching but I have experienced light triggers that actually kind of scared me and reminded me that every shot should be "intentional".


That said, it goes without saying that the 745, 845, 945 and 952 do represent the epitome of S&W semi-auto pistols.

 

[18DAI]

I have shot a 745.......over a decade ago. Nice pistol. But it didn't fill a roll at the time, for me, so I didn't buy it.

The closest I ever came to an 845 was several years back. My shop guy called me and asked what an 845 was. He had a guy in the shop looking to trade it for a Glock 21.

I told him I was on my way and to go ahead and show him the G21 I was buying for him. But I was 45 minutes away and when I got there the 845 had left the building. Seems the 845s owner didn't know the G21 didn't have a hammer..........oye. Regards 18DAI

 

[18DAI]

Anyone here own one of the ten produced for the Clark County Emergency Response Team?

They were 5 inch guns, Melonite finish with Novak sights. Anyone have a picture? Regards 18DAI

 

[Rowlf]

.....

The trigger was light, VERY light. Twice I inadvertently triggered a second shot - which went through the same hole as the previous shot! - and the owner did the same, several times. Too light a trigger for anything but a bullseye gun, for me.

......

I wonder if the sear spring drops weight like a M52? A 45 for Bullseye has to have a minimum trigger weight of 3.5 pounds. 4 pounds for Service Pistol.

 

[Gunhacker]

Haha cherrypointmarine, there is still no dash-2 945.

The magazines are 4506 mags but with the magazine catch located slightly higher in the body of the magazine. Early 945 mags were simply 4506 mags with a second notched skillfully milled. Later magazines say "Model 945 only."

There are some offered right now on our forum for a decent price as we speak.

And speaking from experience... it's very easy to modify a 4506 magazine to work in a 945, and is a less expensive means of having extra mags than trying to find the dedicated 945 mags, which are usually difficult to locate.

 

[vigil617]

Wait again...

Do you mean Model 940?

Because there is one for sale in our forum right now.

Pretty sure he meant 945-40, and just mistyped it.

I remember an auction of one of those not too long ago, and I was surprised it didn't bring more, after all I had heard about how rare they were.

 

[Sevens]

I would be totally enamored with the .40cal Model 945 if only they had made one with the steel frame, full 5-inch target style and Bomar rear sight.

But they only made a compact.

Gunbroker had one that sold in July for $2,525.

 

[824tsv]

27 posts and no one has posted any pic's

 

[Toddlars1]

945

In 1999 I saw the 945 on the cover of American Handgunner and I knew I had to have one. I actually didn't have to travel too far within the southern Chicago suburbs to acquire my new Lew Horton no dash. The craftsmanship and feel of this gun is unlike any other IMHO. I've owned and shot much more expensive 1911 style handguns including Wilsons, Browns and even a Nighthawk as the OP stated, but to this day, I have never handled or fired a finer crafted handgun than my 945.

 

[cherrypointmarine]

You beat me to it . I was fixing to post a pic of mine . I saw talk about 745s so I thought I'd throw them in too .

 

[Sevens]

That's AWESOME, I love picture #2.

Roy Jinks factory letter claims that is a one-of-one dash-2 prototype.

"The Performance Center wanted to release the 945 dash-2 but upon testing of the prototype it was found that it oozed far too much mojo and it would upset the American love affair with the 1911 pistol, so the project was shelved. The single prototype was then shipped to a buyer in Florida."

 

[18DAI]

I found a couple of pics of one of the ten made for the Clark County SRT.

Melonited with Novak sights and one of the stupid tack on rails ala TSW series guns. Interestingly, one was from a premier auction house and sold for over $3K.

The other was on GB and sold recently for $1600. I guess the seller didn't know what they had. Regards 18DAI

 

[jughed440]

27 posts and no one has posted any pic's

well here's mine...and don't ask for a range report because i have yet to shoot it. Honestly..I don't think that this 945 has been shot outside the factory.

 

[Jeppo]

well here's mine...and don't ask for a range report because i have yet to shoot it. Honestly..I don't think that this 945 has been shot outside the factory.

I'll take it!

 

[9146gt]

5"945 fixed sight

It is my understanding that these were orginally built for the Mississippi HWY Patrol shooting team. I know of three in this configuration.
Before I purchased this one during a conversation with the Performance Center I was told to be on the lookout for a "hand full with fixed sights and a light rail.

Tom

 

[Sevens]

I've definitely never seen a fixed sight, 5-inch 945! Fantastic!

 

[Barr1]

Magazine bodies are $13 and if you have donor 4506 magazines it sure beats modifying magazines with a dremel. For $90 I have 5 more magazines including a factory magazine from the gun show this weekend.

 

[vigil617]

I found a couple of pics of one of the ten made for the Clark County SRT.

Melonited with Novak sights and one of the stupid tack on rails ala TSW series guns. Interestingly, one was from a premier auction house and sold for over $3K.

The other was on GB and sold recently for $1600. I guess the seller didn't know what they had. Regards 18DAI

I don't know how you found that one on GB, 18, but you've unearthed a relative unicorn for sure. That gun had only 16 views and 1 bid before it sold for $1,600 back in June, so apparently nobody knew what it was. (The ad title listed it correctly as a 945-1, but the model was listed as SW1911 Pro in the description box that, I think, is what would have categorized it in the list that can be searched -- so this gun probably flew under the radar.) I even wonder if the buyer knew what it was, but he sure has gotten himself a gem. I hope he's a member here, but the screen name on GB isn't familiar to anyone I see here.

These are public domain pictures, so here for the sake of documentation of this rare bird are what was posted:

Way cool, and did you note that it has a a PCZ prefix and also came with 7 magazines and the PC aluminum case?

 

[18DAI]

Thanks for finding and posting the pics vigil617!

Yes, I saw the "PCZ" prototype serial prefix. I sure wish I had been hunting a 945 and knew about it when it was up for auction.

My understanding is that the PC made those 10 examples on an experimemtal basis for the SRT team with the hope that their experience with the 945 would lead to orders for same from other SWAT teams. Too bad that never materialized.

I would prefer the example 9146gt posted with no rail. Regards 18DAI