Anyone have any meaningful experience with them?
Anyone have any meaningful experience with them?
Mine is limited to handling a few samples in the store and on the range. The guns I've fooled with tended to be towards the lower end of the line. Rather crude builds, but most issues I saw could be fixed with a file and some know how. The extractors on the few I've handled (all internal extractors) needed to be shaped a bit and have the tension tweaked to get them working right. I haven't seen any samples with major problems like severely incorrect feed ramps, etc. The ones I've seen seem to run.
Not much, but that's my 2 drachmas.
The first high-end ones I saw in '06-'07 made me sad. They were built out of top-shelf parts, but with little attention paid to fit and finish. Sharp corners, poorly-fit and improperly tensioned extractors and the kind of cosmetic gaffes that made you wonder "If they dropped the ball on petty visual stuff like making the ejector flush with the rear of the slide, how much time did they spend properly fitting the firing pin stop or staking the plunger tube?"
I stopped seeing them on a day-to-day basis a few years ago, but my guys back in the gunsmithing shack say that the build quality has improved enough that, in their price range, they're near the top. (I don't think that changes the fact that any 1911 much under $2k should be viewed as a Pistol Starter Kit...)
We got one of their bobtail carry guns in at our shop a few weeks back, and I'm pretty impressed with it. The fit and finish is excellent, and I think it feels fantastic in the hand. I'm no 1911 gunsmith or aficionado though, so I can't comment on the extractor or anything like that.
JP Visual Design
Very good quality. Closer to my Baers, Browns, etc than they are a Colt.
I have personal experience with two of the CBOB (Classic Bobtail) models. Both guns were purchased used with an unknown round count and were built around 2007 and 2008 if I remember right.
The first one I had for about a year and right off the bat I noticed the little key on the barrel bushing was soft and started wearing prematurely. About six months later the grip bushing started pulling out of the frame. I sent the gun back to DW and they replaced everything at no charge with upgraded parts. In the meantime I found a deal on a newer CBOB and noticed that they had they upgraded parts so I bought it. The first one was traded off.
The second one has had the curve on the hammer spur break off. I guess there was a bad batch of hammers that made it out the door and DW sent me a new one at no charge.
Both guns had an excellent fit and finish and reliability was never an issue as long as they were kept lubricated.
The newer Valor series are built with much better small parts as well as a forged frame and the prices have gone up substantially. The stainless Valors are available with "Duty Coat" which I understand is a Melonite/Tenifer type of coating that makes it attractive as a low maintenance finish. Cost wise they are approaching Les Baer territory but I am not sure the consistency has arrived yet. Most tests on the 1911 forums compare the two in accuracy but my experience is that the Baer would probably win in an endurance test.
-Seconds Count. Misses Don't-
My experience is limited to owning one CBOB, having two buddies that swapped a CBOB between them, and seeing one attempt to run in a 1911 class.
The one I owned was purchased NIB by me. The build looked good but at the time I didn't know much about 1911s (and only know a little more now). As someone mentioned previously there seemed to be some sharp corners that I could have done without. Mine was tighter than any 1911 I'd ever held or have held since. In the process of lubing it (on the range) prior to shooting it the first time it managed to lock up. The slide wouldn't move at all. Finally, after using a ginormous amount of force the slide released and all was fine. I didn't own the CBOB very long as I soon discovered what Tam stated about "starter kit 1911s". I sold it to partially fund my first Ed Brown. No, the quality of my CBOB and my Ed Brown was NOT close.
The one I saw passed between a couple of buddies had some minor issues that seemed mostly to be mag sensitivity. I know 1911s can be temperamental about mags but this was beyond that. Goobertim might chime in as he was the second owner (second among the buddies, prob 3rd or more actual owner) of that pistol. He no longer owns it as he too sold it to fund a nice 1911.
The one I watched attempt to run in a 1911 class was just sad. It sucked. Had the guy handed it to me at the end of the day I would prob have not even bothered taking it home. It would prob have taken a master 'smith like John Harrison to get it running well and at that point you might as well start with something else.
I used to suggest the DWs to people looking for 1911s in the $1k price range. Now I just tell them to either pick up a $500 GI SA as a range toy or if they plan to actually train with it and carry it or use it as a HD gun to skip anything short of the likes of EB, WC, LB, NH, etc.
Thanks for the info. I'm not looking to get one, but it sounds like I should try a valor out, given the chance.
I have a 2007 CBOB that is my EDC. It is accurate, reliable and makes me feel like a man.. I had Atranite (heated metal treatment somewhat like tenifer) applied to the gun at the begining of the year. It is as tuff as Superman's kneecap, very scratch and wear resistant and seems to be unaware of sweat. I love it and fondle it often, but it's no Glock.
Last edited by tmoore912; 07-13-2011 at 07:24 PM. Reason: spelling
I have 2 Valors 09 and the new SS valor plus a new heritage.
Having had a bunch of semi custom 1911's and 1 custom Bob Marvel JMO the dan wessons are the best deal going in the production 1911 market.
Relible and just as accurate as any Nighthawk ..wilson and so on.
At 25 meters I get abot the same groups as my baers with the 1 1/2" upgrade at 50 meters the Baers are more accurate.
No mim and they have hand fitting more than most production 1911's
25 meter slow fire hand held 16 round group into a 3" target with my SS Valor...
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