Any S&W Model 45 owners out there?

[Checkman]

I've been informed by another officer in a nearby city that there is a S&W Model 45 for sale. I've only seen pictures of this revolver (22LR, 4"bl, fixed sights - never listed in a S&W cataloge), but I'm curious about it. Any THR members who have experience with this model?

 

[Majic]

The S&W M45 was the .22lr trainer for the M10. It was used by govt. agencies and I think never released commercially. Supposedly the only K-framed .22lr with fixed sights execpt for maybe special orders. They were built from 1948 to 1978.
Info from SCSW 2nd edition.

 

[Dienekes]

Saw one for sale at H.H. Harris, near the Chicago PD building in 1965. Wish I had bought it, but that applies to a lot of things and I didn't have any money in those days anyway. Don't know if the firm still exists, but at the time it was the big police supply outfit in that town. The M45s are scarce by any standards. As I recall the USPS bought some as training pieces. The Jinks book mentions them.

Unless very well used they are pretty collectable. Essentially they would be very similar to any of the other K frame .22s, such as M18, K-22, etc.

I have always liked the idea of .22 caliber understudy guns but for some reason the Model 45s never caught on.

 

[thatguy]

I have heard that maybe 200 were made. Maybe that's not right but I know it is a very small number and when they do turn up you need large wads of cash to buy them.

 

[Checkman]

The 45 has been sold for a very healthy sum. I have no idea how much it went for. I wasn't really considering purchasing it - just curious about it. Some Smiths are out of my price range. I'll stick with Model 28s and 27s for my S&W collecting, but that model 45 would be neat to have. Oh well.

 

[Dienekes]

Supica says that about 500 were released on the commercial market.