Dan Wesson 1911: mag well difference Valor vs Pointman?

Looking at the Pointman (or Razorback) magazine the baseplate is a thin metallic lip that touches the grip frame limiting its insertion depth into mag well. On the Valor (or Specialists) it looks like a plastic baseplate and different mag well. I read a complaint from an owner that with rigorous magazine insertion on Valor, the thin gap between baseplate and mag well allows over-insertion such that feeding problems present themselves? For you Dan Wesson owners is the function of the Valor type magazines/baseplate really an issue? Thanks in advance. I don’t own a 1911, and Basically am a Beretta 92 fan. I have always wanted a 1911 and am attracted to Dan Wesson. Would love a 3000+ Wilson Combat but can’t spend that kind of $$. Can I expect reliable function and decent accuracy from a Dan Wesson.

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Originally Posted by Rmiked

Looking at the Pointman (or Razorback) magazine the baseplate is a thin metallic lip that touches the grip frame limiting its insertion depth into mag well. On the Valor (or Specialists) it looks like a plastic baseplate and different mag well. I read a complaint from an owner that with rigorous magazine insertion on Valor, the thin gap between baseplate and mag well allows over-insertion such that feeding problems present themselves? For you Dan Wesson owners is the function of the Valor type magazines/baseplate really an issue? Thanks in advance. I don’t own a 1911, and Basically am a Beretta 92 fan. I have always wanted a 1911 and am attracted to Dan Wesson. Would love a 3000+ Wilson Combat but can’t spend that kind of $$. Can I expect reliable function and decent accuracy from a Dan Wesson.

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Can't see how the magwell would cause over insertion.

I have about 10,000 rounds through a Specialist I carried on duty for a long time...no issues with the magwell or anything else.

I, unfortunately, really like expensive 1911's. I've had a bunch of DW's and 5 Wilson Combats, along with Ed Browns, Les Baers, etc. I'm to the point now, though, that for me personally, I'm not sure WC is worth the extra money over DW.

I've never had a problem with my Valor. Then again, I'm not in the habit of inserting a magazine like I'm driving nails.

There were some pics floating around a while back of this on one of the 1911 forums. The person was actually shoving the mags in hard enough to break/bend the front portion of the base pad that contacts the frame to prevent over insertion. There may be some mags out there built cheap enough to be a problem but this one may be more on the shooter than the mags or pistol.

Sounds like it was the shooter. From the posts here the Specialist (or Valor) with these magazines and magwell function fine.

Both the factory magazine and WC ETM designs have the baseplate jam up against the front strap before Over-insertion is a problem. The only issue I have had has been with a specific factory magazine. If I insert it like “I’m driving it in like a nail” the sharp front strap checking would bite into the plastic basepad and prevent it from falling free when the mag release was depressed. A little sandpaper fixed it. I don’t think I can physically insert a magazine deep enough to damage the ejector.