15-8 performance center

[silicosys4]

Hi all,
Thought you might enjoy one of my recent auction finds, an M15-8 which just tickles my fancy.
I'm a huge fan of the Masterpiece series. I think the K frame is perfection in .38spcl, finding to be a joy in .22lr, and aside from the K32 and some of the stainless variants, I have managed to find all of them as well as a few variants of some.

I love the classic lines of the combat Masterpiece and the elegance if the target Masterpiece.
The bluing on mine are very nice for a S&W, and the one nickel Masterpiece I have is also very nicely finished.

But I think my favorite one of them all is this 15-8. It's a Lew Horton order, performance center, Turnbull finished, CCH gun. Part of the Heritage series and released in 2001, its one of only 150(?) or so PC CCH'd 15-8's. (If anyone has the exact production numbers from Lew Horton, please add)







I love these factory Turnbull CCH'd S&W's, as unttaditional as they look.
I've got a CCH'd K frame and N frame, I've got my eye open for a J frame as well.
Anyways, thanks for looking.

 

[Elroy]

Old Turnbull certainly has that finish perfected.

 

[colt_saa]

Congratulations on a wonderful addition to the family

200 pieces of product code 178008 and 178009 were ordered by Lew Horton. 207 and 206 were delivered respectively. These were nickel and Color Case Hardened versions of the -8 engineering

I have always admired Doug Turnbul's work. I also have some in the K-frame and N-frame variations

Have you seen the Model 15 Ed McGivern special? These were the -9 engineering revision and introduced at thr 2001 SHOT SHOW

150 of these were ordered in each of the following finishes: blue, nickel, and colored cased hardened

​

 

[44wheelman]

That’s sharp; Always regretted not gettin a .38.

Did get a Heritage Series 44mag & 44spl. Saw a .45 colt once, went back to get it, and he jacked the price up $400…said he found out how rare…

 

[colt_saa]

That’s sharp; Always regretted not gettin a .38.

Did get a Heritage Series 44mag & 44spl. Saw a .45 colt once, went back to get it, and he jacked the price up $400…said he found out how rare…

I got lucky with the Heritage Series Revolvers and was able to get several of them early on. Sometimes you are just in the right place at the right time

These six revolvers are all pairs. The Model 25 revolvers in 45LC and the Model 17s in 22LR each have the same serial numbers but with different prefixes. Two of the sets are sequential

It's just a shame that the 22s were not also finished with the Turnbul Color Case Hardening

 

[Bullet Bob]

Now you need a spiffy holster and grips, like the top gun in this Heritage gun photo (El Paso Saddlery and Roy fishpaw stag):

 

[SmithNut]

....snip.....

It's just a shame that the 22s were not also finished with the Turnbul Color Case Hardening

Not sure I understand this, the M17-8 was made in the Case hardening finish....

It's the 4th one from the left.

Just found a larger pic of the M17-8,

Enjoy

 

[BAM-BAM]

No lock and round butt

 

[SmithNut]

No lock and round butt

And put together by the Performance Center....

These were very expensive to make ....... and were victims of bad timing...

 

[Engine49guy]

Very nice,
Always wondered why they didn't offer a 4" Model 18-8 twin to the 15-8 and 17-8.
On a side note since they went with certain features on the Heritage line that mimick the pre war guns like service stocks with pre war checkering and no barrel rib or grooved tangs the Model 15-8 stands out with its post war narrow rib barrel, almost like they had a bunch of older Model 15-4 barrels in stock they needed to use up.

Have a 17-8, kinda consider it as a new manufacture .22lr copy of the pre war .38 M&P target which is neat as a K22 M&P target ( pre K22 OD) doesnt exist .
Too bad they didn't offer any square butt frames with retro pre war Magna style stocks or offer a four inch .22lr version with fixed sights.
Those tiny round butt service stocks work good on a ccw snub but on a 6" target pistol they are about useless with my big hands,
Of course not sure too many of these see much serious range time, my bet is most are squirreled away by collectors.

 

[Bullet Bob]

"These were very expensive to make ....... and were victims of bad timing..."

Fashion is a fickle thing, isn't it? I'm surprised they don't bring more than they do on today's market; limited edition, no lock, great looking (to me). I remember a lot of people on this forum when they were first offered didn't like them because of the case hardening, since they considered that a Colt thing. I paid full retail for the model 24 (and don't regret it a bit), and picked up two of the 15's and the 1917 new at heavily discounted prices.

Given my usual financial timing, I'm sure they'll zoom up in price once I kick the bucket.

 

[colt_saa]

Not sure I understand this, the M17-8 was made in the Case hardening finish....

It's the 4th one from the left.

Just found a larger pic of the M17-8,

Enjoy

Bad wording on my part. I could not get matching serial numbers

 

[SmithNut]

Bad wording on my part. I could not get matching serial numbers

Ahhhh, got it.

All mine were s/n13, both in the case hardening versions and the blue ones.

Should have kept them, but when I down sized my collection back then these were not at the top of my "keep" list.

.............SmithNut

 

[tjpopkin]

When they came out...I was awestruck....the Rep was in my LGS and showed me a .44. He told me that if I bough the first one, they would honor a delivery of all in the same serial#....I bought all of them...
2 glitches...
the .38 Model 15 was a 4" and all the others 6" ...I was unhappy so contacted Jimmy Rae at the Performance Center and he said he would replace the barrel with a 6" (Like the one on the McGivern gun.
Glitch2....told me the loss rate from he CC was too high and they could not give me Serial#0126...I told them I would send back all the older guns....Jimmy Rae said he would make #100 a #0126....he did...
I have matching Serial#s in the .45 Colt, .44 Special; .38, .22, pair of .357 Mags. 3"&5", .44 Mag, The latter 3 are not CC.
The PC honored my serial# for years....460 mag, 500 Mag, .44 magnums..
all in all....over 20 guns...