CZ1911A1

[JAD]

Great write up, thank you. I'm a huge colt fanboy but I carry my DW an awful lot.

[LockedBreech]

Actually, the opposite. They were originally going to do additional runs after the initial 1,000. Those plans have been scrapped.

Well, crap.

If this is a genuine Dan Wesson built 1911, is currently available at or under 800, and is relatively true to GI spec, I might have just found my first keeper 1911 after my $330 cheapo pilot run with a Rock Island.

Any glaring cautionary notes, were I to take that plunge?

[WDW]

Here's one if anybody wants it...
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/p...1+A1+45ACP+7RD

[Joe in PNG]

JG as well

[LockedBreech]

You bunch of enablers.

I'm getting coldish feet. I'm kinda inclined to just save all the way up for a Valor, which is a pistol I have wanted for ages.

[Trooper224]

Any glaring cautionary notes, were I to take that plunge?

As of yet I haven't seen anything that sets off alarm bells. The front sight is secured by a roll pin and I've read a couple of reports of the pin coming out of the sight under recoil. This seems to occur right away, so after 500 rounds I'm not expecting it. The stiff thumb safety seems to be a common occurrence, but is easily fixed. All of the major machining and finishing is quite good, everything seems in spec.

[Trooper224]

You bunch of enablers.

I'm getting coldish feet. I'm kinda inclined to just save all the way up for a Valor, which is a pistol I have wanted for ages.

So have I and this one is reinforcing that desire.

[ReverendMeat]

You bunch of enablers.

I'm getting coldish feet. I'm kinda inclined to just save all the way up for a Valor, which is a pistol I have wanted for ages.

I recently sold my Valor out of necessity. I am sad every day now.

[JonInWA]

Contacting CZ directly (and not relying on info off the interwebz) confirmed for me that Dan Wesson made the parts and assembled the pistols. After all, the only manufacturing facility in the US owned by CZ is the Dan Wesson plant. Hence the "Model of 1911. Made in USA." on the right side of the slide. It wouldn't make any sense to have their facilities in the Czech Republic tool up for a limited run of something they don't make when they have a facility here in the US that makes them every day. "dsk" is quite Coltcentric so I'm a bit surprised he rated it as highly as he did next to the Colt, as he tends to excuse most aesthetic boo boos on the pistol with the pony. Personally, I wish Colt would adopt a matte finish like this rather than their half assed bluing job. The bluing is fine, but they refuse to take the metal prep one small step further so as to remove the grain from the surface and get rid of the cratered roll marks. It's pretty sad when something like a Kimber is superior in this regard to a Colt. Do it right or just don't bother.

I also wouldn't have bothered to contact CZ about the thumb safety issue, as it's something easily resolved in one way or another, in five or ten minutes. On the other hand dsk is really caught up in "the manufacturers responsibility" kind of thing, so that's understandable. However, his experience with CZ customer service seems to have been less than stellar. If service is needed, the pistols are sent to CZ in Kansas City rather than Dan Wesson. I don't see the logic in that as the same company owns both facilities, yet one specializes in the 1911 and the other doesn't. All that aside, it is a very nice pistol and one that I don't see having an issue that would require a trip to KC.

Thanks for the additional research and correctives.

Best, Jon

[JHC]

I'm always a sucker for retro 1911s. I have a line on a 1952 Commercial GM that was refinished at some point; for about a grand but not sure what the price outta be.
CZ vs older Colt.