What the heck did I find?

[TTSH]

Yesterday, I was able to stop into a MA shop that I rarely get to visit. He had mostly the usual stuff but then I spotted a gun he was apparently in the process of cleaning & lubing. It had a tag right near it: "S&W Model 1006 Performance Center"! Well, that got my attention quick!

But the gun was field stripped down and practically soaked in oil or whatever on a rag... and it was a black gun. An all-black gun. A black 1006 I thought to myself? Could it be?

I asked and the dealer confirmed: Yes, it was a Model 1006. He was in the process of selling a gun so that was all I got out of him. It's a one-man shop.

I eventually got a closer look at the frame and, sure enough, it said "Mod 1006" on it.

But it was all black (which looked factory, not refinished) with a slide that looked more like a fancy S&W 1911 slide than a 3rd Gen slide. It had both front and rear "fish-scale" style gripping surfaces. What the heck???

After I got back home, I tried to look it up via Google, but I found nothing even close.

So what was I looking at? Was it an actual Performance Center version of a Model 1006? Or was it some refinished Frankengun put together by the dealer or someone else?

Help!!!

 

[murphydog]

It is not listed in the standard reference, but perhaps someone here recognizes it. It is also possible it is a one-off PC special, which only a factory letter would prove.

 

[timn8er]

Sounds VERY interesting. Did he have a price on it yet?

 

[18DAI]

Any way to see the box and get the product code? Did you see the serial prefix?

My guess is that it was either a prototype or one of the LE sales samples that use to appear now and then. Usually these were one offs of standard models with either a different finish or some unusual feature or features made to appeal to law enforcement.

I recall that my friend and fellow member leiden told us that the 1006 was still being produced for LE orders as late as 2006. IIRC he purchased one, NIB.

Will that shop let you take some pics of it? The all black Shorty 45s were discovered the the same way. A member found one in a gunshop and posted here asking about it. Someone put him in touch with Mr. Jim Rae who confirmed their existance.

Now Im sitting here wondering if they did that with a 1006.........perhaps there is a 4506 out there with the same enhancements. Great.........another unicorn to search for.... Regards 18DAI

 

[TTSH]

It is not listed in the standard reference, but perhaps someone here recognizes it. It is also possible it is a one-off PC special, which only a factory letter would prove.

Sounds VERY interesting. Did he have a price on it yet?

Yeah, I Googled the heck out of it and found nothing. It is not shown on the dealer's website either (he posts photos of almost all his used guns for sale) but his website hasn't been updated in almost 2 months.

The price tag on it was $850.00 (+Tax). Not something I'm capable of even considering right now.

I would have waited around until the dealer was done with his customer and asked him more about it, but I was on a very tight schedule and that sale was taking forever.

Based on the tagged price, which is probably a little low for a 1006 in MA, I'm thinking Frankengun. If it were truly a "one-off" PC gun, I'm thinking the dealer would be asking a lot more money for it.

 

[Arik]

Based on the tagged price, which is probably a little low for a 1006 in MA, I'm thinking Frankengun. If it were truly a "one-off" PC gun, I'm thinking the dealer would be asking a lot more money for it.

Maybe the dealer is thinking the same thing cause he can't find info on it.

 

[TTSH]

Any way to see the box and get the product code? Did you see the serial prefix?

My guess is that it was either a prototype or one of the LE sales samples that use to appear now and then. Usually these were one offs of standard models with either a different finish or some unusual feature or features made to appeal to law enforcement.

I recall that my friend and fellow member leiden told us that the 1006 was still being produced for LE orders as late as 2006. IIRC he purchased one, NIB.

Will that shop let you take some pics of it? The all black Shorty 45s were discovered the the same way. A member found one in a gunshop and posted here asking about it. Someone put him in touch with Mr. Jim Rae who confirmed their existance.

Now Im sitting here wondering if they did that with a 1006.........perhaps there is a 4506 out there with the same enhancements. Great.........another unicorn to search for.... Regards 18DAI

I didn't see a box anywhere near it. Like I said, it was apart in pieces and heavily covered in oil. Glancing at it quickly, I thought it was just an everyday garden variety black 3rd Gen slide being cleaned and lubed on the same oily rag as a double "fish-scale" gripped 1911 slide. Then I read the tag. Then I confirmed "Mod 1006" on the frame.

Now you've got me wondering if I walked away from a true one-of-a-kind mega-score (especially for moonbat Massachusetts) or if it was just another Frankengun.

If anyone here is seriously interested in possibly buying it, PM me for the name of the shop. It's not even a remote possibility for me right now no matter what it is. No way I could ever sell that much blood that fast.

 

[ken158]

See if you can get the story as to how the dealer came up with the gun and if a previous owner contact can be made. The work put into the hunt can sometimes reap a nice reward.

 

[TTSH]

Maybe the dealer is thinking the same thing cause he can't find info on it.

I just don't know. I also don't know why it was all taken apart and being cleaned & lubed. Seems a little odd to be out front like that... unless maybe someone had taken it out for test firing?

Maybe it just came into the shop and was filthy dirty. Seems doubtful if it was an expensive PC piece.

For all I know it is already sold. But it sure did confuse the heck out of me.

 

[TTSH]

See if you can get the story as to how the dealer came up with the gun and if a previous owner contact can be made. The work put into the hunt can sometimes reap a nice reward.

The dealer will most likely be at a show I'll be attending on the 30th. Of course, it could be gone by then if it's something really valuable. I can call him later this morning when he reopens.

The shop is not anywhere near me. I just happened to be out his way on family business.

 

[s&wchad]

Did it have the Performance Center logo, or just the S&W trademark?

 

[BAM-BAM]

Sounds like another road trip is in order........ don't be wasting good time you don't have a lot of............call and see if he's got it back together and hit the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Keep in mind Dealers don't always recognize what they have...... or don't really care...... just mark it up from what they have in it.!!!!

Must have been pretty dirty..... don't know many dealers who go to the trouble to clean a gun like that!!!!!!

10mm could be a slow mover... maybe he will deal to move it!!!

Good Luck...................

 

[TTSH]

Did it have the Performance Center logo, or just the S&W trademark?

I couldn't pick it up to flip it over... too far away and covered in oil. I don't think that would have gone over very well anyway. But no, I didn't see one on the left exposed side.

 

[TTSH]

Sounds like another road trip is in order........ don't be wasting good time you don't have a lot of............call and see if he's got it back together and hit the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep in mind Dealers don't always recognize what they have...... or don't really care...... just mark it up from what they have in it.!!!!

Must have been pretty dirty..... don't know many dealers who go to the trouble to clean a gun like that!!!!!!

10mm could be a slow mover... maybe he will deal to move it!!!

Good Luck...................

This (sometimes quirky) dealer, one well known to the S&W community, should know what he had. He's not your typical "revolvers-only" or "tactical-only" shop that wouldn't know what they were even looking at.

10mm 3rd Gen a slow mover in MA??? Hardly! They sell first day if and when they ever appear (which is essentially never).

It's also possible that it was out because he was repairing it... but obviously not for someone else if it has a price tag on it.

I still suspect Frankengun... if for no other reason than the black finish. Had I really been convinced (or even suspicious) that it was a rare PC gun (as it was tagged), I'd have circled back there after my errand.

 

[TTSH]

I can call him later this morning when he reopens.

Okay, I called the dealer and got the story.

It's a Model 1006 that was previously purchased/owned by a Smith & Wesson employee in MA pre-list (hence, legally able to be sold by a dealer in MA). It is not a Performance Center Gun per se. Rather, it's a Model 1006 that the employee had customized by the Performance Center with a black finish and those twin "fish-scale" slide grips. It's not known if any other work was done but I'm guessing not.

That explains a couple things... like why no PC emblem or special serial number or anything like that. It's a unique gun for sure... but only because the S&W employee who bought it had it customized to his personal liking. I'm not sure that adds much value to the gun, if any. Might even subtract some value if one prefers the original stainless look (like me!).

To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't call it a super-pretty gun. The type of black finish(es) applied was not known by the dealer... but the frame and slide weren't exact matches. The slide was drenched in oil, but I'm pretty sure the frame was a matte finish while the slide appeared to be polished. It's entirely possible that the gun was originally two-tone out of the PC shop with the frame later Cerakoted by the owner. Just a guess on my part.

So that's the rest of the story.

 

[weatherby]

This (sometimes quirky) dealer

I like Mike he will go out of his way to help

 

[18DAI]

Very interesting. Thanks for getting the details for us. I have one of those employee guns.

Its a 915 that belonged to Bert DuVernay who was in charge of the S&W academy. He had the Performance Center slick up the action, cut the slide for Novak sights and install same, create and install a tight fitting slide stop and refinish the gun. A very nice pistol.

What does that do to the value of the gun? Dunno. I do know I'll not get out of it what I have in it, but I have a very nice looking one off tack driver. Regards 18DAI

 

[skjos]

Did it appear to have a 3.5" barrel?

http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-...ols/396506-performance-center-1006-3-5-a.html

 

[TTSH]

Did it appear to have a 3.5" barrel?

http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-...ols/396506-performance-center-1006-3-5-a.html

Good question. It may or may not have been a standard 5" (I couldn't/didn't measure it), but I'm 99% sure that it wasn't 3-1/2".

I suppose that a "non-standard" barrel length would be a plus in terms of value... ... but I'm still not sure what value I'd put on the gun. Like I said, I'll see the dealer again on the 30th and we'll know after that if it sold or not at the $850.00 tagged price.

 

[TTSH]

What does that do to the value of the gun? Dunno. I do know I'll not get out of it what I have in it, but I have a very nice looking one off tack driver. Regards 18DAI

I know folks think that I'm joking about it when I complain about how broke I am... but I truly am in a pretty darn bad shape right now due to last year's somewhat excessive acquisitions together with the market crash. However, knowing what I know now about the gun... and if I had some cash in my pocket... I'd bargain hard for it and try to snag it for maybe $700 cash (+/- plus sales tax of course). I think I could justify that to the good wife. It still *is* a Model 1006 after all. So even if I'm not crazy about the color or the look, it might be the best I could ever do in heavily-restricted moonbat Massachusetts on a 10mm 3rd Gen.

 

[kaveman]

Sometimes you just have to buy the gun based on the gun,.....and not by reference to a price guide. I'd say a gun customized by the PC is a PC gun. What difference does it make whether the base gun is walked in by a S&W employee vs being snagged off the production line? Of course, it would depend on the particular features, but imho a quality custom gun surpasses a factory enhanced production gun,.....at least in theory.

Not sure how it could possibly not be worth $850 unless its custom features just don't appeal to the prospective purchaser.

 

[TTSH]

Sometimes you just have to buy the gun based on the gun,.....and not by reference to a price guide. I'd say a gun customized by the PC is a PC gun. What difference does it make whether the base gun is walked in by a S&W employee vs being snagged off the production line? Of course, it would depend on the particular features, but imho a quality custom gun surpasses a factory enhanced production gun,.....at least in theory.

Not sure how it could possibly not be worth $850 unless its custom features just don't appeal to the prospective purchaser.

The problem, of course, is that it's not known what was done to the gun by the PC shop beyond the dual fish-scale grips on the slide and (most likely) the color change. Was any accurizing done? Any trigger work? I don't know. The gun was apart during my brief visit and the one-man-show dealer guy was totally consumed elsewhere getting a seemingly complicated sale completed.

Remember that this was an S&W employee's purchase. No rules here except what the guy wanted. God only knows if he even had to pay for the extras.

Anyway, it could be worth $850.00. Possibly even more. I can't say one way or the other.

All I know is that I am broke right now so it ain't my problem. Of course, if I win the lottery next week, maybe I'll revisit the issue.

 

[85V65Sabre]

Call the shop and see if he still has the pistol. I'll donate $20 for you to purchase a possible one off 10mm.

 

[petepeterson]

Call the shop and see if he still has the pistol. I'll donate $20 for you to purchase a possible one off 10mm.

Yes, tell me where to mail the check...I'd like to buy a share of stock in that piece.

 

[murphydog]

If the S & W employee can be contacted and would be willing to document the modifications, it would be an interesting gun to have. And ask about layaway and payments .

 

[josywales]

Situations like these are tricky. Ask too many questions or make too many proposals and you give the seller ideas. Next thing you know, he has a certified list of modifications and price tag of $1,100. Ugh...it's always hard to pull the trigger without knowing. Offer what you think the gun is worth without the PC info. If you can make the purchase, one completed, then try to get more info from the dealer on the employee and maybe you see an increase in value. It's a risk, but what else are you gonna do, put more money in your 401K...

 

[TTSH]

Call the shop and see if he still has the pistol. I'll donate $20 for you to purchase a possible one off 10mm.

Yes, tell me where to mail the check...I'd like to buy a share of stock in that piece.

You two guys are funny! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the very kind gesture but I've never accepted charity from anyone at any time in my long, sorry life and I sure don't intend to start now.

Let's put this into perspective: I've got more guns and more ammo than I could ever use up in my entire remaining lifetime. With just 4-1/2 good years left, I should be selling, not buying.

My short-term "cash-flow" problem is there only because I over-did it in the last quarter of 2015 while trying to keep up with the Kaveman. It was a very successful quarter acquisition-wise except that didn't have nearly enough money to pay for all those new acquisitions... hence, the unusually large carry-over deficit into 2016.

I was supposed to sell up to 3 guns before the end of 2015 (maxing out at our state limit for F-T-F sales) to help pay for those 3rd quarter acquisitions... but I halted that effort when it became clear what our commander-in-chief was up to. And then, to make matters worse, the market crashed and my pitiful little IRA shrunk to a dangerously low level.

But all that misses the main point: I'm not at all sure that employee bought/owned 1006 is the right 10mm gun for me. It certainly isn't at $850+Tax. I don't even like the color or the look. It's a little Frankengun-ish to me.

Of course, at a lower price I'd kinda be forced to consider it just because 10mm 3rd Gens are so damn rare in my loony moonbat state. I may not see another one come up for sale for several years.

Anyway, that gun was never in the plan for 2016 and there ain't a whole lot of elbow room in the plan to add anything. It was just a curious find... in fact, a very curious find... and I thought that Team 3rd Gen might be able to help me to better understand what I had found.

 

[TTSH]

If the S & W employee can be contacted and would be willing to document the modifications, it would be an interesting gun to have. And ask about layaway and payments .

Situations like these are tricky. Ask too many questions or make too many proposals and you give the seller ideas. Next thing you know, he has a certified list of modifications and price tag of $1,100. Ugh...it's always hard to pull the trigger without knowing. Offer what you think the gun is worth without the PC info. If you can make the purchase, one completed, then try to get more info from the dealer on the employee and maybe you see an increase in value. It's a risk, but what else are you gonna do, put more money in your 401K...

I'm (forced) retired from my original career almost 10 years now... so there is no employee 401k to put money into anymore. But I get your point.

Again, per the post right above this one, I'm just not sure this is the 10mm gun that I've been long waiting for. And even if it is, it's coming at the worst possible time in many years.

Best I can promise you guys is this: If the dealer still has the gun by the gun show on the 30th (one week from today), I'll explore it further with him... including the possibility of layaway and/or trades. It's the best I can do under current circumstances.

 

[85V65Sabre]

You two guys are funny! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the very kind gesture but I've never accepted charity from anyone at any time in my long, sorry life and I sure don't intend to start now.

Let's put this into perspective: I've got more guns and more ammo than I could ever use up in my entire remaining lifetime. With just 4-1/2 good years left, I should be selling, not buying.

My short-term "cash-flow" problem is there only because I over-did it in the last quarter of 2015 while trying to keep up with the Kaveman. It was a very successful quarter acquisition-wise except that I didn't have nearly enough money to pay for all those fun new toys... hence, the unusually large carry-over deficit into 2016.

I was supposed to sell up to 3 guns before the end of 2015 (maxing out at our state limit for F-T-F sales) to help pay for those 3rd quarter acquisitions... but I halted that effort when it became clear what our commander-in-chief was up to. And then, to make matters worse, the market crashed and my pitiful little IRA shrunk to a dangerously low level.

But all that misses the main point: I'm not at all sure that employee bought/owned 1006 is the right 10mm gun for me. It certainly isn't at $850+Tax. I don't even like the color or the look. It's a little Frankengun-ish to me.

Of course, at a lower price I'd kinda be forced to consider it just because 10mm 3rd Gens are so damn rare in my loony moonbat state. I may not see another one come up for sale for several years.

Anyway, that gun was never in the plan for 2016 and there ain't a whole lot of elbow room in the plan to add anything. It was just a curious find... in fact, a very curious find... and I thought that Team 3rd Gen might be able to help me to better understand what I had found.

I didn't mean it as a joke, I'm dead serious about sending you $.
Not as charity, but as a friend. I understand as a man it is hard to accept gifts like this, but my offer still stands. If we were out having a drink you wouldn't look at me buying you a drink as charity would you?

I don't like to see someone pass on something because life has hit one of it's many speed bumps. I also understand that this pistol is not your first choice, but it sounds like you've had trouble finding a reasonably priced 10mm in your "loony moon bat state" I'm thinking you could always trade up later to the one you want or sometimes the one you find will grow on you after the purchase and become one of your favorites.

And I do understand your "predicament" as you call it.

 

[BAM-BAM]

I'm in for $20......

heck..... after all the worry I've caused you over what "few good years you have left".....least I could do is make them happier years...... besides according to "the formula" I'm in for less that $5 a year.