Santa came early, M3566 x2!
- Thread starter Tntcwg3
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
cherrypointmarine
Member
You're one of a select few , not too many of us have the 2 of these . Now you need one of each 845's and you'll be in an even more select few . Truly a sweet score , glad to see you got them . Did you get the boxes and paperwork ? My 5in had never been shot but the original owner had ordered 2 recoil springs just to stash away .
OP
@JT1207 /Thanks, I haven't talked to Scott yet, I've already got 9mm barrels for my other 3566 compact and SD356 from him, but it's a very likely possibility!
@ Cherrypointmarine / thanks Mike! I did get the boxes and paperwork, no spent cases or chamber flags though. Both present as almost new, probably less than a box of shells through the both of them together. The compact has a couple of interesting features that the original owner said were already on the pistol when he purchased it new. The barrel and slide have been Mag-na-ported and the sight are red tritium PT units. The box does have an additional label on it but I'm not sure if a letter would confirm if these were outsourced by the Performance Center. I know in the early days they were willing to customize the guns to the customer's specifications to some extent.
@ Cherrypointmarine / thanks Mike! I did get the boxes and paperwork, no spent cases or chamber flags though. Both present as almost new, probably less than a box of shells through the both of them together. The compact has a couple of interesting features that the original owner said were already on the pistol when he purchased it new. The barrel and slide have been Mag-na-ported and the sight are red tritium PT units. The box does have an additional label on it but I'm not sure if a letter would confirm if these were outsourced by the Performance Center. I know in the early days they were willing to customize the guns to the customer's specifications to some extent.
Attachments
Mag-Na-Ported 3566 Limited
That's interesting about your compact as my 5" 3566 Limited has exactly the same things done to it, except my tritium lamps are yellow/orange.
It has been Mag-Na-Ported & is equipped with P-T/IWI/MMC bar & dot Night Sight inserts too. A separate sticker on the box (same as yours) implies that they were both done a the same time; but by who & when? I believe I'm just the second owner of mine.
The P-T sights (yellow/orange) are dead now, of course, & while they look nice too they are no longer functional. Each factory sight, front: Novak blade, & rear: Bomar adjustable, has P-T micro stamped into them & they were stamped before the black finish was applied.
When I contacted Lew Horton/Earl Minot, after I bought it in 2019, they advised me that none of these pistols had those features on them when they left Lew Horton. Only (517) of the 3566 Limited were made & shipped to them from S&W in 1993. Mine was in the first block of (120) pistols made.
So guess we have a mystery of on our hands about these mods?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
That's interesting about your compact as my 5" 3566 Limited has exactly the same things done to it, except my tritium lamps are yellow/orange.
It has been Mag-Na-Ported & is equipped with P-T/IWI/MMC bar & dot Night Sight inserts too. A separate sticker on the box (same as yours) implies that they were both done a the same time; but by who & when? I believe I'm just the second owner of mine.
The P-T sights (yellow/orange) are dead now, of course, & while they look nice too they are no longer functional. Each factory sight, front: Novak blade, & rear: Bomar adjustable, has P-T micro stamped into them & they were stamped before the black finish was applied.
When I contacted Lew Horton/Earl Minot, after I bought it in 2019, they advised me that none of these pistols had those features on them when they left Lew Horton. Only (517) of the 3566 Limited were made & shipped to them from S&W in 1993. Mine was in the first block of (120) pistols made.
So guess we have a mystery of on our hands about these mods?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Last edited:
WHAT? "Interesting" to say the least. So most went to Lew Horton as a special Lew Horton run but some were not delivered. None of the LH run, (s,) left LH in that configuration? Where did the other ones go?
Glad I waited to respond because BLUE DOT37…… hadn't added his input yet. So there are at least two. It would be so interesting, (well to me at least,) to find out more about them.
Jim
cherrypointmarine
Member
My 5in was in the first run also ,one of less than 60 , one of the first made . Your rear is different also , but I think you said so . The PC centre did work on guns that were sent back . My 3.5in was sent back and had a 9mm barrel fitted . They even supplied a Briley bushing fitted to the barrel and recoil spring . I wish I was into these guns during the original PC shops primo days .
Figured I'd throw this in also . Any of you have any of these ? 15rd .3566 mags for the compact model . I've found it fits my 469/669's also .
Figured I'd throw this in also . Any of you have any of these ? 15rd .3566 mags for the compact model . I've found it fits my 469/669's also .
Attachments
Last edited:
I assumed, (falsely?,) that the statement "some serial numbers were not delivered" meant 356's not skipped serial numbers.
Jim
Attachments
3566 production number discrepancies
I take it if it wasn't delivered it wasn't made, but that's just my interpretation.
Yeah, a lot of questions on the production numbers.
Take the 3566 Limited. Lew Horton shows a total of 517
But if you add up the three group numbers (120+89+225) you only get 434.
And if you add up the SN# range potentials for the three groups (125+184+241) you get 550.
.
Similarly, the 3566 Compact doesn't add up.
Lew Horton states 386 total.
But if you add up the three group numbers (145+172+152) you actually get 469.
And if you add up the SN# range potentials for the three groups (149+89+165) you get only 403.
Note, the second group shows 172 made but the SN# range is only 89. Kind of hard to do.
But if you make a correction in the group numbers for that then you have 145+89+152 which does equal 386.
Lastly, an excerpt that's been previously posted from a Roy Jinks letter states the total number of 3566s made was 813 & all of the SN#s started with TSW, which doesn't compute either.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I take it if it wasn't delivered it wasn't made, but that's just my interpretation.
Yeah, a lot of questions on the production numbers.
Take the 3566 Limited. Lew Horton shows a total of 517
But if you add up the three group numbers (120+89+225) you only get 434.
And if you add up the SN# range potentials for the three groups (125+184+241) you get 550.
.
Similarly, the 3566 Compact doesn't add up.
Lew Horton states 386 total.
But if you add up the three group numbers (145+172+152) you actually get 469.
And if you add up the SN# range potentials for the three groups (149+89+165) you get only 403.
Note, the second group shows 172 made but the SN# range is only 89. Kind of hard to do.
But if you make a correction in the group numbers for that then you have 145+89+152 which does equal 386.
Lastly, an excerpt that's been previously posted from a Roy Jinks letter states the total number of 3566s made was 813 & all of the SN#s started with TSW, which doesn't compute either.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Last edited:
Well, I once had a Franchi 12/20 ga. 2-barrel O/U set but I'm not sure what it has to do with a 3566 (SN TSW0258 is mine).
I can say I got a really nice, extended length 9mm barrel from Scott. I added some threads and a silencer. A nice set: the .356 for, shall we say, "challenging" situations and 9mm with which to practice for the above-mentioned challenges.
You've a nice two-weapon score, Tntcwg3. Make sure you put some serious money into a corresponding gift for the Missus!
Later.
DCW
I understand that to -many- it is sacrilegious to look at a letter from Mr. Jinks and question it, but that 3rd image is problematic. Maybe it's just a simple use of terminology that throws things off to me, but he states in the letter "this model was reintroduced under the name SUPER 9…"
This is obviously wrong or perhaps poorly stated. A re-write might say "this cartridge was chambered in another S&W pistol named the SUPER 9…"
The idea that the Super 9 is a later reintroduced 3566 Limited or Compact is simply not accurate, it is not even nearly accurate. The Super 9 is an extremely interesting pistol but it's just not like, well, EVERY other S&W pistol… ever.
It would be much more accurate to suggest that the 3566 Limited was very nearly "reintroduced" as the PPC-9 or the 9mm Target Champion. Different finish, slightly different chambering, but the slide/frame/trigger/hammer/Briley bushing is the same whereas the Super 9 is different than those models by a lot.
Roy Jinks is unquestionably a true legend, but some of his letters contain errors and in this case, it's a glaring error.
This is obviously wrong or perhaps poorly stated. A re-write might say "this cartridge was chambered in another S&W pistol named the SUPER 9…"
The idea that the Super 9 is a later reintroduced 3566 Limited or Compact is simply not accurate, it is not even nearly accurate. The Super 9 is an extremely interesting pistol but it's just not like, well, EVERY other S&W pistol… ever.
It would be much more accurate to suggest that the 3566 Limited was very nearly "reintroduced" as the PPC-9 or the 9mm Target Champion. Different finish, slightly different chambering, but the slide/frame/trigger/hammer/Briley bushing is the same whereas the Super 9 is different than those models by a lot.
Roy Jinks is unquestionably a true legend, but some of his letters contain errors and in this case, it's a glaring error.
That is a wonderful Christmas present, Congratulations
I hope you found something equally as nice for Mrs Claus
OP
Thanks, the Mrs. has proved once again that I'm strictly an amateur when it comes to Christmas shopping; she and the grandkids will have a grand time opening their gifts on Christmas Day!
Wow! Very nice. Merry Christmas!
OP
Hey Bluedot37, have you checked with Roy for your shipping date? Just got my response back, indicating mine had shipped in 2003. It's interesting that in a PC flyer, they specifically advised against Magnaporting for the Briley-bushed barrels due to the extremely tight clearances. I'm hoping Tom Gordon volunteers some of his knowledge in regard to these modifications.
Yes, that would be awesome if he could offer more insight on them.
No I haven't contacted Roy on it, only Earl Minot at Lew Horton who said they received mine in July-1993.
Hard to imagine yours sitting around for 10 years before shipping?
I haven't seen that flyer you mentioned. Can you post it here?
.
No I haven't contacted Roy on it, only Earl Minot at Lew Horton who said they received mine in July-1993.
Hard to imagine yours sitting around for 10 years before shipping?
I haven't seen that flyer you mentioned. Can you post it here?
.
Last edited:
OP
This is a from one of my Shorty40's, not a real good pic but it not only shows the warning, but also Mr. Gordon as a contact for the PC pistols. I too, find it hard to imagine that it sat around for 10 yrs, my other compact 3566 shows to have shipped in 1993.Yes, that would be awesome if he could offer more insight on them.
No I haven't contacted Roy on it, only Earl Minot at Lew Horton who said they received mine in July-1993.
Hard to imagine yours sitting around for 10 years before shipping?
I haven't seen that flyer you mentioned. Can you post it here?
.
