Smith & Wesson 457 [Archive]

cabezaverde

02-24-2008, 09:44 AM

A buddy has one of these in very nice shape he would like to sell. I shot it yesterday with hardball and was surprised how comfortable the recoil is.

Does anyone know anything about these or have one? How is it with cast?

An internet search turns up very little for adjustable sights, but I have read about people putting them on. Any info here?

9.3X62AL

02-27-2008, 11:50 AM

My agency had a couple dozen of these in service, and I had a variant of the series (M-4513TSW) for several years. My subjective impression was just like yours--that the little 45's handled recoil VERY well, and we fired some fairly stout service loads--230 grain Ranger SXT. I fired about a half-dozen of these examples, and all were very reliable and surprisingly accurate.

My own M-4513 digested cast boolits with aplomb. RN, TC, SWC--didn't matter, it fed them all like water through a funnel. That little critter DROVE TACKS with the Lyman #452460.

While the Tactical Mall Ninja consortium looks down their noses at S&W autopistols, I think they are wrong-headed as hell on this matter, as in most other questions. S&W autopistols are WITHOUT DOUBT the most lead-friendly line of autopistols in existence, and that goes for 1st through 3rd generation platform designs. Their triggers aren't the best in factory condition, but very few double-action autopistols have what I would call a "good" trigger.

The sole weakness of S&W self-loaders has been their slide stops--they break after 5K-6K rounds, the spring detent goes galley-west. Easy to spot--the slide will lock back just about every shot. They are a drop-in fit in my experience, and my ancient Model 645 is on its sixth slide stop presently. A Model 459 (9mm) now owned by a cousin is on its third slide stop--he and his wife shoot the daylights out of it, and just before I gave it to him the 1st slide stop let go with about 7500 rounds on it.