Currently, I am looking for a new 9MM 1911 with a rail. I carry a G17 for work and shoot a Kimber 1911 (45ACP) in my free time. I'm looking to make a move that allows a new 1911 to eat the free 9MM. I'm considering a DW Specialist or Colt CCU.
How do these guns fair in:
Reliability
Accuracy
Durability/Quality
In addition, am I overlooking another good option that is in the sub $2000+ price club?
The Dan Wesson will fit all of your desires, they are accurate, mine as well as most others I have seen are reliable, and they exude high-quality. DW uses all bar stock small parts with no cast or MIM and lot of precision machining that yields a smooth and well fit 1911. Durability wise 1911s in my experience (in .45 for me) have been as durable as anything else. Under 2K you will be hard pressed to beat a Dan Wesson.
I know a lot of people will say 1911s require more cleaning to maintain reliability but that hasn't been my experience. My 1911s often go 1k plus rounds before cleaning and have never given me fits. Granted this is a sample of one person's experience so take it with a grain of salt.
Last edited by NPV; 05-30-2018 at 09:51 PM.
The CCU is neat and has nice features at a reasonable price, but Colt QC is a little dodgy.
Note that Dan Wesson is on CZ's pro deal list, should you qualify.
Did you ever get yours running satisfactorily?Originally Posted by Jay Cunningham
Colt is hit or miss lately and the dual recoil spring is a bit much for a 9mm.
DW is the way to go, especially at pro deal pricing.
Last edited by HCM; 05-30-2018 at 10:43 PM.
I primarily shot/carried 9mm 1911’s for several years, and may make the switch back soon. I probably have more 9mm rounds through 1911’s than I do .45 at this point.
Dan Wesson and Wilson Combat are the only two manufacturers I would look at for 9mm 1911’s. In my opinion, no one does them better. For less than $2000, DW is definitely the way to go.
There are guys here that like Colt, but I am not a fan. YMMV.
Colt definitely has cache. I have a Wiley Clapp model and love it. When I was shopping for a Valor from Dan Wesson in 9mm everyone said I would be amazed at the quality difference. I was. Dan Wesson makes an amazing 9mm 1911.
I’m not going to turn anyone away from DW, for sure. That said, I was intrigued by the Springfield Range Officer Elite series in 9mm, FWIW.
Here is my review of a Colt Combat Unit 9mm.
https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....ial-Impression
The gun is currently at Wilson getting refitted and tuned.
After much consideration, I believe that the DW Specialist is a significant improvement in value over the CCU despite being about $250 more expensive. Both guns are roughly equivalent in terms of accuracy. However, the DW is a noticeable step up in fitting of parts which essentially makes up the cost difference. Moreover, the DW is probably out of the box more reliable in terms of thing like extractor tuning. That is to say, a DW is more likely to pass the extractor test than the Colt out of the box. Finally, you are far more likely to get your gun back from DW within a reasonable timeframe (6 weeks or less vs. 6 months) in the unlikely event that either gun has a catestrophic issue like mine had.
In the world of duty quality 9mm 1911s you have 3 choices:
1) Get a DW
2) Get a base gun and send it to Wilson or some other established armoror who knows 9mm 1911 (few do). My personal experience is that Wilson has a slight edge over most other custom shops when it comes to 9mm packages running with Wilson magazines.
3) Get a Wilson. It will likely be built a little better than the DW and thoroughly vetted for reliability.
Last edited by Sensei; 05-31-2018 at 01:44 AM.
I like my rifles like my women - short, light, fast, brown, and suppressed.
Frank Proctor has one right now, I’m curious to see his thoughts but I do have s thread on here that the OP should look into about the Specialist vs a modded RO Elite and 9mm TRP that still doesn’t exist. Bottom line though, DW.
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