Shorty 9 production numbers confirmed! PHOTOS ADDED post #10

[vigil617]

Thanks to a very helpful source at Lew Horton Distributing this morning, I have been able to answer some lingering questions about production numbers of the Performance Center 9mm compact pistols collectively known as the "Shorty 9" series.

First, confirming what member jfd reported by Jinks letter in a separate post, the Performance Center "5906 PC-9" produced for Lew Horton's from late 1993 to 1994, with product code 170030 and alpha prefix PCV, totalled 611 pistols in the series PCV 0001- PCV 0611.

(These pistols were shipped in boxes labelled 5906 PC-9, despite the fact they were built on 6906-sized alloy frames with blued carbon steel slides, 3 1/2" barrels, fixed Novak rear sights, single-sided safeties, and the Performance Center features of Briley barrel bushings, oversize rails, and PC triggers. These are the pistols described on page 370 of the SCSW, and were not otherwise marked with model numbers on the pistol itself.)

Second, the other compact 9mm Performance Center for Lew Horton is what is called the Shorty 9 Mark III. Horton's records show it was produced and sold from 1995 to 1997, with product code 170067 and alpha prefix VPC. A total of 345 of these were built, with serial numbers VPC 0001-VPC 0345. Horton's records also show that the pistol was shipped with a Zippo lighter marked with the Performance Center logo.

(The SCSW appears to contain two different Performance Center listings that, together, accurately describe this single model. The first listing (p. 370) describes the "6906 Compact" with product code 170076 and alpha prefix VPC. The second (p. 368) describes the "Shorty 9 Mark III" with alpha prefix VPC, but with product code 170030, the one used for the original run of PVC pistols, and which cannot be correct.

(Taken together, the listings describe a 9mm, blued slide and natural alloy frame compact with ambidextrous safety, Novak adjustable Low Mount rear sights, and the Performance Center rails, bushing, and trigger. These also are the pistols that have the "Shorty9mm" etching on the front right of the slide, though some examples do not have this, presumably because the marking was removed or, possibly, was not on a particular pistol to begin with.)

The two listings in the SCSW of the same gun apparently are due to the pistol having been shipped in boxes labelled "6906 Compact" to correct the previous labelling used on the first run guns.

The SCSW does not list the 6906 Compact being a Lew Horton model, and Horton's records only show the Shorty 9 Mark III as having the product code 170076 and alpha prefix VPC. It therefore appears that the "Shorty 9" series is comprised of two models only -- the 5906 PC-9 and the Shorty 9 Mark III.

The Lew Horton rep will be emailing copies of some product literature on both of these that I'll post to the thread when I receive it.

 

[vigil617]

Bump to the top -- questions answered!

 

[Shorty 45 MK2]

Very interesting! Looking forward to the letters.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Great info...... will have to cross reference mine and .......


print you post as an "insert" for my SCS&W

 

[timn8er]

Excellent work sir! When it's complete we should definitely nominate it for sticky status.

 

[vigil617]

Excellent work sir! When it's complete we should definitely nominate it for sticky status.

Thanks, Tim. I'll keep at it. In the meantime, I've passed along to skjos so if he wants, he can update his spreadsheet Complete Third Generation Performance Center Pistols, which has sticky status already. It's a fantastic resource; I use it often.

 

[jfd]

NICE WORK CHIP!!!! Great info to have. Thanks for all of your tenacity and hard work.

 

[vigil617]

NICE WORK CHIP!!!! Great info to have. Thanks for all of your tenacity and hard work.

You were a big help too, Jeff; I appreciate your contributions and helpfulness in this effort! Getting your Jinks letter for your PC-9 and the crucial information on your Shorty 9 Mark III box is what steered me in the right direction and documented for us all what had only been speculated up until now. You da man!

 

[18DAI]

Thanks vigil617 for doing the great work on this topic!

I never imagined there were that many Shorty 9's made. Best regards, 18DAI

 

[vigil617]

We need some pictures in this thread that's so full of stats and words!

Here are a few I found online, in the public domain, that are posted here just to illustrate the differences between the Shorty 9s. EDIT: See also post #41.

First up, the 5906 PC-9 in what I am calling the "Mark I" configuration, assuming half or so of the original 611 pistols were set up this way. This is PCV 0099:



Next, a 5906 PC-9 in what I think might be the "Mark II" configuration, the only difference being the black rear side of the magazine release button, instead of silver. (If you note any other differences, chime in!) This is PCV 0410.



And last but not least, the Shorty 9 Mk III. This is VPC 0027, not a great photo but one of the only ones I had -- and it doesn't show the front right slide where, on most of these, the "Shorty9mm" is inscribed:



And another, with its VPC prefix and correct product code 170067 confirmed separately, but serial number unpublished. This shows some of the MkIII models did not have the "Shorty9mm" inscription on the front right of the slide:



The MkIII models shipped with a Zippo lighter engraved with the Performance Center logo. Might have looked like this, but I don't know the source of this particular Zippo:



Feel free to add photos of your own, especially MkIII models, or email them to me and I'll post them, keeping your identity confidential of course.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Note that Vigil's MarkIII photo of VPC0027, also shows a checkered front strap......

as does mine Serial# VPC0065; but mine does not have "Shorty9mm" marking on the right side of the slide!

I'll pull the other out of the safe and add info here..........[

Added; Like the picture above it is a reverse two-tone; PCV 0460 has a single sided safety, non checkered front strap, black magazine release button front and back ........ night sights.

It came to me used but anib; the box was lost at the LGS...... this is the one that came with 2PC 15 round mags along with one 12 round. ]

As a footnote; both of mine came with one 12 round PC marked magazine; additionally one had one PC marked 15 round magazine with the +2 adaptor the other had 2 15rd PC mags w/ the +2 adaptors.

 

[Shorty 45 MK2]

Very nice work Vigil!

 

[vigil617]

Very nice work Vigil!

Thanks, Graham. I can now spot a Shorty 9 at 100 yards and tell you if it's a Mark I, Mark II, or Mark III!

Only trouble is, now I wants one.

I'll have to hold out for a Mark III, I guess -- if I can ever find one for a decent price. I like the "Shorty9mm" on the front...and the longer beavertail....the ambi safety/decocker...the adjustable sights....and the rarity....

 

[BAM-BAM]

My "Shorty" whatever........ has been one of my 2 highcap concealed carry guns since the mid 90s..... when I bought it from a good friend I got it as a shooter/carry gun....

Back then many.... OK .......an affluent few..... bought a new gun and sent it off to Novack, Wilson or whomever to be "rebuilt"......into what it "should be"....

I thought it was "cool" that S&W was building a semi- custom guns from "scratch"......

In the late 80s you had to buy a Smith for $400-500 then send it off to be chopped and improved into an ASP or Devel for another $1000-1200...... now Smith was offering the same guns at $1000 msrp .... or $700-800 OTD.

I was able to get a couple "used" ..... OK ....ANIB for $500-600.... and d--- it I was going to use and shoot them.......


At the time I was a "Shooter" not a collector/accumulator....... never even thought about how many were actually made...... always assumed a "few thousand" of each..... never thought that maybe only a few hundred were produced...... shot my SD-9 and carried ( still do) my "Shorty something" 9mm......

They are great guns..... lucky to have them!!!!!!!!!


It's a shame to have one and not shoot it......

 

[lhump1961]

This is my example. Note the box label doesn't reference "Shorty 9" but it most certainly is! It has the checkered front strap and adjustable rear sights. Came with two 12 round PC marked mags, little sight adjustment tool, allen wrench, trigger lock and paper work. Alas, no lighter.

 

[vigil617]

This is my example. Note the box label doesn't reference "Shorty 9" but it most certainly is! It has the checkered front strap and adjustable rear sights. Came with two 12 round PC marked mags, little sight adjustment tool, allen wrench, trigger lock and paper work. Alas, no lighter.

Sorry about the lighter, Norm.

Seeing your box label, it's easy to understand why there was confusion about how to identify this model and what to call it, based on what was in the SCSW. "6906" on the label, and "9mm Compact" as the features description, and no reference anywhere to a "Mark III" or even a "Shorty 9". Wow.

But I guess all's well that ends well, and now it seems we've nailed the product code and the alpha prefix to these, for posterity.

Hey, just out of curiosity: on your rear sight, does it say "Novak" anywhere? Or perhaps, "LPA"? These are billed as being Novak Low-Mount adjustables, and they may be, but they do resemble LPA's.

Thanks for all your help on the project, too. I appreciate it!

 

[lhump1961]

The rear sights on my Shorty 9 are LPA marked, low profile adjustable? Same on my Shorty 40. Some came with fixed and others adjustable so a person could suit themselves I assume.

One thing I've learned over the years is that S&W isn't always consistent in the way they do things nor do they always know exactly what they've done in the past!

 

[vigil617]

The rear sights on my Shorty 9 are LPA marked, low profile adjustable? Same on my Shorty 40. Some came with fixed and others adjustable so a person could suit themselves I assume.

One thing I've learned over the years is that S&W isn't always consistent in the way they do things nor do they always know exactly what they've done in the past!

That's quite true, and since the LPA style rear sights were commonly installed on the Shorty 45 MkII and Shorty 40 MkIII and MKIIIS models, it stands to reason they would have been on the Shorty 9 MkIII like yours. I can't say that I have seen any Novak adjustables on the Shorty 9 models, so what's in the SCSW might have been taken from engineering specs that had later been changed in actual production.

Thanks!

 

[vigil617]

The rear sights on my Shorty 9 are LPA marked, low profile adjustable?

[Boldface emphasis added] A good guess, Norm, but from what I've found online it appears "LPA Sights" is an Italian company that's been making sights since 1974. They never say on the website what the LPA letters mean, but they're bound to be some group of Italian words or initials, since LPA makes all different kinds of sights for handguns and long guns. There are a bunch of 'em on S&W semi-autos among the Third Gen PC models, that's for sure.

Novak, on the other hand, bills its product as "LoMount Carry" sights in a mix of fixed, adjustable, tritium, fiber optic, and more varieties.

Looks to me like Smith must have planned originally to use the Novak LoMount Carry adjustables on the Shorty 9 Mark III, but then later opted for the LPA brand.

 

[Tbags]

Now this thread makes me wonder if those grips would fit on a CS9?