What to do when 45 ACP is cheap?

[SVT28]

Buy up all of the Smith and Wesson 45's you can find. This is a delayed post as work has been very busy lately and I rarely have a night to myself.

About two months ago, a local range sponsored a shooting competition and when it was over, my buddy, who is a RO there, offered a chunk of the leftover 45 (Freedom Munitions) for a price I couldn't refuse.

That week I stumbled across a no brainer locally for 5 bills. This 4506 is a no dash, pre MIM, Novak, and straight Delrins. I use to have an adjustable sights -1 with Hogue grips that I traded for a 3906, and have wanted another one since. No box, just two mags, but hey these aren't falling out of the sky anymore.





At this point, I feel like my 45 pistol collection is complete. Sure I'd like to have a Shorty 45, or a 945, but I'll just wait until the right deal comes along. I would also like to add a long tube 625/25 at some point too. The Billboard with CT grips is the perfect home defense piece and I shoot very very tight groups with it. The 4513TSW, well, I don't have to explain why I like this pistol to the folks reading this post.



Who else has a little Wesson 45 collection? Or big..

SVT28

 

[That One Guy]

That's an absolutely beautiful collection!

 

[TercGen]

Very nice, good price for a Novak fixed sight model! I am officially jealous...

I sold off my 3" Kimber a few years back that would only feed FMJ, and basically transferred that cash into the beginning of a (reliable) 3rd Gen 45ACP collection. A NOS model 457, 4566TSW, and a pre-rail 4513TSW round out my modest collection at this point. Wouldn't mind a nice 4506-1 in the future for a 45 Super conversion, but I'm thinking of just doing it with the 4566TSW in hand since I can't seem to find one I like for a decent price (like yours).

 

[RonPagan]

My sister got my dad's 945 cause it was her favorite of all his guns! Still fuming over that one but hopefully a stainless e-series will assuage some of these feelings. Got rid of my 3" kimber for the same reason tercgen, it hated hollow points too, sure was pretty though.

 

[TercGen]

Got rid of my 3" kimber for the same reason tercgen, it hated hollow points too, sure was pretty though.

Most expensive paper weight I've ever bought! And the funds I got from it completely financed two 100% reliable 3rd Gen 45's, probably where I should have started in the first place...

 

[RonPagan]

I wouldn't want to poo-poo on kimbers my custom 2 in 9mm has been fine. ok, I'm if I'm honest the trigger sucked and I HATE the black on black cheap-o sights, I mean come on, would 3 white dots be asking too much? oh yeah also a firing pin block which is thankfully missing on smiths and springfields.

 

[TercGen]

That Kimber was my 1st pistol, I was a young man and worked HARD to save up for it. Mine would fail to feed or lock the slide back on almost every HP that I tried, something like 75% failure rate. Really broke my heart, and left me with some serious doubts about Kimber's quality.

It remains the most expensive gun I have ever purchased as well as the most unreliable, so I don't personally ever plan on dropping another 1K+ to see if the next one's better. Just my experience and opinion though, no doubt many out there have had better luck with Kimbers.

I'd probably stick with S&W if I did go back to the 1911's someday, though I prefer a nice 4566.

 

[Gunhacker]

Who else has a little Wesson 45 collection? Or big..
SVT28

The S&W 45's is what started my previously meager S&W accumulation to multiple like weeds.

1st was this 4506-1 from the Fresno, CA Sheriff's Department, it was a NIB armory "hold back" as a reserve (replacement) gun. The gun was sold to me by a local LEO that knew the armorer and was able to get the pick of the litter when Fresno SO went to the 4566TSW's.



Next was this 4516-1:



Then a 945-1:



A 4566 Melonite:



And the recent additions... an M&P 45 FS and a 625-8 JM, that I don't have pictures taken of them, bringing my total to 6 S&W 45's... 7, if you count this M25-5 in .45 Colt.

 

[18DAI]

SVT28 That is a strikingly beautiful 4506! Congrats!

I have a few 3rd gen 45s. As I have reduced my accumulation this year, Ive parted with some very nice guns. But other than a few doubles of 45 models I have, I have not been able to let go of my 45 collection.

And now you have me thinking that I need a Novak equipped no dash to complete it. Enjoy that fine 45! Best regards 18DAI

 

[18DAI]

I forgot to add, yes, Kimber sucks. Had three of those single shot rusting POSs. Barrels left in the white. On a 1K gun? Really?

I could buy a couple of cases of ammo with what I paid in return shipping fees to Yonkers NY.

Finally got a local smith to get two of them running long enough to dump at a loss. The third one, a stainless target two, has a frame that is out of spec. It will only work with Chip McCormick mags. Gave that one to my brother, who is not a gun guy, to play with.

Never again! Regards 18DAI

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

45 ACP is one of my calibers. I may get a 1911 some day, but the 4506 is my full size 45 for now. The CS45 is my carry.

 

[N4KVE]

I forgot to add, yes, Kimber sucks. Had three of those single shot rusting POSs. Barrels left in the white. On a 1K gun? Really?Never again! Regards 18DAI

When I worked for the largest FFL in Florida [8 stores all with ranges, & 45 gun shows a year] we had 2 display cases of Kimbers. Every month we had to strip the guns, & rub the barrels with 0000 steel wool, & gun oil to remove the rust from the barrels on NEW UNSOLD guns. This only happened on guns with bull barrels. If someone offered me to swap 2 new Kimbers of my choice for my 645, I wouldn't accept. They are trash. We have to sell customers what they want, & can't talk badly about any product. So if they want a Kimber, that's what I'll sell them. But if they ask me what I would choose between a Kimber, or a Springfield Armory, then I can give them 100 reasons why to choose the Springfield. GARY

 

[SVT28]

Houston Rick, it looks like your decocker is down but your hammer is still fully cocked. Have you done some modifications?

I too had a Kimber Raptor Ultra II in stainless at one time. It shot well and I never had any malfunctions other than when someone was limp wristing it. The disappointment in this firearm was also around the barrel. Mine also got a weekly wool and oil treatment. I sold it to someone across the country for about what I had into it, and haven't looked back. I'm not the biggest fan of the 1911 platform, which is why I only have one. The JRD prefix billboard.

SVT28

 

[Gunhacker]

Looks like it's just at the point where if pushed further, it releases the sear to drop the hammer. Since it is not a "decock only" model with the return spring, you can easily put the lever in that position.

 

[4T5GUY]

I have a few S&W 45's. Most were bought new when they came
out. I actually used to carry the 4506-1 when I lived/worked
in Alaska. I was younger back then, and there was not very
many choices other than Colts.
I also have many Colts, in all the different sizes, 70's, 80's, 90's,
but love my Kahr PM45's. They get carried the most. I sure
would hate to mess up any of my S&W's.

 

[Dparker]

I do like the 45's. I too have a "few" Top-Bottom/left-right
4505, 4506
4516, 4516, 4516-1 (US Marshall Bicentennial)
4536, 4546, 4556
4556, 4566, 4566Melonite
4567, 4567, 4576
4586, 4596, 4596
645, 6452, 6453
745, CS45

Just need a 4526!!!!

Cheers!!!
David

 

[nocents]

Just need a 4526!!!!

Cheers!!!
David

what about a 4513TSW???.....that is what I "need"

 

[SVT28]

David, my friend. Me rikey!!!

 

[Dparker]

what about a 4513TSW???.....that is what I "need"

Nocents
I've had 2 4513tsw's but sold them

Cheers!!!
David

 

[RonPagan]

That Kimber was my 1st pistol, I was a young man and worked HARD to save up for it. Mine would fail to feed or lock the slide back on almost every HP that I tried, something like 75% failure rate. Really broke my heart, and left me with some serious doubts about Kimber's quality.

It remains the most expensive gun I have ever purchased as well as the most unreliable, so I don't personally ever plan on dropping another 1K+ to see if the next one's better. Just my experience and opinion though, no doubt many out there have had better luck with Kimbers.

I'd probably stick with S&W if I did go back to the 1911's someday, though I prefer a nice 4566.

I don't think you'd go wrong with an e-series. I'm only 26 but a springfield 1911 was my 1st center fire ever and it gave me the sickness. I've gotten 8 more in the past 5 years. springfields, colts, kimbers a caspian also shot some colts and an sti that belonged to friends. Then one of them gets an e-series, stainless so of course I'm already drooling over it. But when I shot that beauty it was transforming. It was new and no one had buggered with the trigger but if I didn't know its owner so well I would have thought he was lying. I've never shot so fast or so accurately. It never choked on hollow points, hydra shocks, xtps or any of the ammo either of us made up. It was miles ahead of the match trigger in a usp someone had brought out. Now if only I could decide between an e-series and another .44....the shopping days before Christmas are running out!