Dan Wesson Specialist Upgrade - Nighthawk 1 Pc Magwell/MSH Review

[awpk03s]

I have ordered a couple of upgrades to my Dan Wesson Specialist pistol that I will review and detail here...
First up is a magwell upgrade. The factory S&A magwell is nice, it shot loose on the first range trip and I put loctite on the screw and imagine it would hold fine for the foreseeable future. However, I found myself wanting something a little more solid and secure, a little more low profile, and a rounder butt as opposed to sharp checkering right in the love handles would be nice too.

For this purpose, I considered the Wilson 1 pc Magwell/MSH as well as the Nighthawk 1 pc Magwell/MSH. The Nighthawk was 20 LPI checkering like the one I was taking out of the Dan Wesson, and it was bead blasted finish, so it would match, so that's the one I chose.

The part itself is very nicely done. The machining and finish is impeccable. I love the rounded butt treatment on it. The only thing I will comment on, is that the magwell itself seems to be designed for slim grips, or at least beveled grips, as flat bottom magwell grips have an annoying overhang. I think this should have been advertised as it may bother some people. I took a gentle bevel to my grips to achieve a more satisfactory look, and I am happy with it.

Obviously, install was a breeze - it's a MSH.

It's a pricey part, but Merry Christmas to me. Enjoy!

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[MountainRaven]

The Nighthawk mag well doesn't match beveled grips particularly well, either.

I would guess that they tried to make it a happy medium so it doesn't look out of place with either beveled or unbeveled grips.

[awpk03s]

Yeah I think it's optimized for slim grips. I just don't care for slims, but feel I've got a good compromise here. I'm comfortable with the look, and love the integrity and strength of the 1 piece part.

[RCI1911]

That's one gun I really miss. Worthwhile upgrade. Wish it would come with a one piece from the factory.

[MadAngler1]

Did the magwell require any machining to make it fit? When I installed an Ed Brown mag well onto my Kimber CDP, I had to remove a little bit of metal so it would slide up the frame all the way.

[awpk03s]

Did the magwell require any machining to make it fit? When I installed an Ed Brown mag well onto my Kimber CDP, I had to remove a little bit of metal so it would slide up the frame all the way.

No. It fit perfectly from the get-go. There is a paper thin or less than paper thin gap between the bottom of the magwell and the frame, but with grips on and mag inserted, it's not noticeable at all - and barely noticeable in the first place unless you hold it directly up to a light bulb and look hard for it.