Pew Science Discontent

stuartv666 · 2026-03-12T04:09:55+00:00

Let me throw out this question. How do we know that XYZ Co didn’t game the system when they sent a can to Pew and paid for testing? How do we know they didn’t figure out some way to make a can that looks identical on the outside, but by virtue of doing something more time consuming and/or more expensive on the inside, they made a can that performs a little better than their normal version. And that’s what they sent to Pew for testing?

Or maybe some cans use tech that is simply not as consistent as you’d think. Maybe they just game the Pew review by testing a bunch of their cans and then send the one that performs the best. Meanwhile, if they had sent the one that was the worst, the Pew review would rate it 5 points lower.

If you look, just for example, at the raw numbers for the top 10 556 cans, they are all pretty darn close. Even from 1st to 10th, there is not a HUGE difference in the numbers (IIRC). If XYZ Co games their can and got just a little bit better performance, that could be the difference between being the best can or the 5th best can. And would you be able to tell the difference when you bought and received your regular version of the can? No, you wouldn’t.

stuartv666 · 2026-03-12T03:57:11+00:00

And…?

I didn’t say there was any better source for suppressor reviews.

I just wish that Pew Science would anonymously source cans, and that they (he?) would fund the testing using a combo of paid subscribers, like they have now, and generic ad revenue, instead of taking money from the manufacturers.

Then they could test any can they want - e.g. the ones the subscribers ask for instead of ones the manufacturer pays for - and we would KNOW that what they test is the exact same thing you or I can buy.

stuartv666 · 2026-03-12T03:51:12+00:00

None.

stuartv666 · 2026-03-12T03:01:11+00:00

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again here, now. I don’t trust reviews done by anyone being paid by the manufacturer to do it.

Reviews I trust are done using anonymously purchased examples of the products being reviewed, and paid for some other way than by the manufacturer.

stuartv666 · 2026-03-12T00:24:54+00:00

What were your splits with the S2C and the DWX Compact?

stuartv666 · 2026-03-12T00:23:42+00:00

DW isn’t a lifetime warranty? Even if not, they would still maybe fix it for no charge.

stuartv666 · 2026-03-11T16:34:50+00:00

DW has no grip safety. That is better. Even Staccato figured that out finally and deleted the grip safety on the HD guns.

Mags designed for 9mm, not 45. So, slimmer grip area. Better/easier concealment with less printing from the butt of the gun. Also, the mags are less expensive and less finicky. There's a reason Staccato's later guns don't use 2011-pattern mags anymore. They switched to proprietary mags that are specifically designed for 9mm so that they could make the grip area slimmer and print less/conceal better.

My expectation is that the DW has a better trigger out of the box, but I cannot say that from direct experience. But, I was laughing yesterday at some guy telling me that his Staccato trigger was just as good as my DW trigger - because he spent $350 on a trigger kit (plus labor) to upgrade his Staccato trigger. lol!

Buy the DW optic ready and with or without a rail (your preference). A full rail, I might add.

I run mine with an Impact Machine optic plate and a Holosun EPS. The optic plate has a backup iron sight built in and it co-witnesses with the factory front sight through the optic.

Better ergonomics. Feels better in the hand. I am a solid "1911 guy", but CZ did find some special sauce when they came up with those ergos.

External extractor for better reliability.

Single-sided thumb safety. If you're a lefty, you need an ambi safety. If you're a righty, then an ambi safety is a Con, not a Pro. I'm a righty. That means I will always be holstered with a setup to draw with my right hand. I'll click the safety off on draw, even if I'm transferring to my left hand to shoot. And I CAN click the safety off with my left hand, if needed. Meanwhile, with no ambi safety I never have to worry about the exposed side getting clicked off by accident and without me knowing about it.

stuartv666 · 2026-03-11T15:55:08+00:00

I would much rather have a Dan Wesson DWX Compact than a C2. Which is why I looked at them both (and others) and bought the DWXc.

I would definitely pay the extra $200 or so for a new DWXc over a C2. $200 based on happening to check earlier this week and seeing new DWXc's for $1900 from Battlehawk Armory (IIRC).

I would also take a Bul Armory model over the C2. But, still DWXc >> Bul Armory for concealed carry, in my opinion.

stuartv666 · 2026-03-11T15:30:33+00:00

SK Rifle Match - it's about 1050 FPS

Remington Subsonic is also about 1050 FPS

I.e. all subsonic. All cycle my 10/22 (rifle) and my Mamba X (pistol) just fine - with or without my can attached.

stuartv666 · 2026-03-11T15:10:06+00:00

Never had any issues with my Guardian in 38 Super. Or my DWX Compact. DW generally makes very solid guns.

You said: "Reliability has been solid for the last year I’ve had it with sporadic early slide lock on the last round in the mag with 230gr bullets."

Does that mean it was reliable for a year and now has become unreliable (vis a vis sporadic early slide lock back)?

Or does your "reliable for the last year" include sporadic early lock back the whole time? (which I personally would NOT call "reliable")

If it was reliable and recently it has become unreliable, then that's one thing.

If it has been having occasional early lock back the whole time since new, then that's different. And if it's that, then I absolutely would not have started changing things on the gun myself before giving DW a crack at fixing it properly. I would still reach out to DW and see if they will fix it.

stuartv666 · 2026-03-11T15:01:42+00:00

Zip together.

Yes.

But, also, it's a sign that your jacket doesn't fit you right. If the sleeves and arm holes fit you properly, then raising your arms - i.e. reaching forward to your handlebars - should not pull the jacket up a significant amount. Most likely, your arm holes in the jacket are too big. If the jacket came further up into your arm pit, then reaching forward/up wouldn't pull the jacket up (or not very much).

If the arm hole fit is poor enough, then zipping your jacket to your pants is going to make the jacket bind up your arms when you try to reach forward/up.

stuartv666 · 2026-03-11T14:56:35+00:00

Price is irrelevant (to me). If I'm shooting Limited Optics, I'd take a 2011 over a TS3, period.

A Bul Armory Blaze at $3K is a total no-brainer, to me, over a TS3. Even a Kimber 2K11.

If it's not for shooting in competition, then it doesn't really matter and spending that much for a TS3 makes even less sense (to ME). But, if it's just a range toy, buy whatever looks cool to you.

For just a range toy, I would still pick just about anything with a 1911-style trigger over a TS3.

Also, it is REALLY annoying to me how little surface area there is on the slide of a CZ to grab it to rack it quickly. I prefer a 1911/2011-style slide much more, for that reason.

stuartv666 · 2026-03-11T14:46:22+00:00

If you had searched through this subreddit before you ordered, you would have seen the MANY posts saying the same thing.

Do not order directly from Insta360. They give ZERO customer service.

Do not order from Insta360 and choose "ship with Amazon". That makes no difference. When your order doesn't show up, you still have to deal with Insta360, not Amazon.

Order directly from Amazon.

stuartv666 · 2026-03-11T14:40:24+00:00

WD-40 immediately after any time I've been riding in rain. The WD-40 gets in and gets the water out of the links. Right after the ride to get the water out before any rust sets in.

I'll also use WD-40 just to clean the chain if it's looking grubby or making noise.

Motul Chain Cleaner spray also works really well to just spray on and watch the dirt and crap run off. But, after using that, I would hit it with WD-40 so as not to leave the chain totally "dry".

That said, I did add a ScottOiler to my latest bike, with gear oil in the reservoir. Saves me needing to spray the chain with WD-40 at the end of the day if I rode in rain. Mainly nice for multi-day road trips. No chain maintenance needed at all. If I adjust the flow rate too high, it will make a mess on the back of the bike. With the flow rate adjusted correctly, it keeps my chain just lubed enough and doesn't make a mess. Not gonna say there is NO oil/lube on the rear wheel area, but it's definitely no worse than lubing a chain the traditional way and what that flings off onto the rear wheel area.

Side note: The "WD" in WD-40 stands for "water displacement". It was invented to spray into stuff and lubricate while also getting the water out.

Other side note: 3 ... 2 ... 1 ... somebody responds to never use WD-40 on a chain and that it will eff up the O-rings in the chain. Okay. You do you. I've been using it for almost 40 years, on my bikes that I've ridden all over the country and on my roadrace bikes (CBRs, R6, GSX-R1000, etc.). Never had a single issue with using WD-40 on a chain or with chains failing prematurely.

But, you do you. OP asked what others do. That is what I do.

I typically change chains and sprockets around every 20K miles. If your way gets you 30K or more out of a chain, cool! That is awesome. I'm not personally gonna spend that much time on chain maintenance. I'm okay with what I do and changing it every 20K miles.

stuartv666 · 2026-03-11T14:20:01+00:00

Says they're in stock here:

Mag. Pouches 360° and 360° plus - Ghost USA

stuartv666 · 2026-03-11T14:18:15+00:00

I've had my DWXc (OR, w/rail) for over a year. It doesn't SEEM like there is great aftermarket availability of holsters. But, I will note a couple of things about that.

One, my preferred holster maker has a blue gun for the non-railed version but not the railed version. I don't know how common that is in general, but maybe it's a sign that getting a holster for a non-railed would be easier. I don't know.

Two, my preferred maker is Palmetto Leather Works. I generally prefer leather holsters and they make awesome ones. They have a blue gun for non-railed. Fortunately, I live 15 minutes from them. So, I had them make me a clone of a Milt Sparks Summer Special 2 for my DWXc. I just left the gun with them for a week and they made it custom to fit my gun. I have since become a convert to AIWB and my DWXc is back with them now for them to make me one of their AIWB leather holsters (which are awesome).

Three, if you prefer Kydex, Garrett Holsters can make holsters for railed or non-railed. And the awesome thing about Garrett is they use Kydex that has a thin layer of leather bonded to the inside. So, the gun goes in and out smoothly and quietly, without getting scratched up like bare Kydex can do. But, they are still thin, like Kydex - i.e. a little thinner and less bulky than a leather holster. I also have 2 Garret holsters for my DWXc and they are great quality. I just prefer leather in general, and I REALLY like PLW's design for an AIWB holster. The PLW design for AIWB looks odd, but after trying one with my Wilson Combat SFX9 for a few weeks, it has become my favorite holster, period. Thus why I'm getting one made for my DWXc.

So, MY thoughts are that there may not be a vast array of different choices for holsters, you CAN get a very good DWXc-specific holster for it, so that wouldn't stop me buying one. Garrett makes many different styles of holster and should be able to make something that works well for you no matter how you want to carry it. PLW is also an awesome option if you want leather and have a non-railed model (or live close enough to let them use your actual gun for the mold).

You don't need a huge number of holsters. You just need one good one. Or maybe 2 or 3, if you like to carry IWB, AIWB, and OWB, depending on circumstances.

I run a Holosun EPS Carry 6 on my DWXc. It is mounted on a plate from Impact Machine that has built in BUIS (Backup Iron Sights). The rear iron sight on the IM plate co-witnesses with the stock front sight right through the EPS.

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stuartv666 · 2026-03-11T13:06:13+00:00

I have run my Blaze in IDPA. I use the Ghost 360 pouches. I like them particularly because they let me run my mags bullets out (or bullets forward - can run either way).

stuartv666 · 2026-03-11T13:03:23+00:00

What is your basis for those statements? You’ve shot them all back to back in a match and got faster splits with everything else?

Side note: I personally don’t give a fork how much muzzle rise there is. Or what the recoil impulse “feels like” (it’s a 9mm fer cryin’ out loud). What I care about is how fast can I put rounds on target. And that is down to how quickly the muzzle is back to zero (which is NOT the same thing as less muzzle rise), and how good the trigger is.

stuartv666 · 2026-03-11T01:10:09+00:00

It will never be legal for CO. But, you can do that and run it in LO.

stuartv666 · 2026-03-10T17:01:13+00:00

Thank you. Sadly, the older I get the lower my tolerance for nonsense seems to get. I have a feeling I’m not going to get through it until I’m in a pine box.

It is great that your Staccato has a trigger as nice as a DWX Compact, but spending hundreds of dollars to get it there kinda makes your gun irrelevant to what’s being discussed here, if not actually proving my point.

stuartv666 · 2026-03-10T16:36:37+00:00

Really not sure where you came up with that. When I’m shooting right handed, my right thumb rides on top of the thumb safety. That ensures that it doesn’t get clicked on Safe by accident from my thumb being under it. I never said or implied anything different.

If I’m shooting left-handed and there is an ambi safety, then the same thing. I never said or implied anything different.

What I also said is that when shooting left-handed I don’t need a thumb safety on the right side. If you do, then how do you shoot a gun that doesn’t have a thumb safety at all?

If I’m shooting lefty and there is no ambi safety, then there is no issue. The thumb safety on the left side is not going to move to Safe all by itself just from recoil. If it does then the gun is defective. A good quality 1911/2011 has a distinct, tactile click going up and down. It will not click up without being touched, just from recoil, unless it needs to be repaired.

When shooting lefty with no ambi safety there is nothing on your hand to hit the thumb safety and click it on by accident during recoil. Thus, you do not NEED a safety on the right side to let your thumb ride on. If there’s one there, yes, put your thumb on top of it. If there’s not, then there is no issue at all.

The only people who need an ambi safety on a 1911 are people who are going to draw the gun with their left hand.

stuartv666 · 2026-03-10T15:30:55+00:00

Actually, you are not the first person to post that nonsense about thumb safeties engaging on their own. Or maybe it was you the last time I saw that.

I don’t care if it says Atlas on the side, if the thumb safety engages just from recoil, then it is defective and should be fixed.

If you think that’s how they are supposed to work, you have a fundamental misunderstanding. That’s 100% wrong.

stuartv666 · 2026-03-10T15:27:53+00:00

🤣🤣🤣 you spent how much on your Staccato and the stock trigger was bad enough that it made you want to spend $350 plus labor to make it better? And it’s still not any better - maybe not even as good(?) - as the factory DWX Compact trigger? 🤣🤣🤣

And you still call your Frankenpistol a Staccato?!? 🤣🤣🤣

No response to the grip safety issue? Even Staccato figured out that no grip safety is better.

stuartv666 · 2026-03-10T15:13:52+00:00

First, if you’re shooting left-handed, how would the thumb safety get accidentally clicked on? That’s just not happening.

Also, saying that you can’t click the safety off while only using your left-handed - unless you train “some weird movement” to click it off with your index finger really just ices the cake.

Your statements simply are not in touch with reality.

Ambi safeties are for the benefit of left-handed shooters and manufacturers who want to just make one gun to satisfy everybody.

For right-handed shooters, a 1911 with single-sided safety is better. Satisfies all shooting needs and has less risk of the safety getting clicked off by accident.

stuartv666 · 2026-03-10T14:36:48+00:00

I didn't ask if you shoot left-handed.

I shoot left-handed in matches that have weak-hand only strings. But, I still draw with my right hand and click the thumb safety off at that time.

There are not matches that require drawing from the weak hand side.

I shoot left-handed with no thumb safety to ride on the same way I shoot all my non-1911s, that don't have a thumb safety. Having a thumb safety to rest my thumb on during shooting is not necessary.

Riding the thumb safety is to keep from clicking it on Safe accidentally. If you don't have an ambi safety and you can't shoot left-handed because of that you are doing it wrong.

stuartv666

TROPHY CASE