What’s up Squat Squad, and welcome to Slav Guns. This one is from my SHOT Show 2020 day-one booth coverage with CZ-USA / Dan Wesson. Zach walked me through a whole lineup of brand-new guns: the CZ Bren 2 MS carbine, the CZ 457 Varmint Precision Chassis, the Dan Wesson DWX, and the 2020 Heirloom 1911.
Quick note: this is a booth first look and walkthrough, not a full range test and evaluation. The prices and availability below are what CZ quoted at SHOT Show 2020, so check current pricing before you buy.
TL;DR
- Bren 2 MS carbine: 16.5″ 5.56, piston-driven, folding adjustable stock, ships without sights; MSRP quoted at $1,999.
- 457 Varmint Precision Chassis: aluminum chassis .22 LR aimed at NRL22 / rimfire precision, AR-style stock and grip, M-LOK forend.
- Dan Wesson DWX: Series 70 1911 fire control + CZ magazines/ergonomics; full size 19+1, compact aluminum-frame 15+1; MSRP quoted at $1,799.
- 2020 Heirloom 1911: limited “barbecue gun” look — engraved slide, color-case frame, French walnut grips; just under $2,400.
CZ Bren 2 MS carbine
Zach started on the left with the Bren 2 MS carbine. The year before, CZ had rolled out Bren 2 MS pistols in two chamberings and three barrel lengths each. This carbine is the 16.5-inch 5.56 version, with both high-cap and low-cap configurations planned.
It is the same piston-driven system as the pistol Bren 2s. Zach called it a pretty light gun that gets a little heavier in carbine form, and it has a folding adjustable stock with no buffer tube, so you keep options there. He said the 805 it replaced was known for being incredibly smooth, and that in this configuration with the brake, this one is as smooth or smoother.
MSRP at the booth: $1,999. Samples were on the floor for SHOT; Zach would not lock an ETA, but said they would roll as quickly as the factory could get them out.
Optics-ready only: they ship without sights so they can keep the price point down and avoid forcing you to pay for irons you might yank off anyway. You get the adjustable folding stock and the longer handguard; optic is on you.
CZ 457 Varmint Precision Chassis
Next up was the rimfire: the 457 Varmint Precision Chassis. CZ had updated the 457 platform the year before (the migration from the 455), and this one drops that action into an aluminum chassis CZ designed with plenty of M-LOK for bipods and accessories, plus an AR-style adjustable stock and grip so you can customize it easily.
Scope mounts go on the dovetail with rings, or you can run aftermarket rails (Zach called out Area 419 flat / 15 MOA / 30 MOA options). This gun is aimed squarely at the rimfire precision crowd — NRL22 and similar matches.
On accuracy, Zach said they had been seeing incredible groups out of the aluminum chassis gun, but he would not quote a number on camera. He also talked through the little 457 upgrades that matter, including a lighter firing pin that cuts vibration when the gun goes off.
Dan Wesson DWX
Biggest Dan Wesson news of the year was the DWX — a mashup of CZ and Dan Wesson. CZ is known for ergonomic double-stack nines; Dan Wesson for high-quality 1911s at a sane price. The DWX uses a Series 70 1911 fire-control system (single-action, pull straight back), CZ magazines for 19+1 on the full size, CZ ergonomics and grip panels (full-size CZ grips and magwells work), and a P-09 / P-10 style barrel system.
Four versions were on the board, including a compact aluminum-frame model. MSRP quoted at $1,799. Zach said you can run a bunch of 1911 trigger parts, plus CZ grips, mag bases and magwells that interface with that grip. Target buyers: Limited Division USPSA, anyone who wants a nice range gun, and people who will carry the compact (still 15+1 and very light). Availability at the time was samples only, with production ramping after that.
2020 Heirloom Dan Wesson 1911
Last stop was the looker: the 2020 Heirloom Dan Wesson 1911. Zach hated calling it a barbecue gun, but that is the vibe — an incredibly nice, classy, understated 1911 for somebody who wants it well built and pretty. Specs he called out: engraved slide, color-case frame, French walnut grips.
Dan Wesson 1911s are clean — no giant billboards — and this one leans into that. It was framed as a special limited / heirloom-series piece they would probably refresh every year. Price: just under $2,400. Not a gamer gun (no ambi safeties, no wacky sights) — a gun built to look awesome, with a lot of hand fitting and hand polishing.
Bottom line
Day one at CZ/Dan Wesson was stacked: a folding-stock Bren 2 carbine, a chassis 457 for NRL22, a CZ/1911 mashup DWX for Limited and range days, and a pretty Heirloom 1911 for the shelf. All of that was SHOT Show 2020 booth talk, so treat the MSRPs as historical quotes and verify what is actually on the market now. If you are shopping rests, bags or range gear, check slav.li/amazon, and if you want to support the channel, join the channel.
Keep squatting.
Which of these 2020 CZ / Dan Wesson launches would you still buy today — Bren 2 carbine, 457 chassis, DWX, or the Heirloom?
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