Just how much longer will the Performance Center will be around? I now notice they are advertising the Pro series with Performance Center on their web page last I took a look.

It will probably be around as long as the company.
The Pro Series is somewhat of a bridge between the two offering hand fitted parts from the Performance Center to a budget not limited to serious enthusiasts.
I own a Pro Series that I am very pleased with, and I got it for a very reasonable price.
The Performance Center still holds the edge over most Pro models in my opinion, otherwise no one would pay that much for them.

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27-2, 66-1, 640 Pro, 10-5

I have it in mind that the Performance Center is also a Profit Center for S&W: I bet they get a higher return per dollar of cost out of that operation than just about any other. It will be the last division that management closes if things turn bad.

There may be a legitimate question about whether the Pro models have been adequately described to the public. I think most gun buyers recognize them as an upgrade from standard production, but haven't yet figured out how they relate to the top of the line PC production. 'Tweener guns? PC Lites? Crossovers? There is room for clarification, but I'm not sure management will be in a hurry to provide it. There are probably a couple of more bucks to be squeezed out of each unit if a semi-strong association with the PC division is maintained.

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David Wilson

I have several Performance Center guns and one Pro Series.

S&W advertises the Pro Series as: "Completing the line between main production and the Performance Center, the Smith & Wesson Pro Series represents the next step from standard models. These firearms are offered with a variety of enhancements yet still remain true to "stock." Bringing competition specifications and features to factory models, the Pro Series offer that ready-to-go package while still maintaining production line integrity."

In my experience that paragraph is pretty spot on accurate. Not the marketing hype you might expect to on a company web site.

Future of the Performance Center? I guessing it's pretty solid. It's a marketing tool for the company, the place all the good long time/talented employees want to transfer into, a new product "R&D" shop where the company can get paid to experiment, not to mention popular semi-custom services for their customers that helps build brand loyalty.

Ya, I think the Performance Center will be around for as long as the doors are open.

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