How reliable and accurate is the S&W4516?
- Thread starter Longjohn
- Start date
I've had a 4516 for 4 or 5 years.Mine experienced feeding and ejecting problems early on. A trip back to S&W to replace the barrel,ejector and magazine fixed the problems. I've not shot the pistol much since its repair. Have seen 4516's for sale in the Gun List in the $500 to $600 range.
The recoil is mild, I think due to the pistols weight.
I'm currently in the market for another .45 and am looking at a Glock 30. The price is about the same, and if its as reliable as my Glock 27, it will be just fine.
Hope this helps, good luck with your choice.
dk
The recoil is mild, I think due to the pistols weight.
I'm currently in the market for another .45 and am looking at a Glock 30. The price is about the same, and if its as reliable as my Glock 27, it will be just fine.
Hope this helps, good luck with your choice.
dk
I had a 4516-1 for six years until I traded it in towards a P229 .40S&W. (Dumbest trade I ever made.) I never made a single mod to that gun and my 4516 was as accurate as any full size 1911, and against some it was moreso. Other than being a bit heavy due to the stainless steel, that pistol was one of my all-time favorites. I feel they are worth the money. JMHO 
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May your lead always hit center mass and your brass always land in your range bag.
~Blades~
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May your lead always hit center mass and your brass always land in your range bag.
~Blades~
The 4516 is an outstanding piece. I have heard that the real early units (4516, no dash number) had a problem due to the lack of slide mass (the 4516-1 and -2's have a slightly larger slide), but have not personally confirmed it. I have owned a -1 and -2 which were both excellent, but traded them both off (the -1 for a foolish reason, the -2 for a good reason, traded it for the 4556 DAO version of the 4516). I have done a fair amount of "side by side" testing of this compact pistol with the larger Smiths (4506, 4576, 4586), and can confirm that "felt" recoil is less on the little pistol. This is due to the double/nested recoil spring design that the compact pistols uses. Great package! You should get years and years of good service with the 4516. ......SmithNut
I bought a used 4516-1. It had a feeding problem. The slide would hang up about 1/8 inch open. This would occur with one or two rounds out of every magazine. I shipped it back to S&W and they made it right. They replaced the slide, barrel, recoil assembly, and shipped the gun back to me for free. It only took about two weeks. When I called to check the status of repairs, I spoke directly to the technician working on my piece. This was on a gun I bought used.
Since its return a few years ago, I have put a couple thousand rounds through it without a malfunction. It is very accurate and easy to conceal. Recoil is mild even with +P loads. This gun is everything the Sig P245 is, with one more round in the magazine. Buy it! You will not regret it. Even if you do have a problem, S&W will make it right. I love mine.
Since its return a few years ago, I have put a couple thousand rounds through it without a malfunction. It is very accurate and easy to conceal. Recoil is mild even with +P loads. This gun is everything the Sig P245 is, with one more round in the magazine. Buy it! You will not regret it. Even if you do have a problem, S&W will make it right. I love mine.