When was my 4506 made?

[Kent66]

I purchased a 4506 from a friend about fifteen years ago and I would like to find out when it was manufactured. The serial number is #TDC2615 MOD 4506. It's in perfect condition, and I was told that the original owner passed away and his widow sold it to the gun store that my friend worked at.

Thanks in advance!

 

[ACEd]

I purchased a 4506 from a friend about fifteen years ago and I would like to find out when it was manufactured. The serial number is #TDC2615 MOD 4506. It's in perfect condition, and I was told that the original owner passed away and his widow sold it to the gun store that my friend worked at.

Thanks in advance!.


View attachment 708187

View attachment 708188

Early pistol based on early fixed sight and square trigger guard - most likely 1988-89 but best to email SW at [email protected] with model and full serial number and ask for manufacture date. Depending on who responds you may get anything from day, month, year to year only. And it may be actual Manufacture (assembly) date or date Boxed ready to Ship or may be Shipping Date - I have been told both Manufacture date and Ship date but either way its what SW considers its birthdate.

 

[Kent66]

Thank you!

Thanks for the quick reply, I really appreciate it!

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

 

[Sevens]

I will guess very, very early 1989 based upon a couple other serial prefixes that I am aware of. In the mean time, there's a couple bits I can see that you may or may not be aware of.

First, I agree --condition is just fantastic. If you also have the box with intact end label, that can get us a pretty close date but definitely e-mail S&W as suggested and when you hear back from them, please update this thread!

You probably realize this, but the pistol is wearing an aftermarket Hogue rubber grip. It was shipped with the very early one-piece grip and that grip was likely subject to recall. It would not be difficult to find a proper grip for it if you wanted to bring it back to (close to) original.

Yours is an extremely early 4506, and an early 3rd Gen. The slide on these was actually older stock that S&W used up and modified before making a new run of slides that look a bit different. There are easy visual clues to this. The rear sight is a fixed blade when nearly all the fixed sight 4506 pistols got the Novak lo-mount sight.

Another clue that the slide was an upgraded 2nd Gen is the older style font for the long Smith & Wesson lettering and especially the old style "four lines" of information located right over the slide stop.

 

[03hemi]

Mine came with the adjustable sights, same model too, I wonder if this adds any value to it? I don't even have a clue to its value though.