Couple of rare Performance Center guns - Stocking Dealer 9mm and Lew Horton Shorty 9

[EarlB]

I haven't posted on the forumn in a long time, not since I let my S&W revolvers go. My son works at Cabelas and called me that they had just taken in some interesting 3rd gens.

I looked into them and immediately bought them. I'm still reading up and learning about them but I know they are both pretty rare and desirable.

The first is an all stainless 4.25" 6906 variant by the Performance Center made for Stocking Dealers. I love the weight and profile of this pistol. Why they didn't make it as a standard production pistol I don't know - but they should have. I've seen that only 174 to 179 of these were made. Depending on the actual number, this one could be the last one (SDB0174). It is in pretty much mint condition. Yeah, I"m gonna shoot it.

The second is one of the Lew Horton "Shorty 9" pistols put out by the Performance Center for Lew Horton. S#PCV0495. I understand around 611 of these were manufactured. It's in great condition though the finish on the blued steel slide has a few scratches, I think this one was actually carried and used for it's intended purpose.

I'm going to enjoy these two.

Thanks,
Earl

Cabelas had them priced about like typical 3rd gen 9mm's so I get an exceedingly great deal on them.

 

[Bullet Bob]

Boy I'd like to shoot that first one!

 

[CALREB]

Earl, great find, those are sweet guns. My EDC is an older shorty9,just like the one you have now. I promise that they will shoot as good as any custom gun out there especially for their size. You know, doesn't surprise me about the price, before the pandemic I used to go to alot of the big gun shows here in N Texas for years and NEVER saw a single P/C auto (not the plastic stuff) for sale . I was kind of amazed most guys had newer seen one. But I kind of kept my mouth shut about it, HA. If you want, PM me your address , and I will send you the magazine base, so you can use a full size 5906 mag in your shorty bumps it up to 16 rds and feels great in your hand. Us Texas folks gotta stay together. It will end up looking like this one. Take care congrats Bob

 

[Erocksmash]

Oh wow thats nice good find.... I've been after an SD40 for some time... now all you need is the Recon 9..

 

[Rock185]

Those are beauties, and priced like ordinary 3rd. Gen. guns. Just WOW! Their build quality will never again be duplicated by S&W. I've had several PC guns from the same era. I would favorably compare them to the SIG P210s. Still have a couple PC guns, and 210s to compare with, and wish I'd kept them all. I kept an eye out for one of the stocking dealer 9s for some time, no luck.

FWIW, I don't believe the Performance Center actually exists in the same form as when those guns were built. The PC guns I see now appear to be mostly production guns with creative holes machined into them or other non standard features, PC logo added, etc. Lots of plastic framed guns with creative holes and PC logos (need a vomit icon here)...........

 

[vigil617]

Wow. Just wow.

Those are two very sweet PC models indeed.

You'll find a lot of good info here on the Forum about these.

Speaking for myself, I'm absolutely green with envy!

 

[Stentor]

Congrats on picking up two great pistols--nice score!

You don't see many of either for sale (and it's even more rare to get a great deal on one).

 

[twistedracer]

Congratulations! I have the PC9 myself and it's a keeper.

 

[Heymatt]

Hope you took your son out for a nice steak dinner for that score!

 

[EarlB]

Yes I did, and helped him get a Smith he wanted to. Earl

Hope you took your son out for a nice steak dinner for that score!

 

[toddimusnimski]

Amazing, just amazing. Probably came with boxes and whatnot? Sad to think what Cabelas paid the former owner for them, especially if it was a widow. Funny they didnt research them to find out their rarity, just assumed they were run-of-the-mill 3rd Gens. Very well done!

 

[EarlB]

The SD-9 came in a performance center box but the label was either removed or gone and replaced with a Cabelas one.

The PC-9 didn't have a box or anyhting other than 2 mags.

They were brought in by one man but I don't know the details other than as you surmised they couldn't have paid a lot for them. Since unlike most Smiths they don't clearly state a model on the side of the frame, most likely Cabelas didn't know exactly what they were though they did have the PC-9 labeled as a Lou Horton so they had some idea on that one.

I think with them right now it's more about how much they can sell it for quickly. Since most people won't have a lot of knowledge of the performance series 3rd Gens, they priced them like regular 3rd gens. Indeed the 4516's they've had in their case for months were priced the same as the SD-9 ($550) and the PC-9 was $100 less than that.

Another pistol that came in this same lot was the one my son bought which is a 908S. It was priced $100 less than the PC-9. The 908S did come in the original labeled box with all the goodies.

Earl

Amazing, just amazing. Probably came with boxes and whatnot? Sad to think what Cabelas paid the former owner for them, especially if it was a widow. Funny they didnt research them to find out their rarity, just assumed they were run-of-the-mill 3rd Gens. Very well done!

 

[vigil617]

Thanks to you, Earl, I'm eating my heart out over here.

It's a small, cold meal, but still.....

 

[Sevens]

The SD-9 came in a performance center box but the label was either removed or gone and replaced with a Cabelas one.

The box that was original to the SD-series of pistols had a hard, pebbled texture and the original end label simply would not stay in place. Even the most well preserved "time capsule" examples of these (and the 3566 Limited and 3566 Compact) will usually, at best, have a saved, somewhat preserved end label detached from the case.

That's in my experience anyway. S&W has shown us countless times that you can almost make a dead-set RULE, but only for most or many of a particular model. Often they would run out of one case and use whatever else they had.

 

[EarlB]

Sounds like it's in the original box then...label is just as you said gone. A previous owner didn't bother sticking it under the foam inside

Earl

The box that was original to the SD-series of pistols had a hard, pebbled texture and the original end label simply would not stay in place. Even the most well preserved "time capsule" examples of these (and the 3566 Limited and 3566 Compact) will usually, at best, have a saved, somewhat preserved end label detached from the case.

That's in my experience anyway. S&W has shown us countless times that you can almost make a dead-set RULE, but only for most or many of a particular model. Often they would run out of one case and use whatever else they had.

 

[DCW]

Agreed, Wholeheartedly, Sevens

The box that was original to the SD-series of pistols had a hard, pebbled texture and the original end label simply would not stay in place. Even the most well preserved "time capsule" examples of these (and the 3566 Limited and 3566 Compact) will usually, at best, have a saved, somewhat preserved end label detached from the case.

That's in my experience anyway. S&W has shown us countless times that you can almost make a dead-set RULE, but only for most or many of a particular model. Often they would run out of one case and use whatever else they had.

"Pebbles" are good for grips (like the Model 669) but proved a lousy, and let me be clear, here, absolutely, positively and without doubt a poor design element when it came to cases.

Also, I've found the very same cases prone to lose a case latch or two, as the pivot points stress very early in their life; Like, uh, oh, the second use.

I've got more than a few of the above-referenced cases, including a 3566 Compact , a 4013TSW and a "standard" Model 3913 among them, that are simultaneously infuriating on multiple levels.

Why does one get so bent over something so small?

As a collector, the smallest detail counts in having, exhibiting and, at some point in the future, selling a proper, collectible item.

Later

DC