Shorty 9 production numbers confirmed! PHOTOS ADDED post #10

[Cjpetracca]

I am a little confused by the following product numbers: 170030 which is listed in the SCSW as the Shorty9 and 170067 which is listed as 9mm Compact. The photos in post 10 and 15 agree with the SCSW. Is it being stated that they are used somewhat interchangeably in the different runs and that some Shorty 9's are not marked as such?

Also the 9mm Recon has not been mentioned. As far as I can discern, it is identical to the Shorty 9, but with a fixed rear sight. They were numbered in the NRCxxxx series. They were marketed by RSR. Any idea as to how many were produced.

 

[vigil617]

I am a little confused by the following product numbers: 170030 which is listed in the SCSW as the Shorty9 and 170067 which is listed as 9mm Compact. The photos in post 10 and 15 agree with the SCSW. Is it being stated that they are used somewhat interchangeably in the different runs and that some Shorty 9's are not marked as such?

Also the 9mm Recon has not been mentioned. As far as I can discern, it is identical to the Shorty 9, but with a fixed rear sight. They were numbered in the NRCxxxx series. They were marketed by RSR. Any idea as to how many were produced.

CJ, I don't think the two product codes for the Shorty 9's are used interchangeably. 170030 is for the 5906 PC-9, and 170067 is for the Shorty 9 Mk III. The SCSW was wrong about the Mk III's product number. The only thing that's curious is that so many of the Mk III examples don't have "Shorty9mm" marked on the right front of the slide. Was it a too-easily removed marking, or was it left off some of them at the factory, or was there some variation within the MkIII production run? I don't know.

What is clear is that the Shorty 9 -- the subject of the thread, since the 9 Recon was a different and several-years-later gun, though quite similar -- can be easily recognized by the rear sight from the factory.

The duo-toned 5906 PC-9 guns had fixed Novak sights from the factory, and the duo-toned Shorty 9 Mk III's had adjustable rear sights. Other differences in the guns are there, but less obvious unless photos can be examined closely.

The SCSW says the duo-toned 9 Recon was produced in 1999-2000 for RSR as an "enhanced" Shorty 9, and can easily be recognized by its "9 Recon" billboard and Hogue wraparound grips. It has a serial number of REC and product code 170140. I don't have any production numbers on them, but here's a picture that shows there were at least 164. (click to enlarge) And a dean of this Forum, Grinder, has reported in the past seeing up to #204.

 

[Cjpetracca]

Thanks for your reply. I appreciate the drift of the thread now and I agree with what you have said. However, I see the product code in Post 10 for the Shorty9 as 170030 and the pc in Post 15 for the compact as 170067, which do agree with the SCSW. That is part of my confusion.

I have both the Shorty9 and PC-9, but no boxes for either one.
The only differences between them as you pointed out are the rear sights, safety, color of the magazine plug and the Shorty9 has a longer beavertail.

The only "enhancement" I have noticed with the 9 Recon is the presence of forward serrations, everything else except the fixed rear sight is identical to the Shorty9.

My girlfriend has a 9 Recon and she'll be excited to know there are possibly only 204 total.

 

[mbliss57]

Great work and post Vigil617. I also talked to a Lew Horton rep for the 1st time this week on another subject He was very helpful and sent an email right away of the gun I was interested in with numbers produced etc.
They seem very willing to help those with questions about the older PC guns. This is helpful as it is much quicker than trying to get a letter from S&W plus it is free. There is only 1 Roy Jinks. There seem to be a bunch of Lew Horton reps.

 

[vigil617]

Great work and post Vigil617. I also talked to a Lew Horton rep for the 1st time this week on another subject He was very helpful and sent an email right away of the gun I was interested in with numbers produced etc.
They seem very willing to help those with questions about the older PC guns. This is helpful as it is much quicker than trying to get a letter from S&W plus it is free. There is only 1 Roy Jinks. There seem to be a bunch of Lew Horton reps.

Thanks, Bliss. The rep at Lew Horton with whom I have corresponded is actually also a member here on the Forum. With his permission, since as he says, looking up the information on Horton's "special order" guns is part of the fun of his job, he said he would be fine with being contacted by any others. His name is Earl Minot ([email protected]) and his handle here is ERMinot.

Earl, once again, I really appreciate your help and your friendly, informative, and prompt correspondences with me on this project!

 

[vigil617]

Thanks for your reply. I appreciate the drift of the thread now and I agree with what you have said. However, I see the product code in Post 10 for the Shorty9 as 170030 and the pc in Post 15 for the compact as 170067, which do agree with the SCSW. That is part of my confusion.

I have both the Shorty9 and PC-9, but no boxes for either one.
The only differences between them as you pointed out are the rear sights, safety, color of the magazine plug and the Shorty9 has a longer beavertail.

The only "enhancement" I have noticed with the 9 Recon is the presence of forward serrations, everything else except the fixed rear sight is identical to the Shorty9.

My girlfriend has a 9 Recon and she'll be excited to know there are possibly only 204 total.

CJ, I probably contributed to that confusion by referring to both pistols collectively as "Shorty 9" pistols. That's the way they seem to come to have been known today. Both the 5906 PC-9 and the 6906 Compact/Shorty 9 Mark III are known as "Shorty 9" pistols. In post 10, the box for the PC-9 shows the 170030 product code and the features description "Shorty Nine", and while neither of the Mark III's that are pictured has a box label with it, the information on both of these pistols was confirmed separately as having product code 170067, and some of these are marked as "Shorty9mm" on the right front of the slide. Their boxes, though, don't have the words "Shorty Nine" on them, as shown in lhump's post of his pistol and box. Does that help?

Your girlfriend has excellent taste in pistols! I'm glad we could shed some light on those for her. It's quite possible there aren't many of these, and they're fine, Performance Center products. The forward serrations were a feature of the 40 Recon and 45 Recon as well, which were RSR pistols too. One great thing on all three of those, too, that was an enhancement was that the ambi lever is a spring-loaded decocker, based on the SCSW description as well as conversation on here from owners of these.

 

[Cjpetracca]

Thanks, that did help a lot. My PC-9 is #301 and has the frame colored magazine plug, so I take it to be a "Mark I".

 

[florange]

Many Thanks for the great information.

 

[twistedracer]

Thanks for all the great information. A very informative thread.

 

[hawk02]

This thread really helped me identify the pistol I got recently, it's one of the 611!!! Awesome find!!!!!

 

[Richard McMillan]

I have a two tone pistol with a 3-1/2 inch barrel, the pistol box is labeled as a Model 5906, Shorty 9, serial number PCV0028, Product Code 170030. The factory letter shows the gun shipped to Lew Horton on Oct 29, 1993, total production was 611 units, serial number PCV0001 TO PCV0611. I hope this helps.

 

[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.

Now have the lighter...package complete.

 

[vigil617]

Now have the lighter...package complete.

Too cool!

Where'd you find the lighter? That's a needle-in-a-haystack kinda thing, isn't it?

 

[lhump1961]

Maybe needle in a hay field! I'd never seen another that I recall (or I would have bought it) until this one popped up on fleabay a while back. I've seen pics of the PC lighter with the Shorties before so I knew it was the correct lighter (many S&W lighters out there) in the correct box in mint condition...soooo there it is. I felt lucky to come across it.

edit: I'm not sure these weren't available outside of the Shorties but since they were shipped with some of 'em I figured it fit.

 

[SmithNut]

Both mine are from the early production run and did not include the lighter.
Second pic below (three M14's) shows one of the lighters discussed above, which I purchased years later, so I'm pretty sure they were available via S&W as an accessory.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Smithnut never ceases to amaze ..................................

 

[BrianE]

I have always had a "thing" for the Shorty 9 and the Model 39. One day..

 

[Ascension]

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!

I would assume they used LPA adjustable sights on the MK 3 Shorty 9's.
I can tell you for certain that some of the MK 3 Shorty .40's came with LPA adjustables because mine did and I have seen one more first hand that is new in the box unfired that did.
My MK3 Shorty .40 and both of the Mk 3 Shorty .40's I have seen have a #3 not the roman number III on the slide BTW. My Browning Highpower's used the roman designation as did my Ruger .22 for the different Mark series but the .40 Shortys did not so would assume all the shorties did not.
Small detail but historically important.

 

[tjpopkin]

The .356TSW version....truly a 9mm (9x21.5) is virtually identical. I had mine reconfigured at the Performance Center with a Briley bushing 9x19 extended barrel to allow "silence". 3566 Shorty 170027, Aug 1993


http://www.fototime.com/ftweb/bin/ft.dll/{7C26EA72-BE3C-4DCC-AAC4-5922B7D48411}

 

[emgee00]

I have 2 of these for sale, both new

Not sure if this is the right spot as someone just sent me the link to this. I have 2 of these brand new in the box I am looking to get rid of. PM me for details.