Dan wesson 1911

[Trigger Mike]

My local toy store just got a Dan Wesson Valor V Bob commander.   How good is a Dan wesson?  

 

How does it compare to a Springfield and kimber?  

 

How does it compare to a wilson?  

[Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646]

Great reviews, mfg and distributed by CZ USA. Is the price reasonable? I love my cz 75b.

 

Imis

[Rye Miles #13621]

1 hour ago, Trigger Mike said:

My local toy store just got a Dan Wesson Valor V Bob commander.   How good is a Dan wesson?  

 

How does it compare to a Springfield and kimber?  

 

How does it compare to a wilson?  

Are parts available??

[Jon C]

The Valor is a pretty good value depending on what you're looking for. DW makes a really nice production 1911. The parts are more or less standard Commander pattern minus the mainspring housing, at one time STI and Ed Brown were the OEM part suppliers for DW and from the look of it they still are. 

- It is definitely better than a Kimber. The materials and fitment are all going to be better, and it won't have a Schwartz safety internally. Depending on what Springfield you get, it's as good or better. The older "Loaded" models aren't as nice, the TRP is pretty close. I would probably take a Valor over a production Springfield, but the Springfield is still a pretty decent gun.

 

- Wilson is building the best production 1911s in their history, and arguably of all time right now. Parts quality and dimensional consistency of their parts (of which they make them all now from the pins up) makes for a very, very good gun. They've had their ups and downs over the years, but the modern Dan Wesson is probably pretty close quality-wise to a turn of the century Wilson.

 

The Valor was meant to be a competitor to the Wilson CQB at Kimber/Springfield prices originally (2008-2009). They were $1100-1400 and would run circles around Kimber or SA quality-wise at the time. They've crept up in price but it is still a lot of gun for the money. 

[Trigger Mike]

Price is 1800.  Trigger is crisp and smooth.  Heavy springs when you rack the slide.  

[Tequila Shooter]

I have a V-Bob in 9mm and love it.  I’ve also got Springfield and a Ruger SR1911, the V-Bob is by far my favorite.  The Valor line has no MIM parts and even though they don’t make the Valor line anymore the parts are readily available. 

[Dutch Nichols, SASS #6461]

They re introduced the Valor line in 2021. I've had  3 DW's they are a step above Kimber and Springfield. They do NOT compete or measure up to a Wilson or Brown, so don't expect that. And YES I currently have 2 DW's, 4 Browns and had 3 Wilsons  so I'm not re-iterating gun gossip.

 

HAVE to say it Kimber's SUCK !! I worked for a Kimber distributor at one time and almost a third came back for one reason or another!!

[Trigger Mike]

54 minutes ago, Dutch Nichols, SASS #6461 said:

They re introduced the Valor line in 2021. I've had  3 DW's they are a step above Kimber and Springfield. They do NOT compete or measure up to a Wilson or Brown, so don't expect that. And YES I currently have 2 DW's, 4 Browns and had 3 Wilsons  so I'm not re-iterating gun gossip.

 

HAVE to say it Kimber's SUCK !! I worked for a Kimber distributor at one time and almost a third came back for one reason or another!!

I have not always had good experience with kimber.  After a couple of hundred rounds they jammed on me, BUT,  the kimber revolver is likely the best revolver I ever tried.  

[Widder, SASS #59054]

The DW that I have felt and shot were great.

I've owned some Kimbers a few year back that were good, but not as smooth as the DW 1911.

 

Presently, I own a Springfield TRP 6" in 10mm and their Ronin model, 5" in 10mm.

Both of those pistols are super nice and reliable.

 

But, in comparison to the smoothness of the DW, the DW are smoother with MUCH better 

trigger setups.

 

I have never owned nor shot a Wilson to make a comparison.

 

..........Widder

 

[LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L]

6 hours ago, Trigger Mike said:

My local toy store just got a Dan Wesson Valor V Bob commander.   How good is a Dan wesson?  

 

How does it compare to a Springfield and kimber?  

 

How does it compare to a wilson?  

I'm a big Springfield Armory fan.  That said, the Dan Wesson is a good step up from the standard or Range Officer Springfield.  My S/A TRPs and my Loaded are pretty neck and neck with my Dan Wesson Guardian.  I prefer any of these to a Kimber (QC on a Kimber seems shoddy to me).  The Dan Wesson isn't quite up to the Springfield Armory Professional, the Nighthawk, or the Wilson Combat, but it's close.  My DW Guardian is a daily carry gun, and I have qualified with it on our Police course several times with a 100 % score.  

 

[watab kid]

my CZ75B was great , but the IWI jericho is better , 

 

i love my 1911s and nothing replaces them but i do not have a dan wesson in anything but wheel guns 

[Trigger Mike]

I was hoping someone would talk bad about it and talk me out of it.  Alas.  

[Trigger Mike]

you people are no help at all. you were supposed to talk me out of a bad idea.  but NOOO!  you didn't.  know what?!  It does indeed shoot better than a Kimber, better than a lot of springfield's I have tried, NOT QUIT as good as the Wilsons, but it sure is nice.  it has the blued slide and stainless frame, large orange night sight.  wide rear sight.  straight trigger, something I have never tried, and actually like.  

[Widder, SASS #59054]

Lawman Mark,

As most of probably know, carrying the 1911 'cocked' is appropriate, as in your picture.

 

BUT, is also appears its is NOT locked.   Are we to assume you carry it 'Cocked and empty'?

 

..........Widder

 

[LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L]

7 hours ago, Widder, SASS #59054 said:

Lawman Mark,

As most of probably know, carrying the 1911 'cocked' is appropriate, as in your picture.

 

BUT, is also appears its is NOT locked.   Are we to assume you carry it 'Cocked and empty'?

 

..........Widder

 

That picture was taken immediately after an initial break down, cleaning and reassembly, before being shot the first time.  It was laying on my dining room table.  The gun was empty.  This particular gun has a very "crisp" thumb safety, and it's quite obvious when it moves from on to off.  

 

My carry method is not "cocked and empty"  

 

 

[Widder, SASS #59054]

I also carry in the same manner and I have friends who criticize me

for keeping it cocked.  Somehow, they think its o.k. to carry with

hammer down or on half cock with a round chambered.

 

They don't understand the 'cocked and locked' method on the 1911.

 

Thanks.

 

..........Widder

 

[Trigger Mike]

I'm thinking about carrying it cocked and on safe with an empty chamber.  Just to be sure.  

 

 

 

 

NOT!!!

[Widder, SASS #59054]

I find it strange that many people find it safe to 

carry a striker fired pistol with a chambered round

but at the same time, find it unsafe to carry a 1911

cocked and locked with a chambered round.

 

..........Widder

 

[LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L]

56 minutes ago, Widder, SASS #59054 said:

I find it strange that many people find it safe to 

carry a striker fired pistol with a chambered round

but at the same time, find it unsafe to carry a 1911

cocked and locked with a chambered round.

 

..........Widder

 

But.... (copied from John Travis)

 

The 1911 wasn't designed specifically to be continuously kept in Condition one. It can be, but it wasn't meant TO be. The prototypes that were sent to the US Army for evaluation didn't even have a manual safety. That was added as the final modification on request...and it wasn't for carrying. It was for hasty reholstering should a mounted trooper find himself struggling to regain control of a frightened, unruly horse.

The grip safety was and is a drop safety...also a request by the US Cavalry. They weren't overly concerned with a muzzle down discharge on a dropped pistol, but they were greatly concerned with a muzzle UP discharge, which is far more likely than muzzle down...so they wanted the trigger blocked when the pistol left the trooper's hand.

Muzzle down is a non-starter. First off, it has to strike pretty well dead perpendicularly in order to fire, and if it fires on the ground, the bullet passes harmlessly into the dirt. On a hard surface...such as concrete...the bullet comes to a dead stop the instant it hits. I have my doubts that it would even clear the muzzle, and even if it does, it wouldn't have the velocity to inflict a serious injury.

In reality, the pistol is designed to carry pretty much any way that the end user chooses...including half cocked...which was Browning's only manual safety on his exposed hammer guns. The 92 and 94 Winchester carbines and 1897 shotgun are examples.