Does anyone know how many Valors DW is making a year? I found a post on another forum where the poster suggested that they only produce about 300-400 per year and that there is only one person in their shop putting them together? The post was a few years old though so I'm wondering if anyone is aware of their current production numbers and build approach.
DW Valor - Build Quality?
- Thread starter CTGunner
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Zerodefect
member
The closest comparison is Ed Brown and LesBaer.
The LesBaer has a better "hard fit" barrel, while the DW has a drop-in barrel that requires less fitting. Very few 1911's have a barrel thats "hard fit" like LB's. My DW shoots fine. LB has regular steel 1911's. All DW's are stainless. (smaller models have Al frames)
After that, the rest of the fit and finish on the DW is better than the LB. The Dw is much better in appearance.
The DW has a better trigger as well. My DW V has 0 play between the frame and slide. The slide is smooth as silk. Probally the nicest thumb safety ever put on a 1911. (2010+ models) I think my grip safety needs to be stoned down just a hair more so it disengages sooner.
But they're all stainless steel. So you better use a thicker lube on them. Fp-10 or thicker. Some numbskulls who used just CLP before a long shooting session had thier slides lock-up. Use good lube.
I plan on changing out my nightsigts and using a plain Heinie or Warren comp rear sight, and a Dawson thin front FO sight. Then I'll have a mild carry melt done, and a HardHat treatment by Severns Custom. I bought the cheaper SS finished model since I was planning on cutting this 1911 up and refinishing it anyway.
IMO the DW V is one of the very best 1911's out there. Including LB, W, EB.
The LesBaer has a better "hard fit" barrel, while the DW has a drop-in barrel that requires less fitting. Very few 1911's have a barrel thats "hard fit" like LB's. My DW shoots fine. LB has regular steel 1911's. All DW's are stainless. (smaller models have Al frames)
After that, the rest of the fit and finish on the DW is better than the LB. The Dw is much better in appearance.
The DW has a better trigger as well. My DW V has 0 play between the frame and slide. The slide is smooth as silk. Probally the nicest thumb safety ever put on a 1911. (2010+ models) I think my grip safety needs to be stoned down just a hair more so it disengages sooner.
But they're all stainless steel. So you better use a thicker lube on them. Fp-10 or thicker. Some numbskulls who used just CLP before a long shooting session had thier slides lock-up. Use good lube.
I plan on changing out my nightsigts and using a plain Heinie or Warren comp rear sight, and a Dawson thin front FO sight. Then I'll have a mild carry melt done, and a HardHat treatment by Severns Custom. I bought the cheaper SS finished model since I was planning on cutting this 1911 up and refinishing it anyway.
IMO the DW V is one of the very best 1911's out there. Including LB, W, EB.
Zerodefect
member
Sheesh? Photobucket sure didn't resize those too well?
Shear_stress
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I don't have a Valor but I did recently buy a used 2009-vintage Pointman-9. It is one of the most finely made pistols in my inventory. Totally reliable for the small number of rounds I've put through it (100-150). Pretty easy on the eyes, as well, even though I'm usually not much a fan of some the fussy-looking features on it:
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hanno
Member
Don't have a Valor but do have a Pointman 7 and it is a superb pistol - well made, reliable and accurate. I'd buy a Valor in a heartbeat.
rellascout
member
The Valor is a very nice gun. I personally think it is just a step behind the LB, Ed Brown and Wilson.
They are very close but as was noted the barrel is not hard fit like the other 3 I mentioned. They are close but not quite there. I also think that their Valor coat is way too much. You can get a Stainless for $1400 but the black duty coated on its $1800. At that point you are right there with the big boys. The Valor is a great gun. People like them and I like them too but if I am plunking down almost $2000 I have to pass over the Baer and get a ED or Les. I already own the Baer. The other big consideration is that there is a much larger used market from the other manufactures which can save you a ton of dough. I paid about $1200 for my Baer TRS LINIB. I do not think you can go wrong with DW but they have lost their best value title IMHO.
This puts you right at the price of a Les Baer Ultimate Tactical formerly the TRS.
You are also right there with a Ed Brown Kobra 5"
They are very close but as was noted the barrel is not hard fit like the other 3 I mentioned. They are close but not quite there. I also think that their Valor coat is way too much. You can get a Stainless for $1400 but the black duty coated on its $1800. At that point you are right there with the big boys. The Valor is a great gun. People like them and I like them too but if I am plunking down almost $2000 I have to pass over the Baer and get a ED or Les. I already own the Baer. The other big consideration is that there is a much larger used market from the other manufactures which can save you a ton of dough. I paid about $1200 for my Baer TRS LINIB. I do not think you can go wrong with DW but they have lost their best value title IMHO.
This puts you right at the price of a Les Baer Ultimate Tactical formerly the TRS.
You are also right there with a Ed Brown Kobra 5"
Winkman822
Member
I've heard great things about Dan Wesson pistols, but considering that they're mighty close in price to a Baer, I'd say go that route. You can get a Baer Custom Carry for about $100 more than the duty coated Valor.
pittspilot
Member
Whether or not to buy another DW is a real dilemma for me. Had a CBOB that refused to work even after 5 trips back to DW. My customer service experience was less than satisfactory. DW put an idiot mark on the CBOB on the last trip, denied that they had damaged the gun, got rude and accused me of limp wresting the gun. I went over DW's head and went to CZ. At that point was told that they could not replace the CBOB because none were being made, so I went with a VBOB, and had to pay to upgrade. Their first quote utterly ignored my hassle and the fact that I had paid DW for some custom work on the CBOB. After I fought them we settled on a decent, but not great price.
My dilemma is that I love the VBOB. It is fantastic. My only issue was that the safety was too thick and would blister the web between my thumb and index finger in high round count classes. Easy fix though. The gun is accurate, very reliable, fantastic trigger, and very well fitted. It runs neck and neck with my LB although I would give the nod to my LB.
I'm now thinking about a CCO, and the DW is very nice, but I am now aware that if I get a lemon gun from DW, they may very well not step up to the plate, and that is tough to take.
My dilemma is that I love the VBOB. It is fantastic. My only issue was that the safety was too thick and would blister the web between my thumb and index finger in high round count classes. Easy fix though. The gun is accurate, very reliable, fantastic trigger, and very well fitted. It runs neck and neck with my LB although I would give the nod to my LB.
I'm now thinking about a CCO, and the DW is very nice, but I am now aware that if I get a lemon gun from DW, they may very well not step up to the plate, and that is tough to take.
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CTGunner said:
I bought a Valor and V-Bob in April and both seem to be readily available. One of the distributors that my LGS orders from had 150+ V-Bobs (black) in stock last week and the Valor was easy to find. Maybe the black Cerakote ones are not as desirable given the extra cost. DW did make some improvements to the 2010 but I hope they haven't become a victim of their own success. The fit and finish on my Valor is good, but not as good as I was expecting based on reviews on this and other forums. The V-Bob will be here tomorrow or Tuesday so I'm hoping that the extra $ translates into a little more attention to detail. Still, I think I got what I paid for and am not disappointed. The Valor will share equal match, class and practice time with my Kimber, so the little touches that cost $500 to $800 more aren't important.
pittspilot said:
This is a good point. My LGS mentioned that Ed Brown has excellent customer service and will address any issues VERY quickly, whereas CZ/DW will take weeks or even months to resolve some problems. A friend that I shoot pistol and rifle matches bought an Ed Brown Special Forces a few weeks after I bought an Ed Brown Special Forces Carry. My SFC was perfect, but the mag release on his SF was very, very tight. He sent it to Ed Brown and had it back in a little over a week with the problem completely resolved. He uses it for USPSA matches so didn't want to be without it for much more than a week.
I will say that I'm not worried about the DWs in terms of function. If any problems show up, I'll correct them myself.
Moccw
Member
I have a Valor, and 3 other dw 1911's all bought this last year, I also bought a Baer TRS, My Valor shoots as good as my trs, and is also just as tight if not tighter on the slide to frame fit. That being said. They are both bad ass!
rellascout
member
IMHO this is the most overrated criteria for 1911s. It contributes to less than 15% of a pistols accuracy if everything else is perfect. Much less when there is more play in the other parts of the pistol. They barrel lockup is much more important in determining accuracy of a pistol.
The slide to frame fit is a ok indicator of final fit and finish but overall I have come to the opinion that it is not as important as many people think.
rellascout said:
It's interesting that Dave Severns never mentions the slide to frame fit of any of the 1911s in this comparison.
http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=286070
My wife told me to go buy a custom 1911 for my 40th birthday. I'm fond of Dan Wesson since my CBOB is one of my favorite guns but decided to look at the big 3.
After a lot of searching and research see which models I liked I went to a local shop that had some Wilsons, they also had several DW Valors. After a lot of looking it came down to a Wilson Sentinal and a stainless finish Valor and with a side by side comparison I could not find a single reason to justify $1800 more for the Sentinal, the D-Wesson was point by point it's equal and had a slightly better trigger.
As a side note I will add, of the 5 Valor's this dealer had in stock the one I bought had the best trigger of the group at probably a pound lighter. Whoever built this one was really top of his game that day.
Shooting the gun is a dream and my first couple of groups off-hand from about 35' were right around 1/2", just a single hole. I'm planning on going to adjustable sights soon so I can tune adjust it to my loads but I've never regretted my decision.
After a lot of searching and research see which models I liked I went to a local shop that had some Wilsons, they also had several DW Valors. After a lot of looking it came down to a Wilson Sentinal and a stainless finish Valor and with a side by side comparison I could not find a single reason to justify $1800 more for the Sentinal, the D-Wesson was point by point it's equal and had a slightly better trigger.
As a side note I will add, of the 5 Valor's this dealer had in stock the one I bought had the best trigger of the group at probably a pound lighter. Whoever built this one was really top of his game that day.
Shooting the gun is a dream and my first couple of groups off-hand from about 35' were right around 1/2", just a single hole. I'm planning on going to adjustable sights soon so I can tune adjust it to my loads but I've never regretted my decision.
cpirtle said:
I wouldn't pay $2,800 for a 9mm 1911 either! I don't own a Wilson but have shot a CQB a number of times. They're well built but too expensive for me and I can't justify the price of admission. Kimber, Dan Wesson and Ed Brown will have to do.
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Zerodefect
member
The Valor is a 1911 with no excuses. It's made right, with the right parts, with the right fitting.
It deosn't have quite the attention to detail as the Ed Browns, and it uses a fitted "drop in" barrel instead of the hard fit barrels in the Les Baer. The extra mile that Ed Brown goes is a bit excessive and expensive IMO. Others differ.
You kind of have to weigh exactly what your after. Each has it's plus's and minus's.
Ed Brown -most of the ones I've seen have small billboards. I'm sure you can order without. Only model that fits my taste is the Molan Labe which the Valor seems to copy. (I think, I'm a bit rusty) A bit pricey. My DW is covered in holster wear from hard use, I'm ok with that, but would be a little bummed about subjecting a Brown to that, though I probally would. I had to draw the line somewhere and the EB's are beyond my normal price point.
Les Baer -uglier than both the DW and EB but follows a differnt path of form and function, the 30lpi slide serrations aren't for everyone, great hard use 1911, small billboard, I wish they had the Valors thumb safety, thick barrel bushing and matching recoil plug, and sights. Excellent barrel. Really cool monolith models.
DW Valor- tight slide fit, smooth action, no billboard......only the word Valor on the slide.....tiny billboard? Cool raised checkering. Ejector and extractor are aftermarket and aren't refinished to match slide and may not be perfectly flush (not that I have ever cared about the back of the slide, but some do). Some may have half a row extra/or less, of front strap checkering.
Some Valors came with the wrong front sight. .180 instead of .140.
I actually picked the DW over the LB at the fun store. Haven't looked back.
Don't expect a Valor to be the artwork the Wilsons and Browns are, but you can expect it to be probally the best balence of a no excuses fighting pistol vs. cost.
I can vouch for the Valors reliability in the multiple 2010+ models I've shot. So look at one in the store to determine if the more obvious build quality is up to par for you. Mine is the best looking 1911 in my collection.
Note that I stoned these parts a little smoother with an Arkansas stone, you can see some of those marks on the trigger bar and disco.
It deosn't have quite the attention to detail as the Ed Browns, and it uses a fitted "drop in" barrel instead of the hard fit barrels in the Les Baer. The extra mile that Ed Brown goes is a bit excessive and expensive IMO. Others differ.
You kind of have to weigh exactly what your after. Each has it's plus's and minus's.
Ed Brown -most of the ones I've seen have small billboards. I'm sure you can order without. Only model that fits my taste is the Molan Labe which the Valor seems to copy. (I think, I'm a bit rusty) A bit pricey. My DW is covered in holster wear from hard use, I'm ok with that, but would be a little bummed about subjecting a Brown to that, though I probally would. I had to draw the line somewhere and the EB's are beyond my normal price point.
Les Baer -uglier than both the DW and EB but follows a differnt path of form and function, the 30lpi slide serrations aren't for everyone, great hard use 1911, small billboard, I wish they had the Valors thumb safety, thick barrel bushing and matching recoil plug, and sights. Excellent barrel. Really cool monolith models.
DW Valor- tight slide fit, smooth action, no billboard......only the word Valor on the slide.....tiny billboard? Cool raised checkering. Ejector and extractor are aftermarket and aren't refinished to match slide and may not be perfectly flush (not that I have ever cared about the back of the slide, but some do). Some may have half a row extra/or less, of front strap checkering.
Some Valors came with the wrong front sight. .180 instead of .140.
I actually picked the DW over the LB at the fun store. Haven't looked back.
Don't expect a Valor to be the artwork the Wilsons and Browns are, but you can expect it to be probally the best balence of a no excuses fighting pistol vs. cost.
I can vouch for the Valors reliability in the multiple 2010+ models I've shot. So look at one in the store to determine if the more obvious build quality is up to par for you. Mine is the best looking 1911 in my collection.
Note that I stoned these parts a little smoother with an Arkansas stone, you can see some of those marks on the trigger bar and disco.
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Quack
Member
while not a Valor, here's a look at my Guardian. My friends 2010 CCO is built just as nice too.
http://quacksgunstuff.blogspot.com/2010/12/dan-wesson-guardian-photo-review.html
http://quacksgunstuff.blogspot.com/2010/12/dan-wesson-guardian-photo-review.html
Quack
Member
Thanks!!!
Here's a look at how i took some photo's
http://quacksgunstuff.blogspot.com/2011/02/photographing-guns.html
http://quacksgunstuff.blogspot.com/2011/02/photographing-gunspart-2.html
Here's a look at how i took some photo's
http://quacksgunstuff.blogspot.com/2011/02/photographing-guns.html
http://quacksgunstuff.blogspot.com/2011/02/photographing-gunspart-2.html
$3200 actually.
Funny you mentioned the Molan Labe - that was what I had decided on if I ordered one online, just couldn't find one locally. But, correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't the Valor out before the Molan Labe?
Here was my big hang-up and I know it may sound petty but with the big 3 makers it seems like Les Baer is the only one you can get a blued gun from, at least in the sub-$3500 range. At that kind of money I get a little tired of seeing "paint".
Here's my Valor..
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