DW Revolver Smith

[mjs408]

My Dan Wesson 15-2 is out of time, I would like to send it to a smith to have it corrected if possible. We have a severe lack of gunsmiths in North Iowa. The only one I know of has become hard to track down. Any recommendations on who to send it to that does good work, doesnt want 2 arms and a leg, and doesnt have a 2 year back log.

[44man]

I seen a few out of time. It was made that way during the bad DW ownership period. Hard to shoot a gun out of time unless you speed shoot a lot and peen the cylinder slots.
I had to file one side of the cylinder stop slot and peen the other side over on many of them. The only other way is to find a fatter cylinder stop and fit it.
There is also a spring and pawl inside the gun that if I remember, pushes the cylinder stop but it has been many years so I forgot. I seen many that were stuck and did nothing. Someone step in here and correct me because I did forget.
Try Jack Huntington but you need to find his number and call. He hardly ever gets to E mail. Guys here can suggest others but the work backlog might be high for all of them.

[mjs408]

Thanks for the info, it is a monson gun. It was a GB buy so I didnt get a chance to mess with it before purchase. I really like it besides that one issue. arjacobsen can attest to its timing issue. (I got him in the neck with a sliver of jacket)

[I'll Make Mine]

I had a 15-2 that was in time when I bought it (used, 1981), but shaved lead when the police recovered it and returned it to me after most of a year in possession of a thief. What I understood to be the likely case was the thief was "slamming" the cylinder and bent the crane.

IOW, it's possible the revolver is damaged from abuse, not from shooting, and that the cylinder stop might not be the problem.

[ga41]

I had a 41 mag that was a Monsoon gun. It spit like a rabid camel. Sent it back, they replaced the crane. Still spit. Sent it back again, this time asking that a decent blue be applied since the gun was more gray than blue. They kept it for what seemed like an eternity, because they had to wait for a production run of frames.....This time they replaced the frame. The bluing was still not up to par, but the trigger was as good as any rifle I had ever shot so I decided to live with it. Spitting was fixed. Before you could place cardboard over the top and sides and be left with confetti. This was on a new gun

[44man]

I seen many were the barrel threads in the frame were crooked and the barrels were sideways pointing.

[mjs408]

Who owned DW when it was in Monson, and who ran their QA dept.? I have a DW 1911(CZ ownership) and its as nice as one could ever hope for short of a full house gun.

Should I just shoot it and make sure nobody is to my left? I really want a 44 from them, but I dont want another out of time jewel.

[Whiterabbit]

Call Cactus at the Boise Gun Company. Revolver smith. I've seen his work first hand with S&W's. I assume he'll know Dans like the back of his hand too. I do NOT know what his backlog is. Might be 2 years :).

[BD]

Probably they shipped all those bad DW's far away to the west as I've not seen any of those issues back here in the east. Seen some varying chambers in the Norwich guns, (along with a short bored FP recess or two), and I've seen some buggered up barrels/barrel nuts, but not much else in the way of serious DW problems.
BD

[onceabull]

here's a second on Cactus T.. he has vetted a few DW's for me, but none required any actual smithing (YET)...should that happen,he will get first asking,as local means I won't have to wait two years....