[glock35ipsc]

Hi all. Been lurking arount the DW forum for a bit, trying to learn about this manufacturer. It's nice to see the top brass actually posting and listening to the end users!!!

I am looking for a single stack 1911-style gun in .40S&W. It will be used 90% of the time for USPSA/IPSC Limited 10, with the other 10% being occasional CCW (I already have a dedicated CCW gun).

Since DW seems to already installs the usual add-ons (beavertail, good trigger/hammer/sear/disconnector, etc.), I guess the only other things I would spec out would be:

1] Stainless frame and slide. I am just a SS nut!

2] Bomar-style rear sight, adjustable

3] Internal extractor, can't live with the external style on a 1911...it's so not 1911. Plus, I want to be able to precisely tune it to my handloads for USPSA.

4] As mentioned before, .40 S&W

5] Ambi thumb safety for those weak-hand only stages. Not a necessity, cause I can always add it later.

6] Front cocking serrations

7] Checkered front strap

I have been told to just go buy a Colt or Kimber or Springfield. I carry a Kimber everyday, and they are lots of $$$, which I don't have. Everyone seems to own a Colt at the range, and I really don't have the $$$ for a Baer, STI, etc. I enjoy shooting the unusual, as I shot with a Rock Island in Limited 10 for a long time now and made many a Colt and Kimber shooter mad when the results were posted!

I have been researching alot of other brands, and DW seems to be among the best value in the 1911 field right now, both for cost and quality.

Any suggestions for a DW with my above want list items? Thanks in advance!

 

[glock35ipsc]

I may have just answered my own question. I found info on the Patriot. Is it available in .40 S&W?

 

[Noklue3]

Not sure about the .40 but the Patriot DOES have an external extractor, at least the .45 does.

All the best,

Art

 

[SamColtFan]

glock35......

You can get everything on your want list except one item in factory configuration in the Dan Wesson Seven. The only item that doesn't come factory on the Seven is a checkered front strap.

This is what an older Seven looks like.....

Regards,
Sam

 

[Iggy]

Glock35

Bob Serva at DW delights in making wishes come true.
If you don't see it on their web site you might contact him directly.
He has made some special variations of their guns to meet the special requests of some of us.

You might be suprised what you can get just by asking..

 

[glock35ipsc]

SamColtFan - That looks like what I am seeking....

Iggy - I may just have to ask then!

Thanks all!

 

[gendarms2000]

I shoot USPSA and IDPA. If you shoot a lot you might want to spend the extra $ and go with an STI trojan in .40S&W. It's only a couple $100 more.

Nothing worse than having your gun break at a match. It's happened several times with my DW patriot. The small parts just suck. The mag catch broke twice on me, plunger tube broke, mainspring housing pin broke twice. Front sight came loose. That's just on one gun and it's the best of the 4 DWs I have. Two of those failures were at matches, one at the sectional match.

For a sample of what you see...

http://1911forum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=525664

and maybe peruse the whole thread...

http://1911forum.com/forums/showthr...0737&perpage=25&highlight=wilson&pagenumber=1



So you can either replace the small parts with quality parts yourself BEFORE they break, or just spend the extra $ for a better gun in the first place.

IF you still want to take a chance on a DW, I can say that the Razorback I got with in 10mm with a fitted 40S&W barrel is very accurate and has a wonderful trigger. It just doesn't feed reliably.

Note also that since you're going with 40S&W, and you want to shoot L10, your choices of magazines are

Tripp Research CObra mag at $44 each. SOmeone is organizing a group buy for $36 each on here somewhere.

Metalform is supposed to have 10 rounders in 10/40 coming out in december, but I've bought about 15-20 metalform mags and they seem to be hit or miss quality.

THer are a lot more choices in 45ACP 10 round mags (CMC, metalform, wilson, etc.)

You don't see any DWs at matches, and I'm starting to see why, this is probably not a good application for these guns.

 

[glock35ipsc]

As I said, I DON'T want a gun the likes of an STI and such. I have shot L10 for the last year with a basically box stock Rock Island and consistantly bring home points cards.

Again, I WANT the unusual, and not the norm. That makes beating out the $$$$ guns that much more fun! There are a couple of DW's at our club, and they perform very well. In fact, the ones that are always running to the safety zone to make repairs are the STI's, SVI's, Colts, Baer's, Kimbers, all the high dollar ones. All the others just run, they generally haven't been messed with to begin, so they just run and run. I quit shooting Open because it just turned into a gadget game. To me, shooting a box stock gun against a box stock makes for excellent shooters! Heck, even my wife was a pretty fair shot with my open gun!

I found a real nice SS Pointman Seven, and although it's .45, it still seems to have everything I am looking for for the most part. I am going to try and work on the guy for price, but I should be able to get it for around $525-$550.

 

[SamColtFan]

glock35......

A Seven at $525-$550, depending on condition would be a good buy. I think the DW Seven is one of the best pistols that DW offers. They are indeed beautiful pistols. Just a heads up for you, some of the Sevens slipped out of the factory with forged Patriot frames. If the Seven that you're looking at has a finger relief cut at the back of the trigger guard and frame grip junction, it probably has the forged Patriot frame. Snap it up. The DW cast frames are really quite nice. But, I don't think too many Sevens were made with Patriot frames and may be a DW collectible in the future.

Good luck in your search.

Regards,
Sam

 

[gendarms2000]

As I said, I DON'T want a gun the likes of an STI and such. I have shot L10 for the last year with a basically box stock Rock Island and consistantly bring home points cards.

Again, I WANT the unusual, and not the norm. That makes beating out the $$$$ guns that much more fun!

I quit shooting Open because it just turned into a gadget game. To me, shooting a box stock gun against a box stock makes for excellent shooters!

I didn't realize the STI Trojan I was recommending (which is a single stack 1911) was not box stock. I figured when they come out of the box they are box stock...

 

[glock35ipsc]

I didn't realize the STI Trojan I was recommending (which is a single stack 1911) was not box stock. I figured when they come out of the box they are box stock...

And they truely are. Problem is (for me), too many people around here shoot them. And i said I want to be different, and have the unusual gun, not the usual. I enjoy being the one who is snickered at for having that "piece of crap Rock Island made in some 3rd world country" that I paid $320 new, then procede to out-shoot the very same clowns that were snickering that morning.

I could give a [email protected] less about the well known, name brand guns that everyone thinks everyone else should have. I own 2 Kimbers, a very sweet Caspian, and had Brazos and Dawson built guns. All very nice pieces, but no different than what everyone else has.

It's extremely fun when people go "You are shooting a what??"

 

[servarw]

Mod 7's are very close to what you are looking for and we just shippd some in 40 to Lew Horton. He should have them ready for sale by now. Check him out.

Thanks,
Bob
DWF

 

[glock35ipsc]

Thanks Bob! I will take a look!!