I agree that you can't make a mistake with aluminum vs. steel frames, and I also agree that the aluminum frame is very significantly more comfortable to carry on an all day / every day basis. Six ounces shouldn't make that big a difference - but for me it does. The new Valkyrie Commander (commander length slide and unbobbed full size aluminum frame) is a really sweet shooting EDC piece. I like the concept of the bobbed frames to minimize printing, but the sacrifice of half or three quarters of an inch of solid hand to frame contact doesn't feel good to me, so I prefer the unbobbed full size frame.cbunt1 wrote:Aluminum vs. steel: Probably in my head, even at the rates I shoot, but I prefer the steel for perceived durability. I also compete with the same C-BOB I carry (often in the 500+ rounds per month range when I was pretty active) and I also like the slight weight advantage for recoil management. That said, Aluminum guns have easily gone the same number of rounds as the steel guns, and the 6 oz or so difference is significant in a daily carry. I'd say get the one you like best when you handle them -- you won't make a mistake in picking the "wrong" metal.Soccerdad1995 wrote:Thanks all. There are definitely a lot of decent choices out there and fortunately I don't need this one urgently. A couple quick questions:
1. What are y'all's thoughts about the trade off between an aluminum vs steel frame for a carry 1911 in the Commander size. Steel frame versions seem to be right around 35-36 ounces and aluminum are 29-30, so we are looking at an extra 6 ounces. Is this worth it for the added durability?
2. Dumb question but should I have any concerns that Dan Wesson guns are being sold by CZ-USA? Was there a merger and if so, are the guns still up to the same quality standards?
The merger between Dan Wesson and CZ was quite some time ago, and my C-BOB is actually a CZ gun. The quality is fine. When I bought mine, I had set aside and budgeted for an Ed Brown Cobra Carry, and stumbled across the DW CBOB. I won't pretend that the $1100 version was as finely fit and perfectly tuned as the $3500 version of essentially the same gun, BUT numerous parts on the DW were in fact indiscernible from the Brown. The only single complaint I had about the gun was that the rear sight dovetail was milled a bit loose (to the tune of .001, so not really significant) and after a few thousand rounds let the rear sight loose. It was fixed with a different rear sight that I bought and filed to fit. It could have also been fixed with a drop of threadlock on the set-screw, but I wanted a different sight anyway. The front sight dovetail isn't standard, but again, this isn't a big deal.
Point being, the DW's that I've seen, and the one I have, while not hand-fit guns, are as well fit as any production gun, and slightly better than most.
I also agree that Dan Wesson guns are just a small step below the Les Baers, Ed Browns, and Wilsons on the things that matter. Unlike Kimber and others, they do not use any MIM parts. Their tool steel fire control groups reportedly come from Cylinder and Slide, and their grip safeties from Wilson.
They are utterly reliable and smooth shooting. The ones I have also came with Novak sights using the Heine "straight 8" dot pattern, which is a price evaluation point if you're like me and have to have tritium sights on all your guns.
CZ may sell 'em, but Dan Wesson makes 'em, and they do a right fine job of it.