New Gun and Range Report

[firstrock]

I picked up a new to me S&W 4516-1 .45ACP last week from Beech Grove Firearms. This gun is in excellent condition with box, paperwork and 3 mag's.

This is my first S&W semi auto pistol and I'm learning a lot. This is also the first SA/DA pistol I have owned and I must say that I like it! The DA has a TON of trigger pull before the hammer is dropped but in SA mode the fire control system is butter!! I am looking for advice to lighten the trigger pull in DA mode as well as adding a standard hammer instead of the bobbed one. My thoughts on the new hammer is that I can get around using the DA if I can just cock the hammer on my own.

Some other impressions about this pistol are the fact that this thing is built like a tank!! All steel frame and finished in SS makes for a very serviceable albeit heavy (2.1lb unloaded) pistol.

Range Report:

I started off by familiarizing myself with the controls and recoil by firing off a mag or two. Then I started shooting for accuracy. I was using Remington 230gr ball ammo and had no malfunctions whatsoever! Sweet! I mostly concentrated on 7yd accuracy as this Smith has a 3 1/2in bbl. All rounds were on target except for the first round out of the mag due to being in DA mode. All the rest from the mag were spot on. You can see the two "fliers" in the pic and these were the first rounds out of the mag in DA.

All in all I'm very pleased with this pistol and I think it will be my new carry piece!! Thanks again BGF for a great deal and awesome gun!!!

John

 

[shooter521]

My thoughts on the new hammer is that I can get around using the DA if I can just cock the hammer on my own.

I wouldn't do that if I were you. If it's going to be a carry piece, you need to train with - and master - the DA/SA transition, since that's what you'll have to deal with in the event you actually have to use the gun for its intended purpose. You may not have the time, presence of mind or physical ability to manually cock the hammer for that first shot in a defensive situation.

You can see the two "fliers" in the pic and these were the first rounds out of the mag in DA.

My point exactly.

Nice looking piece, and seems to shoot well. Enjoy it!

 

[garagegunmaker]

I wouldn't do that if I were you. If it's going to be a carry piece, you need to train with - and master - the DA/SA transition, since that's what you'll have to deal with in the event you actually have to use the gun for its intended purpose. You may not have the time, presence of mind or physical ability to manually cock the hammer for that first shot in a defensive situation.

Exactly. Thats why I stopped shoot my revolvers in SA and started to shoot DA. I found out I really wasn't as good of a shot as I thought. Had to master shooting them all over again.

 

[JohnP82]

Very nice! Congrats and enjoy

 

[mrfjones]

Very nice, enjoy the learning process

 

[MilitaryArms]

I love those older Smiths. I have a 5906 and a 1006 I will never surrender. Great pistols, and I like them much more than the current crop of combat tupperware that's coming out of S&W.

 

[Que]

That is a very nice S&W! That's the first pistol by them that has caught my eye. I hope you enjoy it.

 

[drgnrobo]

Very nice ,Got a soft spot for the 2nd & 3rd gen smiths autos .They always catch my eye when they're in the pistol case

 

[LotsofGlocks]

Congrats and great report!

 

[Nemick]

I've owned a 4566 since the mid nineties. It's a beautiful weapon, accurate, built like a tank and a joy to shoot. Congrats on your new purchase!

 

[sam1]

I learned to shoot my DA/SA BY FIRING 2 SHOTS AT A TIME da / saTHEN DECOCK REPEAT,after a while the transition and da will come naturally,I notice a lot of people at the range will fire da,then empty the rest of the mag single action,this is ok if you have the da down pat,but there is a learning curve w the da and the transition to sa

 

[firstrock]

Thanks for the replies folks!

I think I need more trigger time as Shooter and others suggested. I am wondering if a trigger job would ease the trigger pull in DA mode? I know I just need to practice in DA but i have plenty of experience pulling the trigger so i know I can overcome this.

On a side note, I can't seem to find much info on the web about this pistol. It seems that this model was a preferred LEO duty/backup gun in the 90's. I would also assume that most folks liked them so much that they kept them as there aren't many floating around for sale. I am also wondering what the differences are between the 3 models; 4516, 4516-1 and 4516-2. They are seemingly identical by visual appearance and specs.

John

 

[Cannondale]

very nice, enjoy and practice

 

[Fenway]

Enjoy your new pistol

 

[cjacobs]

Nice Smith.
i suggest you spend some time to get used to the trigegr pull first berfore considering replacing the hammer. Once you are used to it, it is a non issue....

You might want to check out Smith & Wesson Semi-auto Pistols
lots of good info there.