PROJECT 1911 – PRE CZ: DAN WESSON POINTMAN MAJOR 1911-Review

[mr.revolverguy]

I acquired this 1911 knowing it had a few bugs with the intent to learn more about the innards of the 1911 but most importantly making it run.


Around about 1995 Dan Wesson shut up shop when the company fell on hard times. About a year or two later Robert W. Serva purchased the firm's patents and trademarks and moved production to a new factory in New York. With newly purchased CNC machinery and other modern equipment that allowed for tighter manufacturing tolerances and improved accuracy, Mr Serva put Dan Wesson back on the map shipping new revolvers again in December 1997.

Three years later, the 1911 Dan Wesson Pointman Major was introduced. It was a stainless steel target gun designed for IDPA and IPSC competition.

This full-sized .45 ACP pistol features a fully adjustable Millett or Bo-Mar-style rear target sight; match-fitted barrel, bushing and link; and a Nowlin match trigger and sear spring from the factory. Not sure of the round count or age of the springs I decided to replace all of them.

Other custom features include a Chip McCormick (or equivalent) match-grade trigger, serrated oversized thumb safety, extended high-ride beavertail safety, fitted extractor, lowered and relieved ejection port and a skeletonized hammer. The magazine well is beveled for easier feeding. The magazine release button is also extended and checkered to facilitate fast reloading.

While earlier slides were formed from castings, Pointman Major slides are now forged at the New York plant. The gun's barrels and receivers were also manufactured there. Frame rails are machined to precise tolerances, and slides are hand-fitted to their frames. For that matter, all components that require fitting receive the same kind of careful attention.

Being Dan Wesson's first 1911 entry it came with a few pain points. The rear sight was known to fly off when the rear pin would either break or slide out, which I replaced with a tool steel pin. The Pointman was also known as a hardball 1911, meaning it was flawless with 230gr round ball 45acp ammunition but it struggled with deep cavity or wide hollow points. With this being a 1911 learning platform for me I decided to polish the feed ramp and barrel with guidance from a seasoned gunsmith to see if it would now feed hollow points. While I was at it not sure of the age of the springs I replaced the magazine springs with Wilson Combat spring and follower and all of the 1911 springs, recoil, firing pin spring, hammer spring and sear spring from Wolff.

Now it was time to take it for a spin.
https://youtu.be/PTUDMLL8eqQ

[Kenk]

Nice Job : )

[mr.revolverguy]

Thank you sir for an older pistol the trigger was much better than I had expected.

[Kenk]

Great price too, looks like something similar on GB is running in the 14, or 15 range


Ken

[The_Shadow]

Awesome!  did you ever pick up the S&W 1006?

[mr.revolverguy]

Guy was disappointed said many were coming to him making offers 200 dollars below what he was asking. I told him I am going to pay your asking price and he said he was just going to keep it and took it off the market.

[The_Shadow]

   Sad for sure!