CZ USA is a huge operation under the umbrella with Colt and Dan Wesson. The Dan Wesson DWX 9mm pistol is a design CZ tells us has features of the 1911 and the CZ 75 in a pleasing blend. This provides CZ with a handgun that may reasonably be a front runner in the high end 2011 market. A high capacity 9mm single action pistol with a metal frame has much appeal. Dan Wesson went with their usual high end manufacture. Closer tolerances and hand fitting means higher price. You pay your money and you take your choice. The DWX is worth a few weeks pay.
The DWX 9mm is an accurate and reliable handgun well suited to personal defense.
My DWX is a compact version. The full size version should be easier to shoot well. The compact pistol is easier to carry as an EDC. This pistol is made in the United States in Dan Wesson’s New York facility. The full size DWX is a 43 ounce pistol with five inch barrel comparing to the CZ Shadow full size pistol in dimensions and weight. The compact version is more comparable to a CZ P 01 or Colt Commander. The frame is lightweight aluminum. The barrel is four inches long. The DWX compact weighs in at 28.1 ounces, a nice weight for constant carry. The pistol is a single action meaning the trigger does one thing it drops the hammer. The pistol features a well designed safety that is positive in operation and falls under the thumb easily as the pistol is drawn. The 1911 type grip safety is deleted in this design. The pistol uses 15 round CZ 75 magazines with two supplied. The frame is more CZ like than a 1911 but fits the hand better than most 2011 pistol designs. It is debatable if this pistol is a 2011 but the 2011 is an easy reference. The DWX uses angled camming surfaces to lock and unlock. The barrel hood butts tightly into the ejection port.
The author’s DWX has proven reliable, well fitted, fast handling, and accurate.
Some things are an improvement over the 1911. The slide is quite narrow like a 1911 but not as tall. A low bore axis limits muzzle flip. Speed to an accurate first shot and follow up shots is excellent. I almost expected the slide to run inside the frame like a CZ 75 but it is more 1911 like. The barrel isn’t quite a bull barrel but the lockup is bushingless. The barrel is ramped allowing good feed reliability and a margin of safety. The slide is well fitted with minimal lateral play. The slide is a flat top design with a narrow serrated rib running along its length. The sights are well designed for speed shooting and precision as well. The front post contains a green tritium self luminous sight. The rear sight is the popular wedge type sight. The rear notch is a U notch. This fits more into the self defense niche of the DWX. The rear face of the sight is serrated. The skeletonized hammer is easily cocked and lowered if needed. The trigger is the outstanding feature of a superbly crafted handgun. Trigger compression involves little take-up, no creep, a clean 3.9 ounce break, and rapid reset. Take down isn’t my favorite but not too difficult. The pistol is unloaded and the magazine removed. Press the slide to the rear allowing the slide lock to line up with a witness hole in the slide and bump the slide lock out. The slide runs forward on the frame. The recoil guide assembly is plucked out and the barrel slides neatly out to the rear. Easier than a 1911 but not as simple as a SIG.
Take down isn’t difficult similar to the original CZ.
I had a surprise when field stripping the pistol. The pistol is modular. The internal serialized chassis could theoretically be changed out for another frame size. I say theoretically as none are presently available. I suppose this isn’t high on the list at present. I waited two years to find a DWX for sale so extra grip modules are not a priority at Dan Wesson. Still this is a modern design that may eventually offer more versatility. The front strap and rear strap are nicely machined for a balance of adhesion and abrasion. The frag type grip panels dig into the hand the tighter you grasp them. This is a handgun that sets well in the hand with good balance and excellent control.
During the firing test I deployed the pistol in a Falco Gunleather thumb break (Falcogunleather.com C 116 Bateluer). I am a fan of a well designed thumb break for some uses. The Falco design is thin, well stitched, with excellent oil rubbed finish. The thumb break is reinforced and does not bind. The balance of speed and retention is good. I should note that the 616 is one of many good designs from Falco. This one is actually molded for a Government Model 1911 but works fine with the DWX. Just one of many in the Timeless Leather line, top quality at a fair price.
Falco’s 616 is a well-designed scabbard with much to recommend.
Firing Tests
The pistol was fired with a good mix of my personal handloads during the shakedown cruise. Most were a standard load comprised of a Hornady 124 grain FMJ bullet over enough Titegroup powder for 1090 fps. I also fired a quantity of an accuracy load I developed using the Hornady 124 grain XTP at 1120 fps. I drew and fired as quickly as possible at 5, 7, and 10 yards. Double taps and hammers are tight, well spaced, and fast.. A combination of good balance, good sights, and an excellent trigger provided good results. I fired more than 150 rounds in less than an hour. The pistol doesn’t kick much and responds well to a trained shooter. If I have fired a 9mm handgun that shoots better than this one I cannot recall. As for absolute accuracy I added a number of good factory defense loads and fired from a solid bench-rest firing position using the Birchwood Casey firing rest.
Hornady’s Critical Duty is a great all around service and defense load.
The Hornady Critical Defense 115 grain load is especially designed for personal defense needs. A polymer tip insures expansion no matter the intermediate clothing. Accuracy is good and the Critical Defense features a full powder burn and good accuracy. The Critical Duty 135 grain load is the choice of the FBI after a stringent test program. If adversaries behind cover or heavily clad threads are part of the threat profile this is an outstanding loading. The XTP is a proven loading demonstrating good accuracy and penetration. I fired each for accuracy.
Load 25 yards, braced position, 5 shot group
Hornady 115 grain Critical Defense 2.0 inch
Hornady 124 grain XTP 1.9 inch
Hornady 135 grain Critical Duty 1.8 inch
This DWX is accurate, reliable, and in combat shooting has no equal in a handgun this size and weight- and very few of any size. Performance cannot be faulted. This is a great handgun well worth of the Dan Wesson name.
Dan Wesson DWX 9mm Compact Pistol Specifications
- Type: single-action semiauto locked breech
- Caliber: 9mm
- Capacity: 15
- Barrel: 4.0 in. stainless steel
- OAL 7.5 in.
- Height 5.2 in.
- Width 1.25 in.
- Weight: 28 oz.
- Construction: aluminum frame, steel slide
- Sights: Tritium front sight wedge type rear sight
- Trigger pull: 3. 9 lb. pull
- Safety: manual thumb
- Price: $2.000 or so average
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