S&W Model 46 value?

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BigDotGlock

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I did some searching around, I apologize if I missed a thread that would answer my question.

A friend of mine wants to sell me a S&W Model 46, 7" barrel, in very good condion for the age (a couple of little scratches), and stil has the barrel weight. I think the serial number starded 59###. From what I can see, there were 2500 7" Model 46's made, ending around 1966. Would any of you know the current fair value of that pistol in Canada?

I could have got it for $400, did a litle looking around, that sounds like I'might have been screwing him blue. I want to give him the fair value for it.

Thank you in advance.
 
BigDotGlock said:
I did some searching around, I apologize if I missed a thread that would answer my question.

A friend of mine wants to sell me a S&W Model 46, 7" barrel, in very good condion for the age (a couple of little scratches), and stil has the barrel weight. I think the serial number starded 59###. From what I can see, there were 2500 7" Model 46's made, ending around 1966. Would any of you know the current fair value of that pistol in Canada?

I could have got it for $400, did a litle looking around, that sounds like I'might have been screwing him blue. I want to give him the fair value for it.

Thank you in advance.
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Personally 46's are more desireable to me. Not as fancy as the 41 for sure, but they are more scarce, i prefer the triggers in them over the 41's and most M46's i own/ have handled have had the better proofed barrels.
Personally, If i could find another 7" barrel, i would start at 800.00.
 
ChiliDawg said:
Watch for cracks on the slide. It is nowhere near as robust as the model 41. My club has one and it cracked two weeks after we got it.
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Incorrect. Slide is every bit as strong on the 46. What causes cracking in them is the squared corners on the slide compared to the radiused corners on the 41.

S&W offered 46 owners a chance to change out to radiused corners at one time. No charge.

Also most, if not all M46 cracks are from using ammo over 1200fps without a buffer and matched recoil spring. And the easy way to know for sure is to check the breech to slide area. If the barrel near the breech looks 'peened' , you can be assured of a little abuse in the ammo dept, and once it gets peened bad enough the slide will eventually crack.
 
BigDotGlock said:
Thank's for the detailed info. This one hasn't seen any fast loads, giong by what it's condition. Pretty well all it's ever seen is old DND .22lr, and more recently Winchester bulk pack.

I'll have to consider it. Even if I don't pick it up, at least he'll wait to get closer to what it's actually worth.
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If he is looking to sell it, and you do not take it, please let me know. It is the 7" BBL yes?
 
Yes they were made in around 1963 as I also have one in the long barrel. I paid $400. for it last year which I thought was a great price. I also have a M41 as well 1959 model year. I use the M46 as my backup gun on the range only. I have since put M41 grips on mine as they feel much more solid to me then the plastic grips. The plastic grips are worth more as well then the wooden ones now due to the rarity of them being plastic. For $400. jump on that buy or give me his name please as I will. :)
 
tacoman said:
The model 46 was made as a contract order for the US Air force shooting teams.They cancelled the contract and the pistols were sold off through distributors.They were made for shooting,not looking at.The value depending on condition is about 750.00-1000.00.Should have a muzzel brake and a blank cap to cover if the brake is taken off.They didn't make that many.Check out Roy Jinks (S&W historian's book).
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Correct. They were a Military Procurement at the time, hence the proofed barrels .1/.2
MBrakes were ordered, but never fitted to the BBLs because of the cancellation of contract, and so most barrels in the 46's did not get them and were never tapped for them.
I have some very hard to find historical articles on the M41/M46 Pistols and it is interesting to note that the 46 was the first designed, the 41 was actually second. Of course the 41 beat some 46's into production, and if one wanted to get real nit-picky, the 41 was 'production' first.
I do however have a M46 that predates that;) Hence the reason it isn't shot, especially after giving my serial number to Roy (he also confirmed the earliest 46's like mine had wood grips, simply because the nylon ones had not shown up yet, lol.

I had an ultra rare extended front sight radius 5" contour model 41 with the optional trigger gaurd and Millet target sights. From the factory. Unfortunately, the EFS piece was long gone, and I was offered a sum, that I could not turn down. But in retrospect, I should have.

The 41 is superior in a few ways. Higher Blue finish, serrated controls, wood grips, slightly better sights, adjustable trigger, radiused slide, Olympic weight set (optional) Muzzle Brake (optional) and the serrations on the slide to remove powder residue (although most M46's got this in later years)

Still. The M46 to me is the better of the two. Not in terms of finish (most 46's are not as well carded/blued as the M41's) but in terms of being the original.
 
tacoman said:
Most of the ones I have seen ,at my own club,Camp Perry,Canton,southwest winternationals in Phoenix did have the muzzle brakes /caps fitted,funny how many variations you can have on such a limited number of production guns.
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From my conversations with Roy, I believe that they did not realize what they had going at the time, because some of their records on the 46/41 are a little...scant in what they actually built.
S&W did not see the potential or the benchmark this gun would set, so their own records were not as detailed as they could have been.
Amazing guns, simple to work on, good weight, good sights, and a very good trigger, and accurate.
 
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