Colt or Dan Wesson. Can't decide.

J

jperos

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Hi everyone,

I'm thinking about buying a 1911 but don't want a full size i.e 5 inch. I've narrowed my search down to a Colt Commander XSE or a Dan Wesson Commander Bobtail. Which one should I choose.
 
My DW Bobtail eats everything I feed it. I prefer the feel of the DW to my Colt Lightweight Commander but the trigger is better on the Colt. Lastly, the resale may be better on the Colt as many like the mystic of the "Horse". Regards, Richard:)

ColtLSCommander640leftside.jpg

VS
CBOB.jpg
 
Colts are generally more reliable than most other 1911s, and use fewer MIM/Cast parts, but their fit and finish tends to be inconsistent (unless we're talking pre-Series 70 guns). I wouldn't buy a Colt unless I had a chance to inspect it in person.

I don't know anything about Dan Wesson, so I can't help you there.
 
I just bought Guns & Ammo September issue today and there is an article on Ed Brown Bobtail 1911 there, page 90; me likes alot... pricey thou.
 
A Colt will hold its value and be easier to sell down the road but the DW's get some factory tuning and have some very nice parts in them. They are well built and shoot exceptionally well. My experience is with the full sized PM7 which has seen no troubles whatsoever with 230g FMJ reloads and Winchester White Box 230g FMJ. How important is resale value or the Colt brand to you? If you want a Colt, get the Colt. If you want a well built, reliable and accurate 1911 that you're going to shoot alot, then I'd go for a DW. Hold one, shoot one and take one apart and check them out. I think they are a steal at their price. :)
 
Buy the one you want the most now and then buy the other soon thereafter. You can't have just one 1911 and you know you want at least one Colt in the stable. You can't go wrong either way. Let us know what you decided and post some pics in the 1911 picture gallery! Just one gun....sheesh!:slap:
 
I love the looks of the Dan Wesson bobtail. I got a chance to handle one yesterday at a gun store here in Michigan (I always take the oppourtunity to fondle the guns at American gun stores, although I feel slightly guilty knowing I'm wasting their time since I can't buy any). In my opinion, it feels as good as it looks. You don't lose any meaningful portion of the grip, and for me the rounded butt is more comfortable to hold. I'm sure it would make a big difference if you lived somewhere that concealed carry were a legal consideration. It was lighter than I expected, and the slide serrations were really grippy. The trigger wasn't amazing, but it was a little better than my very basic Kimber Custom II. I'm sure there's room to tune it a little. The sights were nice, clear, low profile Trijicon tritiums, which I believe are standard. The one I handled was 10mm, but I will almost undoubtedly buy myself one someday in .45ACP.

The 10mm one came with a mag with some kind of collapsible, two piece follower, which I understand from the salesperson is supposed to make it more reliable. I'd not seen one like that before, but he said that they're becoming common.
 
Holy Crap! These were the exact two 1911's I was considering about a week ago. At the end of the day I went with the Colt Commander XSE. If you're looking at the one's at Arms East, sorry to tell you I bought the last XSE but I'm sure Walter can order whichever one you decide on. :)

Thanks to dannyair for showing me the light!
 
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