1911 Forums : 1911Talk banner

Why Fusion Bobtail vs DW CBOB?

8290 Views 20 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  ZeroTA
Just an honest question. Is there a performance, or aesthetics reason to go for a Fusion over a CBOB? Both seem to have great reviews.
Status
Not open for further replies.
1 - 20 of 21 Posts
Both brands have very loyal and happy owners. I couldn't be more pleased with my DW, but I'm sure I'd feel the same about Fusion. Now with DW what you see is what you get, but Fusion offers a lot more build and finish options.
Mick, I have both a fusion bobtail and a DW cbob. They are not in the same league, I like my cbob but one is a production gun and the other a hand fitted custom and its very easy to see which is which. The fusion is perfectly fit everywhere and everything about it is smooth and well finished and with a perfect trigger. The Cbob is a very nice production gun but the fusion is amazing. It just boils down to if you want a production gun or something in a different league, of course there is a price difference and partially depends on ones budget. I have no plans on selling my cbob but I would have a hard time taking 2 cbobs in trade for my fusion. Just my personal opinion. Here's my current bobtails:




See less See more
4
Jerry

Thanks for the info. What sort of price difference would there be? Your question: do you want a production gun or a custom, really is at the root of my issue. To be frank, I am not familiar enough with 1911's to know what to specify for a custom gun.

It is a tough issue to decide on

Mick
"When" I buy again, it WILL be a Fusion.

Since you're new to 1911's, it can be a VERY expensive decision and cost a lot of time and $$$ making your choice. Slow down for a while and learn more of the ins & outs before you put down your money. A lot of us spent $$$ learning what we want, don't want, need, and expect from a gun. Other than my $650 Colt LTW Comm, ALL my guns are $1500+ buying new and then adding things. Gunsite was $1500 plus my extra wants. Longslide was $850 + $1000 +/- for the comped setup and other additions.

Shoot some other friends 1911's (if possible) or rent some at a range. Tracy
Good info from Tracy and as to price that depends on what you want, you would really have to talk to Bob and see.

Good luck
Problem is, with 1911's there's so many options it's hard to know exactly what you want if you haven't tried it before. And what you thought you wanted may not be best for you six months or a year from now. Unless you're fortunate enough to have access to a lot of different models, it can be a very expensive game of trial and error. I've had a few 1911's come and go, and spent good money on custom work too. At least at this point (and lots of $$ later), I'm staying with what I've got.

Another thing is, being new to 1911's you may not be savvy to some of the finer custom touches and fitting. If you get a Fusion, you may not appreciate it if you have nothing to compare it to....but if you get a DW, you may be pleased as punch if you have nothing better to compare it to.

I might actually be in the latter boat. I love my DW and it seems to be fitted very well, but I also have no Baers or Browns or Fusions to compare it to. Some say the CBOB rivals their $2000 pistol, and others say no way. My opinion is that some do and some don't...some fitting may be perfect,and some may just be acceptable. DW would certainly not do a bad job but like El Pistolero says, it is a production gun.
See less See more
Some of the fitting on the dw's is really good, especially for a production gun. They are production guns, they are still not in the same league with a hand fitted gun no assembled gun will be and there's no comparison in triggers.

Get both, I wouldn't mind having s wesson rz45 but first I want a full size fusions and the fusions would be the last to go.

For the price the wessons are going for now you can get a fusion non pro series which has a cast frame like the cbob has for not a lot more depending on what you order. Mine has a forged frame so they cost a little more. When the cbobs were 800.00 they were a great deal.
Another reason not mentioned yet is that Fusion can build you a Bobtail with a lightweight frame, an option not offered by Dan Wesson.
Yes, good point. I bet you could also get a fusion lwt cco built for what the new wesson cco's will be going for. You can order the sights you want, or anything at all. I'm a big fan of the xs 24/7's for carry guns. Very quick acquisition.
Hey Mick!

I was in the same position you are in right now about a month ago. I put many miles on my car driving to all the gun stores to see which 1911 would fit my needs. First, my wife is only letting me have one gun so it needed to be multi-tasker. It needs to be concealable, it needs to be powerful enough for woods/camping carry, it needs to be accurate enough for some practical shooting matches and it needed the features to accommodate all that. This was my conclusion, after looking mostly at Kimber, DW, and Para, none of which had all the options I wanted. This meant additional money would need to be spent on upgrades so I ordered a Fusion. Although it was hard for me to part with that kind of money I would have ended up spending it anyway on a less expensive production gun after having the smith work done and swapping out parts such as the sights etc. In the end I guess it is what will please you. The DW you mentioned was high on my list. It seemed to have the best machining of the above mentioned and had some other nice touches such as the polished feed ramp. Cabelas is selling it for $999. It was tempting..... I must agree with the statements above. While those other companies make nice firearms (and when my wife isn’t looking I may get a small Para) they aren’t going to have the tolerances that a custom gun would have. Hope that helped some.
See less See more
Hey Mick!

I was in the same position you are in right now about a month ago. I put many miles on my car driving to all the gun stores to see which 1911 would fit my needs. First, my wife is only letting me have one gun so it needed to be multi-tasker. It needs to be concealable, it needs to be powerful enough for woods/camping carry, it needs to be accurate enough for some practical shooting matches and it needed the features to accommodate all that. This was my conclusion, after looking mostly at Kimber, DW, and Para, none of which had all the options I wanted. This meant additional money would need to be spent on upgrades so I ordered a Fusion. Although it was hard for me to part with that kind of money I would have ended up spending it anyway on a less expensive production gun after having the smith work done and swapping out parts such as the sights etc. In the end I guess it is what will please you. The DW you mentioned was high on my list. It seemed to have the best machining of the above mentioned and had some other nice touches such as the polished feed ramp. Cabelas is selling it for $999. It was tempting..... I must agree with the statements above. While those other companies make nice firearms (and when my wife isn’t looking I may get a small Para) they aren’t going to have the tolerances that a custom gun would have. Hope that helped some.
Thanks for all of the input. I have an email into Fusion to get a quote. But as was said by a couple of folks, the finer nuances of what to specify I honestly dont know. I know the style and look I want, but am not well versed enough to know any of the performance oriented options.

I doubt I will ever be a top shot in competition, but I would like to make sure I include the "essentials". Any recommendations?
They are both great, inspired by the same man.:dancingbananna:
Mick,

If you know what you want the gun to look like, you should be good to go with Fusion. All of their parts are good, even the lesser ones. You will end up with a great gun. Also, if you learn more about 1911 parts and nuances, you can always contact Bob and change things (you can even specify non Fusion parts). I would say the most important things for you to figure out at this point (since you already know the general configuration of the gun) are the sights that you want, and the trigger pull that you want. Let us know what you decide on.
Went with the DW CBOB

I just didnt have the patience to wait on the Fusion, especially when a CBOB 45 showed up at my local gun shop today. Can't wait to go shoot it!
Congrats! If you decide that you like the 1911 platform (and you will), you can order a Fusion next after you learn the options that you like and dislike. Have fun with the new pistol, and post pics!!!!!
Pics of my new CBOB



See less See more
2
What? JMB or Bob Serva?
The current owner of Fusion and the past president of Dan Wesson. Bob Serva. Perhaps "inspired" was the wrong term for you.
Mick, that CBOB's a beauty. Grips from Sarge are now in order, so hop to it!
1 - 20 of 21 Posts
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top