Dan Wesson Clone?

[norske48]

A friend just had me check out the new Dan Wesson Bobtail Commander. Hmmmm,......I wonder where they got that name?

As a Stainless Kobra Carry owner, I am not very happy with the Ed Brown Companies decision to flagrantly share it's major components with a brand that can be bought for less that half the price of what it costs for an authentic Ed Brown 1911. I realize it's all about money, but I feel this decision will hurt the thousands of faithfull Ed Brown 1911 customers, in that a clone may now be bought for as little as $900 (per an on-line website).

Am I being short-sighted here, or are there others who wish more thought had been put into the decision to provide so many major components (especially the bobtail grip) to Dan Wesson to use. Your thoughts? Thanks.

[John]

What exactly are you referring to? The bob tail? Almost any custom shop in the world is doing this mod now, and some mass-producer too. Ed Brown doesn't hold a patent to it, why I do not know. So everyone can make it.

[dogdollar]

I thought I heard somewhere that Ed Brown DID have the rights to the design, and that he was paid for it's use. I'm not sure how that would work...

Anyway, does it bother me that a Dan Wesson Bobtail looks like an Ed Brown Bobtail ? Not in the least. There are other, more subtle differences that I can spot across a room......and besides.....who cares ?

If you want people to know how much you paid for your gun you can always just tell them.

[KY NIMROD]

Besides that any 1911 is a Colt 1911 clone regardless of whose name is on it and what it costs or if it has a Bobtail grip, the thing is still an expensive Colt 1911 clone.
Isn't it???
Jim

[Joni Lynn]

We're supposed to be paying for these guns??
I thought they were free!
I bet that dealer is realllllly annoyed with me by now. ;)

[k217sc]

A friend just had me check out the new Dan Wesson Bobtail Commander. Hmmmm,......I wonder where they got that name?

As a Stainless Kobra Carry owner, I am not very happy with the Ed Brown Companies decision to flagrantly share it's major components with a brand that can be bought for less that half the price of what it costs for an authentic Ed Brown 1911. I realize it's all about money, but I feel this decision will hurt the thousands of faithfull Ed Brown 1911 customers, in that a clone may now be bought for as little as $900 (per an on-line website).

Am I being short-sighted here, or are there others who wish more thought had been put into the decision to provide so many major components (especially the bobtail grip) to Dan Wesson to use. Your thoughts? Thanks.


I am also the proud owner of Ed Brown products but one of my favorite pistols is pictured below. The Brown product is a semi-custom gun with a heck of a lot more time and attention spent on the details we expect from the Browns. This is a great part of the price one pays for the EB's. The Brown parts used on the Commander below (installed by Gemini Customs) made for a better fit for my hands (I really like the Bobtail grip) and a neat looking gun. I don't feel as though I have lessened the value of my Browns in the least bit.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/k217sc/3f5419f2.jpg

[hsfan]

Let's also remember about entry level shooters and their contribution to making this an enduring sport and passion for gun ownership. Not everyone can jump right into a $2,000.00 firearm. Consider cloning a form of flattery for the originator. The only problem I see is if the "knock-off" outperforms the custom one!

And, although there are arguments over x's frames being better than y's. The true value in a 1911 comes from quality components and how well they're fitted to the slide and frame. Just my 2 cents.

PS - More nice work from Gemini Customs! Thanks for the pic.

[deadmarsh]

It might just be me, but is the poster worried that his EB might be devalued as a result of the DW bobtail?

IMO, buying a production 1911, even a custom for that matter, is not what most would call an investment. Enjoy that EB and forget about what Jones might buy as his sidearm...


Dead


Pssst: No insult intended, Norske48... ;)

[Frank]

+1 deadmarsh. It's easy to over estimate the "investment" value of a modern, production firearm -- even a semi-custom one. Future price will depend on how badly someone in 15, 20 or 30 years will want an EB or a Colt or something else; and that will not necessarily directly correlate to rarity or initial price. It is, simply, unpredictable.

So buy what you like today and enjoy it.

DVC

[PalmClease]

I really don't see why anyone would care that Dan Wesson makes a bobtail or any 1911 for that matter.

The more choices we have the better!

Now I know from experience that the Dan Wesson commader bobtail a friend of mine has is dead on accurate..........BUT he did have a crack running down the center of his barrel bushing after less than 1,000 rds. Replaced with a wilson bushing....everything runs great.....THEN his hammer starts falling to half cocked every now and then.....We replaced the sear Spring with a new one....case 2 solved.

So in well under 2,000 rds he had 2 parts break.....that doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy.....it makes me feel sick.
That also doesn't feel like an ED Brown.

With the Dan Wesson using so many ED Brown parts you would think they would of used the ED parts through out the pistol.

Overall point

If it tries to be like an ED Brown but totally isn't and everyone here knows it.......why do you care if someone buys a cheaper 1911???

Like someone said they are all copies of COLT's right?

[Anopsis]

I'll have to remember not to post any pics of my Essex frame with an Ed Brown "Bobtail"©® or this guy might just freak out. ;)

Remember, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".

[Hammer-Ed]

Let me start out by saying that it took me a couple of years to work the the stomach to shell out $2,000 for a pistol but I finally did and I got a 5" Ed Brown "Special Forces" today (I still need to wait until the darn county paperwork comes through before I can bring it home).

However, I did get a DW Bobtail some time ago, even before the CZ takeover of Dan Wesson. It's a very fine pistol and it's made with the real Ed Brown parts (hence the Bobtail name) as well as others like STI.

It's split time as my carry piece with a Para Hawg 9 for over a year.

In my opinion, DW is not really competing with Ed Brown in the custom built pistol arena and shouldn't diminish any of the prestige of the Ed Brown product. That's why, once I decided to drop the dough, I went with my fellow Show-Me state man.

Here's the DW with it's Monkeygrips.

http://www.hunt101.com/img/484730.JPG

[bigmedicine]

I would like to offer my take on comparing the pistols in question. As luck and/or fate would have it, I recently had a major overhaul of my handgun battery and decided to quit clowing around with the sigs and glocks of the world and go with the best - all 1911s. When I set out on this quest, I had one pistol in mind - the Kobra Carry.
I have had my KC now for a couple of months and it is finally all broken in. Never in my life did I dream that a pistol could be "more" perfect. Every single aspect of the gun is what I thought it should be. I have the thing broken in completely (that took ~500 rounds) and have put in another 500 rounds with different ammunition with no issues at all.
During this spring, I must admit that I did start to miss my Glock 20 in 10mm. The 10mm has always been a cartridge of interest and although I gladly got rid of my Glock 20, I did miss the cartridge. After spending some time reading about Dan Wessons, I took the plunge and got a 10mm CBOB. It is an exceptional pistol that is really, really outstanding. The slide to frame is very tight and all the parts are very well fit together. It handles the 10mm with ease and, in my opinion, the best value out there in handguns.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l54/stukeller/DCP_5541.jpg
So... what is the point of my post?
The KC is what the KC is - the ultimate combination of parts, fitting, and correct execution. I cannot even begin to describe how happy I am with the KC and have no intention of spending a day on this earth without it within reach. I am very blessed to have finally been able to find the gun of my dreams.
The Dan Wesson is a pistol that is very, very good. The materials are top notch, workmanship excellent, and the package of commander sized frame with the 10mm quite appealing to me. It is very accurate and a great combo to carry around in my neck of the woods that has recently had some hogs start to show up out in the woods.
I must say that I do not think that the CBOB is trying to compare itself to the KC. Others may think that is untrue, but from my perspective there really is no way to compare anything to an Ed Brown (short of going with a Wilson, Baer, STI, or other elite gun). The CBOB is a good gun with lots of Ed Brown parts, but it is not an Ed Brown.
I like the Dan Wesson and it has become my permanent vehicle carry weapon, but it is not in the same league as the KC. FWIW, I also don't think it is pretending to be.

[loki_pittman]

If you look at the History of Ed Brown: 1st he was a machinist/hobby smith, 2nd PARTS MANUFACTURER, and then only later 3rd Custom Smith/Shop. So the sale of his major components is a major part of his business and his claim to fame.

[Harlie]

The concept is marvelous and fits the hand gracefully. Carry daily a S&W Sc w/ a home installed "Bobtail", have "Bobbed" two others. Also purchased a "CBOB" from DW, nice piece. Finally a EBKC came available used and was able to scrape togather funds to purchase. Still carry the Sc "Bobtail", use the KC for IDPA and sometimes USPSA L-10.
The DW CBOB is not a Ed Brown clone, just a lookalike. Although had no issues with the DW, it moved to a new home. Owning, as carry pieces, a Sc and a KC, what more could a owner ask? Too consider a DW would devalue a Ed Brown is a none issue, parts alone don't make a quality handgun. The shootability of the EBKC is far better than the DW CBOB, but this only my opinion, others may disagree and I would not be surprised or offended. The price paid for each was about correct for goods recieved, IMHO. Just shoot which ever you own and enjoy having the means and opportunity.

[Chocobo]

I have both DW CBOB and a EB Special Force. I can just tell you there's no comparison at all. EBs quality are better than DWs in anyway. If I can do it again, I would pay twice as much for a EB KC than the DW CBOB.