First Look: At Gunsite With the CZ TS 2 Orange and Dan Wesson DWX Pistols

There are occurrences in life that are a given, and in the interest of brevity, I see no need to list the same tired cliches that have been regurgitated ad nauseam. With that said, it is worth the column inches when CZ-USA improves upon a tried and true match pistol while introducing new steel hardware, dropping a trifecta of bona fide gems. 

CZ TS 2 Orange

Let’s start with the updated TS 2. We now have the option of the TS 2 Orange. If you are unfamiliar with the color code from CZ-USA, anything with the “Orange” designation denotes the highest quality in the line with orange colored accents to showcase that pistol. 

Highlights of the TS 2 Orange over the TS 2: 

• New Bull Barrel for increased accuracy, better recoil control, and a significantly longer service life
• Hand-fitted barrel-to-slide and slide-to-frame for the tightest tolerances
• CZ Shadow 2 Orange-style front attachment system for quick and easy sight removal
• Extra serrations on the top front edge of the slide ensure more comfortable cocking
• Higher positioning of the ambidextrous safety
• Slightly reduced height magazine release button
• Modified recoil spring guide simplifies disassembly

Each of these improvements carries a modicum of merit, but the amalgamation of the lot translates into improvements warranting the $2,199 MSRP. Make no mistake, the TS 2 Orange is not a range plinker nor a defensive handgun, but its sole function in life is to be a designated race gun in IPSC standard division and USPSA limited division, which is where this handgun aches to be. My experience with the TS 2 Orange at Gunsite Academy was with the 9mm Luger version, but it can also be had in .40 Smith and Wesson.

Specifications

Chambering: 9mm Luger / .40 Smith and Wesson
Capacity: 20+1 / 17+1
Receiver: steel
Stocks: Aluminum 
Trigger: Single action 
Sights: Front fiber optic and checkered adjustable rear
Barrel: Cold hammer forged
Barrel length: 5.2 inches
Weight: 50.3 ounces
Overall length: 8.86 inches 
Height: 5.8 inches
Width: 1.7 inches
Safety: Manual thumb safety and half cock on hammer.

Now we turn our attention to the CZ A01-SD OR in 9mm Luger.

CZ A01-SD Optic Ready

This pistol is a new emergence inspired by the CZ shadow line, born of the CZ Custom Shop. Reminiscent of the legendary CZ 75 in aesthetics, but stepping away from service pistol role, the A01-SD OR is purpose-built to help the athlete win pistol matches. The SD designation denotes a short dust cover, and this pistol is available optics-ready, if you are into that sort of thing.

Like the TS 2 Orange, it was not designed as a defensive handgun or just the occasional shooter but to be run hard and put up wet, with the expectation to function without consideration. This pistol is for the serious competitor or aspiring competitor looking for that edge to be competitive with those savvy of the sport, hence the $2,699 MSRP. Yea, not a typo; this pistol is suggested to be $2,700, but at the risk of another tired cliche, you got to pay to play.

Specifications

Chambering: 9mm Luger
Capacity: 19+1
Receiver: CNC machine hammer forged steel 
Trigger: Double action
Sights: Fiber optic front and fixed rear
Barrel: Cold hammer forged
Barrel length: 5 inches 
Weight: 47 ounces
Overall length: 8.6 inches
Safety: Manual thumb safety

Dan Wesson DWX

Now, my favorite of this trifecta is the Dan Wesson DWX. I am aware the DWX was announced at the 2019 SHOT Show, but production was plagued with supply chain issues due to Covid and all that entailed. Yes, that whole debacle was a mess, and no matter what you think of that SNAFU, it affected many of us in all sorts of ways. As my mother reminded me throughout my childhood and often enough, even today, “patience is a virtue.” That patience has paid off for the lot of us, as the DWX is alive and well, shipping by the pallet load. 

Now y’all, I have been in the firearm review game some 25 years and have seen innovations, waste of materials, and all points in between. Over those years, I have developed somewhat of a mental callus to the term game changer, a phrase thrown around SHOT show like one would throw around chicken feed to a platoon of ravenous Rhode Island Reds.

Upon initial inspection with the DWX, I will freely admit I was mildly smitten, but in the interest of full transparency, I am smitten with Dan Wesson. I am doing my best to be objective. However, please consider my potential for unintentional bias. 

After an afternoon at Gunsite Academy during the Colt/CZ Media Day with the DWX II, I no longer regretted buying 9mm reloading dies so much as I experienced a defining moment. I have always harbored an unjustified disdain for the 9mm Luger, but maybe I was misguided. Now, if y’all know me, it is tough to admit such, but here I am, growing as a person. Thank you, that was cathartic.

Enough personal diatribe, and back to the DWX. This pistol is truly a game changer in so much as it blends a match grade pistol to a service sidearm that would serve equally well at the pistol match or defensive carry. 

The DWX is a hybrid of the traditional 1911-style pistol and the CZ 75, both proven platforms. The ergonomics are the same at the CZ 75, so much so the stocks are interchangeable. The pistol utilizes the P09/P10 magazines, making additional magazines available and inexpensive. 

The trigger functions the same as a 1911 trigger: a sliding trigger with a 1911 hammer and sear. The ambidextrous safety, magazine release, and reversible magazine catch are all similar to the 1911. If you are familiar with the 1911 pattern pistol or the CZ 75, you will feel at home with the manual of arms of the DWX. As with all Dan Wesson pistols, there are no MIM parts.

However, the DWX uses a linkless bull barrel, so there is no barrel bushing like the P09. A standard Picatinny rail is machined into the full-length dust cover. With an MSRP of $2,099, that is a lot of gun you are getting for your money.

Are you a Dan Wesson or CZ-USA fan? What are your favorite models? Share your answers in the comment section.