GUN TESTS GRADE: A-

$1,227

This was a recent price at BudsGunShop.com, but the SKU is showing out of stock as we went to press. The company website shows it was discontinued in 2019. The Dan Wesson Heritage is a stainless steel Government-Model-size handgun. The pistol is well made of good material, and it’s free from the billboard-size markings on the slide some of us do not care for. The slide features a raised rib with serrations. The pistol features excellent Novak-style sights. The front post contains a tritium dot; the rear sight is simply black. The pistol’s speed safety is well designed and seemed to be the largest and therefore easiest to operate quickly. The beavertail grip safety properly releases its hold on the trigger about halfway into compression.

Action Type	Short recoil-operated locked breech, single action
Overall Length	8.6 in.
Overall Height	5.5 in.
Maximum Width	1.25 in.
Weight Unloaded	39.0 oz.
Weight Loaded	44.0 oz.
Slide Material	Forged Steel
Slide Retraction Effort	18.0 lbs.
Receiver Material	Steel
Finish	Stainless
Front Strap Height	2.6 in.
Back Strap Height	3.2 in.
Barrel Length	5.0 in.
Grip Thickness Max.	1.25 in.
Grip Circumference	5.2 in.
Magazines	Two 8 round
Rear Sight	Fixed drift-adjustable Novak type
Front Sight	Dovetailed post with tritium insert
Sight Radius	6.4 in.
Trigger Pull Weight	5.5 lbs.
Trigger Span	2.8 in.
Safeties	Slide lock, grip
Warranty	Five years
Telephone	(607) 336-1174
Website	DanWessonFirearms.com
Made In	USA

A word on the beavertail safety: Some folks have no problem hitting the grip safety quickly, but some who use the popular thumbs-forward grip may find the palm forms a pocket that allows the grip safety to rise and deactivate the trigger. A beavertail grip safety with a memory bump cures this problem and funnels the grip properly, raising the hand and lowering the bore axis. We liked the Dan Wesson design. All of the pistols were equal as regards grip-safety design, with no clear preference. All controls featured a positive detent. Trigger compression is a crisp 5.5 pounds with the Heritage 1911. The trigger cannot be faulted, but it is also the heaviest of the test, according to the Lyman electronic trigger-pull gauge. The pistol does not have frontstrap checkering. The grips are austere for this type of handgun, a simple rubberized Hogue product. The Heritage is supplied with two eight-round magazines.

During the initial firing stage, the Heritage suffered a single failure to extract and a single short cycle in the first 50 rounds with the 200-grain LSWC loading. After these problems, there were no further malfunctions. Notably, these were the only malfunctions of any type during the test program in any of the handguns, save for a failure to lock open on the last shot with the Devil Dog handgun. The Dan Wesson pistol handled well. Recoil was not pronounced even with the +P loadings. Steel-frame 1911 45s are not a problem with standard loads. The controls were crisp and magazine changes were easily carried out. After the combat test, each handgun was carefully cleaned, lubricated, and checked for eccentric wear before firing for accuracy. The Heritage 1911 was none the worse for wear. The Dan Wesson Heritage turned in several 2.0-inch groups.

Our Team Said: The pistol is a good choice for most shooters, and while Dan Wesson terms it an entry-level handgun, it is as nice a handgun as most shooters would wish to own. We rated it down a half grade based on the early failures to cycle and extract some test ammo.

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Nighthawk Custom Falcon 45 ACP

45 ACP Range Data.xlsx

Fiocchi XTPHP 200-grain 45XTPB25	Dan Wesson 1911 Heritage	Springfield Armory Loaded Operator	Nighthawk Falcon	Devil Dog 4.25 Standard	Guncrafter Commander
Average Velocity	970 fps	954 fps	951 fps	899 fps	922 fps
Muzzle Energy	418 ft.-lbs.	404 ft.-lbs.	402 ft.-lbs.	359 ft.-lbs.	377 ft.-lbs.
Small Group	1.8 in.	2.0 in.	1.5 in.	2.2 in.	1.4 in.
Average Group	2.4 in.	2.5 in.	2.0 in.	2.7 in.	1.8 in.
Hornady Custom 230-grain XTP +P 9096	Dan Wesson 1911 Heritage	Springfield Armory Loaded Operator	Nighthawk Falcon	Devil Dog 4.25 Standard	Guncrafter Commander
Average Velocity	919 fps	907 fps	903 fps	867 fps	880 fps
Muzzle Energy	431 ft.-lbs.	420 ft.-lbs.	416 ft.-lbs.	384 ft.-lbs.	395 ft.-lbs.
Small Group	2.0 in.	2.2 in.	1.7 in.	2.4 in.	1.6 in.
Average Group	2.4 in.	2.6 in.	2.1 in.	3.0 in.	2.0 in.
Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 230-grain GDHP 23975GD	Dan Wesson 1911 Heritage	Springfield Armory Loaded Operator	Nighthawk Falcon	Devil Dog 4.25 Standard	Guncrafter Commander
Average Velocity	855 fps	839 fps	828 fps	810 fps	780 fps
Muzzle Energy	373 ft.-lbs.	359 ft lbs.	350 ft.-lbs.	335 ft.-lbs.	311 ft.-lbs.
Small Group	1.9 in.	1.8 in.	1.6 in.	2.6 in.	1.7 in.
Average Group	2.4 in.	2.4 in.	2.1 in.	3.3 in.	2.0 in.