I’m going to share an unpopular opinion that I may catch some heat for in the comments section. Older collectible firearms rarely do it for me. Do I appreciate the history behind them and the solid craftsmanship? You bet I do. However, nine times out of 10, my hard-earned money isn’t going to go toward buying one. 

With that said, this Model 46 is one I was excited to review. I’m already somewhat of a Smith & Wesson fanatic, and I’m familiar with the famous Model 41, as it’s still in production and used by many .22 LR competition shooters. The Model 46, however, I’ve never laid my hands or even eyes on, for that matter. 

It’s often referred to as “the poor man’s Model 41,” but I don’t see anything “poor” about it. Yes, it was less expensive than the Model 41 because it lacked a few upgrades, but those were mostly cosmetic features, from what I’ve read. 

Only about 4,000 units were made between 1957 and 1966 before production ceased. In short, to shoot one of those 4,000 from 60-plus years ago is truly neat.
 

Table of Contents

First Impressions
Features
Getting a Grip
Specs
Range Time 
Pros & Cons
Final Thoughts

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The first thing I thought picking up the Model 46 out of the box was, “Man, this held up well.” For a gun this old, I would have expected some more rust and the grips to be all scratched and scuffed. 
 

Only a little rust is visible, which actually kind of adds to the aesthetic, given the classic look of the pistol. Of course, rust on a new gun is no bueno, but it works here. 

It’s a well-balanced pistol that feels great in hand, thanks to the textured and contoured angled 105-degree grip. 
 

FEATURES

Don’t expect all the modern-day bells and whistles on this sharp-shooting .22 LR. You’re not going to have your tritium night sights, ambidextrous controls, or high-capacity magazines. 

However, you will have solid iron sights, well-placed and functional controls, and an easy-to-load and sturdy 10-round magazine. Oh yeah, and awesome wood grips and a crisp trigger. 
 

The sights are nothing to get excited about, but they work well. It has a fixed front ramp-style sight and an adjustable rear. I didn’t have to make any adjustments and was all good out to 20 yards. 
 

When controls such as the magazine release or slide stop are too oversized, they can get in the way and be a real pain, but it’s quite the opposite with the Model 46. It’s not even that the controls themselves are too flat, but the grips are molded/carved in such a way that it makes it difficult to manipulate them. Luckily, I wasn’t trying to do tactical reloads or run any timed drills. 
 

GETTING A GRIP

The Model 46 traditionally came with plastic grips (one of the ways to reduce cost from the Model 41), but the original owner of this one must have swapped them out for wood grips. If these are plastic, they are the most realistic “wood” plastic grips I’ve ever seen!
 

The grips, albeit slick, feel really nice in hand. They have a checkered texturing, a thumb shelf on both sides, and are flared near the base to keep your hand from slipping down. 
 

Lastly, I have to touch on the trigger. You better be careful actually touching the trigger, though, because this thing is light! According to my Wheeler trigger gauge, the pull is right at about 2 pounds. It’s super crisp, too. 
 

SPECS

• Caliber: .22 LR
• Capacity: 10 rounds
• Barrel Length: 5 inches
• Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Trigger: 2 pounds
• Sights: Fixed ramp front and adjustable rear
   

RANGE TIME

I had 200 rounds of 40-grain CCI Standard Velocity and 50 rounds of 40-grain Aguila High Velocity, which proved to be suitable ammo for the Model 46. I had a couple of rounds of the Aguila simply not fire, but that easily could have been the ammo – I mean, it is .22 LR. 

From an accuracy perspective, I can see why so many competition shooters love this gun. As I mentioned above, the sights were dead-on and the trigger is wonderful, so it makes it easy to seem like an even better shooter than you are, at least in my case. There wouldn’t be a pop can within 50-ish yards that would be safe, if given a case of Mountain Dew and some outdoor range time.
 

PROS & CONS

Pros: 

• Reliable – only a few failures out of 200 rounds (good for a .22 LR)
• Accurate for having the original sights
• Virtually zero felt recoil
• Much more affordable than its more upscale Model 41 sibling

Cons:

• Grips are rather slick
   

FINAL THOUGHTS

After spending some quality time with the Model 46, I’ve come to realize that it was “the smart man’s model 41.” Unless you are a serious competition shooter, this Model 46 would save you a ton of money without sacrificing accuracy or quality. 

This is one of those conversation pieces that you don’t just keep in the safe but bring with you each range trip and show off. Save some money by shooting .22 LR, and have fun doing it with the Model 46.