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Thread: Dan Wesson revolver set, Opinions please

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master tazman's Avatar
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    Dan Wesson revolver set, Opinions please

    I have absolutely no experience with Dan Wesson revolvers. I have never even handled one.
    I ran across one in 357 mag with a 4 barrel set yesterday. The blueing is immaculate. The gun looks nearly unfired. It has 2 grips with it(I don't know if those are standard or not).
    I still have not handled it.
    I don't know the specific model number.
    The price was $1100.
    What I need to know is
    Are they good revolvers?
    Is the price about right?

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master



    M-Tecs's Avatar
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    That would be a 15-2 and they are excellent. Check GunBrokers for price. They are in current production in stainless.

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master tazman's Avatar
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    I just came from Gunbrokers. The buy it now prices for the set like the one I saw were running about $2200. That seems a bit excessive. I haven't seen any in gun stores locally in years.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master redhawk0's Avatar
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    I bought my dad a Dan Wesson 357 Blued with a 8.25" barrel back in 1985. It will someday come back to me...but I'm in no rush...I'd have to loose him to get it. But...its a well built revolver and very accurate. He uses it for SD...but he doesn't carry...just keeps it in the night stand. It came with only one set of wooden grips. It sounds like someone purchased a second set for the revolver you saw. AFAIK they don't come with extras.

    redhawk

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  6. #6
    Boolit Master

    jeepyj's Avatar
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    Just an opinion. Yes they are fine revolvers. If you are a double action shooter I think you'll find they are quite a bit different than a Smith, Ruger or Colt in such a way that they seem to pull a bit harder as your getting towards
    the breaking point that being said after a couple cylinders they are quite enjoyable to shoot. As far as pricing without seeing the package it's subjuct to change but my opinion that is a fair price. Lets just say if it was at my LGS I'd likely have a lay-a-way going. Best of luck and if you end up getting it please post pictures.
    Sometimes it takes a second box of boolits to clear my head.
    Feed back thread http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...?261449-jeepyj

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
    Bohica793's Avatar
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    I'll take it for $1100. The barrels alone are worth that.
    Make no mistake -- They will remember how easily you surrendered your rights.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master

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    The old Dan wessons are much sought after, the new ones are made by a different company that has the name rights, may or may not be as good. All mine are from the original company and not for sale at any price, they were the first guns I ever bought

  9. #9
    Boolit Master


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    Make sure you get an ORIGINAL barrel nut wrench & Barrel/Cylinder gauge.
    I HATE auto-correct

    Happiness is a Warm GUN & more ammo to shoot in it.

    My Experience and My Opinion, are just that, Mine.

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  10. #10
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    That was called the Dan Wesson Pistol Pack. My brother had that set and all 4 barrels were very accurate. Great revolvers.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    It is said that the best “Dans” were the Monson guns (made in Monson MA)

    I lucked out and acquired two Monsons both six inches both blued, a full under lug .41 Mag and a 22 Standard rim fire.

    It is a fact that their double action is different than a Smith or Ruger DA. I thought they resembled the Pythons but I have only fired one Colt revolver (a New Service) and only just a little bit at that so I can’t say much about that.

    The fellow who was the engineer on the Python project came over and gave Dan Wesson a hand at getting going which might explain some things .....

    My Dan in 41 has a single action break the likes you dream about. I bought both of these revolvers used though you would think the 41 just came out of the box and the oil in the 41 had really gotten stiff. When you broke the trigger in SA the trigger shoe was yanked forward ... very disconcerting to say the least.

    My local favorite gunsmith’s assistant told me to pull the grips and douse the action in Gun Scrubber. A bit of Tetra Gun after that and replace the grip to find the revolver in stunning form in SA!

    In silly wet shooting back in the days before the premiere grade Freedom Arms revolvers took the revolver division by storm, the Dan Wesson big bores ruled the sport.

    Three44s
    Last edited by Three44s; 03-09-2018 at 02:10 AM.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    They CAN be great guns. They also made some real stinkers, even the Monson guns, I can look at one of the latter any time I choose. Look them over VERY carefully.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master sawinredneck's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dubber123 View Post
    They CAN be great guns. They also made some real stinkers, even the Monson guns, I can look at one of the latter any time I choose. Look them over VERY carefully.
    Not to stir things up, but this is how I remember them as well. It was early to mid ‘90’s I was told not to even look at them because QC had gone south and they were having serious fitment issues, bad enough barrels could blow up.
    Now, let me quantify this, I have no dog in the fight ( I honestly think they’re cool guns!) and I CAN NOT VERIFY any of this, it’s all here say, but I’ve always steered clear of them because of that information. Hopefully someone can either correct me, or at least say for sure what’s good and what isn’t.
    Quote Originally Posted by sniper View Post
    Irish Proverb: Never approach a Bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or an Idiot from any direction!

  14. #14
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    Good morning
    We bought our first DW 15-2 in 1978. We have more DW's in near every caliber available and have not nor desire to sell any of them.
    Barrel switch is two minutes once you have done it a couple of times. We set our barrel gap at .0015 with no regrets. By far most DW's are far more accurate (when the barrel gap / tension is correct) than most any other revolver out there. You can pay 2-3x more for a revolver that may be more accurate... but you will never be able to barrel swap with it like DW owners can and do daily if desired.

    Barrel blow ups Most are caused because some clown already had a barrel obstruction. Just like most all other blow ups. Some are caused by double / triple charges of fast powders. I have never seen / read of evidence a DW barrel was at fault. Could happen about as much as any other well made USA firearm. If you have evidence please type as I would like to read it. Anything made by man can go bad.
    I hang out at the DW site. Not much evidence of a bad barrel exists...

    Quality Control I have found DW QC far better than the other Big 3 Revolver sellers. We have never had a new DW that needed sent back. Wish I could write that about the other Wesson and Rugers. But again .. Nothing made by man is always perfect. But I do know that DW stood by their revolvers. Had a used one with a bent crane. DW repaired it post paid no questions. I lost a spring from under the from sight cleaning it. They sent us several post paid.
    Mike in Peru
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  15. #15
    Boolit Master sawinredneck's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by missionary5155 View Post
    Good morning
    We bought our first DW 15-2 in 1978. We have more DW's in near every caliber available and have not nor desire to sell any of them.
    Barrel switch is two minutes once you have done it a couple of times. We set our barrel gap at .0015 with no regrets. By far most DW's are far more accurate (when the barrel gap / tension is correct) than most any other revolver out there. You can pay 2-3x more for a revolver that may be more accurate... but you will never be able to barrel swap with it like DW owners can and do daily if desired.

    Barrel blow ups Most are caused because some clown already had a barrel obstruction. Just like most all other blow ups. Some are caused by double / triple charges of fast powders. I have never seen / read of evidence a DW barrel was at fault. Could happen about as much as any other well made USA firearm. If you have evidence please type as I would like to read it. Anything made by man can go bad.
    I hang out at the DW site. Not much evidence of a bad barrel exists...

    Quality Control I have found DW QC far better than the other Big 3 Revolver sellers. We have never had a new DW that needed sent back. Wish I could write that about the other Wesson and Rugers. But again .. Nothing made by man is always perfect. But I do know that DW stood by their revolvers. Had a used one with a bent crane. DW repaired it post paid no questions. I lost a spring from under the from sight cleaning it. They sent us several post paid.
    Mike in Peru
    Again, I didn’t mean to stir anything up, and as I stated, I cannot verify anything, just here say. I did not mean my post as anything more than “I heard this, but I can’t prove anything and I’d sure love some input.”
    Quote Originally Posted by sniper View Post
    Irish Proverb: Never approach a Bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or an Idiot from any direction!

  16. #16
    Boolit Master Forrest r's Avatar
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    I enjoy the heck out of my 2 dw 15-2's. They flat out shoot & different bbl's, shrouds, sights, grips, etc are easy enough to find.

    [IMG][/IMG]

    Those heavy shrouds and muzzle breaks are the cat's meow for full house loads. Standard dw bbl's were 1 in 16 twist. Aftermarket bbl's can be found with 1 in 10 and 1 in 12 twists.

    EWK sells a lot of 15-2 parts, anything from sights to bbl's to shrouds, screws, etc.
    http://www.ewkarms.com/zen8/index.ph...index&cPath=12

    The trigger on box stock dw's are smooth and a little on the heavy side. I had a smith do the trigger work on those dw's pictured above. Wolfe does sell simple spring swaps.

    Nothing wrong with owning a dw or 2, a 4bbl set is even better.

  17. #17
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    My first 357 many years ago was a Dan Wesson. It wasn't extremely accurate and it wasn't pleasant to shoot with hot loads. I wish I had kept it but I didn't. I do still have the barrel wrench someplace in the garage. As far as having the feeler gauge or wrench it isn't a deal breaker.

    It might not be fair to say I thought the gun wasn't accurate. I was young at the time and only shot store bought ammo. Based on the other experiences here it would seem that they were accurate with hand loads.
    Last edited by 6bg6ga; 03-09-2018 at 08:30 AM.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master Murphy's Avatar
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    My first 'good' revolver was a Dan Wesson M15 in .357 back about 1978. A great gun and the single best 6 shot group I have ever fired, was fired from it.

    I haven't owned a Dan Wesson in decades now, but sure wouldn't hesitate to pick up another on a good deal. I was young and dumb back then and traded 'up' to S&W's.

    Murphy
    If I should depart this life while defending those who cannot defend themselves, then I have died the most honorable of deaths. Marc R. Murphy '2006'.

  19. #19
    In Remembrance

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    I have owned four over the years. My first was a non switch barrel .357 that I sold because I couldn't hit a thing with it but it was me and not the gun.
    The second was a 744 that I bought to help a friend out and had to return it a couple years later. The third was another 744 to replace the second and the fourth was a 15-2 that has been a great shooter also.
    So in my opinion Dan Wesson revolvers are great shooters and I have never had a problem with any of them. BTW, the guy who bought the first one from me was dead nutz accurate with it thus my saying it was me and not the gun.

  20. #20
    Boolit Buddy
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    I bought my first DW in 73 for I think $72 or it may have been closer to 90. It was a I think a model 14 (non adjustable rear sight). I sold it in 77 for $80 when I got ready to move to Germany (Army) and didnt think I could take it. It was downright accurate and I regretted having to sell it. Forward 45 years and I bought a model 15-2 on an internet auction site - has a 4 in barrel and I have since purchased a 6 in barrel and a second grip. It was and is in perfect shape and didnt look like it had ever been shot. It shoots as good as the first one I had. It was made I think back in the 70-80 time frame (not the new ones). I cant speak to the new DW's but the original ones were very accurate and fun to shoot.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check