So I used a 4566 for a Navy pistol qual

[squidsix]

I went to the range at the local reformatory (the easiest one for us to use here in Everett, WA) and decided to shoot the USN Practical course of fire, Low Light course, and standard pistol qualification course with my 4566.
I normally ace these with the Beretta and the Sig M-11 (P228), but today felt like giving the Smith a go.
I ran into a couple of little problems. The course calls for four six-round magazines, and two twelve-round magazines for the marksmanship portion. This placed me at a minor disadvantage, as I only have four total mags for mine, but the rangemaster was nice enough to let me hand them off to be loaded during the string to make it work.
End result?
You guessed it: ACE. Another 240(out of 240 possible) on the qual, and 18(out of 18) on the PWC and 18(out of 18) on the PWC Low light. I guess the Navy is not going to let me carry the 4566 on duty, but it's nice to know that the 4566 is every bit as accurate (for me) as the M-9. Same basic manual-of-arms, too. Very nice!

At the end one of the local Corrections guys came out to shoot, and he carried an M&P45, and was drooling over my steel 3rd gen S&W. He looked like he was going to cry about having to carry the plastic garbage on his belt. Poor bugger. I let him shoot my gun, and of course with ZERO experience on this platform, he outshot his previous best with the M&P.
I love this pistol.

 

[OceanOne]

Nice! I have to qual on the M11. I only made 238 on the last go around.

 

[BruceB]

Better than using old worn-out armory 1911s as we had to do in the "good old days:

And M-1s for rifle qual.

 

[squidsix]

I was in during the very end of the 1911 days (in the Navy, at least).
I was ordered to take them over to FISC and have them de-milled in 1998. I flatly refused, and nearly lost a chevron (my only one at the time) over it. We had six 1911s left, and one of them was a Colt frame with a FOUR DIGIT SERIAL NUMBER. I got in a bunch of hot water, but the CO did the right thing, and that pistol is now in the army museum at West Point, NY.
I would rather have a 4566 on duty than just about any pistol available. I can carry whatever the hell I want off duty, and this is my first choice. The only thing better in a duty rig would be an eight shot .357 Mag revolver on a four screw N-frame. THAT would be my first choice, but this 4566 would make a VERY fine military pistol.

 

[18DAI]

Nice shooting squidsix!

I'm fortunate to be able to select my 4566 duty gun. Accurate, reliable and looks good doing all that!

I like your......."technical" description of the M&P.
I agree with you. Regards 18DAI.

 

[squidsix]

The M&P in 45 Compact trim is a very comfortable pistol in the hand, and shoots like ****.
I bought the 9mm when they first came out, and sold that sucker as fast as I could. I actually lost more than $100 on the sale after having the gun a week. I look at it like this: I rented an M&P9 for a week for $100, and got much more than $100 worth of education out of the deal.
I am still looking for a 4516, but the 4566 actually conceals just fine in the IWB rig for a SIG 220 I bought at a recent gunshow for $20.

 

[squidsix]

Update: Yesterday early morning I shot the low-light again with the 4566. (of course with the Beretta also. I do actually have to, you know, QUALIFY)
I have a tritium sight on the front only of my 4566, and it's the cat's pajamas for low light quals. I shot the same score with 4566 and M-9, but I shot faster with the S&W.
It's still fascinating to me that these are not more popular. I have had people see it in my holster and say "What the heck is THAT?"
I love this 4566 more all the time.
My favorite S&W is still a 5906 slide on a 6906 frame, which is right about the perfect balance in 9mm, but the 4566 gets carried more, and would be my first choice in a fight.

 

[Craig19]

I love the 4566s, I wish I had the cash a few months ago when CDNN had those new blackened stainless ones for sale.

 

[squidsix]

The Melonite ones look pretty cool. I have a two-tone one that is duracoat black slide over stainless frame. It's identical in appearance to a 4567, but I couldn't have gotten a 4567 for the four bills the 4566 cost me.

 

[Badkarma 1]

Nice job squidsix! You can't beat those 3rd Gen Smiths, my old 5946 has never let me down and continues to haunt the local "tactical Tupperware" club with impunity!
And personally the military really missed out on these reliable workhorses! Dale

 

[nbkusngm]

Gotta love shooting out at the prison makes the gunshoots a little more fun even in the rain.

 

[squidsix]

That's a fact. Monroe has a nice facility, and on the way out, you can drive by the convicts walking round the square, and remember to be careful how you conduct yourself out in the world.

 

[ladder13]

I'll take any 3rd Gen Smith over a Glop any day, ymmv. 3rd Gen's are highly underrated. Good shootin' there.

 

[squidsix]

I really like the M-9, honestly, but I have monstrous hands, and my thumb ends up on the slide release, and I never get slidelock on an empty mag. This NEVER happens with the S&W pistols.

 

[nbkusngm]

Have you been out since they redid the range? It doesnt look like a swamp as much anymore I ran the PWC and Shotgun practical a couple of months ago and it was nice.

 

[squidsix]

I got transfered about six months ago. I have not been back since. I'm glad they redid that place, it needed it.
I'm at Little Creek now, and the ranges here are sweet, but I'll not be using my personal firearms there any time soon haha!