Ive shot plenty of 1911s around the $1,000 mark and others around the $3,000 mark but nothing in that middle ground of $1,800-2,000. If you wanted to throw a light on it and use it as a home defense gun, its fairly well set up with night sights and a weapon light slot. The feed ramp is properly polished with the requisite 1/32nd-inch grp between the two parts of the feed ramp. Are the old Dan Wesson better than the ones made by cz? The Specialist Stainless was originally developed for police departments who seeked a more reliable and durable 1911 pistol. I do feel it is 1911 evolved.. The front night sight is green while the rear is yellow, allowing you to easily differentiate the front and rear in low and no light situations. The Shooter's Log, is to provide informationnot opinionsto our customers and the shooting community. Im active on Instagram on @fridgeoperator. As you see above on the first photograph with the extended base pad, when you slam it home, the base is about flush with the magazine well. In my opinion, the difference between a Dan Wesson 1911 and a custom 1911 isnt fit or quality, it is that Dan Wesson isnt known as a custom 1911 shop. The Specialist features a checkered front strap. So, the next time you see fit to disparage that fella going on about his 1911-style pistol, look at your own autoloader and know that without John Browning and his 1911, you may have been carrying a Luger offspring, and no one wants that. Three shot groups fired from a rest at twenty-five yards. This is the ideal setup for all-around service protection and home defense. The new rifle is built on an aluminum billet chassis with carbon-fiber forend and cheek riser featuring V-block bedding. On top of the stainless steel frame and slide, Dan Wesson has applied their Duty finish, which is ferritic nitrocarburizing, known in other places by proprietary names such as Melonite. Well, truthfully it rode in on a truck, but semantics and all. 01845. $2,159.00 (Save up to 6%) Price $2031.31 01808 Dan Wesson Dan Wesson Specialist 1911 5" Pistol 8 RD 10mm Night Sights $2,225.00 (Save up to 6%) Price $2096.23 The slide and frame of each Dan Wesson pistol slide together with a tight accuracy-promoting standard. vs. Dan Wesson Specialist. Thank you for your review! It is no secret Dan Wesson is one of my favorite 1911 manufacturers, but that is with good reason, and the Specialist is no exception. We reserve the right to edit as appropriate, delete profane, harassing, abusive and spam comments or posts, and block repeat offenders. The pistols have the fit and finish we call hand-fitted. Constructed with a forged stainless steel slide, frame with 1913 rail, 25 LPI checkering, ambidextrous thumb safety and G10 VZ Operator II grips round out this package. Love the review Sir. The provided Dan Wesson magazines have polymer basepads that assist in seating a magazine, especially at speed. The balance and handling of this size handgun make for good control when firing the .45 ACP cartridge. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications by email. 's blog. The built-in magwell lets you run the longer 10-round baseplate magazines without having the magazine stick out. We want you, our readers, to be able to make informed decisions. Width: 1.45 in. This bobbed 1911 was brought back into production by popular demand. I must admit Im leaning towards the 2011s like the Springfield Arms prodigy or the new Dan Wesson models. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. On the right side of the frame youll notice that the slide-stop pin does not protrude from the frame as it does on a standard GI gun; instead, it is slightly recessed. This is a 2-inch gun, I said to myself at the time and if you look at the 25-yard accuracy results, youll see that I was right. Everything else being equal, a Series 70 trigger system will provide the lightest and crispest trigger pull of any 1911, and the 1911 already has the trigger pull against which all other pistols are measured. They feed and function flawlessly. My Dan Wesson Specialist came with two 10-round magazines and a hard plastic molded case with impressions for the gun and two additional magazines. This means the tight lockup results in less unnecessary wear. The Pointman features fully-adjustable rear sights. Your email address will not be published. This pistol also features a light rail for mounting combat lights. I am a dyed-in-the-wool, hard-headed, and somewhat unreasonable 1911 guy. Required fields are marked *. Let's go through those first. The VZ Grips G10 plates were very aggressive, allowing a firm purchase on the pistol. An all-around handgunner using a handgun for competition, hunting and general recreation will wish to have the pistol sighted in for the chosen load. Dan Wesson. We still have the accessory rail mFachined into the dust cover; it no longer has the additional slots closer to the trigger guard. The 2020 Specialist includes a few features I usually do not care for, such as the magazine well and forward cocking serrations. Dan Wesson ships the pistol and two eight-round magazines with extended base pads. Dan Wesson Specialist 1911 5" Pistol 8 RD 9mm Night Sights (Save up to 9%) Price $1987.67. The front sight has a standard green tritium insert with a white ring around it. Home Firearms Handguns Review: Dan Wesson Specialist 1911 A Love Affair. Height: 5.5 in. I run Tripp Research 10 round mags in my DW Bruin. Our authorized dealers can be found here. www.czgunshop.com, www.czgunstore.com, www.danwessonfirearmstore.com. SAO Competition Pistol Chambered in 9mm Luger, 45 ACP . Federal Power-Shok Ammo 12 Gauge 3" Rifle ProMag FN Five-seveN 30 Round Polymer Mag HK VP9 Optics Plate #2 - Trijicon RMR / H Dan Wesson Specialist 1911 5" Pistol 8 RD 9mm Night Sights. Inexpensive examples are often built with loose tolerances to expedite manufacture. Nothing earth-shattering, but they just reintroduced and updated Dan Wesson Specialist chambered in .45 Auto recently walked into my life. Pairing the big-bore .45 ACP cartridge with the scaled-down version of Browning's classic design satisfies both . Best 1911 mags out there. The new big bore pistols feature industry-first capacity, with a standard 15-round capacity and 22+1 rounds of 10mm or 18+1 rounds of .45 ACP from the extended magazines. Dan Wesson states that the Specialist line is designed for the needs of law enforcement, and the Specialist is in use or authorized by several police departments, including the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. Still, with such a purpose-built fighting pistol, I can appreciate why those features and others were included. In Stock. I put a lot of rounds downrange before I measured the trigger pull weight on my sample, and I guessed that it came in about 3 pounds. .505 Gibbs Rifle Brass 'H H' Headstamp: Maker and Quality Info Sought, Self-Defense Handgun and Ammo Options for People With Dexterity and Strength Issues, Federal Ammunition History: 14 Things You Didn't Know, Springfield Armory Hellion 5.56 NATO Bullpup Rifle: Tested, Revic Optics BR4 Ballistic Rangefinder: Review. There is a Commander version with a 4 1/4 barrel, and you have the options of stainless or like with the test sample a black Duty Finish. Click Here: https://membership.nr. For years, I worshipped at the altar of the 1911 and the .45 ACP cartridge; looking at the big cavity on the Hydra-Shok, its easy to remember why. My Dan Wesson .44 mags are, by far, my favorites of every weapon I own. Initially, the Specialist was offered in a 9mm Luger and .45 Auto, it can now also be had in 10mm Auto. models. Even with standard loaded 147gr subsonic ammunition, the Dan Wesson Specialist cycles and locks to the rear which is awesome for a 9mm 1911. Breaking clean at 4.75 pounds, the Specialists trigger features just enough take-up to prep the trigger, combined with minimal overtravel to facilitate correct follow-through. For example, the AmeriGlo night sights on this model are well-thought-out. The overall weight of the Specialist is just over 42oz. This stainless model is extremely good looking so Im really hesitant to put a light on it, but with the black model, I would definitely utilize that rail more. I am not a huge fan of extended magazine wells on a pistol. My suggestion is to contact Dawson and provide them with the serial number of you DW. With us, you can get top-rated yet cheap guns and upgrade them in a snap, all these for the sake of our customers hassle-free experience. If you have questions about firearms, feel free to shoot me a message on my Instagram @fridgeoperator. The TaurusTX 22 Compact delivers class-leading reliability, capacity, and shootability in a 22 LR platform, and it's cut for a slide-mounted mini red dot. I am completely satisfied with this pistol in its performance and accuracy. 12pm-6pm CST Mon The Specialist was originally developed for police departments who seeked a more reliable and durable 1911 pistol. The VZ Grips G 10 stocks were very aggressive, allowing a very firm purchase on the pistol, coupled with the front strap and mainspring housing checkering and deep beavertail it was easy to lock this pistol up with a firm grip. There is no internal firing pin safety on this pistol, as God and John Moses Browning intended; in 1911 slang, it has a Series 70 trigger system. (tested); single action Dan Wesson 1911 Specialist 45 ACP 5" Barrel GI#: 102218441 MANUFACTURER: CZ-USA FAMILY: 1911 Style Pistol Series MODEL: Specialist TYPE: Semi-Auto Pistol ACTION: Single Action CALIBER/GAUGE: 45 ACP FINISH: Stainless FINISH TYPE: Stainless Steel FRAME: .Click for more info Seller: Advanced Arms Area Code: 570 $1,780.00 DAN WESSON BRUIN 10MM I have tested several of the all-steel five-inch barrel variants. Twenty-five lpi is a good balance between cheese-grater 20 lpi and maybe not quite aggressive enough 30-lpi checkering. Those additional slots did not serve any real purpose, so they were omitted. . The Specialist also comes with a built-in magwell, ambidextrous safety, and 1913 Picatinny rail as standard for mounting light and laser accessories. The Heritage was introduced as an entry-level Dan Wesson. The Specialist and The Valor. The rear sight is drift adjustable via a set screw. The Specialist ships with two 8-round magazines with bump pads (10 rounds in 9mm) and is available in either a matte stainless finish or our Duty Black finish, which makes for an especially hardy pistol that scoffs at everyday wear and tear. The finish on the Specialist Distressed, unlike so many others, looks natural. Whether you agree with me or not, that is just fine. Colt Pistols are renowned for their comfort, accuracy, and power. Take a look at what they got and pick the ones you like best. Another design benefit of the sights are the serrations on the rear of the sight that reduce or eliminate glare when shooting in hard light. The Dan Wesson line of pistols includes many fine crafted 1911 pistols in various configurations and finishes. Dan Wesson states that the Distressed version has a hand weathered frame and slide, and doing the work by hand is the only way you could get a gun that looks this beautifully used except the pistol functions perfectly and is brand-new. Dan Wesson gave the Specialist a classic long-style trigger with texturing on the face for a tactile grip. Lets talk about the finish first because it looks just as good in person as it does in the photos, and its the first thing people notice about this gun. I never cleaned or oiled the gun before use and despite this, theDan Wesson Specialist worked flawlessly. Let me know what you think about Dan Wessons down in the comments below. Dan Wesson Dan Wesson Specialist 1911 5" Pistol 8 RD 10mm Night Sights $2,225.00 (Save up to 6%) Price $2096.23 01814 Dan Wesson Dan Wesson Specialist 1911 5" Pistol 8 RD 45 ACP Night Sights $2,159.00 (Save up to 6%) Price $2031.31 01801 Dan Wesson Dan Wesson Specialist Stainless 5" Pistol 8 RD 10mm Night . Those jacketed hollowpoints (JHPs) and every type of ammo I tried ran flawlessly through the Specialist Distressed. The Heritage reflects Dan Wessons commitment to quality, but it wont break the bank. No striker fire gun can match it. This semi auto pistol is ready to work, with fixed night sights and a tough, no-nonsense Cerakote finish that resists corrosion and The top of the slide features a Clark-style serrated rib, and the front of the slide has a ball-end mill cut that blends perfectly with the rearward-angling cut of the frame at the rail. For sale: One (1) new in box Dan Wesson Specialist, .45 ACP. What else could we argue about on a gun blog? Heritage in .45. To help with smooth magazine insertion, the Specialist Distressed is equipped with a nicely contoured magazine well that is blended to mate with the beveled magwell opening in the frame. This item is no longer available. Dan Wesson Firearm Store, we take once-complex purchasing processes and turn them into simple. Ive heard some shooters have complained about just how aggressive the G10 stocks were. Designed with the needs of law enforcement in mind, the Specialist Distressed features many state-of-the-art tactical touches. The new 9mm suppressor can mount easily to any pistol barrel threaded x28 inches and doesn't compromise on sound suppression, gas blowback or recoil. Overall Thoughts They can tell you what dovetail cut is on your DW and provide you with multiple options.They can install your sight or you can do it you self. Equipped with an ambidextrous thumb safety, extended magazine release, and detachable magwell, the Specialist is operator-friendly. Please be respectful of others. The trigger on this Dan Wesson feels like it was looked over and hand-polished rather than just fitted like many standard 1911 companies. If you are looking to step up your self-defense sidearm, I highly recommend taking a look at the 2020 Specialist line. Dan Wesson 1911 Specialist Distressed Specs Type: Hammer fired, semiautomatic Cartridge: .45 ACP Capacity: 8+1 rds. I have the dan wesson Discretion and the specialist in 10mm. I really like the idea of having a Picatinny rail on the bottom of the frame for light and laser attachments. I carried the Specialist with the light attached for over a month with zero issues. We want you, our readers, to be able to make informed decisions. The same could be said for the accessory rail machined into the dust cover. Their reaction upon seeing the Specialist Distressed was the same as mine namely, that it is the best-looking distressed finish that any of us had ever seen. This pistol has a 5 match grade barrel, stackable tritium night sights, VZ Operator II G10 grips, ambidextrous thumb safety, black duty finish and comes with two 8 round magazines, a cable lock, the factory paperwork and a factory plastic hard case. Shopping with us is absolutely safe - you never have to worry about credit card safety when shopping here Share your latest AR build or photos from the range with #RangeDayFriday for a chance to win a new firearm! So, maybe the only thing thats different between a Dan Wesson and a modern custom 1911 is the high price? $659.99. The serrations of the top of the slide are no longer machined into a raised rib, but they are machined into the top of the slide. Personally, I think the 1911 is an extremely cool platform and really paved the wave for other variants and modern handguns. The Vigil is the DW entry level gun and the Valor is, and has been for a long time, the flagship DW gun. Proudly powered by WordPress The recoil spring under the barrel, double camming surfaces on the lower barrel lug, and receiver-mounted slide release are used to raise and lower the barrel. Be the first to review Dan Wesson Specialist .45ACP 5 Stainless BLEM. Dan Wesson Specialist Commander 1911Please Support Sootch00 on Patreon! Ruger's multi-role small frame autoloading rifle - Sear - combines AR-10 power with AR-15 Portability. No restocking fee on new and unopened items. An ambidextrous thumb safety is not imperative for a range gun in my opinion. Home Firearms Handguns Series Review: Dan Wesson 1911 Handguns. Kimber 1911 For Sale . Constructed with a forged stainless steel slide, frame with 1913 rail, 25 LPI checkering, ambidextrous thumb safety and G10 VZ Operator II grips round . Their new Specialist Distressed is no exception. Shopping with us is absolutely safe - you never have to worry about credit card safety when shopping here Share your latest AR build or photos from the range with #RangeDayFriday for a chance to win a new firearm! Chris Johnson, FN Senior Product Manager, walks us through two new FN striker-fired pistols at SHOT Show 2023: the FN 510 Tactical, chambered in 10mm Auto, and the FN 545 Tactical, chambered in .45 ACP. While at the 2020 SHOT show, I spoke with Talon Holsters about my issue and was told to email them what handgun I was running and what light and they would get me something put together. Ameriglo straight-eight night top the slide, allowing for a rapid flash sight picture by stacking the white dot on the front sight on top of the single dot on the serrated rear sight. One of the first things I noticed when looking at my Specialist for the first time was how tight the tolerances were from the factory. The obvious differences between the two are the rail on the Specialist (which might make it more pleasant to shoot), and the top of slide serrations on the Specialist. When you drive the mag home in the Specialist, you may need to use your thumb to ensure the magazine is fully seated. For most of us, the Heritage is more than enough 1911. When I carried that gun, my carry ammo was Federal Hydra-Shok, so it seems serendipitous that the first ammo I put through this gun was a Practice and Defend combo pack from Federal. The Dan Wesson Specialist for sale to the general public is engineered for the rigors of law enforcement use. A defensive handgun having the ability to secure a light can provide an advantage if the situation goes off the rails while the moon is out. Ensure youre not using 10mm mags in your 45 and vice versa. .45 magazine, 115 grain, 124 grain, 1911 holsters, 22 shotgun, 338 lapua, 365 sas, 365xl, 365xl, 380 ammo, 43x, 43x mag release, 43x mos, 870p, 9 mm ammunition, 9mm . Just after high school I enlisted and felt most at home on the rifle range, where I qualified expert with several firearms and spent some time as a rifle coach to my fellow Marines. 1 Review. While all of the other Specialist models are available in 9mm or .45 ACP, at the moment the Specialist Distressed is only available in .45 ACP. Youll have to wait but its so worth it when you open up that package. We do not sell or share your information with anyone. The trigger broke cleanly at four and three-quarters pounds with just a bit of take up and a hint of overtravel. Required fields are marked *. Your discussions, feedback and comments are welcome here as long as they are relevant and insightful. Every old guy is required to complain, The modern generation has it easy, but when it comes to 1911s from the factory that are reliable with JHPs, its true. I have owned Dan Wesson 1911 handguns for many years. There is a new dog in the pen and I cant remember the model but they run 6,000$ grand and take six months to get it. Some of the loads will put five shots into two inches at 25 yards. Let me know down in the comments whatever way you lean on this. Dan Wesson Specialist 10mm 5 Black - BLEM. The Dan Wesson Specialist sits in a mid-tier price range but offers a ton of semi-custom gun shop items without paying the crazy prices of high-end custom shops. With a standard magazine base pad, it is recessed. Forward cocking serrations allow for racking the slide or a press check while keeping the pistol close in your workspace. Shot placement is vital. The trigger is adjustable for overtravel, but during the review, I did not change it. The Pointman has been the flagship of the Dan Wesson line for some time. With a standard magazine base pad, it is recessed, so when you slam it home, you may need to use your thumb to ensure the magazine is fully seated. A full-size 1911, the Specialist is chambered in .45 ACP, 10mm, or 9mm and loaded with features to satisfy a public servants special requirements. Dan Wesson Firearms 2020. America's Ultimate Shooting Sports Discounter, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window). Barrel Length: 5 in. Greatly appreciate it. This is so if you want to install laser grips on your pistol, where the laser is usually positioned at the top of the right grip and aiming down the frame, the tip of the slide-stop pin is no longer in the way of the laser beam. As far as triggers and ergonomics, the 1911-style pistols set the standard. Offered in a full-size model, the Specialist Stainless sports a bead blasted stainless finish and is chambered in 10mm. The A2 Commander is an outstanding example of the iconic John Moses Browning design. -. Jeff Bradley shows off the Modern Hunting Rifle (MHR) from Christensen Arms at SHOT Show 2023. The frame sports an integral 1913 Picatinny, 25 LPI . Overall Length: 8.75 in. This .45 ACP version is supplied with two stainless eight-round magazines. Colt Custom Carry Limited, superb hideaway.