Barely two weeks have passed since I published the 500 round review of the Dan Wesson Pointman 45 (PM-45) and it’s already time for the 1000 round update. Yeah, that’s not a lot of time. But it’s been an eventful couple of weeks which included a couple of local matches and the Texas 1911 Championship. Regardless of the short time frame, with the 1000 round milestone comes a review and so here we are.

Let’s dive right in.

Something Isn’t Right

Now I don’t know if this is something specific to 1911s in general or just this specific pistol, but it seems like if I don’t do my part and maintain it frequently some else falls off. Last time it was the front sight. This time it was a grip screw which I lost in the middle of a local match less than a week before the big championship match.

The fix was easy. It involved ordering replacement grip screws and putting them in. Thankfully, the replacements I ordered from Dawson Precision arrived the day prior to the match. In hindsight, I probably should have ordered some grip screw o-rings as well, but the thought didn’t cross my mind until I started writing this update. I’ll have to remedy that later.

When the grip screws arrived, I decided it would be prudent to remove the grips and clean the stock while I was at the work bench. I’m glad I did that because I discovered that the two bushings on the right side of the pistol, the same side that lost a grip screw, were loose. So after a quick cleaning, I tightened everything up, reinstalled the grips using the replacement screws, and tossed the three remaining original grip screws in the range bag just in case I ended up losing another one at a future match.

Wear and Tear

It has been my experience with pistols that the wear pattern becomes apparent right around the 1000 round milestone. And the PM-45 appears to be following that rule of thumb. However, the wear has been minimal and mostly isolated to the barrel and slide stop. Other than a small scratch on the right side of the slide, that probably was a result of me bumping into something at a match, there is very little noticeable wear on the slide. The frame almost looks brand new after each cleaning.

Maybe I just got lucky with this PM-45, but I’m impressed with how little wear it’s showing after 1000 rounds.

Early Retirement

As much as I’ve enjoyed shooting the PM-45 over the past six weeks. The 45 ACP and my arthritis refuse to get along and play nice together. It takes a toll on me that requires a day or two of rest to recover from. For this reason alone, I plan to retire the PM-45 to the safe at least for the time being.

I know. I know. Admitting that 45 ACP is too much for me should probably result in my man card being revoked. The thing is I enjoy shooting and required recovery days are days that I can’t go shooting. So for the time being, I’m going to take a break and get back to running 9mm pistols.

I may pick up the PM-45 again later. Rumor is the Texas 1911 Championship will happen again next year. If that rumor proves true, then chances are I am going to participate in it. Unless I end up acquiring a 9mm 1911 before the next championship (which is a strong possibility), then the PM-45 will have to report for duty.

Do I Recommend the Pointman 45?

The short answer is yes.

While I did have a few problems with parts falling off, they were problems that could happen to any pistol and were easily remedied.

The most important thing is that PM-45 has run reliably. Even at matches when I got lazy the day prior and decided to add lube instead of cleaning it. Combining that reliable operation with the relatively low price point for a well finished, accurate, and precise 1911 and the value of the PM-45 for competitive applications is self-evident.

So, yes. I recommend the Dan Wesson Pointman 45 to anyone who is looking for a 1911 to compete with and doesn’t want to take on a second mortgage. It’s not the most frugal 1911 option, but it’s exceptionally well priced for what it is. Sure one can find 1911s that are more accurate, more precise, and have better fit and finish. However, those “better” options get significantly more expensive quite quickly for only a little bit more gun.