Evaluation of S&W Model 457

R

Richard

New member
I put down some of my thoughts on the S&W 457 on an other board and thought I would share them.

This is a smaller 45acp in the S&W Economy or Value line. In other words it is a "Plain Jane." Well if this is a Plain Jane the company should stick to pistols that don't get asked to a lot of dances. This little gun is accurate enough for informal or defensive shooting.

The grip is about the same width as a 1911 and is made of molded plastic. I am becoming the world's greatest champion of skateboard tape and I added some to the front of the grip frame. The 457 sat in my hand and didn't move.

The sights are very good as is but appear to be made of plastic. I have used the factory sights on my Glocks for years and never had a problem. Hopefully, the same will be true of the 457. If not, I will go the Novak route in a hurry.

The trigger is double action (DA) with a decocker that leaves the pistol with the safety on. This may bother some but not me. If a Bad Guy (BG) gets the pistol from me he has to figure out how to fire it. The DA pull is very good and I detected no hitch.

The single action can use and probably will get a trigger job. I am thinking Teddy Jacobsen. Why? It is long, spongy, and not to my liking. I am sure I am spoiled by the triggers on 1911s and tuned BHPs.

The pistol came with one magazine and it fed flawlessly. I will obtain another 2-3 magazines in the future.

The finish is matte and the pistol doesn't have sharp edges. When it is worn I will go for black chrome etc. I just might try one of Alex Hamilton's polymers.

Any other thoughts? Yes, I would like to replace the grips with wood but I am not sure if anyone makes replacements. In the other post I stated that I ordered a Milt Sparks # 88 belt slide for the Model 457 and this will do me a long time.

I am sorry for the length of this post but this Plain Jane deserves an in depth review.

Regards,

Richard
 
I have the .40 version of the value line the model 410. I wouldn't bang those sights on too much cause they aren't as tough as they should be. Mine had a plastic guide rod that I didn't like so i changed it out to a stainless steel guide rod. I didn't like the factory grips but like the Hogue grips I put on it. The gun shoots much better than I had read in past posts on here and elsewhere I have about 350 rounds through it now without a single problem. Overall I am very happy with this pistol I would like to find some more durable sights for it though. Check your guide rod and see if it is platic I'm sure you can call S&W like I did and get a steel one that will fit.
 
Thanks for the report Richard. I've had two of these fine little pistols and liked them very much. Totally reliable, lightweight and fit nicely in my fanny pack. Best, John
 
I bought my 457 when my dad purchased as 4516. My budget piece shoots much better than his "regular" gun. I have made a few mods: 1 - Smith grips were just a little too thin - I replaces them with Hogue rubber grips for a 4516 and I love it! 2 - Plastic sights are gone - replaced them with PT night sights - better sight aquisition. People complain that PT night sights are dimmer than Meps. Partially they are right. The rear sights are dimmer than the front - the manufacturer says it is that way by design as your attention will be drawn to the much brighter front sight. If you have the sights redone, be careful who you have do it. I had a factory certified PD armorer replace mine. They issue 5900 and 6900 series guns and replace night sights routinely, so I thought they would do it without messing anything up. Boy was I surprised when the gun came back with scratches and a couple of dings. These guys are all thumbs. All in all, the 457 is an exceptional value (got mine for less than $400 five years ago).

Mine came with 2 mags - I'm curious was your gun new? I ran across a dealer at a show recently. I watched him buy a weapon with 2 factory high caps, then take one out and set the gun out for sale with just a single mag. The other high cap went into his magazine sales box. Bought from him once but never again.
 
Massad Ayoob wrote up the 457 in a magazine article several years ago. He liked what he saw.

Myself, I owned a 457 for a little while in the late 90s while a struggling college student/husband/father. I sold the piece because I needed the money, not because of any fault of the pistol.

My opinion is that the 457 is a great gun. I'd buy one again.
 
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