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

[BLUEDOT37]

Adjusted for inflation, a gun Costing $701.00 in 1988 would today cost $1671.71 Not cheap, but hardly priceless.
There are current service weapons carried daily costing two to three times that amount.

Never said anything about priceless but that's still more than I've paid for any single handgun.

And that's just a standard production model, not a PC model which many ran A LOT higher MSRP back then.

As far as good deals being available back in the day, we know that alot boils down to where you live & how much competition there is between dealers there.

No nationwide visibility & access like now with the Internet.

Again, people with deep pockets can do things the average guys can't but the question was would you carry your (more valuable to you) PC model instead of a (less valuable to you) standard model.

My answer hasn't changed.

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Lew Horton 1997 Flyer -PC 45 Limited (845)-
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S&W 945, circa 1998
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[tocohillsguy]

The Performance Center creations of the 90s to early 2000s harkened back to the days when asthetics and a good trigger mattered. They were designed and put together by "gun guys" FOR GUN GUYS.

And when I look around today, there is just nothing comparable being made. By anyone. So, I am glad I got a few when the getting was good. And I encourage anyone so inclined to save up the coin and get what you want before the availability shrinks further and the price climbs out of reach. I know I will continue to stuff a few bucks into the glass jar in my safe every payday. Because I WILL HAVE a 945 this year! AND IT WILL GET SHOT and enjoyed. Based on the few 945s I have gotten to shoot (Thanks Jeppo my friend!) it will probably take a jackhammer to get the smile off my face too. Regards 18DAI

I think you need to look a little harder. The CZ Custom shop has done amazing things with the CZ platform, and many are shooting and carrying CZs with Cajun Gunworks parts and upgrades. As for 1911s, has there ever been a time when 1911s were better built, by more sources, than today? Nighthawk, Wilson Combat, Guncrafter, Ed Brown, Dan Wesson all make fantastic weapons, and there are a number of gunsmiths making 1911s that are functional art. SVI and others are growing the 2011 market, and making fantastic weapons. S&W's high performance glory days may be behind it, but others are out there.

 

[vipermd]

Hard to say- I bought a consecutive SN pair of PC' s Shorty Forty, as a wedding present for my wife and I. They sit in the safe, other than S&W putting on a front night sight on mine. I can not pry her Custom Colt officers from her strong, live hands. I thought about selling them during the recent craziness. Maybe we should sell them for our 30 Anniversary gift in November? Ideas? Be Safe,

 

[DMcBB]

I think you need to look a little harder. The CZ Custom shop has done amazing things with the CZ platform, and many are shooting and carrying CZs with Cajun Gunwork parts and upgrades. As for 1911s, has there ever been a time when 1911s were better built, by more sources, than today? Nighthawk, Wilson Combat, Guncrafter, Ed Brown, Dan Wesson all make fantastic weapons, and there are a number of gunsmiths making 1911s that are functional art. SVI and others are growing the 2011 market, and making fantastic weapons. S&W's high performance glory days may be behind it, but others are out there.

I'm with you on this one. I had a Shorty Forty for a brief time, and while it was well built and beautifully finished, I couldn't get past the heavy SA trigger. In contrast, I have 2 Dan Wesson 1911s (TCP 9mm and Valor .45) and a CZ Shadow 2, and they are amazing. Accurate, pretty, shootable… Plus there is a strong aftermarket for both the 1911 platform and for the CZs from Cajun and CZ Custom. I'd love to pick up another PC S&W, but 20 year old plus models cost more than any of the three pistols I mentioned cost brand new.

TL;DR - S&W PC was awesome but CZ/Dan Wesson is holding it down.

 

[ken158]

As a general rule, guns are not good investments. Sure, they are assets but they will not give you the return some people appear to think. I buy guns to use and my financial guy does my investing. If I sell a gun and break even, then I consider it a win.

 

[Trooper224]

Dan Wesson 1911s are outstanding, I have two. DW was my final carry choice before I moved away from the platform for those purposes. I'll but a DW up against anything ever made by the S&W PC. I wouldn't necessarily call it a swap though, if you're like 18DAI and aren't into 1911s for carry.

CZ is doing outstanding work keeping high speed DA/SA guns alive. I keep looking at an AO-1 at the LGS. I don't need it, but man it's sexy.

 

[Trooper224]

Never said anything about priceless but that's still more than I've paid for any single handgun.

And that's just a standard production model, not a PC model which many ran A LOT higher MSRP back then.

As far as good deals being available back in the day, we know that alot boils down to where you live & how much competition there is between dealers there.

No nationwide visibility & access like now with the Internet.

Again, people with deep pockets can do things the average guys can't but the question was would you carry your (more valuable to you) PC model instead of a (less valuable to you) standard model.

My answer hasn't changed.

.
.

Lew Horton 1997 Flyer -PC 45 Limited (845)-
.


.
.

S&W 945, circa 1998
.


.

We're not going to agree, but thanks for posting the old literature. I'm very nostalgic for that stuff.

 

[cherrypointmarine]

The only one of mine I would carry is my 45Recon . The rest aren't what you would call carry guns , except maybe my NIB 9Recon . Several of my 945's and my 845 I shoot . If I bought them NIB , I leave them that way . If they were shot , I shoot them . My 845 is the odd ball . I bought it NIB , but after all I read about them , I had to take it to the range . I will never regret that decision .

Ultimately , it's like what's been said . They are your guns , do with them what you want . And we'll never agree on how the PC guns of old stack up against the newer guns . But when you consider some of these are 20+ years old and are still highly competitive , you have to give them their due .

 

[Tntcwg3]

I have several low round count, pristine 952s and 945s that I've bought, which in turn lead to hunting for "shooter-grade" versions of the same guns. Unfortunately this collecting philosophy has often resulted in acquiring two of the same models in near perfect condition; the upside is this becomes a valid excuse for the Mrs. as to why I "need" another one!

 

[Erocksmash]

How is the finish holding up on the 4563s I read some where that the black doesn't las that long on them ?

 

[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