Picking Up A New Old 645

[twistedracer]

Hey folks, I'm in the process of picking up a 645 that's only had 50 rounds through it.
It's in great shape and looks brand new internally.
It looks like the majority of the 645's I've seen on here but with the adjustable S&W sights versus the fixed sights.
Serial number is TBW67##.

It would be great if someone new around when this would have been built. I'm guessing 1988 but not sure. It only has one mag and no box or papers. The mag is the old type metal bottom.
New mags have been ordered from Midway.

Sorry no pics will be posted till the deal is finalized.
Thanks for all comments.

 

[torizus]

1988 would probably be the latest, I know they began at TAK prefix 1n 1985 and the last year of production was 1988 I believe.

 

[twistedracer]

1988 would probably be the latest, I know they began at TAT prefix 1n 1985 and the last year of production was 1988 I believe.

1988 is what I'm tending to believe by some of the serial numbers I've seen on here. Some numbers seem to jump around a bit though.
I was thinking that the later ones had the allen head safety screw but this one still has the Phillips head.

Also not sure if adjustable sights were more of a later production or not.
I do like the more aggressive checkering way more than on my 3906.

 

[therewolf]

I have a 645.

It's just an old beater, a little scratched up.

But it points better than my 1911s, has a better

grip, and all the features I wanted on a 45.

Very accurate.

I remember it was just after I got my first

Beretta 92, (a 92A1) and I was thinking

"wouldn't it be great to find a SS 45 with

a decocker". And a couple days later at a LGS,

there it was. I really like the fact it handles SD

ammo so well.

 

[twistedracer]

I have a 645.

It's just an old beater, a little scratched up.

But it points better than my 1911s, has a better

grip, and all the features I wanted on a 45.

I remember it was just after I got my first

Beretta 92, (a 92A1) and I was thinking

"wouldn't it be great to find a SS 45 with

a decocker". And a couple days later at a LGS,

there it was. I really like the fact it handles SD

ammo so well.

I agree it's a great shooter. I ran 50 rounds through it this morning and it shot great. The orange insert front site doesn't do that great for my eyes in some lighting but I still did ok with it. After all the reading in here I just had to cycle a full mag of empty shells through it for fun. No problem. A friend of mine tried it out and in his first four shots at 7 yards it looked like a 3 hole cloverleaf. The fourth shot was dead center of the cloverleaf.
The da pull is 12 lbs and the SA pull is at 6.5 lbs. a little heavy but the trigger smoothed out nicely with a hundred rounds total through her.

 

[James Bond]

Mine is serial number TBDxxxx which I believe is from 1988. With an adjustable rear sight yours may have been one of the so-called "transitional" models morphing to the 4506. Sounds like you are one happy new owner of a true Smith classic!

 

[twistedracer]

Mine is serial number TBDxxxx which I believe is from 1988. With an adjustable rear sight it may have been one of the so-called "transitional" models morphing to the 4506. Sounds like you are a happy new owner of a true Smith classic!

Yes I will be soon. This will go great with the NIB 3906 I picked up last year.

Here's a pic I can share. It's got a couple light scratches from being stored with a bunch of other guns.

 

[cohiba66]

She is a beauty! 645's with adjustable sights are unique to transitional guns like some have said. Kinda weird that it has the phillips head safety screw if it was a later production gun.

 

[twistedracer]

She is a beauty! 645's with adjustable sights are unique to transitional guns like some have said. Kinda weird that it has the phillips head safety screw if it was a later production gun.

Thanks, interesting if it's a transitional model. I'm guessing that the gunsmith just installs whichever safety screw that's laying on his bench at the time.

I ordered some new magazines from Midway last night since they're in stock.

 

[824tsv]

The phillips screw was standard issue. It also likes to work its way loose and disappear. I check mine periodically to make sure it's snug.

 

[twistedracer]

The phillips screw was standard issue. It also likes to work its way loose and disappear. I check mine periodically to make sure it's snug.

Lol yep, that's what I've read here. I've got plenty of loctite.

 

[jimbo728]

Nice 645. Save your extractor for cartridges stripped from the magazine in normal firing.
Jim

 

[twistedracer]

Nice 645. Save your extractor for cartridges stripped from the magazine in normal firing.
Jim

I cringe every time I see someone abuse an extractor by hand feeding a round and dropping the slide on it.
Thanks Jim.

 

[SonnyJames]

Gorgeous 645, congratulations. With the 645 it is difficult to pin down production dates as they were almost never in order. That having been said, your specimen looks to be late 1988 production, based on the newer adjustable rear sight housing. I can tell you from 30 years of using these fine weapons they are rock solid. If someone told me I had to go to hell to do some business and make it back this would be my sidearm.

 

[twistedracer]

Gorgeous 645, congratulations. With the 645 it is difficult to pin down production dates as they were almost never in order. That having been said, your specimen looks to be late 1988 production, based on the newer adjustable rear sight housing. I can tell you from 30 years of using these fine weapons they are rock solid. If someone told me I had to go to hell to do some business and make it back this would be my sidearm.

Thanks Sonny. I really do like this 645 more than any of the Sig P220's I've had. It just fits me better.
I took more pics and should probably post a thread with them all.

 

[Sevens]

Your new pistol is a beauty! Great picture also.

I cringe every time I see someone abuse an extractor by hand feeding a round and dropping the slide on it.

I totally agree and have a tale to share that is half cringe and half laugh-out-loud.

Back on Thanksgiving we had an excellent outdoor range day and not many folks were at our club as it was a holiday. Later in our day, a younger guy, I would say mid-to-late 20's or so arrived with a couple of nice handguns but he was annoyed because in his haste to run to the range, he forgot his magazines. He asked if we happened to have any 1911 magazines since they are so popular and prevalent and wouldn't you know... my buddy had a handful.

The guy invited us over to see what he'd brought and he had a nice Springfield Champion and a Wilson Combat in a dark green color. He handed them over and as always (to be polite) my buddy asked before attempting a dry-fire and the guy was quick to whip out a snap-cap as he did NOT want any dry-firing without a snap-cap! But then... he dropped the snap-cap in to the chamber of this maybe-$3,000 pistol and just SLAM, dropped that slide over the snap-cap.

We did wholeheartedly attempt to offer a bit of advice all while being friendly about it... not quite sure he saw where we were coming from. He was a nice guy, I hope he figures it out.

 

[twistedracer]

Ouch!!! My buddy just bought a Dan Wesson 1911 and while I was teaching him to teardown and assemble it, I told him to stop watching those YouTube warriors because he wanted to test it dry to make sure it worked properly.

Slap to the back of his head.

 

[twistedracer]

So with the deal finally finalized, here are the rest of the pics.

 

[58619owner]

Who makes that leather for the 645?

 

[twistedracer]

The 645 is in a Galco Summer Comfort for a Sig 220. If you look closely you'll notice the the holster is a hair short as the 220 has a 4.4" barrel.

My 3906 is in a Milt Sparks VM2 that was for my 220 Compact Sig.