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. It has more of a flat shelf than the angled, checkered surface found on standard slide releases, and I like it. I have a Pointman and it was love at first sight. The frame is cut higher than on an old-school GI model, but the triggerguard is not actually undercut, it is just cut straight back. The full 42oz weight of this gun makes it extremely flat shooting and easy to control. I have found the pistols to be high-end in every sense, save for the price. The pistols have the fit and finish we call hand-fitted. The Defender is in 9 and the mustang in 380. The barrel bushing is a match stainless steel model, but you wont need a bushing wrench to remove it as it is only finger tight. All comments are held for moderation and will appear after approval. It is the Duty finish that has been worn away in just the right way. I really like the Pointmans fully-adjustable sights. Lets face it, the trigger is the unifier here. Coupled with the front strap and mainspring housing checkered (25 lines per inch), and deep beavertail, it was easy to lock this pistol up. The first magazine of ammunition was shot offhand at a target 10 yards away, and every round went exactly where the front sight indicated. Buy a Dan Wesson For sale: One (1) new in box Dan Wesson Specialist, .45 ACP. The Judge has been promoted! Offered in a full-size model, the Specialist Distressed sports a distinct distressed Duty Black finish and is chambered in .45ACP. Dan Wesson Specialist Pistol -The Specialist is one of the newest additions to the Dan Wesson stable. All Rights Reserved. MSRP on theDan Wesson Specialist is $1,825 for the 9mm, and a little more for the black variant. Brand: Dan Wesson. They are rugged sights that leave behind any concern with the rigidity of the adjustable sight. This item is no longer available. Dan Wesson Specialist 10mm 5 Black - BLEM. Weight: 42.3 oz. I wanted to check out a mid-tier 1911 to check out what you get for the money. The trigger is adjustable for overtravel, but during the review, I did not change it. Ive shot some top shelf 1911s and mine can run neck and neck. 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. Taurus Marketing Manager Caleb Giddings highlights the features of the new Taurus Raging Hunter 460 Magnum, a purpose-built revolver with a 10.5-inch barrel and an effective recoil-taming brake, with Guns & Ammo Executive Editor Joe Kurtenbach. For unrelenting protection on the home front, dont hesitate to call in the specialist. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. This is a super accurate loading in every pistol I have tried. SAO Competition Pistol Chambered in 9mm Luger, 45 ACP . The sliding breechblock was designed and implemented by JMB in 1898, and it appeared on his M1900. SAO Full-Sized Pistol Chambered in 9mm Luger, 10mm Auto, 45 ACP . The closest I can get to this caliber of firearm is my Kimber Target Eclipse II in 45. Subscribe to our email list and get exclusive access to promotions, sales events and more! Continuing to improve my firearms skills and knowledge is a never ending journey in which we should all be committed. We were created to support the unique needs of the Dan Wesson firearm industry, and we're here to support you in making an informed Dan Wesson purchase. The Specialist Stainless was originally developed for police departments who seeked a more reliable and durable 1911 pistol. Designed with the needs of law enforcement in mind, the Specialist Distressed features many state-of-the-art tactical touches. It included 100 rounds of 230-grain full-metal jacket (FMJ) practice ammo and 20 rounds of Federals legendary 230-grain Hydra-Shok defensive ammo. Let me know down in the comments whatever way you lean on this. Notify me about new product releases, reviews, and coupon codes. DAN WESSON SPECIALIST 1911 STAINLESS STEEL COMMANDER .45 ACP: GunBroker is the largest seller of Semi Auto Pistols Pistols Guns & Firearms All: 973036944. . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications by email. The Dan Wesson Specialist, a culmination of mission-specific features applied to the tried and true 1911 platform. This pistol also features a light rail for mounting combat lights. Dan Wesson Specialist 1911 5" Pistol 8 RD 9mm Night Sights (Save up to 9%) Price $1987.67. $1,965.00 $1,849.99. Its accuracy and overall comfort to shoot are something that cant be ignored either. To keep your hands on the gun when shooting, youve got some great grips as well as some very nice checkering. Recoil is manageable and parts wear is less with the Government Model. 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. 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. It always draws remarks when I pull it out of the bag at the range. In the gun world, the 1911 is about as polarizing as it can get. It does not stick out any farther than the grip panels but is very easy to use. 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. 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. Dan Wesson offers the Specialist in 9mm, 45 ACP and 10mm with a Black Duty finish or bead-blasted stainless steel finish. Dan Wesson Specialist 1911 5" Pistol 8 RD 9mm Night Sights $2,179.00 (Save up to 9%) Price $1987.67 In Stock 01806 Dan Wesson Dan Wesson Specialist Commander Pistol 8 RD 45 ACP Night S . Notify Me When Available. The frame sports an integral 1913 Picatinny, 25 LPI . It has a match grade 5 barrel chambered in 9mm. Im active on Instagram on @fridgeoperator. The provided Dan Wesson magazines have polymer basepads that assist in seating a magazine, especially at speed. When police departments approached us to build them a more reliable, durable 1911 to replace the ones they had been carrying, we developed a model just for them. The new RIA 5.0 Sporting Pistol from Rock Island Armory features a patented RVS Recoil system that maximizes barrel mass and linear movement to give shooters super soft recoil. With the rear sight incorporating a ledge, the pistol can be racked one-handed using a belt, tactical vest, jeans pocket, or table, for example. 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 1911 Specialist Distressed Specs Type: Hammer fired, semiautomatic Cartridge: .45 ACP Capacity: 8+1 rds. Dan Wesson has changed the front sight dovetail at least three times over the last 15 years or so. Among my favorite Dan Wesson types is the Heritage. 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. . To be honest, when headed out after sundown, I felt a bit more prepared with a weapon-mounted light on my sidearm. While this does not change the function of the serrations cutting glare between the sights, it does give the pistol a bit more of a traditional profile. 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. The Shooter's Log, is to provide informationnot opinionsto our customers and the shooting community. About Dan Wesson Specialist - 5" Dan Wesson Firearms, or DW is an American handgun maker preferably known for their revolvers, but known as well for the line of 1911 semi-autos. I find this D.W. 1911 to be as fine as some full custom built 1911s on the market today and all for a very reasonable price. I run Tripp Research 10 round mags in my DW Bruin. We reserve the right to edit as appropriate, delete profane, harassing, abusive and spam comments or posts, and block repeat offenders. Dan Wesson Specialist Commander Pistol 8 RD 45 ACP Night S Dan Wesson Specialist 1911 5" Pistol 8 RD 10mm Night Sights, Dan Wesson Specialist 1911 5" Pistol 8 RD 45 ACP Night Sights. Constructed with a forged stainless steel slide, frame with 1913 rail, 25 LPI checkering, ambidextrous thumb safety and G10 VZ Operator II grips . Check Price . https://www.patreon.com/Sootch00Join the NRA Today! The pistol features ledge-type rear sights with a tritium insert. If I had to describe Dan Wesson 1911s, it would be as the most perennially underappreciated, best-value-for-the-price semicustom 1911s on the market. I am not a professional shooter by any means, and therefore do not require such a firearm. Some complained about just how aggressive the G 10 stocks were. Whenever I take someone out for the first time shooting, I think this would be a good candidate to start with just since its a soft shooter and easily controlled. Dan Wesson 1911 50th Anniversary Single 45 ACP 5" Barrel 8rd Mag. However, for an actual undercut triggerguard, where the line from the triggerguard doesnt go straight back to the frame but rather curves upward before hitting the front strap, youre probably going to have to buy a dedicated competition pistol made by small shops youve likely never heard of, which will cost you a lot more than the Specialist Distressed. Our authorized dealers can be found here. Take a look at what they got and pick the ones you like best. This Specialist Distressed is the full-size model, which sports the same Government model dimensions that have been around since, oh, 1911. The front strap is also checkered to twenty-five lines per inch. Through our Dan Wesson Custom Shop, our craftsman rely on skill, hard work, and American industry to transform your 1911 into a piece so individual, it becomes a piece of your history. Dan Wesson Firearm Store, we take once-complex purchasing processes and turn them into simple. Over the last couple of months, I have taken it on a dozen or so range sessions where I have roughly 800 rounds through the Specialist. 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. The Dan Wesson Specialist for sale to the general public is engineered for the rigors of law enforcement use. With no cuts in the trigger, you really get a classic look with modern functionality of the texture on the face making it the best of both worlds. I have test fired this handgun with a number of handloads and defense loads as well. Inexpensive examples are often built with loose tolerances to expedite manufacture. 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. The built-in magwell lets you run the longer 10-round baseplate magazines without having the magazine stick out. The same could be said for the accessory rail machined into the dust cover. The Specialist was originally developed for police departments who seeked a more reliable and durable 1911 pistol. The Dan Wesson Specialist also comes with front cocking serrations and a skeletonized hammer. For sale: One (1) new in box Dan Wesson Specialist, .45 ACP. Theme: Newsup by Themeansar. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. Reliability will be as good as any other Dan Wesson, but the features are different. The thumb safety on this pistol is a bilateral model with oversized levers. Nothing earth-shattering, but they just reintroduced and updated Dan Wesson Specialist chambered in .45 Auto recently walked into my life. Please be respectful of others. 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. Im an average joe that really loves talking with other people about firearms and other passions. What else could we argue about on a gun blog? The Mission of Cheaper Than Dirt! SALE. Dan Wesson Firearms Store 2021 All Rights Reserved. I am very pleased with such a soft shooting 1911 theDan Wesson Specialist really is at the range. Dan Wesson 1911 TCP 9 RD 9mm 4" Pistol (Save up to 8%) Price $1702.95. Your email address will not be published. There is a new dog in the pen and I cant remember the model but they run 6,000$ grand and take six months to get it. Dan Wesson Vigil CCO 7 RD 45 ACP Cocobolo Shadow Grip (Save up to 1%) Price Dan Wesson V-Bob 45 ACP Two-Tone 1911 Pistol with 10 Grips. It seems like every time i buy magazine even it says universal 1911.. it does not work right..meaning, it will fit but once i cock the slide it will not release. The locked-breech, short-recoil operation with the tilting barrel and front slide removal came from Browning. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The trigger broke cleanly at four and three-quarters pounds with just a bit of take up and a hint of overtravel. The overtravel can be adjusted, but I elected to leave it as set as it came from the factory. The VZ Grips G10 plates were very aggressive, allowing a firm purchase on the pistol. With a forged slide and receiver and all steel parts, durability will not be an issue. 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. The double-column/single-feed position magazine is also a design of JMB. Proudly powered by WordPress The Pointman has been the flagship of the Dan Wesson line for some time. $659.99. While the manual of arms is the same as any other 1911, the enhancements are what sets the Dan Wesson Specialist apart from the crowd. Slide-to-frame-to-barrel fit is excellent, with no play. Throughout the initial review, and the couple of thousand rounds afterward, the pistol did not exhibit any sort of an issue, even with a myriad of ammunition and magazines being used. In cases such as these, aggressive grips are warranted. My test sample is .45 ACP with the black finish. Tactical night sights top the slide, allowing for a rapid flash sight picture by stacking the front sights white dot over the white dot in the serrated rear sight for daytime shooting. 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. I carried the pistol for about a month, and like any 1911 style pistol, it was not too hard to conceal as long as you paid attention to what you were wearing. Please Check back for availability. Known as the Government Model type, the five-inch barrel steel-frame pistol weighs about 40 ounces. Even the same bullet weight will strike to a different point of impact at different velocity. The Specialist Distressed starts off with a stainless steel slide and frame, though, so unlike my much-battered 1911, it wont be rusting. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 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. A deep beavertail with palm swell is well fit to the receiver, allowing for a positive grip safety disengagement. 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. I spent much of my youth involved with firearms and felt the call early on to the United States Marine Corps, following in my father's and his brother's footsteps. 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. The Heritage was introduced as an entry-level Dan Wesson. Overall Thoughts I believe this pistol would make an ideal concealed carry or home defense firearm but easily fill the role of a duty pistol. Eric Poole and Tom Beckstrand test the Aimpoint Acro P-2 against one of red dot sights' biggest myths: distance. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Ben Voss FN Product Manager talks about the new FN SCAR 15P ultra-compact rifle-caliber pistol at SHOT Show 2023. Add on the fact it has night sights and a great trigger and you can argue it as a viable self-defense gun if you want carry a single stack pistol. The Specialist line is a family of 1911 pistols available in full-size or Commander models, 9mm or .45 ACP, with several different finishes. All comments are held for moderation and will appear after approval. Stay safe out there. All Guns and Ammo subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. In both full size 5 inch and Commander models. $ 1,899.00. 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. The slide-lock safety indents properly. We do not sell or share your information with anyone. 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. Be the first to review Dan Wesson Specialist .45ACP 5 Stainless BLEM. As you might have guessed, the appearance of the Specialist Distressed made me a bit nostalgic for my old single-stack carry gun. An ambidextrous thumb safety is not imperative for a range gun in my opinion. Lets take a deeper dive into the Dan Wesson Specialist chambered in 9mm. Youll have to wait but its so worth it when you open up that package. | Throwback Thursday: Taurus Judge Range Report, ATI Milsport SGA 410 All the Advantages of an AR in .410, Ruger SR1911 LW Commander The Lightweight .45 ACP, Rifle Hack: Sighting for 100 Yards at a Distance of 25 Yards, Throwback Thursday: All About Bullet Grain. The classic long-style trigger has a tiny bit of travel before hitting a defined wall and breaking just under 5lbs. Colt Pistols are renowned for their comfort, accuracy, and power. Hand fit and hand polish are important components of the 1911 handgun. Accuracy was exemplary, as was usability. I carried the Specialist with the light attached for over a month with zero issues. That will give you issues. Take a moment to also explore Handguns manufactured by Dan Wesson Firearms all of which can be found through here at discount prices on Danwessonfirearmstore.com. 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. You ran 450 smc thru it? Your discussions, feedback and comments are welcome here as long as they are relevant and insightful. 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. Up for auction is a used Dan Wesson Specialist chambered in .45 acp. 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. Ive never had an issue out of either one of them. Forward cocking serrations were added for 2020, and while I am not a fan of forward cocking serrations on a 1911, purely for aesthetic reasons, this being a pistol designed for hard duty use, I understand their inclusion. Lockup is tight and it doesnt rattle when shook like the original GI pistol. The low-profile Novak-style front sights are a great addition to the pistol. 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. The finish has been distressed right where the guns finish would be worn away by a hand and a holster, and it is the same price as the standard Specialist with the black Duty finish, so they dont charge you for the distressed look. It seams lime it gets caught. Subscriber Services. The front of the rear sight has a nice ledge Dan Wesson states it has an abrupt front face so you can rack the slide one-handed on a hard surface if you need to. 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. 1 Review. Notify me about new product releases, reviews, and coupon codes. To be honest, the Specialist Distressed looks a lot like the blued 1911 that I carried for about a decade, except the bare metal where the bluing was worn off kept wanting to rust. They are familiar with Dan Wesson 1911s, which means they have a favorable opinion of them. America's Ultimate Shooting Sports Discounter, Review: Dan Wesson Specialist 1911 A Love Affair, 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). For most of us, the Heritage is more than enough 1911. This bobbed 1911 was brought back into production by popular demand. The pre-2019 Specialist slide stop arm terminated flush with the receiver. For night, the front night sight illuminates green while the rear dot glows yellow, allowing you to easily differentiate the front and rear in low and no-light situations. 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. I understand why it was flush; in the event, laser grips were installed, it would not interfere with the beam, but with the more traditional slide stop, it makes the pistol much easier to field strip. Specialist - Dan Wesson Firearms UPDATED FOR 2020 Specialist View All MSRP $ 1,849.00 - $ 2,179.00 Updated for 2020. $ 1,729.00. Those jacketed hollowpoints (JHPs) and every type of ammo I tried ran flawlessly through the Specialist Distressed. Dan Wesson Firearms 2020. Coupled with the pistols heavily checkered grips, this makes for excellent handling. Whether you agree with me or not, that is just fine. This is one of the few guns I own that I really have just because I enjoy shooting it over everything. I saw it in the gun shop just window shopping and had to have it. I think this would be an excellent suit gun or something you carry when youre dressing up but still want to have a cool carry pistol. 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! The somewhat pancake style of the Talon holster did not make the rig any harder to conceal when running a standard holster. 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.