My Experience with Dan Wesson Bobtail Commander 10mm

[medmo]

I really like 1911's a lot and like commander size guns better for CCW or just for walking around on the hip. I like the 10mm round a lot and think it makes a great round for having out in the sticks and in town. Needless to say I was excited about DW's commander size 10mm when they first brought them to market.

Eventually I convinced myself that I really "needed" one and picked up a model three weeks ago. I took it to the range for a break in session and was surprised/disapponted that the slide locked to the rear on almost every round. After inspection it was obvious that the slide stop was not properly fit to the gun and I had to remove some material from the part so bullets travelling upward in the magazine did not engage the slide stop. Forty five minutes of filing and polishing fixed the problem.

After firing a box of ammo to verify that the slide stop problem was fixed I noticed that the grip safety to frame fit was undesirable and the frame was burred hurting my shooting hand. Back to 45 minutes of disassembly, de-burring/fitting safety to frame fit and polishing.

I called DW and left a message regarding the slide stop problem after I fixed it. I received a call back later the same day and was told how to fix the problem if I was "handy with tools" and had the option of sending the gun back for warranty if necessary. No thanks, I already took care of it.

Is it just me or is it not right for a guy to spend almost $900 for a pistol and then have to turn around and complete the fit/finish of the gun? I haven't had the chance to run the gun through it's paces and expect to do so in the next couple of weeks. The "test firing" that I have completed after working on the pistol has eaten up the range time I had available.

I'm going to give them a call tomorrow and request some type of compensation, (an extra mag or two?), for my time and trouble for having to finish their job.

I'm interested in hearing other's similar experiences either with DW or other manufacturers.

Thanks

 

[bannockburn]

Years ago, I picked up a NIB Colt Officers Model in stainless, at a gun show. It wasn't until I got home and examined my new gun more carefully, that I realized that I had been a little careless in my initial inspection process. First and foremost was the fact that the slide would not go completely into battery, stopping about an 1/8" short. Not only that, but the slide and frame were very poorly fitted together, if at all. Interior inspection revealed numerous tool marks and very little evidence of any hand fitting or polishing of any of the parts. Externally it was worse, with uneven grind lines on the slide and frame, and poorly milled cutouts at the rear of the slide. The only thing that saved me was the fact that it was stainless so I could "finish" the gun myself without the added expense of "refinishing" the gun. After that, I got rid of it as quickly as possible and learned my own valuable lesson in proper quality control inspection.

 

[full metal]

Sorry to hear about the trouble you had with you'r DW,But can you get some pic's so we can see you'r 10mm commander.
I'v alway's wanted one.

 

[CZF]

I had the BOB in .45 for less than a year. When I first got it.. I hand cycled the action a few hundred times and then when I went shooting..worked perfectly fine.
Nice workmanship and great nites..the BOB feature made it the best 1911
I've ever handled.

You can read my review if you like:http://www.angelfire.com/amiga2/czid/CBOB.html



I'd say that hand cycling and more rounds thru it will loosen it up a bit and your problems will probably go away.

Thinking that the CBOB was and is an outstanding 1911. I still shoot CZs far
better and replaced the BOB with a new stainless 75B with custom work.

Oh, yes, for 10mm (and .45) I carried Double Tap Ammo. Use it in my new
9mm, too

 

[McCall911]

Sorry for your troubles, but I do appreciate the report, even if it's less than favorable.

Is it just me or is it not right for a guy to spend almost $900 for a pistol and then have to turn around and compete the fit/finish of the gun?

No, that's what we call in the South "just plain wrong", no two ways about it! All the "custom features" their advertising brags about, and they can't deliver a pistol that even works! Oh, don't get me started!