Kurt Tschofen 9mm Target Champion Muzzle Weight

[olds350rocket]

I was able to remove the barrel weight off of my 6 inch 9mm Target Champion after translating the removal instructions from German. I also re secured the briley bushing system following the thread by BMCM. (Thanks btw)
Now becoming familiar with the barrel weight disassembly and re securing the bushing system I'm ready for some serious shooting. The polygonal Lothar Walther 6” barrel is a piece of art within itself. I wish I could source the original 5inch barrel so I could swap back and forth but I'm sure it's long lost somewhere in Germany.

 

[cherrypointmarine]

Olds , is that what you used to remove that nut (?) off the end , those 90degree needle nose ? Was it very tight ? I contacted BMCM about getting it off , but I had no luck with it .

 

[olds350rocket]

There's a tiny set screw front of the dust cover on the bottom on the barrel weight that has to be removed before disassembly. (Mine is actually missing) It can seem intimidating at first but it's incredibly simple. Be careful not to lose the tiny alignment wedge. And yes I used the 90° snap ring pliers to remove the castle like nut. It was not tight. It just snugs up and it's held in place with the internal wedge and set screw on the bottom.

Here's the full instructions translated.



When assembling the barrel weight, care must be taken to ensure that this is done with the weapon completely assembled

Screw the round nut (2) onto the barrel until it stops. Then turn the round nut back until the red mark on the round nut lines up with the recess

Insert wedge (3) (red marking on wedge to red marking on round nut

Slide on the Lawi weight (1).

-Insert intermediate washer (4).

Insert O-ring (5).

Screw on the round nut (6) until the red marking in the round nut matches the red marking in the barrel weight

Screw in the locking screw (7).

page 2 ******
Dismantling

Locking screw (7)

Unscrew the round nut (6) using the key supplied

Remove the running weight (1). Remove the castor (3).

Unscrew edge nut (2).

Further disassembly as in the original manual

 

[hoytx10]

Great information, thank you. Now I have to buy one of these pistols so I can tinker with it too! I always thought the weight was a permanent fixture. The test targets are extremely impressive that I’ve seen supplied with some of these pistols on gunbroker.

 

[cherrypointmarine]

I own more than a few PC guns , and I think the Target Champions are among , if not the , finest to come out of the old PC shop . I wouldn't hesitate to buy any of them , of course depending on the shape they are in . I've seen on the revolver side some revolver TC's are making it here . I wouldn't mind trying one of them out , but I think 357 is the biggest I've seen . A 629 TC would be the ultimate .

 

[olds350rocket]

Can the 945's hang with the 9mm Target Champion's? Accuracy wise . Now that I have a taste there's no going back to production gen 3's or TSW's .

 

[hoytx10]

Can the 945's hang with the 9mm Target Champion's? Accuracy wise . Now that I have a taste there's no going back to production gen 3's or TSW's .

There is no going back. The PC autos are literally pieces of functional art. In my opinion A 5” 945 and a 5” 5906 target champion are neck and neck accuracy wise. I give the nod to the target champion as it is better balanced and points better in my hands.

 

[4T5GUY]

This may be going off track a bit.

Looking to Skjos’s excellent reference data, the only year for a couple of different model 9mm TC’s was 1997. Anyone have information about their particular one year wise? My PPC 9mm was test targeted/box labeled 12/98 so it’s seems the TC’s “may” have been done before? Maybe they were intermixed together? I have not seen any other date for any of the various PPC 9’s either.

Any idea of total production run numbers? I was surprised to see how many more 845 Target Champions were made compared to the other two 845 runs.

Jim

 

[hoytx10]

This may be going off track a bit.

Looking to Skjos’s excellent reference data, the only year for a couple of different model 9mm TC’s was 1997. Anyone have information about their particular one year wise? My PPC 9mm was test targeted/box labeled 12/98 so it’s seems the TC’s “may” have been done before? Maybe they were intermixed together? I have not seen any other date for any of the various PPC 9’s either.

Any idea of total production run numbers? I was surprised to see how many more 845 Target Champions were made compared to the other two 845 runs.

Jim

According to Mr. Jinks my 5” 5906 TC was exported in February of 1998.

 

[olds350rocket]

I'm very curious about total production numbers for the short lug and the full lug variants. Here's a box label with a 1996 date code from a 5inch TC that recently sold. It's the first I can recall from 1996. I've mostly seen 1997 date codes.

 

[cherrypointmarine]

That's ok Jim , it's been a while since we've had a PC discussion here . You would think we'd have more of them , considering how many PC guns are out there .

Olds , it really depends on the 945 . My shooter is from the first run of them , and it's downright deadly . Some say the -1's are not as good , but I don't see that much difference .

 

[olds350rocket]

I'm not super picky on finish because it will get used regularly ,drawn from a holster ect. Is there currently a resident Gunsmith who can make the second cut on 4506 mags to use in the 945? I have a bunch and would rather have that done than purchase the
"945 only" mags. I've read briefly about the later 945-1 accuracy issues but can't seem to find the thread right now. I have a IPSC 745 and 4506 no dash that I can shoot very well so I'm about ready for a .45 upgrade. Its between the 945 or the .45 Target Champion/845 limited. I want a shooter and really don't care about the PC case and extras ect.

 

[olds350rocket]

This may be going off track a bit.

Looking to Skjos’s excellent reference data, the only year for a couple of different model 9mm TC’s was 1997. Anyone have information about their particular one year wise? My PPC 9mm was test targeted/box labeled 12/98 so it’s seems the TC’s “may” have been done before? Maybe they were intermixed together? I have not seen any other date for any of the various PPC 9’s either.

Any idea of total production run numbers? I was surprised to see how many more 845 Target Champions were made compared to the other two 845 runs.

Jim

S&W got back to me. WIS0036 short lug squared muzzle wasmade in 1994 and WIS4222 full lug rounded muzzle was made in 2000. These would have different sku numbers. I haven't nailed down yet.

 

[CALREB]

If the 356TSW was first made in a 5" in 1993, you would think the 9mm Target Champion would have soon followed as only a barrel would be needed to create a different gun.

In 1997 the NRA advised they would be offering a separate 1500 Semi Auto open match at the Police Nationals in Sept. Before that, officers shot the Distinguished auto match and the stock/service auto matches, but no one took it too seriously and shot the distinguished match, usually with someone's borrowed bullseye gun and whatever service auto you had.
Then around May/June 1997 ?, S/W sent four of their new "PPC" autos, a Target Champion fitted with aristocrat sights, to the top 4 of our team members. These guns, I am almost positive had "WISCHO" serial numbers. They sent us a bunch of "Target Champion" t-shirts also, I probably still have one in my shooting shirts. I did not get one of the original guns, so I immediately ordered one. I received it the first part of Sept, just in time to practice a bit before Nationals. I swear I think it had a PCV serial number. Will try to look it up. We also received several of the 4" DPA guns at the same time, 97 August/ Sept. I did get one of those XXX018 and still have it. So, both of those guns came out in 1997, positive.

They were big hits at the Nationals and by the next year most shooters had one. My wife got one in 9/98. By then it had a PPC # 0225. Some years later I sold mine and kept hers as it was in better shape and was more accurate. She had graduated to a 6" PPC.

We did promotional work for S/W and at the Shot Show in 1998 I was told by the S/W attorney there or Tom Kelly of the P/C, I can't remember who exactly. That the agreement with WISCHO to market the Target Champion in the US as the PPC-9 was that it would only be available to LE. I guess that was to protect their interest. The gun with the sweep upward, hammer block type safety really doesn't lend itself to action pistol type shooting. But for PPC competitors at the time it was a blessing at $800.00 or so for a great shooting 9mm semi auto. There was nothing priced close that could compete with it. Custom 1911s were about double that or more for 50 yard accuracy.
I hope this sets up a timeline as the TC was not marketed here at the time of the PPC 9s, unless it was much later.

 

[Tntcwg3]

I picked this beauty up from a fellow member here, according to Dr. Jinks it shipped in 1994. I'd like to know how many two-tones were mfgd and what serial number ranges. I believe this was S&W #170044.