Lew Horton Shorty 40

kcode · #1 03-12-2013, 05:25 PM

Stopped in the local Gander Mountain, Bowling Green Ky, today just to see if they had anything in stock, which they didn't. But in the show case they had two Performance Center Shorty 40's. Both looked to be in very good condition with serial number PC003xx and PC002xx, can't remember the exact numbers. I asked a clerk about them and he did not know much other than they were made for Lew Horton distributors, of course thats what the tag said anyway. Both of them had a price tag of $899, which does not seem too far out of line. I did not ask if that was a firm price since I was not interested in them. If anyone is interested in them, their phone number is 270-842-0855

lhump1961 · #2 03-12-2013, 07:54 PM

Gander Mt had something gun related that wasn't overpriced by at least 30%? That by itself is quite a find!

Thanks for the lead.

vigil617 · #3 03-12-2013, 09:28 PM

Let me say this s-l-o-w-l-y....

B-u-y t-h-i-s p-i-s-t-o-l.

You will not regret it if you keep it, and if you sell it, you can make your money back and more in the present enviornment. Obviously the Gander Mountain guy (and maybe the one who priced it for them) doesn't know Shorty Forty.

I own one, and depending on number of mags, original box and paperwork, and condition, this is a VERY reasonable price, IMHO.

Thanks, OP, for the lead to those who have been craving this Queen of the 40 ThirdGens.

lhump1961 · #4 03-12-2013, 10:32 PM

I agree...if you want a .40 this is the one. Mine is a Mk3 but as far as I know it is about the same as all of them...FANTASTIC!

kcode · #5 03-13-2013, 10:55 PM

Curiosity got the best of me, so I went back into GM today to take a closer look. The more I looked the more interesting it got. The bad part is that I ended up bringing both of them home. They are the Shorty 40 mk3S, product code 170076, special order 6324. The most unusual feature is that they are Magnaported with adjustable target sights. Definitely going to try to get more information on them from S&W.

TexasG · #6 03-13-2013, 11:20 PM

Sweet ! Nice find

vigil617 · #7 03-14-2013, 06:45 AM

Twin Shorty Fortys!!!!! These are gems.

The Mk3's came in a blued version and the version that you have, which is IMHO the prettier of the two. Someone paid a good deal more than the GM asking price for these when purchased originally, considering they are customized versions of a Performance Center product.

Just so ya know, Shorty Forty pistols accept the 4006 and 4013 "+2" magazines (the one with the extension sleeve) to give you an 11-round capacity. You should be able to find these for $35-$40 each in the current economy.

Let us know how they shoot (they will be superbly accurate, for one thing, and with the Magnaporting I would imagine the recoil will be sweet!) Also, I'd be very interested in what S&W had to say about them.

Nicely done, kcode! Great pics too.

Enjoy!

kcode · #8 03-15-2013, 10:04 AM

Thanks for the compliments. The more I investigate, the more confusing it gets. The Standard Cat of S&W makes no mention of the Shorty 40 mk3S version. The S at the end is what is confusing along with the Magnaporting, just trying to figure out if the porting was factory ordered or something Horton did after delivery. The product codes match the catalog. Another coufusing item is the cases with the PC label and Magnaporting label. Did the Performance Center us the Doskocil brand boxes for shipment instead of the typical blues? Haven't heard anything yet from S&W cust service yet. I'm debating on ordering the history "letters" on these, not sure if it will contain the information I'm looking for.

I plan on shooting one of them and compare it to my 4013's and 4006.

Bartman3562 · #9 03-15-2013, 10:29 AM

Those are sweet. I would say with special order number, the magnaport was factory option. All the MK3's had adjustable sights. I have the blued version, and love it. Stole it of gunbroker for $600. With the options, I would request letter. Will clear things up, and might add to rarity a bunch. Either way, great guns, a great find, and hope you love them as much as I do. It also looks like the mags in them are the longer 4006 mags with adapter. The standard mage is shorter in back, with a pinky lip on the front (holds 9). Makes the perfect carry gun. Same size as 6906, with the extra 40 punch.

vigil617 · #10 03-15-2013, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcode

Thanks for the compliments. The more I investigate, the more confusing it gets. The Standard Cat of S&W makes no mention of the Shorty 40 mk3S version. The S at the end is what is confusing along with the Magnaporting, just trying to figure out if the porting was factory ordered or something Horton did after delivery. The product codes match the catalog. Another coufusing item is the cases with the PC label and Magnaporting label. Did the Performance Center us the Doskocil brand boxes for shipment instead of the typical blues? Haven't heard anything yet from S&W cust service yet. I'm debating on ordering the history "letters" on these, not sure if it will contain the information I'm looking for.

I plan on shooting one of them and compare it to my 4013's and 4006.

Mike, the Standard Catalog lists a MkIII Shorty Forty produced in 1997 with the stainless steel finish, prefix "PCW" and product code 170076. It came with a 9-round and an 11-round mag. Suggested retail was $1,024!

With the custom features on yours, I'm sure it'll take some inquiring with S&W to find out exactly what you have, since the 1997 prefix and code don't match yours, but that'll be part of the fun of finding out more about 'em. In the meantime, have fun shooting! With the match-grade barrel and the spherical barrel bushing in your Shorty, I have a feeling you'll find it even more accurate than your 4013, which is the same size as your Shorty.

USMC586 · #11 03-15-2013, 08:45 PM

Nice pair you have..eh hem. They are interesting pieces; you'll have to keep us posted with the S&W history results. The Doskocil case should be correct. My 45 CQB came with one and I found out through my searches that they did ship with that box for a few years.

I love my MK III and it is one hell of a shooter. I enjoy the grip better than my 4013's, I think it is because the grip relief is higher into the trigger guard. I have big mits and the MK III feel is stellar. Mine sports the target sights (love them) and the finger extension mag base, it locks the gun in like a champ. Recoil is very manageable as it stands , let us know how the Magnaport tames the recoil even more.
If you plan on carrying one of them I highly suggest the Milt Sparks VM2. IMHO the best holster out there. That holster and the Shorty have become my favorite carry combo. My poor 1911 Colt Officer spends more time in the safe now that the SF came home.

Thanks for posting the eye candy, keep it up.

James&theGiant1911 · #12 03-23-2013, 04:33 PM

the S stood for Stainless and those guns you have there are very rare, the PC in the prefix stands for Performance Center and only 3 batches of 500 where ever hand produced by Smith's master craftsmen. The shorty 40 is in the catalog but it makes no reference to mkIIIs (or at least I could not find it) and given smiths obvious numbering on that piece makes me wonder if there was an AK/ AR mk series that went along with this particular piece. Like a combination.

kcode · #13 03-24-2013, 12:12 AM

I'm still waiting to here from S&W, I did get a confirmation that it is being investigated.

I did get lucky last weekend at a gun show in Nashville. I was looking through a box of mixed S&W magazines and found four 9 round .40 mags. Three with blue followers and one with yellow follower with the performance center monogram. The other three has the S&W marking.

James&theGiant1911 · #14 03-24-2013, 02:14 PM

these have me curious as well, I have a MKIII but nothing with the box and magnaport like these guns have. Did all the paperwork come in the boxes? The performance center mods list that came in the box with my shorty 40 had a list of their services and Magnaport was on the list. This leads me to believe that they may have made house MKIIIs for Horton that were more limited than the normal MKIIIs they produced.

timn8er · #15 03-26-2013, 07:23 AM

That's so cool that you bought them both. Shorty Forty's are definitely some of the most holiest of Grail guns, & I've been lusting after them for awhile. Most of the time when I see them on an auction site, I'll look at them, but they are usually way out of my range. Lucky you...I'm green with envy!

kcode · #16 03-28-2013, 04:37 PM

I did get another response back from S&W CS in the form of an email.

Dear Customer,
Please call 800-331-0852

When I called the CS agent must have had the S&W Standard Catalog by his side. What he read to me was almost exactly what was printed in the catalog. He did not or could not answer the question on the Magnaporting, suggesting I get the Letter from Mr. Jinks to which I told him it is already in the works.

It looks like I will wait on the Roy Jinks Letter of Authenticity to get anymore information on the Shorty 40's

USMC586 · #17 04-05-2013, 11:36 PM

You are killing us here.....any word / letter yet?

kcode · #18 04-06-2013, 02:28 PM

Nothing yet, I check my bank account daily to see if S&W Mr Jinks, has sent the check through for clearance. I've requested a letter for each pistol.

jfd · #19 04-08-2013, 03:09 PM

That is a great find at a great price, you were wise to bring both home. Congrats, now go buy a lottery ticket....you are a lucky guy!

kcode · #20 04-12-2013, 05:41 PM

Well, my check to S&W for two letters of authenticity was cleared through my bank, so hopefully I will see something in the mail in the very near future.

TheGreatGonzo · #21 04-29-2013, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcode

Well, my check to S&W for two letters of authenticity was cleared through my bank, so hopefully I will see something in the mail in the very near future.

Anything new yet? The curiosity is killing me.
Gonzo

kcode · #22 04-29-2013, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheGreatGonzo

Anything new yet? The curiosity is killing me.
Gonzo

You think the curiosity is killing you, you ought to be in my shoes. Everyday I actually get excited about walking out to the mailbox, hoping to see something from S&W. Its only been a month since I sent the request forms in.

DCWilson · #23 04-29-2013, 10:49 AM

Usual turn around time on a letter request is six to eight weeks, but Roy was recently off the screen for about a month and I think he had a larger than normal backlog already. You may not hear anything until later in June or even early July.

No trying to bum you out, but don't feel slighted if you don't get an envelope for a while.

I am beyond envious about those pistols, by the way. Under California policy the only way I will ever own one is to find another Californian who is willing to sell the one he already has, then do a private party transfer with the required assistance of an 01 (full service) FFL holder. I imagine I'll come across a couple of original Walker Colts before that happens.

kcode · #24 04-29-2013, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DCWilson

Usual turn around time on a letter request is six to eight weeks, but Roy was recently off the screen for about a month and I think he had a larger than normal backlog already. You may not hear anything until later in June or even early July.

No trying to bum you out, but don't feel slighted if you don't get an envelope for a while.

I am beyond envious about those pistols, by the way. Under California policy the only way I will ever own one is to find another Californian who is willing to sell the one he already has, then do a private party transfer with the required assistance of an 01 (full service) FFL holder. I imagine I'll come across a couple of original Walker Colts before that happens.

David, thanks for the information on the letters. This is my first request from S&W. Years ago I did request letters from Colt on a couple of Boa's in the mid-eighties. The letters were quite impressive. The Boa's were also handled by Lew Horton Dist. My big concern on the Shorty 40's is whether the Magnaporting was factory requested or a Horton request.

Whenever it does appear in my mailbox I'll be a happy camper.