Tell me about Dan Wesson

[Asaltweapon]

Just spend a little more time trying to read it and a little less time bitching about it and you'll be in good shape.

Sorry but my life is too short for that struggle for little gain.

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no, no...you're right ....it was a bitch to write, too. no apologies needed here

Glad you understand.

 

[EJFudd]

no, no...you're right ....it was a bitch to write, too. no apologies needed here

But it was a damn good read (brought back a lot of memories) even if I did have to cut & paste it into Word and parse it all out. My old man's eyes just ain't what they used to be.

Seriously, thank you for taking the time to post it.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Just spend a little more time trying to read it and a little less time bitching about it and you'll be in good shape.

Use the mouse to hilight some text and it will make it easier to read (sort of like paragraphs).

 

[ToddDubya]

Here you go, ladies. A little Shift+F3, some carriage returns and VOILA!

I also shot dan wesson revolvers in ihmsa competition in the mid 80's to early 90's. Both the 44 mag and 357. Both were pistol pacs with the 357 having 4 barrels and the 44 with 3. These were tanks, built very well. The cylinder lock up was at the front of the cylinder as opposed to being in the rear.

Their claim to fame was their accuracy. Any review you read of these from 20+ years ago and beyond, the authors raved about the accuracy. Part of the reason was the way the barrel was secured. You tightened the front barrel shroud nut down and you were securing the the barrel with opposite pressure, from the muzzle end and it was pulling from the forcing cone rear end.
You got with the gun a little envelope with a shim for the cylinder gap measurement and a tool. The tool served as a barrel wrench, sight adjustment tool (hex head wrench), and a tool to remove the nut that secured the grip to the frame. There was a "grip spike" i guess you'd call it, not the traditional frame you would see say on a smith revolver.

Shooting ihmsa, we would not use the shim but rather just set the barrel right down on the cylinder and back it off just a tiny bit. Enough for the cylinder to rotate without binding. We were trying to reduce the cylinder gap to as small as possible. This was great but as the match progressed, it was 40 rounds in stages of 5, the heat expaned the metal and we has a hell of a time rotating the cylinder. You had to thumb back the hammer while with the other hand, help turn the cylinder manually.

I remember going to the dan wesson factory twice a year in monson to have the timing repaired. I'd leave woburn at 5 am to get there at 7 and i'd just walk in the employee entrance with the workers. Try doing that now. I got to know seth a little. I had known him cause he and his son shot ihmsa at the time so we knew each other in passing. A few times i was asked to his office for coffee and got a plant tour with him. I remember him as being generous meaning a few times i asked to buy some parts, like a 2" barrel and shroud for my 357 and he just went and got them and gave them to me. Always came out with misc screws and springs but he did give some hi ticket items away as i said.

The monson factory was an old converted school. One thing i remember is the assembly area was in the old science lab and the gun to be assembled was brought to the assembler in a tray that was designed to fit in the old lab sinks. I'm pretty sure i'm remembering that right.

Back to the guns themselves, i shot primarily the 44 in the matches but near the end, before my buddy and myself stopped shooting it, we were experimenting with the 357 by loading a 35 caliber rifle bullet over a compressed charge in a 38 case. I won't mention the loading but it was a handful. I have saved a couple of rounds i'll try to find and post a pic for your viewing curiosity. These revolvers took a beating and worked very well.

I sold both pacs, my 44 was a 2 digit serial number, 00xx. I remember seth asking me where i got it from. Actually, i got it used from a mechanic i worked with at the time. The 44 pacs were scarce and he had one. Said his father knew someone who worked at the factory. I pestered him untill he sold it to me. Paid 350.00 and wish i kept it. Sweet guns. Somebody mentioned the belt buckle that came in the pac case, i had forgotten that detail. A nice touch.

I don't know if i'd pay 600 bucks for a used, no box dan wesson. I would for a full pistol pac with the attache case it came in. But i don't know what they sell for now either. I'd say 450 - 475 would be reasonable offer. At 600 you might get buyers remorse but i've been know to pay way over what somethings worth if i want it badly enough. Ok, i'm done, got a little long winded.

Now that I actually read your story, it's a cool one. Thanks for sharing.

 

[EJFudd]

The infamous Dan Wesson "Barney" effect... ... their investment cast parts turning plum color over time while non-investment cast parts remain blue. This photo is an extreme example but an awful lot of them I have seen exhibit the effect to some degree.

It's probably the only reason I don't own any Dan Wesson revolvers today because otherwise I think they are very nice firearms.

 

[The Anchor]

i think $600 is a good mass price for a real nice shape gun, but as described maybe a little less. pistol packs here in ma ( and elsewhere) are 1100 on up depending on caliber/ condition/ etc. i have 3 monson guns ( 2 supermags), one shows the plum color prominent (375 supermag), one doesnt at all ( 15-2 357 mag), and one is just a hint ( 357 supermag). you will be hard pressed to find a more accurate revolver even at any price. and being still able to buy barrels and shrouds means you can still customize it to your liking. i just ordered a 12" ewk barrel and shroud for the 15-2 and can't wait to shoot it later this week.

 

[greencobra]

The infamous Dan Wesson "Barney" effect... View attachment 136468 ... their investment cast parts turning plum color over time while non-investment cast parts remain blue. This photo is an extreme example but an awful lot of them I have seen exhibit the effect to some degree.

It's probably the only reason I don't own any Dan Wesson revolvers today because otherwise I think they are very nice firearms.

damn, never have seen that before. sort of like the plum loading gates on the early ruger flat tops. do you know the age of that revolver? was that a recent photo?

 

[EJFudd]

damn, never have seen that before. sort of like the plum loading gates on the early ruger flat tops. do you know the age of that revolver? was that a recent photo?

It's a Monson gun so it was made somewhere between 1968 and 1983... exact production year and date of the photo unknown.

 

[Sweeney]

damn, never have seen that before. sort of like the plum loading gates on the early ruger flat tops. do you know the age of that revolver? was that a recent photo?

It's a 'pork-chop' so it's an early gun.

 

[The Anchor]

Holy Sight radius!

 

[lupis42]

Holy Sight radius!

That the 15"?

Looks like something Jack Nicholson would pull out of his pants to shoot down Batman...

 

[The Anchor]

That the 15"?

Looks like something Jack Nicholson would pull out of his pants to shoot down Batman...

no, that 12" with an 8" looking real small under it.

 

[Sweeney]

Didn't the early guns also have the external Barrel Nut?

Yes, they do.

Lots of good info here; danwessonforum.com

 

[Zappa]

I sold a stainless Monson one a couple of years ago with 4 barrels (one of which was heavily pitted) for either $900 or $1k, I can't remember.

Was that the one I traded to you ???

I liked the gun, and owned it a long time, but as my collection grew, I found less utility for the interchangeable barrels. If I wanted a different barrel length, it was easier to just grab a different gun, so I pretty much left the 6" installed and the other barrels sat in the safe.

Just did a search, CZ-USA now makes Dan Wesson. The 715 is in production as of 2014. Check out the site, the prices are very high.

I handled one of the new .357's yesterday at Rileys.
The quality seems very good and I noticed a few small changes from the old Monson model 715 I had. However, the price was over $1k which is way more than I'd pay for one with only a single barrel.

 

[Monadnock]

Daniel Baird Wesson II (April 1916 – November 1978) was an inventor and firearms maker and the great-grandson of inventor and firearms maker Daniel Baird Wesson who was co-founder of Smith & Wesson. Wesson worked in Smith & Wesson, the family company, from 1938 until 1963 when it was acquired by the conglomerate Bangor Punta.[SUP][1][/SUP] He left S&W and launched Dan Wesson Arms Inc. in 1968.[SUP][2][/SUP]The first Dan Wesson production revolvers, the Model 11 & 12 (later revolvers were marked as D11 & W12) were shipped in August 1970.
Wesson's firearms are known for a high quality of craftsmanship. Dan Wesson Arms introduced a rare design among revolvers, the design featured the ability to change barrels and grips with simple hand tools, which made these guns popular with shooters.
In 1992, Dan Wesson Arms Co. was renamed Wesson Firearms Co. and run by his son, Seth and wife Carol until 1995.

Slight off-ramp WARNING;

Long-time Monadnock Rod and Gun Club Member Al Straitiff told me a few stories about his "exploits" with Dan Wesson in-the-seventies. Al, the developer and manufacturer of the Competitor Pistol (breach loading single-shot, highly accurate and robust pistol) used to be buddies with Dan back in-the-day. Al, was a great supporter of shooting sports and would do anything to help our Club. He passed away three weeks ago, and will be missed. We will be holding a Memorial on his behalf this spring/summer. Al would do some custom work on those pistols on occasion. He was recognized as one of the top naked-eye machinists in the firearms industry, consulting with most of the major manufacturers at one time or another.

...and back on the freeway;

The revolvers manufactured by Dan Wesson in Monson did rival the Colt Python in build, fit and overall quality. And as mentioned, you don't see too many in cases at gun shops. There's a reason for that, not because they have failed over time, but because those that acquire them tend to keep them.

 

[84ta406]

Slight off-ramp WARNING;

Long-time Monadnock Rod and Gun Club Member Al Straitiff told me a few stories about his "exploits" with Dan Wesson in-the-seventies. Al, the developer and manufacturer of the Competitor Pistol (breach loading single-shot, highly accurate and robust pistol) used to be buddies with Dan back in-the-day. Al, was a great supporter of shooting sports and would do anything to help our Club. He passed away three weeks ago, and will be missed. We will be holding a Memorial on his behalf this spring/summer. Al would do some custom work on those pistols on occasion. He was recognized as one of the top naked-eye machinists in the firearms industry, consulting with most of the major manufacturers at one time or another.

...and back on the freeway;

The revolvers manufactured by Dan Wesson in Monson did rival the Colt Python in build, fit and overall quality. And as mentioned, you don't see too many in cases at gun shops. There's a reason for that, not because they have failed over time, but because those that acquire them tend to keep them.

I believe my father met Al, back in the 90's at a gun shop around here. I was little at the time but I remember going and waiting in line, the gentleman was ecstatic when my father pulled out his Monson made 44VH, told him it was one of the finest he had ever seen. Even still its such a beautifully crafted firearm. My father left it to me and I will never in the world think of selling it.

 

[Tiktock]

My 4-digit Monson MA .44:

I shoot it every time I go to the range. Best trigger on any revolver i've felt!

I've been eternally searching for a short barrel/shroud (2-4") but they are unicorns and people sometimes want the price of a new revolver for them.

 

[Monadnock]

i just saw they moved to palmer in 1993?? under the wesson brand. the monson guns were dan wesson arms i believe. now I know my dates are off. while i was going to the monson factory, i remember being told they had an operation seperate from guns in palmer and they were manufacturing lip stick cases, you know the twisty things lip stick comes in. something happened, maybe a bankruptcy, and they ceased gun manufacturing. im fuzzy on details but they restructured the gun business and moved to palmer calling themselves wesson. maybe someone else can elaborate. sorry for hijacking this, is interesting though, isnt it?

Another car-jacking in progress here ...

Now this is an interesting coincidence. The mention of lipstick (case) manufacturing. I bought a whole bunch of Activ hulls and wads (12 gauge shotgun) from Al Straitiff (Dan Wesson's friend) over a dozen years ago. They were very slick through the action, loaded repeatedly without early failure, and were basically entirely made of a fairly slick plastic. There was a metal "washer" in the base of the hulls for necessary support. Well, these hulls came out of a factory in West Virginia. The manufacturer produced the hulls which were branded Activ, and sold as loaded ammo as well as reloading components. Waterfowl (this is pre lead ban mind you) hunters liked them because they were reliable, relatively inexpensive, and because of the material. It held up to moisture better than hulls using external metal components. Well this manufacturer started as a lipstick case manufacturer, and began making shotshells when he realized that the tooling could be easily adapted to their production. I believe that there was a fire that ended things in West Virginia, but I seem to remember Al saying something about the equipment coming north. I do wonder at potential cross-pollination. I still have a couple of thousand hulls, and when we get our trap program at the Club running, Activ hulls will be hitting the ground once again.

...back to Dan Wesson's guns. As mentioned, I remember going to competitive shoots and as stated, the cylinders were so tight at-the-face, that when the guns got hot, competitors sometimes had to half-cock and advance the cylinder by hand ...hehehe. It speaks to the accuracy though. Anyone willing to put up with that had to love how the guns shot.

 

[Tiktock]

Another car-jacking in progress here ...

Now this is an interesting coincidence. The mention of lipstick (case) manufacturing. I bought a whole bunch of Activ hulls (12 gauge shotgun) from Al Straitiff (Dan Wesson's friend) over a dozen years ago. They were very slick through the action, loaded repeatedly without early failure, and were basically entirely made of a fairly slick plastic. There was a metal "washer" in the base of the hulls for necessary support. Well, these hulls came out of a factory in West Virginia. The manufacturer produced the hulls which were branded Activ, and sold as loaded ammo as well as reloading components. Waterfowl (this is pre lead ban mind you) hunters liked them because they were reliable, relatively inexpensive, and because of the material. It held up to moisture better than hulls using external metal components. Well this manufacturer started as a lipstick case manufacturer, and began making shotshells when he realized that the tooling could be easily adapted to their production. I believe that there was a fire that ended things in West Virginia, but I seem to remember Al saying something about the equipment coming north. I do wonder at potential cross-pollination. I still have a couple of thousand hulls, and when we get our trap program at the Club running, Activ hulls will be hitting the ground once again.

...back to Dan Wesson's guns. As mentioned, I remember going to competitive shoots and as stated, the cylinders were so tight at-the-face, that when the guns got hot, competitors sometimes had to half-cock and advance the cylinder by hand ...hehehe. It speaks to the accuracy though. Anyone willing to put up with that had to love how the guns shot.

I was hand advancing the cylinder on my Wesson .44 at a pin shoot two weeks ago. After 10-20 shots it would begin. I ended up widening the cylinder gap a tiny bit just to avoid the maintenance required when using the spec gauge that they give you!

I sold my ported barrel as it was a bad design with a shroud in place, even vented.

 

[Sweeney]

I like the Dan's. These are my three...so far. All are Monson guns.

744
15-2
715

 

[DW357]

Anyone know if a stainless 715-2 with 6 inch and 4 inch heavy vent ribbed barrels, tools, 3 grips, factory box is worth $900?

How about a stainless 715 V6 with factory box, wood grips, 6" 4" and 2.5" barrels for $975?

Havent seen either one in person to confirm condition.

 

[DW357]

How are the triggers on these? Require a trigger job? I'll have to stop by my local shop to check these out.

 

[Palladin]

The stock triggers on the 7-15 series was awesome

 

[Sweeney]

Anyone know if a stainless 715-2 with 6 inch and 4 inch heavy vent ribbed barrels, tools, 3 grips, factory box is worth $900?

How about a stainless 715 V6 with factory box, wood grips, 6" 4" and 2.5" barrels for $975?

Havent seen either one in person to confirm condition.

Well, the Monson guns tend to be more desirable as, it is said, the Palmers weren't quite as good.

The triggers are very good in my opinion.

As to the value...well, it's subjective. Since these have multiple barrels and if they're in good condition I would pay that if I really wanted one...some might think it's crazy. I don't buy anything thinking I will resell it and break even or profit. I buy stuff if I want it and the price is right for me.

Besides a replica 1858 Remington and a 2nd Gen Colt 1860 the Dans are the only revolvers I own. I sold a S&W 629-2 to get my DW 744.

 

[The Anchor]

value is creeping up on all DW. i have been looking to add to my two supermag's and in the last month have seen some pretty rare examples (EG serial numbers, .32-20. 32 mag, ETC) fetch some pretty big numbers. Last week, a true unicorn Palmer 414 suppermag ( one of less then 30), fetched just shy of $6400.

Triggers are better then S&W in single action, but heavy and different in double action.

 

[DW357]

Well, the Monson guns tend to be more desirable as, it is said, the Palmers weren't quite as good.

The triggers are very good in my opinion.

As to the value...well, it's subjective. Since these have multiple barrels and if they're in good condition I would pay that if I really wanted one...some might think it's crazy. I don't buy anything thinking I will resell it and break even or profit. I buy stuff if I want it and the price is right for me.

Besides a replica 1858 Remington and a 2nd Gen Colt 1860 the Dans are the only revolvers I own. I sold a S&W 629-2 to get my DW 744.

Oh okay. I read mixed opinions on the Monson vs Palmer. Some say the QC difference is negligible and some say it's very noticeable. But I wouldn't know since I've never held or seen one in person.

Another member has seen the 715-2 I'm referring to in person and told me its a Palmer made. But the other one for $975 he didn't see. Looks like some stainless 715's were made in Monson but a majority were made in Palmer?

Can you change out the wood grips for a Hogue rubber grip? How about installing a fiber optic front sight?

I'm not sure why I want one of these lol. The interchangeable barrels seems really cool though I'm not sure how often I would swap them. Having a 8" or 10" barrel would be fun though.

I just have a 6" stainless GP100 that I love but a DW would be a huge upgrade lol. Finding/getting a barrel longer than 6" would be cool, just to have something different than I'm use to.

 

[DW357]

I almost hope someone buys these before me to save myself from spending more money

 

[The Anchor]

Oh okay. I read mixed opinions on the Monson vs Palmer. Some say the QC difference is negligible and some say it's very noticeable. But I wouldn't know since I've never held or seen one in person.

Another member has seen the 715-2 I'm referring to in person and told me its a Palmer made. But the other one for $975 he didn't see. Looks like some stainless 715's were made in Monson but a majority were made in Palmer?

Can you change out the wood grips for a Hogue rubber grip? How about installing a fiber optic front sight?

I'm not sure why I want one of these lol. The interchangeable barrels seems really cool though I'm not sure how often I would swap them. Having a 8" or 10" barrel would be fun though.

I just have a 6" stainless GP100 that I love but a DW would be a huge upgrade lol. Finding/getting a barrel longer than 6" would be cool, just to have something different than I'm use to.

i always wanted one when i was growing up, loved the look of the long barrels, like a poor mans python....that being said i know have three ( 357, 357 supermag and 375 supermag), and more shrouds then i should have. the 357 has the original 6", EWK 8" with scope rib, and an ewk 12" ( which really looks odd). the 357 SM has a VH10" and when you add the 2" comp, looks menacing and is pretty loud with hot loads. The 375M sports an 8" IHMSA slotted shroud and is the prettiest of the bunch IMHO. grips are held on with one allen key bolt and change easily.

EWK sells front sights that can be changed easily too

 

[Mountain]

Ugh, I hate all of you with the DW's!!!

My father had a Monson .44 with multiple barrels. He used it as a back-up when hunting in Alaska, yet somehow was able to keep it pristine. That thing is a tack driver and I always preferred it for function, finish, and accuracy as compared to any Python I had tried. My brother and I equally divided Dad's collection when he passed. My brother won the coin toss to pick first- guess which one he picked.

One of these days I'll get one, preferably with a 6" barrel + extra 8" and/or 4".

 

[Tim_McD]

Going to the range with mine today.

I am pretty good with the 6in barrel; but shooting with the 2.5in barrel, there are times where the target remains unmolested