9mm Target Champion

Billtinkoblenz · Oct 24, 2018

Hi - have just found this used pistol in my local gun shop in Germany - it looks and feels really nice for target shooting. WIS 3917 I am struggling to find information re this pistol other that it was designed for the European market - could anybody point me in the right direction for any information/manuals/specs/ problems with this weapon

colt_saa · Oct 24, 2018

Welcome to the Forum

The name "Target Champion" is put on many of the Performance Center offerings that are distributed by WISCHO in Germany. Most of those offerings have American counter parts.

Most WISCHO "Target Champion" offerings (auto or revolver) wear wood grips from Karl Nills.

The firearm pictured above looks like a PPC9, That is a 9MM Parabellum double stack, Single Action Only target pistol.

These are very limited firearms here in America. They were available in 5" or 6" as I recall

A slight variation on the PPC9 is the 5906PPC. They were also available in 5" and 6" versions but they were Traditional Double Action.

An additional variation on that firearm is the 3566Limited. These Single Action Only target pistols were only offered in the 356TSW chambering, but a second 9MM barrel could be purchased from the Performance Center. The 3566 family of autoloaders had a unique two tone finish

They are all extraordinary shooters. Very accurate, extremely well fitted with a spectacular SA trigger

They are all highly desired by collectors and shooters alike

If I were in your shoes, that firearm would already have been purchased.

toddcfii · Oct 24, 2018

Great info

colt_saa said:
Welcome to the Forum

The name "Target Champion" is put on many of the Performance Center offerings that are distributed by WISCHO in Germany. Most of those offerings have American counter parts.

Most WISCHO "Target Champion" offerings (auto or revolver) wear wood grips from Karl Nills.

The firearm pictured above looks like a PPC9, That is a 9MM Parabellum double stack, Single Action Only target pistol.

These are very limited firearms here in America. They were available in 5" or 6" as I recall

A slight variation on the PPC9 is the 5906PPC. They were also available in 5" and 6" versions but they were Traditional Double Action.

An additional variation on that firearm is the 3566Limited. These Single Action Only target pistols were only offered in the 356TSW chambering, but a second 9MM barrel could be purchased from the Performance Center. The 3566 family of autoloaders had a unique two tone finish

They are all extraordinary shooters. Very accurate, extremely well fitted with a spectacular SA trigger

They are all highly desired by collectors and shooters alike

If I were in your shoes, that firearm would already have been purchased.

Hi Colt:
All very good info on these guns. I would make one observation and one question:

Observation: Not all Wishco guns came with Nill grips: see my 952 Masterpiece below:

Also, having had a few PPC9s I am very interested in a “5906PPC”. I did not know they existed. And I don’t think they are on the excellent table here of Performance Center guns but I could be wrong. Can you post any more info on these guns? Thanks.

colt_saa · Oct 24, 2018

toddcfii said:
Hi Colt:
Observation: Not all Wishco guns came with Nill grips: see my 952 Masterpiece below:.

I actually posted Most WISCHO "Target Champion" offerings (auto or revolver) wear wood grips from Karl Nills.

You only posted one side of your pistol. Is your 952 WISCHO labeled as a "Target Champion"?

toddcfii said:
Also, having had a few PPC9s I am very interested in a “5906PPC”. I did not know they existed. And I don’t think they are on the excellent table here of Performance Center guns but I could be wrong. Can you post any more info on these guns? Thanks.

I was just going off the top of my head.

If you have a copy of The Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson there is much more information published in that book reguarding the US offerings than I can remember at the moment

toddcfii · Oct 24, 2018

Hey

Hey there Colt:

I did not mean offense. I was just trying to add to the discussion of these great guns.

I looked on the PC spreadsheet in the notable thread index and saw a 5906PC which has a 3.5 inch barrel and is TDA. Is that the one you are referring to? If so I have not seen one of those but would consider it not a PPC gun for the short barrel and TDA.

Cheers.

Billtinkoblenz · Oct 24, 2018

@toddcfii unfortunately it is not always that easy in Germany, but I have it currently on “trial” whilst I sort the paperwork out - thanks for the info

Billtinkoblenz · Oct 24, 2018

Yes - apologies if the picture appears twice

Barrie · Oct 25, 2018

That is a very nice looking pistol that I would enjoy myself here in Canada. I like any gun with wood grips as they look great to me.

Ed Fowler · Nov 4, 2018

Looks like the spitting image of my 952, the most accurate of any 9mm I own.

Billtinkoblenz · Nov 7, 2018

Think that’s a later version of the Target Champion, but I am no expert - still struggling to find any information on the web other than that previously given in the thread

Ed Fowler · Nov 7, 2018

Smith & Wesson Forum > Smith & Wesson Semi-Automatic Pistols > Smith & Wesson Semi-Auto Pistols
Reload this Page Performance Center 952-2 longslide vs Performance Center PPC9 6"

this thread has a lot of information, including a copy of a letter from Mr Jinks on the 952
Ed

Billtinkoblenz · Nov 8, 2018

Thanks for the information

Billtinkoblenz · Nov 8, 2018

Some pictures of the working parts - any thoughts on condition

Sevens · Nov 8, 2018

Absolutely nothing in those pictures would even begin to deter me from that pistol.

If the budget allows and the paperwork goes through, you must buy that pistol!

Ed Fowler · Nov 8, 2018

Again that looks like my 952 and that appears to be the briely bushing around the muzzle. Mine is the most accurate 9mm I have, I have seen them sell for from $2,000 ot 2,700 they are well worth it. Mine will outshoot my Sig P210 Legend & Legend Target. I do not feel you will be disappointed in her!

Billtinkoblenz · Nov 9, 2018

Thanks Ed that put me at ease on the price range - still not 100% sure re the 952 - just going on the 9mm Target Champion etched on the slide and the magazine has an indicator for 15 bullets - serial number of the gun is WIS 3917

SHOOT1SAM · Nov 9, 2018

colt_saa,

That 3566 is abso-freakin-lutely BEAUTIFUL!! Wow!

Sam

Sevens · Nov 9, 2018

I believe the Performance Center 3566 Limited may be the most attractive semi-auto pistol that the PC ever built. It just hits absolutely every button!

toddcfii · Nov 9, 2018

Billtinkoblenz said:
Thanks Ed that put me at ease on the price range - still not 100% sure re the 952 - just going on the 9mm Target Champion etched on the slide and the magazine has an indicator for 15 bullets - serial number of the gun is WIS 3917

FYI the European Target Champion is basically a US PPC9 which is a third generation gun. The European 952 Masterpiece is of course just a 952 in the US which is basically a 2nd generation gun that was built well in to the 3rd generation timeline.

Sevens · Nov 10, 2018

Well, I'm going to have to disagree with your blurring of the Generation lines...

There are 1st, 2nd and 3rd Gens, and then there are PC semiautomatic pistols that can't accurately be classified as a 1-2-3rd Gen. The 952 was an early product of the PC but perhaps their FIRST order of business was to build the very last of the Model 52 pistols in the early 1990's. Unless I'm forgetting an obscure model... every (North American) PC pistol product wears a 3rd Gen-style one-piece Delrin grip except for the entire 952 and 945 series.

The PC guns are hand built machines. 3rd Gens are production guns that didn't get personalized hand fitting. There exists no production 3rd Gen that feels like (every) true PC pistol, especially a 5 or 6-inch Limited target pistol.

They may have some similar visual clues but they are as different as night and, well, many DAYS later.

I do totally agree that the subject gun of this thread is simply a 5-inch Performance Center PPC-9, made for European distribution via WISCHO.

9mm Target Champion

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