S&w 457

[Confederate]

I just picked up a used S&W 457 and have read some pretty good things about it. I'm happy to learn that it'll take a 645 magazine, though it protrudes from the grip about an inch or so; at least I can use them in either gun, which is a plus. And speaking of plus, I also understand that it works with +P ammo.

On the glum side, it's butt ugly, with all the charm of a polymer pistol. The weight and balance, as well as the sights, remind me of the Glock, but it has a hammer and a hammer drop safety, which makes it better in my opinion. Gone, too, is any semblance of the S&W legendary bluing. The slide looks like it was dipped in black paint.

The barrel appears to be stainless steel, but I assume the slide is standard steel. The grips feel good, the gun strips down easily and goes together fairly easily (though there are the aggravating push-down pieces next to the hammer). I've wondered whether the hammer from a 645 would fit the 457, but it wouldn't be worth the expense or effort in changing the thing. In a pinch, I could self cock the hammer using my left fingers.

Does anyone have any info they can provide on this gun? Strong points, weak points, things to watch out for? Like I said, it won't win any beauty contests, but it seems like a nice little pistol. It definitely lacks the charm of my 659/6906.






.

 

[9mmepiphany]

the 457 is an excellent gun. along with it's siblings, it is a very strong design for a .45 ACP...2nd only to the Ruger P90, which was designed for the 10mm.

it was designed as the utility version of the 4513 and lacks the extra exterior machining and finish...like the difference between the Kahr CW9 and the P9

like all S&W semi-autos, i has a very short reset. due to the timing of the 457's action, i would choose it over any 1911 of the same size

 

[David E]

The 645 hammer should work, but not with the longer hammer strut.

Be wary of Remington +P ammo, as all 645's had issues with it. Maybe the issue was fixed with the 457, and I've not seen any +P .45 acp Remington ammo recently, but it's something to be aware of.

 

[Oro]

I am a growing fan of S&W sa/da autos as undervalued pistols; I'm looking at a used compact 9mm locally in the next day or two from that generation.

But my point is, why is your ammo so deformed? Did you cycle that and it came out that way, or did you run over it with a motorcycle? That is some very messed up ammunition if no one has told you yet...Or did you just borrow that photo?

 

[Storm]

It is one of the best shooting DA/SA .45s out there.

Pretty is as pretty does.

 

[Confederate]

Nah, the ammo's fine — they're Silvertips that have never cycled through anything. The fault is probably the camera, which has a tendency to warp at wide angles.

I would like to know more about the problems with the 645 and Remington +P ammo. I've had people tell me they use it with their 645s with no problem. What kind of problems were there?

 

[9mmepiphany]

why is your ammo so deformed? Did you cycle that and it came out that way, or did you run over it with a motorcycle? That is some very messed up ammunition if no one has told you yet

am i missing something? the ammo looks pretty normal to me

 

[David E]

I would like to know more about the problems with the 645 and Remington +P ammo. I've had people tell me they use it with their 645s with no problem. What kind of problems were there?

Failures to extract.

The load was the then-new Remington 185 grain JHP +P, rated @ 1140 fps. (this was pre-Golden Sabre bullet)

We had one shoot-out where the Officer had jams due to this. (he survived, badguy did not) We quickly changed over to Federal Hydra-Shoks as a result.

Prior to that, I had bought my own identical ammo so I could shoot it thru my gun on my own time to verify impact, recoil, etc. Shooting 18 rds of duty ammo once a year wasn't enough for me. So I'd fired quite a few, compared to my fellow deputies. Coincidentally, we had our 18 rd duty shoot a month or so prior to the above shoot-out and I did, in fact, experience jams. I later found out my extractor had cracked and needed to be replaced. (it cracked right in the 90 degree angle that engages the rim)

This was the mid 90's, so I gotta think that this problem has long since been identified and addressed. The lesson to learn from this is that no matter what the chosen defense load is, make sure it works in your gun.

 

[Confederate]

That makes sense. Also, because one gun has problems with a given ammo, it doesn't necessarily mean that other guns will have problems. If numerous people have the same problems with it, that's when a department needs to seriously reevaluate their ammo. It sounds as though your problems confirmed that the problem was with the Remington ammo. Still, I wonder if the ammo caused the extractor to fracture or whether the fracture caused the jams.

Many people seem to just want to use 230gr FMJ in their .45s and feel that anything else is problematic. I prefer lighter, faster rounds, but I need to get to the range. It's just so far away now and the cost is prohibitive (everyone wants a membership).

Anyway, thanks for your response!