New 645! What is this thing?

[ir3e971x2]

I just picked up a Smith and Wesson 645 used at a local store. This is certainly a substantial chunk of stainless steel!

I have seen 4506s but had never seen one of these, and once I picked it up I had to get it. Just cleaned it, and I don't think it has hardly been fired.

Does anyone have experience with these? Anything I should be looking out for?

Thanks

 

[357larry]

The 645 is large and heavy but it is also extremely reliable and will feed just about anything you care to run through it. They can be somewhat difficult to find leather for. The 645 was introduced in 1986, I believe, then morphed into the 4506 in 1989. Interest in the 645 seems to have grown over the last couple of years.

 

[Superflywimpy]

You got a real winner there, Here is a pic of mine

I have had my 645 for 15 years and the previous poster is right,It will cycle anthing you care to load it with. That hammer relaeae screw needs to be lock tighted down,It will come loose and fall off. And good luck finding a replacement. Either way you have a fine pistol. As far as holsters go. Yep..hard to find kinda. My solution...I made my own. Check it out. Not too hard to make. I make holsters for hard to find models like the colt hammerless,645,old top break and so on.I have an extra if your interested,Send me a note......

 

[Nframe357]

The 645 is the older brother of the 4506, one of the most reliable 45's around, I had a 1987 mfg one and traded it away and have regretted it since. Mine would even feed empty cases, takes alot of $ for a 1911 to do that!

 

[AKAOV1MAN]

You have a classic 45 ACP. I believe that the 645 and its followers will eventually be recgonized as one of, if not the, most reliable 45 ACP ever. As you have already noted it is quite a chunk of steel, and it is rugged! You will have to work at it to hurt the thing.
I sent my 645 to Novaks for the following:
Round off the trigger guard, makes it much easier to get a holster for.
Trigger job-Novaks out did themselves here.
Fit a 4516 upper to the 645 lower, gives a shorter concealable option, if still a little weighty, although the 4516 itself is no lightweight.
Put on Novaks night sights, have to use them to appreciate them.

I still use it after 20+ years when a 45 is called for, it is still heavy, but you can use it as a slapper if necessary, honest, it works well. It is a nice a shooter as I will ever have, outshoots me by a wide margin. From a dead rest it will do under 2" every time at 25 meters, with just about any ammo. Which is another good thing, it will eat up just about any ammo that you can cram into its chamber, flawlessly.

I have other 45s, including the lighter, shorter Smiths, including the P99, but I could have only one it would be the 645.

 

[ir3e971x2]

One thing that felt exceptional about this pistol is the checkering on the front and back strap of the grip. Very sure grip in your hand.

I have held the 4506 a couple times at a gunshow, and I think this design just feels better.

 

[SmithMarine]

I carried a 645 as a duty pistol on the job every day for years. I never once had a jam, misfire or failure to feed in the thousands of rounds fired and felt comfortable trusting my life to it. I never had it happen, but saw a few of the hammer drop saftey levers come loose and disapear. make sure you use locktight on the lever screw and tighten good. That is the only minor problem to be aware of with this pistol, enjoy.

 

[3rd Gen Neal]

Same as stated above. What that is is one of the best pistols ever produced. I bought one on a whim and quickly fell in love with it. (Then bought another) They are big/heavy but with a good holster its not a problem. I carry mine frequently w-Desantis IWB and forget it is even there. Here are my 2

 

[BSkerj]

You found a great pistol. Found mine by accident.. I didn't intend to buy until the gun store owner assured me I would find none better. He was right! Luckily I went into a pawn shop and found 2 checkered leather LE holsters for it (one like new the other without hammer strap) ..each for 5.00. Sold one to T-Square here on this forum and kept the other for myself. Also carry mine everyday IWB Kolster. They are truly tanks ! Enjoy

 

[Center Villian]

good choice

I just got one myself the other day. It will out shoot my S&W PC 1911. It will also work as a sledge hammer if I happen to need one in a pinch. I also have a 4506-1, 4566, 1006 and 1066 . My 645 is finished better and fitted tighter than any of these guns.

Sammy

 

[jazzman452]

I just saw one in the case of a gun shop. I would have investigated further but I saw the 750.00 price tag and decided to pass. Now granted, this particular dealer is always high and usually will come down maybe 50 or 75 bucks but are these bringing that high a price, if so I might just go back and take another look,

Jazzman

 

[Recon]

I purchased my 645 in the fall of 1986 for just over $400.00 which was dealer cost back then.

It shoots great and will feed anything including empty brass. I find the accuracy surprising given how loose the slide to frame fit is.

The 645 isn't as refined as many other 45's but mine is competitive in local action shooting matches.

I didn't need a holster for it until a couple years ago and wished I would have bought one when they were plentiful. I currently have a Gould and Goodrich "Belt Slide Holster with Thumb Break" Model B809-404 that I'm using. I'm not sure if this holster was intended for the 645 but it works okay.

 

[ir3e971x2]

Locktite instructions?

I have never used locktite. For this application, I think the blue is the one I want, is that correct? Long time ago I remember my dad using it.

Would I locktite the threads of the screw, or put a bead on the edge of the screw?

 

[Denver Dick]

Ah . . . the 645 . . . a man's .45!

So, what is not to love?

 

[jp zanoya]

I bought the first 645 to show up at a local gunshow back around 1986. The gun, as others have mentioned will feed empty cases. I even loaded some .45 Colt semi-wadcutters for bowling pin matches and they fed fine.
What I did not like was the skimpy safety lever (or the hammer drop feature) and the trigger. The single action trigger had quite a bit of take up.
I sent the gun to Novak's and they converted it to "745" configuration--single-action with a larger "paddle" sized safety that a shooter with normal sized thumbs can activate from a shooting grip.
As for leather, I had an El Paso Saddlery Threepersons holster for a Taurus 92 that I used to own. I found my 645 fits it just fine.

 

[Center Villian]

too high

I just saw one in the case of a gun shop. I would have investigated further but I saw the 750.00 price tag and decided to pass. Now granted, this particular dealer is always high and usually will come down maybe 50 or 75 bucks but are these bringing that high a price, if so I might just go back and take another look,

Jazzman

I feel that , even though it's a great gun, 750 is too high. You can get them all day on "Gunsamerica" for 550-560. They even have some in the 450 range.

 

[Black_Sheep]

I bought one in '86 and shot it a lot since it was my only handgun for several years. The only feeding problem I had was due to too relaxed of a grip, otherwise the gun has performed flawlessly through many 1000's of rounds.

For Holsters I've used a 645 specific Bianchi #19L and Gould & Goodrich #29L pancake style holsters, both carry the big 645 quite nicely.

 

[keithherrington]

I looks like none of the responders was a Miami Vice fan. If they were they'd know that the 645 was Sonny Burnett's gun after he gave up the Bren Ten. Galco was his holster maker and they used that cache for years selling the "Miami Vice" rig. Never having even handled a 645 I can't comment on any aspect of its reputation; but, it certainly looked good on television.
Keith

 

[3rd Gen Neal]

I looks like none of the responders was a Miami Vice fan. If they were they'd know that the 645 was Sonny Burnett's gun after he gave up the Bren Ten. Galco was his holster maker and they used that cache for years selling the "Miami Vice" rig. Never having even handled a 645 I can't comment on any aspect of its reputation; but, it certainly looked good on television.
Keith

Of course that is known. And in the middle of the last season he went to a 4506. And he carried a Detonics Combat Master in an ankle rig. Oh, and Sonny Burnett was his undercover name once in a blue moon. Don Johnson's character name on Miami Vice was Sonny Crockett. Now, back to the 645 talk...

 

[ir3e971x2]

I picked this 645 up for 450.

Thanks for the holster tips. I was checking the internets and not seeing a lot of holster options. I just ordered 3 additional magazines from CDNN for it as well.