Dan Wesson Valor or Vigil

[SecondsCount]

If you plan to shoot it a lot, get the Valor. If you plan to carry it a lot and shoot it less, get the Vigil.

This is good advice.

My 5" 9mm Valor has been solid but I don't carry it.

[reloader550]

Thanks for all the replies, it has been over 20 years since I owned a 1911. So far the Valor is the top pick, I will be shooting the gun a lot, I guess it only makes sense to go with the all steel gun. How well is the sight regulation POA/POI and the accuracy with the Valor?

[M2CattleCo]

+1. I love shooting 1911s, but am not a fan of them for carry, but if I were going to carry one I'd want the lighter weight frame.

The CCO size is what I think is best for carry. However, I will say if I were to carry a 1911, I'd want a CCO size in 9mm. If someone would make a quality double stack 9mm CCO size gun, that would get me really excited about a 1911 as a carry gun.

I have an aluminum 9mm CCO and 5" and I very rarely reach for CCO because the 5" actually rides IWB better and concealment is just not that different. When I need extra concealment or boot carry I go to a Glock 43.

[Robinson]

How well is the sight regulation POA/POI and the accuracy with the Valor?

That will depend at least in part on your preferred sight picture. Do you like a six o'clock hold or do you hold the front dot where you want the bullet to go? If you can't rent or borrow one to try then you will pretty much just have to see where it shoots and if necessary adjust from there. Accuracy will probably be just fine.

If the Valor has thin grip panels I'd be swapping those out for regular thickness panels first thing, but again that depends on personal preference.

Also, especially if it's a stainless gun you should follow Dan Wesson's recommended break-in procedure amounting to cleaning every 50 rounds for the first 500 (I think?) and using the lube supplied with the gun. After that it should be just like any other quality 1911.

[Robinson]

duplicate post deleted

[TC215]

Thanks for all the replies, it has been over 20 years since I owned a 1911. So far the Valor is the top pick, I will be shooting the gun a lot, I guess it only makes sense to go with the all steel gun. How well is the sight regulation POA/POI and the accuracy with the Valor?

Good thread about accuracy:

https://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=321236

[vcdgrips]

My direct and anecdotal experience with 1911s is that they are living, breathing, individual things and it takes a bit of trial and error to determine which gun likes which magazine with which round.

If I were buying a new DW, I would figure out which mag of the three below it likes best:
1.Wilson ETM
2. CMC Power Mag
3. Cobra Trip

by breaking the gun in with a quality 230g FMJ paying some attention to POA/POI given your hold-6 o'clock v. driving the dot. I would then find a 230g HD load it liked off the list below.

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....f-Defense-Ammo


I strongly suspect that a DW will have no issues in the accuracy department. I suspect if you picked up the phone and call DW, they would tell you what bullet and hold they rec. with their gun/sight combos.

If you start shooting this pistol a lot, you may want to think about reloading ...but that is a different kettle of fish.

[MolonLabe416]

As was pointed out, the Valor is an outstanding weapon. To get anything substantially better, you’d need to go full custom at 2-3x the price.

[Trooper224]

My feelings on the Valor: https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....n-Wesson-Valor

[StraitR]

When size and capacity are not compromised, any opportunity to save weight on a carry gun is a good thing, IMO.

4" Steel vs 4.25" Aluminum 9mm Commanders

42.2oz


35.2oz