PM9 is 9mm, Long Beach Operator is 45acp
first time shooting the PM9. I've had the Operator for a few years. shooting the PM 9 for 70 rounds, no failures no hiccups, ran perfect out of the box. the Springfield is just as reliable
testing the 2 bc these are the best 1911's that I have. I can't afford a Nighthawk Custom or Wilson Combat, so these 2 mid tier/upper tier production 1911's are what I can afford. like most of us, I assume.
In the comparison I consider reliability, trigger, sights, accuracy, shootability, features that come with the pistol, and overall fit and finish/build quality
trigger on the PM9 is 2 lbs 12.9 oz, on the Operator it's 3 lbs 6.7 oz.  13.6 oz difference. pretty negligible. both feel great
PM9 has fiber optic front sight, adjustable target rear sight. Operator has Trijicon tritium night sights front and rear.  just depends what your needs are.  neither is better, just they have a specific purpose
accuracy is negligible as far as I can tell from shooting them both off hand
both shoot great. triggers are great. no issues with both having any failures or hiccups whatsoever. back on target a little faster with the PM9 bc it's 9mm, so that's the caliber not the gun
the features that differentiate between the 2 are. the PM 9 has front checkering on the front strap, has grooves on the top if the gun to cut down on glare. Springfield has a magwell which I really like much easier to load mags with the magwell, and rail for lights etc. other than already mentioned, pretty similar
the one thing about the Springfield is it is tight tolerance slide to frame and it's a little difficult to rack the slide which should improve as I shoot it more. whereas trhe PM 9 is also tight tolerance but racking the slide is easy, very smooth out of the box. not a big deal at all.
overall fit and finish goes to the Dan Wesson by a slight margin. both are very well put together. its just that the Dan Wesson feels a little smoother. slight edge to Dan Wesson
IMO, which one is better? can't really say. either one is a great choice. for a duty/defensive 1911 I would go with the Springfield. for a range/target/competition 1911 I would go with the Dan Wesson. just depends what your needs or wants are.





I shoot the Dan Wesson first in the vid

In the PM9 I used 3 different mags: Dan Wesson which came with 2 mags with the gun, Ed Brown, and Mecgar 10 rounders. All functioned fine, no hiccups whatsoever. Also fired Speer lawman ammo and my reloads RMR 115 grain Nuke jhp ammo. No issues as well, it ran perfectly. So I am really pleased with the reliability of the DW PM9 right out of the box. No break in necessary for this 1911 👍👍 The Springfield is also just as reliable. 👍👍

My take away from this comparison is that the DW PM9 is a great 1911. Well made. Superb fit and finish. And I really came to appreciate the Springfield Long Beach Operator (or loaded Operator, pretty much the same). The Operator is a really great pistol too. I would say just a small fraction behind the DW as far as fit and finish, but not by much at all. Other than that, it's a great defensive 1911 👍👍

In your opinion, is it worth it to get a $700 1911 name brand vs a $1500 name brand one if the purpose isn't to be a "tac driver" or non collectable?

In your opinion, is it worth it to get a $700 1911 name brand vs a $1500 name brand one if the purpose isn't to be a "tac driver" or non collectable?

IMO it probably is not worth it, but idk if can find a good one for $700 right now. but a good entry level 1911 that works and is dependable would make a good range gun or home defense gun
I got my regular Springfield RO Operator several years ago for about 700 and it works great. zero malfunctions, its easy to rack, it's accurate enough for self defense although not a tack driver. I use it for home defense gun, it's dependable
had a Ruger 1911 that was a lot cheaper back when I got it vs now its over $1k MSRP. even the old school Operator I have is over $1k now too
but if you really want a really good 1911, it'll cost a pretty penny. if you just want a good 1911, then an entry level one does just fine, as long as it functions well and is dependable

after looking around a bit online, you can find cheaper 1911's for $700 or even less. Ruger has 1 model that's 799, or Rock Island Armory

for 9mm Glocks are cheaper, simpler and more reliable

for 9mm Glocks are cheaper, simpler and more reliable

cheaper, yes
simpler, yes
more reliable, arguable

if you want to group all 1911's together and compare them to 1 brand of polymer pistol, then I guess the Glock is more reliable than all the 1911's grouped together
how about we group all the polymer pistols together, along with Hi Point, and other sub-par polymer pistols
but how about we compare the Glock to a Wilson Combat or a Nighthawk Custom, or even a Dan Wesson.  1 brand name vs another brand name. those are very reliable, way more expensive though.
my 4 1911's all are super reliable.  only 1 did I have to break in for a few hundred rounds, but now no problems. the other 3 , no problems right out of the box
I have 2 Glocks. both very reliable. but they are not better than my 1911's.  the 1911 triggers are way better. recoil is better in the 1911. to me it's just more enjoyable to shoot a 1911 vs the Glock. you can upgrade the Glock trigger with aftermarket ones, but it still won't be as good as my top 2 1911's which are 2 lbs and 3 lbs triggers. short take up and reset single action trigger

cheaper, yes
simpler, yes
more reliable, arguable

if you want to group all 1911's together and compare them to 1 brand of polymer pistol, then I guess the Glock is more reliable than all the 1911's grouped together
how about we group all the polymer pistols together, along with Hi Point, and other sub-par polymer pistols
but how about we compare the Glock to a Wilson Combat or a Nighthawk Custom, or even a Dan Wesson.  1 brand name vs another brand name. those are very reliable, way more expensive though.
my 4 1911's all are super reliable.  only 1 did I have to break in for a few hundred rounds, but now no problems. the other 3 , no problems right out of the box
I have 2 Glocks. both very reliable. but they are not better than my 1911's.  the 1911 triggers are way better. recoil is better in the 1911. to me it's just more enjoyable to shoot a 1911 vs the Glock. you can upgrade the Glock trigger with aftermarket ones, but it still won't be as good as my top 2 1911's which are 2 lbs and 3 lbs triggers. short take up and reset single action trigger

nope. just Glocks against any other 9mm 1911 out there. lower parts count, more reliable. Wilson Combat and Nighthawk are still run of the mill 1911s. They just charge more for the name brand. A true custom gun is still cheaper than either name brands. That's the issue with 1911s. Most of  its parts are not as simple as a Glock and parts need to be hand-fitted.

nope. just Glocks against any other 9mm 1911 out there. lower parts count, more reliable. Wilson Combat and Nighthawk are still run of the mill 1911s. They just charge more for the name brand. A true custom gun is still cheaper than either name brands. That's the issue with 1911s. Most of  its parts are not as simple as a Glock and parts need to be hand-fitted.

 
Nighthawk Custom and Wilson are run of the mill 1911's?  Nope.
hand fitted for better quality. tighter tolerances make for better accuracy
1911's have more parts bc it's a design that is 112 years old, although improvements were made over time.  been the US service pistol through 2 world wars. do you think the Glock will still be around 112 years after its' original design?

things that are better on my 1911's vs my Glocks (bc that's only what I can comment on bc I haven't shot all 1911's or all Glocks, comparing how they came out of the box without any mods):
trigger is way better
sights are way better. all of mine came with either fiber optic or Trijicon Tritium night sights. Glocks came with their famous white dot crappy ones
accuracy, way better
natural point of aim
beaver tail
back on target is faster
shorter trigger pull and reset along with better recoil control makes it faster shooting
mags are steel and metal, not like Glock cheapo plastic ones
my 1911's are every bit as reliable as my Glocks
1911's just look way better.  Glocks are a blocky piece of plastic

 
Nighthawk Custom and Wilson are run of the mill 1911's?  Nope.
hand fitted for better quality. tighter tolerances make for better accuracy
1911's have more parts bc it's a design that is 112 years old, although improvements were made over time.  been the US service pistol through 2 world wars. do you think the Glock will still be around 112 years after its' original design?

Glocks will outlast a 1911. NightHawk and Wilson employ a bunch of smiths but I have no idea who they are or experience they have. Were they prior 2112s that worked on team guns? Or were they recent students of the Sonorian Desert  Institute? Are they competitors? Distinguished? Action shooters?
A 1911 built by Dave Sams, Salyer, Clark, Bob Marvel, KC is on par or cheaper than those 1911 production houses. Some of these 1911 smiths may have a long wait list but you get a better gun
A 1911 is a complex piece. Lugs, grip safeties, triggers etc.  need to be fitted.  A Glock was designed to be simple and reliable.

I agree, Glocks are simple and reliable, and that's their reputation..  was easy for me to change out the triggers, change the sights, install optic. 
they are great for duty, carry gun, self defense gun
but I like the 1911 for different reasons. they serve a different purpose for me.  it's a range gun, and 1 of them serves as a home defense gun.. just something really nice looking. has a long military history with the US which I appreciate. something that I really love right behind revolvers
I got my G19 to be one of my carry guns bc its light, reliable, many aftermarket parts and accessories for it.  but it doesn't excite me like my 1911's

Dammit ren, u had to go there.

Brb HK's are better than Glocks

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

Dammit ren, u had to go there.

Brb HK's are better than Glocks

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

I like my 1911s. Spent a lot of money to make them shoot competitively. Slides squeezed, triggers worked, Kart barrel fitted, sights milled etc. But, in a zombie apoxaclypse, Mel Gibson scenario - I'd grab a Glock and tons of 9mm. I'd be sad to leave my 1911s back but I only have 2 hands...and a small hybrid....if I only had a 200tree Tacoma lifted....maybe they all can come along