Put 646 on production

[td2torri]

Having 2 (2003 production) and loving them, can't understand why the 646 is not a catalog item, better with a 5" barrell.

 

[WC145]

I have a 2003 646 also, great gun.

My guess would be that the titanium cylinders are one big reason they haven't made any more. I don't think they ever caught on well with the buying public at large and S&W seems be getting away from them. The walls of a steel .40 cal L-frame cylinder would be too thin.

Plus when they were produced they didn't sell well, gun shops were practically giving them away. They may be gunshy about putting another one out there.

 

[Ronny99]

As far as I've researched it, the 646 was a performance center item with a high price point which inherently limited the market for them. It was also very large for a .40 with a long barrel so it had limited demand from users looking specifically for a .40. There are revolvers on the market chambered in .44 or .45 very similar in size that don't require moon clips. I've looked at several pictures of this weapon and it's beautifully crafted but like most consumers I'm more of a user than a collector so it might as well be a museum piece to me. As a non performance center piece with a lower price point and a smaller frame and barrel it would be interesting to see how it may have been viable. After all, it wouldn't have had competition from an existing revolver calibers like the 9mm 940 did with the .38/.357 chamberings.

PS Your written English is as good as mine. Are you native to Italy?

 

[td2torri]

646

I am Italian, and living in Italy.
My 2 646 are of the 2003 nonPC production, the first one has shot about 20000 rounds (Major PF) since 2005 in IPSC matches.
It is not a big revolver: L frame and 3 7/8" barrel