German Performance Center Target Champion's

[olds350rocket]

Unfortunately I don't have any reliable sources for this, but I would estimate the number to be around 100.

Thank you for the responses. This is the most information we have received from "across the pond" to date. It's why I post these guns from time to time (they get shot regularly ) . You never know who might see the thread and respond.

It would be cool to get some more history on them, chat with the original owners, maybe get copies of the import/export paperwork, see if they had been used in competition ect ect. There's really not much information on them. I wonder what Kurt did with the original 5inch numbers matching barrels from all the 6inch conversions he did.

 

[bigggbbruce]

These weapons are purchased by private individuals on the German market and exported to the USA. It's an expensive undertaking, as customs duties and export permits are required for each weapon, but it's worth it since prices in the USA are ridiculously high. A pistol that sold for $2,000 in Germany is offered on gunbroker for $3,500-4,500.

I ran across an ad the other day, private seller, 5906 Target Champion. Asking $3000.

 

[joedegs]

Thank you for the responses. This is the most information we have received from "across the pond" to date. It's why I post these guns from time to time (they get shot regularly ) . You never know who might see the thread and respond.

It would be cool to get some more history on them, chat with the original owners, maybe get copies of the import/export paperwork, see if they had been used in competition ect ect. There's really not much information on them. I wonder what Kurt did with the original 5inch numbers matching barrels from all the 6inch conversions he did.

Yeah, what happened to the original barrels? I wonder if the barrels were returned the customer or kept at his shop?? Though, after shooting a modified 6”, would you go back to shooting the 5”? It would be nice to have two barrel for the pistol.

 

[joedegs]

I ran across an ad the other day, private seller, 5906 Target Champion. Asking $3000.

The numbers have been up and down through the years. I believe they were around $3k for a while but dropped to around $1800-2000. So it really depends on what you are willing to pay. Plus condition, box & papers, full or 3/4 dust cover?

 

[joedegs]

Here’s a place that has a lot of used S&Ws in stock. Searched 5906 to find these. Click top left corner, search at the bottom.

Results

 

[FT1837]

Oschatz manufactured new six-inch barrels for his models. The barrel blank is by Lothar Walther with a polygonal barrel profile. They were then specially surface-hardened; how and with what is his trade secret.
As always, there are few official explanations for this, but it is said that around the year 2000, S&W USA asked him to buy his patents, and he refused. As a result, he was no longer allowed to supply him with new weapons that he could modify. Whether this is true, only he knows.

The original 5-inch barrels were not included with the purchase of the 6-inch pistol; they were probably sold as spare parts on the secondary market.

I shoot my Target Champions at the competitions shown above; they are very good and absolutely capable of winning the title of German Champion, but there are better ones in their classes. The SIG 210-5 Heavy Frame (also modified by Oschatz) fires 5 shots with an outer bore diameter of 17mm at 25m. Not from the ransom rest, but from the hand! In .45, the Strayer Voigt Infinity is a bit better, in my opinion. But these are nuances, and who can do that in person at a competition?

The Longslide originals from Smith Wesson are beautiful, but neither in terms of precision nor trigger mechanism do they come close to the Oschatz modifications.

 

[joedegs]

Oschatz manufactured new six-inch barrels for his models. The barrel blank is by Lothar Walther with a polygonal barrel profile. They were then specially surface-hardened; how and with what is his trade secret.
As always, there are few official explanations for this, but it is said that around the year 2000, S&W USA asked him to buy his patents, and he refused. As a result, he was no longer allowed to supply him with new weapons that he could modify. Whether this is true, only he knows.

The original 5-inch barrels were not included with the purchase of the 6-inch pistol; they were probably sold as spare parts on the secondary market.

I shoot my Target Champions at the competitions shown above; they are very good and absolutely capable of winning the title of German Champion, but there are better ones in their classes. The SIG 210-5 Heavy Frame (also modified by Oschatz) fires 5 shots with an outer bore diameter of 17mm at 25m. Not from the ransom rest, but from the hand! In .45, the Strayer Voigt Infinity is a bit better, in my opinion. But these are nuances, and who can do that in person at a competition?

The Longslide originals from Smith Wesson are beautiful, but neither in terms of precision nor trigger mechanism do they come close to the Oschatz modifications.

Would you happen to know if the original 5” barrel would still fit after Oschatz’s modifications?

I didn’t know that trigger work was done as well. Most people here in the US would never have their S&W PC semi-auto worked on or modified because of the quality that’s already there. And they would not want to remove original parts due to the collectibility of these pieces. But to think, someone actually made these pistols better as if it was a custom 1911.

 

[olds350rocket]

Would you happen to know if the original 5” barrel would still fit after Oschatz’s modifications?

I didn’t know that trigger work was done as well. Most people here in the US would never have their S&W PC semi-auto worked on or modified because of the quality that’s already there. And they would not want to remove original parts due to the collectibility of these pieces. But to think, someone actually made these pistols better as if it was a custom 1911.

I purchased a new production 5inch barrel from Briley and it does fit the slide and frame. Unfortunately the slide stop will not fully install so there is still some fitting required somewhere that I'm not capable of doing myself. Here's both TC's in 5 inch configuration , custom Walther barrel up top, notice the full lug is missing the front sight because it's still dovetailed into the barrel weight. The trigger on the Oschatz modified gun is noticeably lighter than the other.

That being said the slides on each gun will not swap. They are fitted extremely tight. Also the 6inch barrel will not fit the short lug frame or slide at all. Its perfectly fitted to the full lug slide and frame.

Also here's the Oschatz muzzle weight disassembled . Very simple design when you see it apart.

 

[hoytx10]

Here’s a place that has a lot of used S&Ws in stock. Searched 5906 to find these. Click top left corner, search at the bottom.

Results

That’s like looking at forbidden fruit right there….

 

[hoytx10]

Here’s a place that has a lot of used S&Ws in stock. Searched 5906 to find these. Click top left corner, search at the bottom.

Results

It looks like this shop is in Denmark and the prices seem comparable to our market price. They may be a little on the high side of what we would pay here on gunbroker, etc…

 

[4T5GUY]

Also here's the Oschatz muzzle weight disassembled . Very simple design when you see it apart.

It’s nice to see another way for attaching other than epoxy.

Jim

 

[olds350rocket]

It’s nice to see another way for attaching other than epoxy.

J

You can take that off with a heat gun . It took 700° to break the compound loose on my briley bushing that I resecured on the 6 inch gun. It was loose when I got it.