A 4500 family......

[TheNewbie]

I found an old pic of mine in my duty rig. Thinking back that thing was huge, I went from that to a P225 years later.

What is that between your cuffs and your gun?

[steve]

What is that between your cuffs and your gun?

Those are speed loaders. I carried a 2 inch .357 as a backup. Model 13 with a 2 inch model 10 barrel. It was a hand cannon.

[TheNewbie]

Those are speed loaders. I carried a 2 inch .357 as a backup. Model 13 with a 2 inch model 10 barrel. It was a hand cannon.

Ok, I thought that was it. Way cool man!

[TGS]

Those are speed loaders. I carried a 2 inch .357 as a backup. Model 13 with a 2 inch model 10 barrel. It was a hand cannon.

Very neat.

Just curious, was that practice common in your area? Did you carry two speedloaders for your backup because you weren't quite confident in the auto? Lastly, if you carried two speedloaders for your backup, how many spare mags were you carrying for your primary?

[MDFA]

I owned 3 over the years and carried them on duty for several years, so you won't get any argument from me. Excellent choice and reasoning behind it.

[kihnspiracy]

I had a 4506-1 back in the 90's. It was an excellent pistol. It was pretty accurate. Like an idiot, I ended up trading it away for something else. The last generation of metal Smith semi autos were great pistols.

[kwb377]

I was finally able to talk my dad into selling me my 4506-1 this evening that I sold to him @ 17 years ago for $300...bought it back for $350. I couldn't give it away back then...had it listed at $300, then $275 on several gun forums with zero interest.

I carried it on duty for a while circa 1996, and had all but forgotten that I'd sold it to him until recently.

Back in the day I replaced the original LoMount rear site with a Novak Comp sight (for unknown reason) and installed an Ed Brown extended safety...and sometime since my dad had painted the white dots on both sights orange (I just ordered a set of original sights from Numrich).

edit to add: Holy Cripes! Looking at prices on various sites, I had no idea the mags for these things had turned into gold.

[TheNewbie]

I was finally able to talk my dad into selling me my 4506-1 this evening that I sold to him @ 17 years ago for $300...bought it back for $350. I couldn't give it away back then...had it listed at $300, then $275 on several gun forums with zero interest.

I carried it on duty for a while circa 1996, and had all but forgotten that I'd sold it to him until recently.

Back in the day I replaced the original LoMount rear site with a Novak Comp sight (for unknown reason) and installed an Ed Brown extended safety...and sometime since my dad had painted the white dots on both sights orange (I just ordered a set of original sights from Numrich).

edit to add: Holy Cripes! Looking at prices on various sites, I had no idea the mags for these things had turned into gold.

Awesome!


How well does that extended safety work?

[kwb377]

How well does that extended safety work?

Much better than the stock lever...although I've only used it as a decocker, when used as a safety it's long/wide enough that it can be disengaged with the knuckle of the thumb as you push the thumb forward into a firing grip rather than having to sweep the thumb upward first. And it does away with the "cheese grater" edges machined into the stock lever.

[Trooper224]

I was finally able to talk my dad into selling me my 4506-1 this evening that I sold to him @ 17 years ago for $300...bought it back for $350. I couldn't give it away back then...had it listed at $300, then $275 on several gun forums with zero interest.

I carried it on duty for a while circa 1996, and had all but forgotten that I'd sold it to him until recently.

Back in the day I replaced the original LoMount rear site with a Novak Comp sight (for unknown reason) and installed an Ed Brown extended safety...and sometime since my dad had painted the white dots on both sights orange (I just ordered a set of original sights from Numrich).

edit to add: Holy Cripes! Looking at prices on various sites, I had no idea the mags for these things had turned into gold.

In the last year prices have started to climb. I don't know if this is due to the current panic driving prices on everything up, or if it's due to the fact of a finite supply, or a combination thereof. I'm just glad I accumulated as many as I did in the past few years.

The guns themselves seem to be crossing the line from surplus to collectable. There was a time I never would have dreamed of paying more than $300 for an S&W M28, even in mint condition. No one had an interest, now look at what they're going for.