stans
Member
Here is a range report on my 4506 that I purchased used. It is actualy marked as a 645 and is one of the 150 transitional models that was mismarked.
The only ammo used in this first test was Winchester's USA white box 230 grain FMJ.
All ammo fed flawlessly from the factory metal base pad magazine.
Ejection pattern was a little erratic, most cases landed 6 to 10 feet to the right and rear of the gun, one ejected straight back and into my forehead. Luckily, I was wearing glasses and a hat.
7 failures to extract in only 61 rounds fired. On all seven occasions, the spent case was left in the chamber. Locking the slide back, dropping the magazine and shaking the pistol allowed the spent shells to drop free of the barrel.
All rounds fired showed evidence of premature barrel unlocking. All primers had a drag mark left by the firing pin.
The Meprolight nights sights are poorly regulated. The pistol shoots 3 inches right and 4 inches low at 25 yards from both a standing position and a bench rested position.
Accuracy is hard to judge with such poorly regulated sights and reliability issues, but groups with the Winchester USA 230 grain FMJ seemed to hover around 3 to 4 inches at 25 yards.
Feel. Well, the pistol felt good in my hand, but the arched backstrap grips may need to be replaced with a flat backstrap design.
Conclusions. This 4506 has some problems. The sights need work, possibly replace them with adjustables since this in not going to be a concealment pistol. The reliability issue can probably be solved by replacing the recoil, firing pin and extractor springs. All of the springs feel a little weak and appear to be original equipment.
This review will be posted on the following forums: The High Road, Smith & Wesson Forum, Pistolsmith.com, 1911 forum.com.
The only ammo used in this first test was Winchester's USA white box 230 grain FMJ.
All ammo fed flawlessly from the factory metal base pad magazine.
Ejection pattern was a little erratic, most cases landed 6 to 10 feet to the right and rear of the gun, one ejected straight back and into my forehead. Luckily, I was wearing glasses and a hat.
7 failures to extract in only 61 rounds fired. On all seven occasions, the spent case was left in the chamber. Locking the slide back, dropping the magazine and shaking the pistol allowed the spent shells to drop free of the barrel.
All rounds fired showed evidence of premature barrel unlocking. All primers had a drag mark left by the firing pin.
The Meprolight nights sights are poorly regulated. The pistol shoots 3 inches right and 4 inches low at 25 yards from both a standing position and a bench rested position.
Accuracy is hard to judge with such poorly regulated sights and reliability issues, but groups with the Winchester USA 230 grain FMJ seemed to hover around 3 to 4 inches at 25 yards.
Feel. Well, the pistol felt good in my hand, but the arched backstrap grips may need to be replaced with a flat backstrap design.
Conclusions. This 4506 has some problems. The sights need work, possibly replace them with adjustables since this in not going to be a concealment pistol. The reliability issue can probably be solved by replacing the recoil, firing pin and extractor springs. All of the springs feel a little weak and appear to be original equipment.
This review will be posted on the following forums: The High Road, Smith & Wesson Forum, Pistolsmith.com, 1911 forum.com.
