The Dan Wesson Valor has Returned w/ Some Upgrades

Our long-time flagship of the Dan Wesson line returns in glorious form! With a bevy of changes, the Valor now features a Stan Chen SI magwell, tapered grips and a tactical ambidextrous safety. Our new style slide stop is recessed, allowing for the use of laser grip panels.

Sitting atop the slide are a serrated U-notch rear sight and a front tritium with a large orange ring, while GI-style cocking serrations give it a classic look. Our new inset serrations not only knock down any glare from the top of the slide.

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Real world price is about $1675 for the stainless. We can assume a Duty Coat/Black Melonite will run another $300 putting it inline with the older Valor pricing. I am not a fan of the trigger or ambi safety but those things can be swapped out with minimal skill. Translation even I could do it. LOL I personally hope Dan Wesson gets back to making more traditional 1911s and stops with all the models like the Discretion and the Higher Capacity Elite stuff. My personal hope is that the DWX is going to replace a lot of the Higher Capacity Elite line which to my knowledge did not sell very well.

They need to get back to selling high quality production 1911s at a price point under semi-custom guns like Baer, Ed Brown, Wilson and others. They are not a semi-custom house they are a high end production gun. When their prices move to the $2000 range they lost a lot of momentum. I like the upgrades on the Valor but I wish they could get the price point with the Melonite into the $1700 range but I guess that is asking too much. I personally miss the days of the $800 CBOB.

I have one of those CBOBs...fantastic pistol.

Love the Valor...... Dan Wesson makes a great 1911.

I cant remember if they still make the Heritage, bit it was a no frill model that was a little cheaper.

I wish it wasn’t an ambi safety. I guess you could order one without.

Help me out.....whats the big deal with the ambidextrous safety?

BowWow said:

Help me out.....whats the big deal with the ambidextrous safety?

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If you have to shoot support hand, or are a lefty it is useful, but for me, I’m sort of ham fisted and I also ride the thumb safety, so the paddle on the other side gets in the way of my knuckle when I squeeze the dickens out of the pistol.

fieldgrade said:

If you have to shoot support hand, or are a lefty it is useful, but for me, I’m sort of ham fisted and I also ride the thumb safety, so the paddle on the other side gets in the way of my knuckle when I squeeze the dickens out of the pistol.

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Yup useful for me on .0001% of the time the rest of the time they are in the way. I also feel like the chance of me disengaging the safety while holstering goes up when I have an ambi.

I have never noticed it....but I recently loaded 6 hunnit rounds of 45. I will pay attention for it.

Thanks fellas.

BowWow said:

Love the Valor...... Dan Wesson makes a great 1911.

I cant remember if they still make the Heritage, bit it was a no frill model that was a little cheaper.

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I have a Heritage.

It is a fantastic, beautifully simple pistol that I do not shoot very well. I need more time with it.

I'm not much on bling, so I really couldn't see any advantage to any of DW's other 5" models.

How is the quality of the latest models in comparison to years ago? Looks like some griping on the 1911 forum.