Dan wesson 357

[Catsmith]

Got a Dan Wesson 357 with a 8" barrel yesterday in a trade. Shot it today and think I am going to like it. ALOT!8-)

Started off with some homebrew 38 158 swc and was really enjoying it. Moved up to some Federal 158 gr jwords and man there is a difference. I want to start working up some 357 loads.

Looking for those that might have either worked with a Dan Wesson or any long barel revolver 357. From what I read the DW can handle full house loads with no problems.

Any advise for a newb?

[kweidner]

dw is right there with ruger in strength. +10 on accuracy. i have the gold series 8". 357 and a 741 41 mag with 6" and 8". Both are shooters wouldnt sell or trade either. I shoot swc out of both and they perfomr admirally. Love the short hammer pull in SA mode. Check out EWK arms if you want a different bbl or wrench/ sights. Why oh why did they quit making them. With the bbl design under tension from bbl nut you can fine tune the cylinder gap. Try to buy one off of a sillywet shooter. There is a reason they shoot em. Also a reason they want gold prices for em.

[cbrick]

Dan Wesson dominated long range revolver (silhouette) for years though in 44, not 357. Why did they quit making them? With silhouette popularity fading coupled with the rising dominance of Freedom Arms in the sport sales just weren't there. Shame, it truly is a great revolver.

One of the accuracy tips from those that dominated master class revolver shooting the DW is to NOT remove the barrel. Set the cylinder gap as close as possible, from then on simply check the barrel nut to assure it's still tight.

The DW is on a par with Ruger strength wise and will handle common sense full book loads with ease. Of course anything can be taken to extremes, the key word there is common sense loads. Rugers never did gain widespread popularity in silhouette, though a strong enough frame they had the reputation of trying to find the 1 in 10 that was accurate enough at 200 meters. This is not a slam against Ruger, they are an exceptional revolver but were never designed or built as a long range match gun. Those that did find the 1 in 10 did very well with them. Smith's were even less popular in the sport because of the reputation of not handling long term use of full power loads and they would rather quickly shoot loose.

You've got a fine revolver in that 8 incher, they are getting harder and harder to find.

Rick

[Catsmith]

thank you both for the information. this will be my first revolver to cast for and try to find it's full potential.

what is a good site for sillywet shooters for research purposes?

[cbrick]

Not so much for load data but for a ton of cast bullet info try The Los Angeles Silhouette Club site at:

The Los Angeles Silhouette Club (http://www.lasc.us)

Be sure to check out Glen Fryxell's book "From Ingot To Target" at that site available in both pdf and HTML. Also a ton of CB articles.

[44man]

The Dan Wesson started as a jewel for accuracy. The barrel system works.
But they changed hands too much over the years and there were many failures to save costs. The downfall was saving money and worker discontent.
Then they came back for a while but history killed them. To find a gun made at the right time turned many away from them.
My friend has a later Dan Wesson 1911 and I have shot 1/2" 50 yard groups with it.
The problem is so much differences from year to year.
Freedom came on strong too but many would not keep up, same thing, make money too fast, overcharge for looks.
S&W's were accurate but sensitive to hold so an IHMSA course was a chore. I never shot one loose.
I won all my shoots with Rugers, XP100, MOA and Wichita. I wanted the Freedom but I still out shot them all with my old SBH.
Been a gunsmith forever and found the failings in many guns. Some I could fix, others were a waste but I always did best with a Ruger.
Now with the BFR's I think I could dominate with all 40's.
Now for the .22's, the Anschutz Exemplar was the best but the target loads would not kick over many rams at 100 yards. The Ruger Mark II won all my shoots, even state because it shot high velocity better. I won state with a new gun and no sight settings.
I was international class with every gun, went from unclassified to international in the shortest amount of shoots that can be done. Not bragging, just had super vision and learned the revolver plus the other guns.
Then I bought a Ruger .357 max, worked a load at 50 meters and went to a Youngstown shoot just to get sight settings. I shot a 39 out of 40 with no sight settings. That gun was amazing. Sold it and bought the wrong time period Dan Wesson to find a handful of scrap. Barrel was in crooked and the front of the cylinder wobbled. Internal parts did not work. There is an internal spring and pawl that did nothing. Down the road fast!
I don't keep track of history or dates. I can tell you about every gun.
Rick knows IHMSA and I would love to hear his history and his thoughts. Not just the best but failures too. We seen it with other shooters as we watched.
I shot with the best of the best. Blackie Sleeva, Boyd Carpenter, Josie Engle and many others. We traded first place over and over with the winner with the most shoot off targets at 200 meters. The first 40 was just a waste with winners getting all the shoot of chickens at 200. Miss one of the 40 and it was over.
I won state with 79 out 0f 80 with my SBH. I missed the last ram from being tired out. Running 20 straight turkeys at 150 meters and 19 rams will burn anyone out.

[cbrick]

Getting off topic here but my worst/most frustrating time in silhouette was the year I spent trying to get a DW 41 Mag to shoot. Never did and this was at the time FA introduced their revolver. A bit pricey at $700.00 retail, new in the box but I got one. In 454 no less, didn't get 454 because I wanted to shoot a 454 in silhouette but because that's all FA made at the time. If you wnated to shoot an FA you shot a 454. It only took 20 test rounds the first day at the range to realize that there was no way I could/would shoot a 40 much less 60 or 80 round match with that. The search for a sensible silhouette load was on and I settled on RL-7 & 240 gr bullet. Something changed with RL-7 starting with lot #31 and it no longer would shoot worth a hoot. I ended up with IMR 4198 & 240 gr @ 1420 fps. This shot well & I got many revolver 40's with it.

At that time I was shooting every class except revolver with a 10" 7TCU, put so many thousands of rounds through it that it was almost a smooth bore. I struggled with this, if I shot a 40 in production class I would go back to the line with the same gun, same box of ammo and shoot a 39 unlimited. I picked up a 270 JDJ barrel for the T/C frame and the 40's in unlimited never stopped. Always 38 to 40 in Unlimited 1/2 size.

I shot a factory stock (except trigger & sights) 7BR for several years and did quite well with it untill I wore this one out also, it shot several 80x80 at the NRA National champs. Needing a new barrel it sat in the safe for a few years during which time I got into shooting nothing but cast. I hauled it out of the safe and it shot cast like it did jacketed when new. I shot 80x80's with cast at the Whittington Center and Puyallup, WA NRA Nationals.

In the mid 90's I got sick and didn't think I would ever be able to shoot again, out of work and broke I sold most of my guns. In a couple of years though I was back in the pink, I can't tell you how bad the sick to your stomach feeling was standing there looking at an empty safe.

Then in the early 2000's I was at the range and a good friend that had also been MIA sick for a few years shows up with an FA in 357, he shot it through and handed it to me saying you take care of this for awhile & left. It was 1 1/2 years before I saw hm again. During that time I shot every category that I shot using that FA & cast bullets, revolver, unlimited & unlimited 1/2 size, production. If I was shooting I was shooting an FA 357 with cast. Then one sad day there is my buddy Dennis standing there telling me he wanted his revolver back. I asked him . . . Say what? What revolver is that? The next year the combined NRA/IHMSA California State championships were held at our club (LASC).

CA has some of the worlds best long range revolver shooters due in no small part to not only shooting year round but you can actually shoot 3 or 4 matches a month year round. Ron Cottriel has shot more National and International revolver 80x80's than most people have entered in. John Glennon, Rick Mishler and others were all there all shooting the finest jacketed revolver bullet that money could buy. And me, shooting Dennis's FA 357 and my cast bullets. I won that State Match with a 60x60, whooped them all. Did I mention my cast bullets? :mrgreen: Wasn't long after that match that I got my own FA 357, been shooting it with nothing but cast since the day I got it.

For the next few years my eyes were getting worse and worse until the day came when the eye doctor told me I was legally blind. Let me tell ya, that really puts a crimp in the silhouette shooting. Had cataract surgery in both eyes and am doing well now except the shooting. I can see distance well but can't read the headline on a newspaper without reading glasses. For shooting I can use glasses to see either the sigths or the target but not both. All I can do is compromise and wear glasses that give me fuzzy sights and fuzzy target. Oh well, it's still shooting and still fun but I sure don't run with the big dogs anymore.

There ya go 44man, a condensed history of my 30 years spent silhouette shooting.

Rick

[44man]

That is great. It was a wonderful sport but driving and costs got the better of me.
Eyesight got worse too but I have avoided cataracs (spelling?)
We will never lose the memories and the knowledge we learned and the great friends. Sadly some have passed on now.
It is an honor to share memories with you.

[cbrick]

30 years of incredible memories & more of the best people ever than you can remember.

Travel for many years was almost constant, all over the western U.S. and for quite some time we did shoot 3 or 4 matches a month, every month.

Loosing a lot of these people. I just found out a couple of days ago that John Adams has cancer and not expected to see New Years, John was one of the original founders of handgun silhouette, founder of The Los Angeles Silhouette Club (the first sanctioned club anywhere and hosted the first Internationals) and the very first President of IHMSA. During that time John owned SAECO bullet molds and is who sold it to Redding.

Lot's of good folks, lot's of memories. I wouldn't change a minute of it for anything.

Rick

[Catsmith]

Man, thanks for sharing the history gentlemen. I knew there were experienced people on here but wow. Thanks!

[I'll Make Mine]

I've got a Dan Wesson Model 15 that I bought used in the mid-1980s (to replace one I got used in 1981, that was stolen). My experience is the cases will start to fail before the revolver will; my first one had a timing problem (I found out after the police recovered it from the thieves) that caused excessive pressure; with factory rounds it would flatten primers and engrave the texture of the recoil shield on the cup, require hammering the extractor pin with a box of ammo to drop six fired cases -- and the gun never got loose or lost accuracy.

If I were reduced to a single firearm, handgun or rile, my Dan Wesson would be the one.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
Started with a 15-2 in 1978 and have no regrets. Next got a 10" barrel and went into the Silly -wet world. Discovered the DW has a long cylinder and would permit me to seat my 180 grainer in the first grease groove giving that bit more room for some more 296. Shot my first 38/40 with that rig in 1982.
Then got a model 41 mag 8" and discoved the most accurate revolver I have ever owned. (still have it) . Shot my first 40/40 Revolver with it in 1983 and won Illinois State revolver AAA firing a 79/80 . ( Missed the first chicken) Shot numerous 40/40's with that revolver.
I highly recommend you screw the barrel in to at least .0015 gap or closer if you revolver will permit. Clean the cylinder face every 100 rounds or so with a brass brush so it will not lock up. Tighten the barrel nut firmly and see how it shoots with your most accurate load. Add a bit more tension on the nut and see how that shoots. You will find a certain tork level where it shoots the best. It is wise to paint the barrel threads with Anti-seize paste so it will always come loose in the future if you want to change barrels.
EWK presently has a fast twist (1-12) barrels for sale for the model 15-2's. I bought several to try out with heavy boolits. DW uses 1-18.5 twist so you need to really stoke the 180 grainers to get them up to good RPMs for best accuracy. 1-12 twist will get there with a bit less pressure.
The DW site is chocked full of DW info. You might want to give that a gander one day.
Mike in ILL

[44man]

Many will change barrel gaps and tension on the DW. It is fine to find what works until you want to remover the barrel nut. Then you have trouble.
Here is what you do. Put a rubber hose in the forcing cone, a small funnel in the other end. Pour a lot of boiling water through the barrel and you can turn the nut right off.
Please don't ruin the nut or wrench with force.

[TCLouis]

When one tightens the barrel nut on the DW's the place the barrel in Tension.

I was wondering if anyone has done any studies on what the proper ft/inches of "tightness" performs best?

If ya got a 6"SS 715 barrel and shroud collecting dust contact me, heck even a porkchop Model 14 barrel and shroud