NIB 4556

[bcr22]

Hi everybody,

New member here, but not new to S&W. I've gotten a lot of valuable information from this forum so now it's time to join.

I have a 3rd Gen. 4053 that I carried for years and now have some nice Hogue cocobolo grips on it. I decided a while ago that I should have a matching .45 ACP. So, what was my joy and surpise this morning when I woke up to an alert from Gunbroker for a NIB, never fired 4556. This one has 7+1 capacity. I remember some of these compact DAOs only have 6+1 capacity, but I didn't have time to do the research this morning. "Bought it now" for $675. Seemed like a good deal. The only thing that makes me sad is it may be the first gun I own that I don't want to shoot. I guess I'll have to pick up another one some time for a shooter, but they sure don't come along often. I've had this alert set for probably a year, and this is the first one I've seen with that capacity in that condition.

 

[Laddy Smith]

Congrats

and welcome. It's a great feeling to find something you've been hunting for.

However....SOP is it didn't happen without pictures

Lad

 

[skjos]

The 4556 is a one-year production model.

You should get it lettered so we can confirm the rumor of only around 400 being produced.

 

[BLUEBELLYYANKEE]

That gun is definitely not new in box. The box should be cardboard and not plastic and the papers are incorrect for that era. Looks like a clean gun nonetheless.

 

[vigil617]

Welcome to the Forum!

A nice pickup for sure, especially if it's as relatively rare as it possibly is.

I've confronted the same conundrum before about whether to buy and shoot a pristine example of Third Generation S&W goodness. I have decided that I will never be a collector, and that whatever I buy, I intend to shoot. Straddling the line between collector and shooter proved to be to difficult, at least for me. Besides, the curiosity about how it would shoot would just be too much for someone with as little willpower as I do when it comes to pistols.

Just my two cents' worth, which you'll find on this Forum is pretty much the price of admission.

By the way, be a contributor! It's a great way to show your loyalty and also to get rid of most of those pesky ads at the same time. Money well spent -- again, my two cent's worth.

 

[UNCLE PAULY]

Welcome, and nice catch!!! I picked up a 4556 with a 4586 slide and barrel off GB this past summer that forum member KurtC had built by the S&W custom shop years ago. It's a great shooter and perfectly balanced.

I think your buy is a terrific find and you should enjoy shooting it regardless of rarity. Just my opinion.

 

[bcr22]

Haha, is that true it's not NIB? If so, then I can shoot it. I might anyway, we'll see how my willpower is.

How much does it cost to get it lettered? Do you have to send the gun to S&W? I have my beloved 696 held hostage there for almost a year now and all my emails and calls have been to no avail. I'm not about to send them another $1000 gun.

 

[photoman]

Shoot it!

p.s. Would love to hear some quick feedback on the 4053 regarding recoil, etc.

 

[bcr22]

Photoman44,

I bought the 4053 from my father, he was pretty indifferent toward it. I've always found it great to shoot, although I must admit I have never had any trouble with recoil in any .40 I've ever shot. The trigger pull is nice. I like DAO for the consistency of the trigger pulls. I can't remember it ever misfiring. It's not bad to carry, although frankly it was hardly any smaller than my full size Glock 40 so I switched over to that. I put some cocobolo grips on it from Hogue last year and they look real nice.

 

[t-bird]

Life is short shoot the gun. Welcome to the forum.

 

[skjos]

Haha, is that true it's not NIB? If so, then I can shoot it. I might anyway, we'll see how my willpower is.

How much does it cost to get it lettered? Do you have to send the gun to S&W? I have my beloved 696 held hostage there for almost a year now and all my emails and calls have been to no avail. I'm not about to send them another $1000 gun.

Fill out a form, mail it to the S&W historian along with $50, then wait 2-3 months for a letter. The letter will outline the history of the model and give some specific information about your serial number.

 

[Big Shrek]

Haha, is that true it's not NIB? If so, then I can shoot it. I might anyway, we'll see how my willpower is.

How much does it cost to get it lettered? Do you have to send the gun to S&W? I have my beloved 696 held hostage there for almost a year now and all my emails and calls have been to no avail. I'm not about to send them another $1000 gun.

I sure as heck wouldn't send 'em another...but in that case you might wanna have a lawyer call them...
I guarantee they'd move a bit quicker to find your pistol...

That being said, if a pistol is worth less than $2500, go shoot the BLEEP out of it!!