Daewoo DP51 Review: K-Pop Wondernine Remix // Lionheart

If you grew up in the ‘90s, there are certain things that have been indelibly burned into your hippocampus:

The flag of the USSR descending for the last time.
Fruitopia.
Denise Richards.
Some guy yelling “THIS IS THE REMIX” followed by an existentially vexing airhorn.

Well, my fellow gun hipsters, this IS the remix. Of all your favorite ‘90s wondernines.

BEW-BEW-BEWWWWW!!!

And this one’s got a funky K-Pop vibe that’ll have you jammin’ to a whole new DA/SA groove.

What makes the Daewoo DP51 hipster worthy?

Solid, shootable and uniquely lovable, the DP51 reinvents the idea of the classic “wondernine” into something that’s fundamentally familiar, yet alluringly innovative.

Korea has this unique talent for resurrecting the passe trends of Western civilization. But they’re not just doing the same thing over again—they make it better. And just a touch weirder.

For instance…

The Hyundai Veloster N looks like a phallic hunchback dolphin—but it kicks the sh_t out of GTIs and Mini Coopers. The Stray Kids have this half-emo/half-punk/quasi-gangsta’ vibe that makes all other boybands look like they’re doing it wrong. And gochujang is like the best barbecue sauce you’ve ever had, laced with chili peppers, a touch of taekwondo and possibly crack.

And the Daewoo DP51??

It’s the classy, refined, go-to-war wondernine you still yearn for, in your gun-hipster heart.

Funked-up with some K-Pop quirk.

But first… let’s take it back to the old school.

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A Classic Groove

The DP51 is a throwback to a time when things were straight-up built—from metal, pride, punches and hammers. It’s solid. Dense. Tough. When it’s in your hand, you get the sense that it… matters. To you. And to the people who made it.

No, it’s not fancy. No, it doesn’t scream “tactical.” It just feels like quality.

And it looks like it feels: Tastefully utilitarian.

The dark blue slide offers a subtle contrast to the matte gray frame—which has a resplendent slate-like anodizing that’s ever so slightly coarse, yet still smooooth. The entire gun exudes this sense of industrial elegance that just… works. It’s simple. Sophisticated. It looks like it was made by professionals, for professionals.

The Daewoo guns have a reputation for “military-grade” reliability. I’ve put around 1,000 rounds through mine and it has never choked on me. And I tend to think that’s the norm based on the anecdotes I’ve encountered.

Thus…

In its subjective character, the DP51 captures the essence of the classic wondernine.

If you don’t know, “wondernine” is a term of endearment used to describe the crop of high-capacity double-action/single-action service pistols that dominated the ‘80s and ‘90s. And—as we’ll discover—the DP51 takes inspiration from the very best in the wondernine genre. In fact, if you listen closely…

You can hear familiar “riffs” echoing through the mix.

Oppan Gangnam 3rd Gen Style!

Thin slide. Classic proportions. Belled barrel. Press-fit bushing.

If you know Smith & Wesson’s “third generation” pistols—like the 5906 and 6906—you’ll catch the same kinda vibe in the DP51. There’s a very strong resemblance. In fact, Daewoo pistols generally run fine with S&W 59/69-series mags. Mine does.

And in case you haven’t noticed…

I have the DP51 Compact. It’s the size of S&W’s compact 6906/6904, as opposed to the larger 5906. However, I’m going to speak generally about the DP51 platform—which, in most respects, will also apply to the pistols sold by Lionheart Industries (e.g., LH9, Regulus, Vulcan). I’ll discuss the Lionheart guns later.

*Major parts of the DP51C and S&W 6904—the similarities are obvious*

But before we get ahead of ourselves…

The DP51 isn’t just a S&W cover performance:

The fire-control setup is pure Beretta 92. As with the 92, the Daewoo’s trigger bar runs along the outside of the frame and engages the sear/hammer in pretty much the same way. And while the DP51 uses a unique hammer design for its DA+ system, the break itself feels very Beretta-esque… with that solid, satisfying “thwack.”
The barrel-cam design takes cues from Sigs and CZs. Daewoo ditched S&W’s obscure “side lug” setup and went for a traditional open-slot cam path—kinda like a SIG Sauer P-Series pistol. But the DP51 cams on the slide stop, unlike a Sig, so the geometry is more like that of a CZ-75.

But none of those elements singularly define the experience, in terms of how the DP51 handles. To put it simply, it’s its own thing. Especially its trigger system. Which is about as unique as fermented cabbage on an all-beef hotdog (which I’ve had—it’s surprisingly good).

*While Daewoo sampled S&W and Beretta, the DP51 is a unique composition*

Twice the Double Action

If you find someone who has actually heard of the DP51, there’s a good chance they’ll know something about its funky trigger system. It’s sometimes called “Double Action Plus.” It’s sometimes called “Triple Action.” But no matter what it’s called, it’s always…

Kinda neat.

Getting down to brass tacks, here…

The gun uses a hinged hammer. So, once you cock the hammer, you can shoot it in “normal” single-action mode… OR… you can flick the hammer forward, back into the DA position. But when you do that, the thing stays cocked. Even though the head of the hammer goes forward, the shank of hammer stays back, impinged by the sear. The hammer spring also remains fully compressed.

At this point, you’re in DA+ mode. Or whatever you wanna call it.

So…

When you pull the trigger, there’s zero resistance from the hammer spring (because it’s fully cocked). The head of the hammer snicks straight back to the SA wall.

Net: You get an SA break with a DA length of pull.

*DA+ gives you “high-fidelity” accuracy on your first shot*

Long but Light

The intent of this system—obviously—is to mitigate the heavy draw of a conventional DA trigger, while retaining a “safe” length of pull. We’ll discuss the questionable necessity of the DP51’s manual safety, later.

In some ways, the DA+ system resembles the SFS trigger system, originally developed for the Browning Hi Power MKIII. However, with the SFS system, the manual safety controls the hinged hammer; you can’t just flick the hammer forward and pull the trigger, like you can on the Daewoo.

Now, the DP51 still has a “normal” DA trigger mode. It’s heeeeeavy. And it requires you to manually decock the gun. But—other than a second-strike situation—there’s no reason to use it, since you have DA+. So, end of discussion.

Yes, it’s different. But I tell ‘ya—it works as advertised. With the right technique, you give up no accuracy versus a standard SA trigger pull.

But before we get into shooting and handling (which is awesome, BTW)…

Let’s discuss how—and why—the Republic of Korea cooked up this freaky, funky, genre-busting mashup of a service pistol.

Have Guns, Will Resist Communism

When you share a border with a terrifying Stalinist autocracy…

Weapons—both in terms of availability and quality—become pretty important. Such is the case with South Korea (i.e., The Republic of Korea).

After the Korean war, the ROK’s military and police forces relied on a hodgepodge of leftover rifles and pistols. But in the early 1970s, Colt set up a factory in Seoul, known as the Pusan Arsenal.

Initially, Colt/Pusan made M16s under license (and a few 1911s). However, the ROK’s contract with Colt imposed limits on the number of weapons they could produce. So, to end their dependance on foreign military hardware, they began a massive effort to design and deploy “home-grown” weapons.

*ROK forces with M16A1 rifles (Photo: NARA & DVIDS Public Domain Archive)*

As design efforts proceeded, the government pumped money into native South Korean industrial interests—including Daewoo (which means “Great Woo,” so named for its founder). And in 1983, the Daewoo Group acquired the Pusan Arsenal from Colt.

Which henceforth became known as “Daewoo Precision Industries.”

The ROK would leverage DPI, almost exclusively, to manufacture their new generation of indigenous weapons—including the K1 and K2 assault rifles, the K3 light machine gun and the K4 grenade launcher.

But what about… pistols?

Well, around this same time, the XM9 pistol trials were going on in the United States. And, apparently, the Koreans were paying attention.

K5 Jive

By the end of 1984, as the US pistol trials were winding down…

…South Korea’s pistol-palooza was just getting started.

I wasn’t there. I wasn’t in the meetings. But I can imagine there was… a chart. A big, freakin’, hand-drawn chart. Replete with scribbles, arrows, highlights and coffee stains. And maybe some gochujang smudges.

On this chart, there were 3 columns:

Smith & Wesson 459 (predecessor to the 5906)
Sig P226
Beretta 92F

Under each, there were—undoubtedly—pros and cons. And despite the irrefutable merits of both the 92 and the P226, S&W’s design had one critical advantage:

It wasn’t huge.

Of all the classic wondernine platforms, S&W’s 59-series is the handiest. Overall, it’s reasonably compact, slim and maneuverable—not to mention lightweight, when you opt for an alloy frame. Plus, it fits a wide variety of hands, offering shallow grip dimensions and a reasonably short trigger reach.

And…

With a few tweaks (based on lessons learned in XM9), S&W’s design proved it could match Beretta and Sig in terms of reliability. Moreover—with the launch of their compact M469 in 1982—S&W had shown that the M59 architecture could easily scale to different form factors. Bonus.

Mastering the Mix

So, given all that…

I think we begin to see why DPI used the M59 as the template for their new handgun. Though, as mentioned, DPI also incorporated recognizable elements from other leading service pistols of the day.

By 1989, the K5 was ready to enter service with the ROK.

Allegedly, the ROK subjected the K5—and all K-Series weapons—to intense reliability testing. I can’t find actual examples of what was done, but given the reputation these guns have, I’m sure it was pretty badass.

I have heard “rumors” that early iterations of the K5 had accuracy issues, due to improperly rifled barrels. But, I certainly don’t perceive anything less than excellent accuracy with my pistol—nor have I gleaned that others who own these guns experience substandard accuracy.

*Obligatory Wikipedia image of a full-size K5/DP51*

In the ‘90s, Daewoo exported the K5 commercially, as the DP51. They even cooked up a nifty compact version—which is exactly what we have here.

And let me tell ya’… this joint is a banger.

Literally.

A Groove, Slightly Transformed

When you grab a DP51…

You’re treated to the broad, meaty feel of an ‘80s/’90s double stack. Yet it seems… more intimate. Yes, all DP51/Lionheart variants offer a short trigger reach. But the compact model—which uses a straight backstrap, unlike the full-size—has the shortest trigger reach I’ve ever experienced on a double-stack pistol.

It’s insane.

You raise the gun. You line up your sights. You definitely get some 5906/6906 feelz. But with a slightly different tune…

*If you have small hands, the DP51C’s short trigger reach will feel… like you’ve come home*

Everything seems a touch more precise. More dialed in. You feel closer. Not only to the trigger, but to the gun itself. And to the shot you’re about to take.

BANG!

Firm wall. Snap-tastic break. To me, it feels a lot like a Beretta 92’s SA—which makes sense, if you look at the sear and trigger linkages.

And while the recoil makes itself known… it’s powerless against your utterly secure grip.

BANG! BANG!

Yeah, the compact DP51 has some snap. More than a 6906. And more than a full-size DP51 (so I’ve heard).

But even with my baby-gurl hands, I’m able to completely envelop the DP51C’s grip. The straight backstrap and the short trigger reach conspire to create an ergonomic Eden for small-handed people. It’s wide enough for lateral support, but shallow enough for a full “wraparound”; the pistol feels completely captured in my hands.

And with modern G10 grips from Lionheart Industries…

The gun. Does. What. I. Want.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The holes begin to cloverleaf. Maybe I’ve had too much coffee. Maybe I’m stressed, rushed or having a bad hair day. But it doesn’t matter. All I gotta’ do is grip this thing. Hard. It shoots a _uckin’ group where I want it.

*50 rounds @ 10 yards—sorry about those low-left flyers*

I can’t say it offers anything “magical” in terms of the shooting feel. It’s a wondernine with a tilt barrel. And it feels like a wondernine. With a tilt barrel.

But Daewoo took “conventional” and made it more “accessible.” Sharper. Leaner. Tighter. And maybe… just a bit smarter.

In DA+ We Trust

As I mentioned before, Daewoo’s DA+ system isn’t just a gimmick. It works. And, specifically, it delivers on the promise of mitigating the inherent heaviness of a conventional DA trigger.

That said…

I’ve found shooting the DA+ system requires its own technique. Here’s what gives me the best results:

I start the pull as if it were a normal double action pull. Slow, even pressure.
When the hammer snicks back to the SA position, I don’t just let it shoot—but I don’t stop the pull, either.
I measure my pressure against the SA wall, as if I’m continuing the same trigger stroke I began in step 1. The pressure builds and the hammer falls, seamlessly and cleanly.

I get nice tight groups out of it, this way. Honestly tighter than decocking between shots, on most conventional DA/SA guns.

It’s tempting to stop your pull when the hammer snicks back, then kinda “start over” at the SA wall. Initially, that’s how I approached the DA+ system. But I never achieved good results that way. Though, of course, YMMV.

And while you get the length of a true DA pull with DA+…

It’s still a single action trigger, at heart.

*Unless you* *manually* *decock, the DP51 is always technically cocked… will you lock?*

Cocked, locked or… not?

When you have a Daewoo / Lionheart pistol in DA+ mode, even the tip of your pinky delivers enough force to trip the sear. To me, it’s not a 1-to-1 replacement for a true DA trigger pull. Thus, I use the manual safety when I carry my Daewoo in DA+ mode.

And while you might wonder “what’s the point” of DA+ if you’re gonna use a safety…

If you look at DA+ as a smarter way to carry cocked and locked, I think it makes a lot of sense. It’s a bit more secure, in the event the safety gets inadvertently deactivated. And it puts a touch of “détente” between you and a hole in your target. Yet it’s still—in most respects—more shootable than a true DA pull.

In all, I think it’s a well-executed system and it has served the ROK well since 1989.

In fact…

The DA+ system outlived Daewoo itself.

The Big Breakup

Like so many great pop bands, the Daewoo Group eventually broke up. I mean, it’s usually because of “creative differences.” But this breakup was 100% because of the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s.

So, yeah. After 1997, no more DP51s in the US.

At least for a while…

Daewoo Precision Industries (the defense arm of Daewoo) spun-off into an independent company—S&T Motiv—and continued making K5/DP51 pistols after Daewoo imploded. By 2012ish, S&T began exporting its fine handguns to the United States once again. But under an entirely new brand name:

Lionheart.

The Lionheart LH9 Series

Instead of recycling the DP51 nomenclature, Lionheart Industries sold their imported K5s as the LH9 and LH9C. Lionheart also spiffed-up the guns with some modern bells and whistles: cerakote finish, front slide serrations, cool branding, cool grips, upgraded sights, etc.

*Lionheart LH9C—the 2010s version of the DP51C (Photo from Lionheart)*

And while Lionheart didn’t hide the fact they were selling Korean guns, they didn’t exactly shout it, either.

Nevertheless…

I think most Lionheart customers had a pretty good idea of what they were buying: rebranded K5/DP51 service pistols. And anyone who knew enough to know that… knew that K5 pistols were excellent guns.

In fact, I fully planned on spending $700+ on a brand-new Lionheart LH9C—because I loved my S&W 6904 and I wanted to experience a “fresh take” on that design.

Then…

I saw this lovely DP51C for $350 on Gunbroker. Same gun, bro. Half the price.

Another thing worth noting…

If you have an OG Daewoo-branded pistol, you can still buy brand new parts from Lionheart. I bought these dope G10 grips, a fresh recoil spring and a brand new 10-round mag from Lionheart. They all function perfectly. Plus, Lionheart—as a company—has always been responsive and helpful if I’ve had to ask questions.

The Regulus Era

Around 2019ish, the imports from S&T ceased and Lionheart began manufacturing Daewoo-pattern pistols in the United States. Presumably under license. Lionheart embraced a new sub-brand for the domestically produced guns:

“Regulus.”

I think the Regulus guns were solid pistols. After all, they were basically facsimiles of the Korean guns. But they were twice the price, bruh. I’m talking $1,400 – $1,500.

They tried to justify those prices by touting high-end features—like titanium-nitride barrels with single-point machining. But… I just don’t think 20- and 30-something gun hipsters were willing to fork over that kinda cash.

Nevertheless, the Regulus wasn’t the last of Lionheart’s “Gangnam-style” pistols.

The Vulcan Era

Around 2020, Lionheart closed shop in Washington and opened a new operation in Georgia. There may have been a change in ownership? Not 100% sure.

Lionheart produced a slightly different version of the Regulus in Georgia, for about a year. Then, in 2023, they introduced an entirely new line of domestically produced Daewoo-derived pistols:

The Vulcan Series.

The Vulcan is even MORE pimped-out than the Regulus. And even MORE expensive. Gratuitous slide chiseling. Optics ready. G10s with integral frame-mounted thumb rests. Again, the Vulcan is still a K5/DP51 at heart—that now looks like it was issued to Romulan separatists in the late 24th century.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to have one. But the prices they’re asking are beyond me. Maybe they’re planning to pave the way with a high-end model… then trickle down to us working-class hipsters with something more prosaic? Time will tell.

Speaking of time…

More Than a One-Hit Wonder(nine)

Daewoo’s design has stood the test of it… surviving multiple iterations, variations, brandings and re-brandings. Plus, it still serves with the ROK’s armed forces, as well as with other military/police agencies around the world (including Guatemala, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand).

Clearly, the gun has persisted because…

It’s good.

Sure, we all know plenty of good guns that have come and gone. But when it comes to the DP51 design, I tend to think there’s a subjective sense of appeal that transcends mere specs and features. The DP51 feels good. It shoots good. And it’s just…

Kinda catchy.

It’s the remix you never get tired of replaying. And I’ve enjoyed having this one on repeat while I’ve written this review.