Latest Smith: PPC9 / Target Champion 9mm

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lifesizepotato

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I picked this up recently. It's a European market PPC9 called the Target Champion. This one has the 5" barrel, though 6" was also available. The slide is a beautiful polished blue, and the wood grips seem to be on the rare side.

I had a PC 952 a couple years ago but never warmed up to it. I blame the thin grip, which I also don't care for on 1911s. The PPC9/Target Champion, based on the double-stack 5906 frame, is far superior in my hands, and the wood grips are especially comfortable for me. The SAO trigger is brilliant, and balance and handling are superb. Weight is a pleasing 43.5oz unloaded. Not huge on the slide safety, but I never use it, and it has forward slide serrations, so no big deal.

Build quality is top shelf. It's immediately apparent when racking the slide that everything is hand-fitted together with genuine skill.

Performance at the range doesn't disappoint, of course. It's one of my top 9mms. Tearing out a single ragged hole in the bullseye is beyond easy at my normal shooting distances.

After not being enthralled with the 952, I'm glad I didn't give up on PC Smiths. This one's truly a Champion. :cool:











(Click on any image for a giant 25+mp file.)
 
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Very nice, handsome and practical... congrats.

Couple questions, from the serial number prefix, this looks like a Wischo gun, are you in the US or Europe?

I'd really like to know if there are any running around the US, that would be a fantastic addition to a PC auto collection.

Can you post a product code/SKU for that gun?

Wow, very impressive.
 
I'm in the USA. Here's the box label:

hpiy9rk.png


I have seen a couple in the states but they're far from common, and even rarer than the PPC9 it seems. I'm especially glad this one has the polished blue and wood.
 
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What is up with the bronze bushing in the barrel bushing? self-lubricating close tolerance?
 
Performance Center semi-auto pistols come with that Briley titanium spherical bushing. It makes for an extremely close fit. Intrinsic accuracy because the pistol returns to the same spot after lockup better than your average production tolerance "we made 300,000 of these!" pistols.

Folks love to say "the gun shoots better than I do" and many versions of that same idea endlessly, and they say this on gun forums a LOT. But until you actually have the chance to shoot some truly elite handguns (like the subject of this thread or other Performance Center pistols) then you may not actually understand the kind of shooting that is possible when you have one of these in your hands.

I love most of the production pistols that we talk about here most of the time. My 5906, 659, my 1006. They shoot well and I can shoot them well. But PC guns are in a whole different galaxy and if you've not yet hand the chance to experience it... something truly wonderful awaits.
 
Sevens said:
Folks love to say "the gun shoots better than I do" and many versions of that same idea endlessly, and they say this on gun forums a LOT. But until you actually have the chance to shoot some truly elite handguns (like the subject of this thread or other Performance Center pistols) then you may not actually understand the kind of shooting that is possible when you have one of these in your hands.
Click to expand...

Yep. As someone who owns a fair amount of highly accurate target pistols, I constantly see people trying to rationalize that their Glock is just as accurate as some fancy schmancy P210 since "all guns are more accurate than their shooter." Imprecision compounds on shooter error and makes your groups worse.

And yeah, I am 99.99% sure the grips are Nills, though I haven't taken them off to look for their mark.
 
lifesizepotato said:
Yep. As someone who owns a fair amount of highly accurate target pistols, I constantly see people trying to rationalize that their Glock is just as accurate as some fancy schmancy P210 since "all guns are more accurate than their shooter." Imprecision compounds on shooter error and makes your groups worse.

And yeah, I am 99.99% sure the grips are Nills, though I haven't taken them off to look for their mark.
Click to expand...

Lifesizepotato, very nice pistol and you are absolutely correct. I'm really fortunate to have worked for S&W back a few years ago(quite a few years ago) and can say without a doubt the Performance Center guys have their act together. I love their pistols and when you look a comparative custom pistol by some gunsmith with a 5 year backlog, they are a great bargain. I have a safe full of PC guns and they all shoot very well. I was a cop and a formally trained gunsmith in a previous life and shot PPC as a Grand Master. I built a lot of competitive guns in my day that shot very well but nothing I could ever build, for a lot higher cost, would consistently out perform an S&W Performance Center gun. When someone starts to tell me how great their Glock shoots, all I can do is grin and show them one of my old PPC targets shot with an out of the box PC gun. ( out to 50 yrds) I do believe is was Jack O'Connor that said, "only accurate guns are interesting".
Taj
 
actually it was Townsend Whelen who is created with that quote..and he was right
 
Taj, I will wholeheartedly agree with all that you said EXCEPT your referencing of "those guys" at the Performance Center. The only issue I take with those guys is that it is now HISTORICAL. I believe it is not accurate to refer to the PC as a group of folks or an organization that is active/current and exists today.

It's history. These guns are used or NOS now and unless good fortune shines upon us in the future... today's "PC" is a sad abuse of a one-time terrific idea and classy emblem. Today's "Performance Center" is a couple of ugly 1911 pistols with colored grips and cuts in the slide and WORSE -- a handful of Tupperware pistols with improved small gut-parts.

We'd need a miracle for Smith & Wesson to produce anything similar to the gun pictured in this thread ever again. And I don't fault S&W for their line of "improved" plastic fantastics... but it saddens me greatly to see their complete mis-use of the Performance Center name & logo. :(
 
I have a gun that is essentially identical to the 9mm European target pistol, the Performance Center .356TSW, but with a fitted 9mm barrel and bushing. It is the Tactical 5" and based on the 5906 Double Stacker. I had both the 5" and 6" 952s, both of which were really great guns, but the 5" Tactical holds better and shot better than both. I sold the 952s when I found this gun was capable of shooting 1.5" groups (5-shot) @50yds. The race gun is also incredible.





The one thing I will take exception with is the quality of the modern PC Guns. The revolvers are terrific and the 1911s with the Briley bushing system are extremely accurate. That said, I still like many of the older guns. I have looked for the Nill grips for my tactical gun, but they are elusive.
 
I have a model 5906 purchased brand-new in about 1994. I have never cared for the way it shoots. Who could I call or contact to put the Briley bushing system in it? And do you have any idea what it may cost? Thank you.
 
There was a time 10-20 years ago when that may have been theoretically possible, but even still highly unlikely... it would have been the Performance Center if anyone.

Today? Nobody that I know of. The 5906 was never intended to be anything more than a durable and reliable combat/duty/service handgun.
 
Tactical .356 S&W

Almost bought one of these some years back(wish I had for collectors value), but found out it is not a 9mm but a souped up 9mm.Ammo hard to come by and expensive. Suppose with the brass could reload it, if dies available. Coversion not feasible and I wanted something for competition, so opted for a PPC 9. These are great guns from the PC with quality not coming out of the PC like it used to.
Rock River made a 1911 in 9mm that they guaranteed to shoot 1.5" at 50, but discontinued them in lieu of concentrating on their AR's. These btw were all steel and not Tupperware guns. My understanding they had a bbl with a 1:32 twist for the 115 JHP bullet, allegedly made by KKM.
The AMU started using this twist in the Beretta's and smithed by David Sams got some 3/4" groups @ 50 using his load. Found out you cant get a 1:32 twist bbl for the PPC-9 or one made. Now Rock River making a .45 1911 that they will guarantee 1 1/2" groups @ the 50. No 9mm yet.
 
S&W SS Revolvers said:
I have a model 5906 purchased brand-new in about 1994. I have never cared for the way it shoots. Who could I call or contact to put the Briley bushing system in it? And do you have any idea what it may cost? Thank you.
Click to expand...

I sent my gun to the PC, but mine was a PC gun to begin with. I am certain that any competent gunsmith can install a Briley bushing, or even contact Briley. This system WORKS. I have a .45 that was so-so, but after my gunsmith installed a Briely bushing, it shot significantly better.
Terry
 
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