Its that time of the year Christmas is just over, and tax season has started. Next to June at Blade show this is the time of year I make my "large" purchases. My Sig P938 just recently started developing some malfunction issues so it is no longer carried, and my HK P30 is a tad on the large size for EDC. So knowing I am comfortable with the 1911 pattern of firearms I started my search for a compact 1911 for EDC. My Father already has a couple Kimber CDP's and while they are very nice guns the Kim Pro II finish left something to be desired on a $1,000+ gun as it easily chipped and came off just from holster wear.
One name repeatedly came up in my search it was Dan Wesson of CZ. I have heard of the company and its fantastic reviews. So I searched their website to see if they had and carry "friendly" guns in the same vein as the Kimber CDP II. They did in fact have just such a gun the Dan Wesson ECO. So I found the gun I was pretty sure would fit the bill perfectly so to speak. I did a quick google search and almost nothing comes up for the ECO other than a very recently posted review by the youtuber sootch00. The review was very good so i set out to find an elusive ECO.
Turns out Tim's Shooting Academy of Westfield has one in stock and for a pretty decent price. I went down to Tim's to handle the gun and when I arrived they were very busy but their clerks took very good care of me and I was able to compare the ECO against a couple of Ed Brown 1911's. Now the Dan Wesson's have been called the poor mans Ed Brown and after the side by side comparison I can see why! I was sold on the pistol and I bought it on the spot.
It is a very attractive looking firearm with VZ slimline G10 grips that provide a good amount of traction as well as 25 LPI front strap checkering on the front and rear that is not overly aggressive like the TRP but not "slick" like some 30 LPI checkering can feel. It has a 7+1 capacity of 45 ACP and the finish of the overall firearm is superb featuring the Dan Wesson Duty Finish with the aluminum frame featuring a black anodizing that compliments the slide and reminds me of the Microtech knives anodizing on their switchblades.
I took the new pistol home not able to shoot it yet because of my work obligations. Upon arriving home the pistol was disassembled and cleaned as Dan Wesson shipped it almost bone dry. The first thing that struck me was the "cone" style barrel a radical departure from the CDP design. The barrel also bears the Match designation impressive in such a small gun.
Once cleaned and properly lubed I reassembled the pistol with only minimal hassle with the use of a paperclip to hold the recoil spring in place. Once assembled I took time to note all of the defensive features of the gun. One of my favorite features are the "Tactical Ledge" straight 8 style sights features. This ledge enables the user to rack the slide off of a door, table or belt in an emergency situation.
Sight Picture
The top of the slide features a flat top with lines running down the top to prevent glare.
The slide to frame fit is superb with no movement felt at all when the slide is forward on in its rearmost position. The slide is very well mated to the slide when racking the slide no burrs or other disturbances can be felt.
The fitment of the cone barrel to the slide is also very well executed as well with no gaps or imperfections to be seen. Gotta love that big .45 ACP barrel.
The barrel also features an integrated feed ramp to keep the feeding ammunition from wearing on the aluminum frame. Note how nicely the feed ramp was polished.
Overall I am thrilled with the pistol and can see why other Dan Wesson owners on INGO constantly rave about them. The praise they earn is obvious upon handling the firearms and upon close inspection. The trigger pull broke at a very crisp 4 pounds with a very very short reset. The Ed Brown single sided safety clicks into place easily and with an audible noise. The Ed Brown beavertail grip safety is also very well fitted and when shaking the pistol about no noises can be heard. The barrel on the ECO is one half inch longer than that of the Kimber CDP II at 3.5 inches but it is not very noticable at all. Plus isnt that saphire just so nice looking.
Today I plan on taking the ECO to the range and shooting it against one of our CDP II's to see how they compare. I hope at least a little bit of this information is helpfull as there is not allot currently out on the ECO. Will post pictures from the range trip hopefully later in the day. (I am not kimber bashing at all the CDP is just the best example of a compact 1911 I have experience with an is a very very popular choice currently in this market)
One name repeatedly came up in my search it was Dan Wesson of CZ. I have heard of the company and its fantastic reviews. So I searched their website to see if they had and carry "friendly" guns in the same vein as the Kimber CDP II. They did in fact have just such a gun the Dan Wesson ECO. So I found the gun I was pretty sure would fit the bill perfectly so to speak. I did a quick google search and almost nothing comes up for the ECO other than a very recently posted review by the youtuber sootch00. The review was very good so i set out to find an elusive ECO.
Turns out Tim's Shooting Academy of Westfield has one in stock and for a pretty decent price. I went down to Tim's to handle the gun and when I arrived they were very busy but their clerks took very good care of me and I was able to compare the ECO against a couple of Ed Brown 1911's. Now the Dan Wesson's have been called the poor mans Ed Brown and after the side by side comparison I can see why! I was sold on the pistol and I bought it on the spot.
It is a very attractive looking firearm with VZ slimline G10 grips that provide a good amount of traction as well as 25 LPI front strap checkering on the front and rear that is not overly aggressive like the TRP but not "slick" like some 30 LPI checkering can feel. It has a 7+1 capacity of 45 ACP and the finish of the overall firearm is superb featuring the Dan Wesson Duty Finish with the aluminum frame featuring a black anodizing that compliments the slide and reminds me of the Microtech knives anodizing on their switchblades.
I took the new pistol home not able to shoot it yet because of my work obligations. Upon arriving home the pistol was disassembled and cleaned as Dan Wesson shipped it almost bone dry. The first thing that struck me was the "cone" style barrel a radical departure from the CDP design. The barrel also bears the Match designation impressive in such a small gun.
Once cleaned and properly lubed I reassembled the pistol with only minimal hassle with the use of a paperclip to hold the recoil spring in place. Once assembled I took time to note all of the defensive features of the gun. One of my favorite features are the "Tactical Ledge" straight 8 style sights features. This ledge enables the user to rack the slide off of a door, table or belt in an emergency situation.
Sight Picture
The top of the slide features a flat top with lines running down the top to prevent glare.
The slide to frame fit is superb with no movement felt at all when the slide is forward on in its rearmost position. The slide is very well mated to the slide when racking the slide no burrs or other disturbances can be felt.
The fitment of the cone barrel to the slide is also very well executed as well with no gaps or imperfections to be seen. Gotta love that big .45 ACP barrel.
The barrel also features an integrated feed ramp to keep the feeding ammunition from wearing on the aluminum frame. Note how nicely the feed ramp was polished.
Overall I am thrilled with the pistol and can see why other Dan Wesson owners on INGO constantly rave about them. The praise they earn is obvious upon handling the firearms and upon close inspection. The trigger pull broke at a very crisp 4 pounds with a very very short reset. The Ed Brown single sided safety clicks into place easily and with an audible noise. The Ed Brown beavertail grip safety is also very well fitted and when shaking the pistol about no noises can be heard. The barrel on the ECO is one half inch longer than that of the Kimber CDP II at 3.5 inches but it is not very noticable at all. Plus isnt that saphire just so nice looking.
Today I plan on taking the ECO to the range and shooting it against one of our CDP II's to see how they compare. I hope at least a little bit of this information is helpfull as there is not allot currently out on the ECO. Will post pictures from the range trip hopefully later in the day. (I am not kimber bashing at all the CDP is just the best example of a compact 1911 I have experience with an is a very very popular choice currently in this market)