Has anyone seen what Dan Wesson is doing to their slides?

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

cpirtle

Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
668
Location
NE Ohio
Let me start by saying I'm a huge Dan Wesson fan, today was #4. Don't beat me up, just passing along a disappointing marketing decision.

I was at my favorite 1911 pimp today and saw he had a PM-9 in stock. Been looking out for one forever so I didn't spend much time deciding to buy it.

While we were talking he mentioned that DW is doing some laser engraving on their slides, and he didn't think they looked too good. I mentioned that one of DW's claims to fame among many aficionado's was their clean look and that if it was too overwhelming they may alienate some people (ala Smith & Wesson).

Anyway, he told me he had a few of the PM-9's in stock and would bring them all out for me to take my pick of the litter, then he paused and said.. "but you're going to want this one." Turns out he received one without the engraving and the rest with it, so he just brought one out to show it to me.

I was shocked when I saw it. The left side of the slide had the normal model name above the slide stop, the main flat has Dan Wesson in script as large and deep as it could possibly be, and to the rear of the cocking serrations was the DW logo, also as big as it could be.

Needless to say I brought home the classic clean looking PM-9.

Will it keep me from buying another DW, no but I see the "classic" ones taking a nice spike in resale value ;)

If you're in the market for a DW 1911 and like the clean slide, you may want to act fast, he said all the new ones they have gotten in recently came that way.

Unfortunately I didn't have my phone to snap a pic and cannot find an example picture on the web.
 
The Dan Wesson signature is significatly larger than most manufacture's logos but I do not find it objectionable.
 
To be honest the Dan Wesson signature really doesn't bother me all that much either.
 
Or the STI Spartan. How else are you going to tell a Colt from an STI from a Ruger from a Dan Wesson? /sarc

Spartan_Main3.jpg
 
What about Colt's Series '70 roll mark. Now that was ugly. What should worry people is not do much the signature (which is just an example of narcissism) but the metallurgy. Google DW slide stop notch peening. Or just buy one and pretend it's normal.
 
Just for the record, I'm somewhat indifferent on the matter, but having seen one in person I definitely prefer the old look. What struck me that does not come through in pictures is how deep the engraving is, and somewhat scraggly, I would have preferred a roll mark in this case.

I just don't see the advantage, how many consumers are going to be put off because it does not have the name or model emblazened on the side of it?



Google DW slide stop notch peening
Click to expand...

Google Les Baer peening, or Ed Brown peening (I have both BTW), this is nothing unique to Dan Wesson and has been discussed ad nauseum. Once it is cleaned up on all of the brands it goes away in every case I have seen accounted or experienced personally. Never had it happen on a DW or Baer, but did on my Brown. There's no evidence to support metalurgey as the root of the problem or it would have exposed itself over the millions of rounds people have put through these guns. More likely it's the mating of the angles between the slide and stop, once it wears in and the burr is cleaned off it goes away. That's why some have the "problem" and some don't.

Starting bid of $1450. I mean SR1911 in .45auto is < half of this "deal".
Click to expand...

Obviously you've never owned a Dan Wesson or other high end 1911. For half the price of the Ruger I can buy a Taurus 1911 too.. There's a difference in both comparison's that make the extra money worthwhile. The Ruger is a hell of a gun at it's price point but so is the Dan Wesson.
 
Last edited:
More likely it's the mating of the angles between the slide and stop, once it wears in and the burr is cleaned off it goes away. That's why some have the "problem" and some don't.
Click to expand...

In the era of CNC there is no excuse for getting a simple angle wrong on a $1400 gun.
 
hmm, thats disappointing about the giant rollmarks on the side... maybe you have special order to get the "naked" slide option now to get it sans rollmarks... still won't stop me from buying another one, esp the new specialist that came out...
 
Doesn't really bother me. I've never really got this weird aversion to the "Billboards" on slides. Manufacturers like to put their names on stuff. Heck in today's world most people go out of their way to make sure others know what they're wearing (an Under Amour or Nike shirt with no logo probably wouldn't sell at all).

This is the same thing.
 
That would be a deal killer for me, personally. I can't stand gigantic billboards on slides. I can't bring myself to buy a Spartan for that reason. I'm weird I guess.
 
In the era of CNC there is no excuse for getting a simple angle wrong on a $1400 gun.
Click to expand...

No disagreement there, or a $2500 gun either, but I think the slide stop peening is way over blown internet hype that really amounts to nothing. I'm not making excuses but every manufacturer lets something slip by that's out of spec from time to time.

I have thousands of rounds down the pipe of several DW's and never seen a hint of peening on them. No need to pretend it's normal there.
 
I don't the billboard stuff on guns, especially 1911s. It doesn't look as bad as a lot of other billboards but still I'd much rather have a clean slide.
 
It looks awful. I always thought their logo was ugly...and now it's a billboard. Yikes. (I have a dw also...so I'm partial to their pistols).
 
Reminds me of when people used to carve their names and social security numbers on everything with the vibragravers provided by the local cops.
"Operation ID" or some such nonsense.
 
While not a deal breaker for me (I own several STIs and they write larger than my 2 year old with her crayons) I do prefer the clean look of the older ones and I'm glad my valor and cbob don't have the current markings.
 
For those of you who don't read the Dan Wesson section on 1911 forum this is what Keith DW said there on a recent thread about the slide:

"Don't worry,
You won't find many with the Dan Wesson lasering. At the beginning of the year we had a special order made for a batch of PM9's with this special lasering. We shipped everything to Kansas but I guess the order fell threw so they were sent to others that had guns on order. Personally, I prefer the slides clean but I still think it looks pretty good for a range gun. Everyone will know what your shooting. We actually laser our competition shooters guns the same way."

Hope nobody minded me posting a quote from there.

With that said, even with my dislike for billboards too, Dan Wesson's signature makes it look classy. It is the best of all the billboards, on the best 1911!!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

F
  • Locked
Check this out!! Dan Wesson 1911
Replies
13
Views
623
farmmer dan
F
Z
  • Locked
Dan Wesson CBOB question
Replies
12
Views
740
pingpingping
P
K
  • Locked
Comments on Colt vs Dan Wesson?
Replies
4
Views
762
10-Ring
1
M
  • Locked
WTB Dan Wesson medallion
Replies
8
Views
1K
motorcycle_dan
M
W
  • Locked
CZ Dan Wesson
Replies
14
Views
2K
FireBreather01
F
Back
Top