3rd Gen PC guns. Carry or Keep in the safe?

[sousana]

I have:

9 S&W Model 5906
11 Model 4506's
9 Model 4566's
10 Model 1006's
7 Model 1066's
3 Model 5903's
7 Model 5904's

To say that I love smith 3rd gen guns is an understatement, however, these all seem to have been built for general combat accuracy, NOT precision accuracy. That said I've managed to get sub 2.5" groups at 31ft out of my 4506's, sub 2.53" groups from my 1006's with the best accuracy out of one of my 4566's giving me 2.103" at 31ft.

 

[pharmer]

There are folks EDC M&P .38 spls that are 100 years old. They know they'll get 6 shots any time they unholster. I feel the same toward my 1994 6906 except I get 12 instead of 6. Joe

 

[4T5GUY]

As a general rule, guns are not good investments.

I have to apologize first so I don't get a demerit here.

I am sorry but you are very totally mistaken and WRONG.

Maybe the firearms you bought, (probably new,) can't be sold for at least what you sold them for, (depending what they were/are.) But I can honestly and emphatically state that the vast majority of my firearms can and will realize much more than I originally paid.

Granted I had a FFL for 20 yrs in the "heyday" of collecting. Those $89.00, $89.00, $89.00 firearms are now being sold for $350.00-$500.00 and worth it.

Getting back on track regarding the real PC examples, there are only two that I have that most likely wouldn't realize my bought price. Today. That's OK and not a bad percentage. Maybe I'm lucky or maybe I research and wait. I've also had lots of help from members here.

I got a particular semi S&W for $816.00, (on a popular auction site,) that's worth $6,500 - ????. Not just worth but I've had offers and "like" ones have sold for even more.

Jim

 

[sousana]

Like 4T5GUY guy said above, most you will show a small to decent profit. I too, back in the 80's had an FFL and I picked up most of my collection this way, along with the contents of many a gunshop that went bust. Back then, I used to bid on and win the occasional police bid auction for their older weapons such as the one I bid on for many a Colt 4" Python, nickel plated. I submitted my bid of 189.00 each and they came with duty holster and reloaders and reloader holsters. I never expected to win but low and behold, I did, had to get a loan from the credit union to pay for em. I got em home and after inspecting and logging them em I determined that all but 7 were sellable, I scavenged the parts off of those 7 and made twice as much as I paid for the whole gun. The rest, I ended up selling off for 400 each, but I kept the top 50 for myself.

 

[Trooper224]

I think one needs to define "investment " in order to have that conversation. I've never lost money on a gun sale. I tend to hold onto them long enough that availability becomes an issue and inflation becomes a benifit. So in that sense I suppose you could say they've been a good investment. On the other hand, it's never been enough to provide for retirement, pay off the house, or pay for the kids college.


How you define "good investment " is a matter of degree.

 

[snakebitten]

Shoot them, I shoot both 6904 and 6906. I found out my point of aim with these handguns like 124gr or 147gr vs 115 gr.

 

[Erocksmash]

Good investment....

Yea I think they are good investments that serve a purpose or served... I certainly know that guns are ment to be shot but some of MINE I would consider "investments" with out getting in a rabbit hole, my items will fetch a value in 5 years no matter the value of the dollar with a hopeful return...

If not some pretty cool time capsules...

 

[Checkman]

No. I'm currently an active duty police officer (2000 - ????). My issue handgun is a Glock 45. I purchased my Glock 19 from my agency when I was issued the Glock 45 a few months ago. I figure carry off-duty what I carry on-duty. I am qualified on both pistols and if I have to use them off duty I know that it isn't a big deal to replace them. Heck my agency will provide me with another Glock 45. If it's my Glock 19 it will be returned to me after the investigation is complete; assuming that I am not charged with a criminal offense. The Glock design is easy to carry and I know it well after fifteen years of carrying various Glock pistols. I started out with the SIG-Sauer P220 for those doing the math. My other handguns all work and I shoot them, but they aren't my carry pieces. They could be, but I'll stick with Glock for on and off duty carry. Even when I retire I'll stick with Glock. Not sentimental about the pistol, but know and trust it.

 

[James&theGiant1911]

Yeah my third gens stay put away. I carry a Sig SAS .357 everyday.

 

[Dparker]

Well.....I consider myself a relatively new member to the group (2015) Thinking about the investment for S&W 3rd gens...And knowing what some of the long standing members here would probably disagree with me...After reading skjos's list of S&W 3rd gens in 2015, I began collecting the "rare" & "low production" variants. In a single year I had purchased around 54 S&W 3rd gens for a total of 73 of them. Most were the "hard to find" variants. After a couple of years in collecting, my wife and I decided to purchase a lot on the beach and build a house. Begrudgingly, I opted to sale the majority of my S&W 3rd gen collection in order to purchase the beach lot. Which the sale of my S&W 3rd gen collection actually paid for the lot (beach lots are not cheap!). For me personally It would have been hard to find another investment that would have gained enough positive money interest in the two years I collected the S&W 3rd gen to purchase the beach lot!

My point being! I am back collecting the "rare"/low production S&W 3rd gens just on a more specific focus. The S&W 3rd gens I have recently purchased (1006, 2-1026's, 1066, 4505, 4567, 5905, 5906 Super 9, 4536, 945-1, 945, 4563CQB, 3566tsw, 1911 Pro Series Talo Ed) are either mostly NOS or relatively low round count. They are my investments!

My EDC pistols are the easy to find "value line" variants (908, 457 etc). I also carry a Springfield EMP 45 & Rock Island 1911 10mm at times. Those are fairly easy to replace. I find it hard to shoot a NIB/LNIB "rare"/low production S&W 3rd gen! I DO NOT have or carry any of the plastic made guns!

As someone else said above....to each their own in shooting or collecting. I choose to collect the rare/low productions S&W 3rd gens and carry/shot the easy to find ones! Hope you guys enjoy either shooting or collecting your S&W 3rd gens!

Just my personal thoughts....

Cheers!!!
David

 

[Llance]

I have three guns for which I paid full market value (FMV) because they were bought brand new in the box. All of my other guns were bought at less than FMV. And while they are not new and I didn't set out to create a collection I do know that they will provide a fair to better than average return on my money. Not enough to retire on but they will provide me with a bit of spending cash when times get hard. And if it all goes up in smoke then I'll be able to keep the wolves from the door for a week or two. All of my guns are shooters regardless of why or how I got them except for two which will go to my sons when I no longer have need for air.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I have a 6906 and a 4506. Both have square trigger guards. They stay locked up except for range fun. My nightstand gun is a SD9VE and my CC is an early LCP.

Whenever I go out to my youngest daughter's house my SIL always asks "so...Pops....how are my guns doing?"

 

[s537]

No way! Range only and stay in the safe the rest of the time. Hard pass on EDC (or even occasional carry) for two reasons, and either is enough on it's own. I would need to have a ton of practice with a PC model to come close to the proficiency I have developed over the years with a Glock. Add to that if I was ever involved in an incident where I had to turn in my carry piece to the police for an undetermined length of time, a $500 Glock is quite replaceable compared to the 1 of 200 made (or fewer) $2000+ PC models. I won't even keep one under my pillow. Of course if you are just starting out and/or have money to burn then my reasons are silly.

 

[s537]

On an interesting side note I met a LEO that claims to carry a 3566 Compact as his EDC. I thought that was the coolest thing I had heard in a long time.

 

[smoothshooter]

What are PC guns?

 

[BAM-BAM]

First PC = Performance Center. Started in the early 1990s by a handful of S&W Gunsmiths..... they built limited runs of special/ unique S&W autos.

I posted in this thread above #17

The odds of most of us actually discharging your handgun in self-defense is slight.... but if you find yourself needing to ..... it will probably be one of the most important moments in your life. If you don't come out the other end.... then the disposition of the gun won't matter. If you do prevail; then the "loss" of a PC gun worth $1500-? will seem trivial and well worth the cost.

My one Shorty-9s was carried for years; in a good Milt Sparks holster, it shows honest wear.... so does my Dad Service Revolver a 1938 .357 Colt New Service. My Dad's gun is a family heirloom..... my Shorty is a friend that still accompanies me from time to time!

Decades ago, I bought into the "Two is one,One is none" idea. I'm lucky enough to have procured a backup,or two, to each of my carry guns...... so I'm set!

 

[Doc1500]

Carry it ,and choot it.

 

[sousana]

No. I'm currently an active duty police officer (2000 - ????). My issue handgun is a Glock 45. I purchased my Glock 19 from my agency when I was issued the Glock 45 a few months ago. I figure carry off-duty what I carry on-duty. I am qualified on both pistols and if I have to use them off duty I know that it isn't a big deal to replace them. Heck my agency will provide me with another Glock 45. If it's my Glock 19 it will be returned to me after the investigation is complete; assuming that I am not charged with a criminal offense. The Glock design is easy to carry and I know it well after fifteen years of carrying various Glock pistols. I started out with the SIG-Sauer P220 for those doing the math. My other handguns all work and I shoot them, but they aren't my carry pieces. They could be, but I'll stick with Glock for on and off duty carry. Even when I retire I'll stick with Glock. Not sentimental about the pistol, but know and trust it.

I am with you 100%. On duty and off mine has always been one form of 1911 from Officers to Commander to Government. Been carrying concealed since 1982 when you actually had to go before a judge and "splain yourself". I've been using the 1911 platform now for 55 years, it's just too ingrained in me to try another weapons system SAVE the BHP. I once tried the Beretta 92fs and Smith 5906 but I just kept trying to disengage a frame mounted safety.

BTW my EDC is either a Colt 1911 get or Commander, but lately my PC has been a Tisas Tanker or Springfield mil-spec with backup being an Officers model.

 

[Doug M.]

I have been carrying a 945-1 compact a lot since I got it back with better sights (yay for BMCM). It is flat and easy to conceal under a T shirt in the office. Functionally, it is like a compact 1911 (although internally is different). When I retire and we start traveling more, I will mostly carry guns that if seized won't annoy me as much (Sig 239, Glock 33, S&M M66).

The reality is that unless there is a fact based believe that there is criminal conduct, a firearm should be back in the owner's hands within a day of a shooting. As long as it passes armorer level inspection to eliminate the possibility of an ND, it is not and cannot be evidence. Its condition is. Study ER 401. Holding a gun for more than the time required for the inspection is intentional misconduct, and PID (Brady/Giglio potential impeachment) for incompetence.