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Old 10-05-2017, 01:33 PM
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Default Dan Wesson M44

Well I knew I should have not stopped in one of my local gun stores on my way home from work today. Sure enough he just got a 4 inch Dan Wesson in 44 mag in display. It has rubber grips on it but comes with the multi tool for it and kind of beat up wooden presentation grips. It's in very good working order and has some scuff marks on one side of barrel and a few on the cylinder but overall pretty nice and Shiny. He does not negotiate so I decided to buy it for $495 he had it marked at. I found a similar gun online and was called a model 44. I do not know much about Dan Wesson guns so any info would be appreciated. Serial number is Bo22896. Anything I should look for especially on these guns. The forcing cones looked very good and I guess the 2 piece barrel comes apart with this tool. I have tool and grips but won't pick gun up until next wednesday.
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Old 10-05-2017, 02:36 PM
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I also wanted to mention that the gun is ported. On top just behind the front sight on either side there are vent holes. I just do not understand the changeable barrel with this model. Being it shoots 44 mag and of course 44 special how would changing only the barrel allow you to shoot a different caliber?? Cylinder change too?? The gun is very beefy which I think for 44 it will allow me to shoot well. So what changes can be made to a heavy ported 44?
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Old 10-05-2017, 03:04 PM
BLACKHAWKNJ BLACKHAWKNJ is offline
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Our friends over at the Dan Wesson Forum-https://danwessonforum.com. They are the ones to talk to. Dan Wesson had its own porting system called "Power Port", IIRC they recommend using only jacketed bullets with it, powder and lead residue would be vented onto the barrel and shroud thus locking it up.
The changeable barrel was-still is-Dan Wesson's big selling point, giving you 4 or 5 guns in one, from a 2.5" barrel for concealed carry up to an 8 or 10" barrel for hunting. And Dan Wessons were quite popular with IHMSA shooters.

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Old 10-05-2017, 03:11 PM
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And they didn't allow you to shoot another caliber....just change barrel length. They were known for their accuracy thus the IHMSA popularity.

Dan
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Old 10-05-2017, 03:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by daddio202 View Post
I also wanted to mention that the gun is ported. On top just behind the front sight on either side there are vent holes. I just do not understand the changeable barrel with this model. Being it shoots 44 mag and of course 44 special how would changing only the barrel allow you to shoot a different caliber?? Cylinder change too?? The gun is very beefy which I think for 44 it will allow me to shoot well. So what changes can be made to a heavy ported 44?
Congratulations on your new Dan Wesson Model 44

You got a Very good deal on a fine revolver.

Dan Wessons are not multi-caliber guns, but they are multi-barrel. You change the barrel, shroud or both for different configurations. In the olden days you could get a Pistol Pac which was a revolver, frame and 3 or 4 barrel assemblies (depending on caliber)

The ported 44 Magnums came with two barrels and one shroud that had the vents. One of the supplied barrels had a ring of holes around it to channel the propellant gasses out the ports on the shroud, it was intended to be used with jacketed ammunition only

The second barrel was the same length and had no holes, it was intended for use with lead projectiles or jacketed.

You can also buy different barrel assemblies for length or weight

So you could have a 2", 4", 6" etc. barrel length. The barrel shrouds with the assemblies could be had in standard, heavy, vent rib or vent rib heavy profiles

Your 4" is the Vent Rib Heavy profile.

The Dan Wesson multi-piece barreled revolvers have a long standing reputation for outstanding accuracy. When Metallic Silhouette was in it's prime, these fine revolvers were highly sought after.

While I do not own a Model 44 (my dad had one), I have several Dan Wesson revolvers along with additional barrel assemblies. I will post some different configurations here. You could buy a barrel assembly in any of these profiles as long as it was for the 44 Magnum

Here is a 44 Mag 8" Vent Rib barrel assembly (my dad's)


Here is a Model 22
2" Vent Rib - Heavy with a thread adapter for a supressor


This is a Model 40
8" Vent Rib - Heavy chambered for 357 SuperMag


This is a Model 740
8" Vent Rib chambered for 357 SuperMag
The barrel shroud is slotted to meet a weight restriction in competition


Toward the top left of this 41 Magnum group photo you will see a Model 41
It has the 8" Vent Rib barrel attached and the 6" pictured with it

One other advantage of the Dan Wesson multi-piece barrel system is that you can set your Barrel/Cylinder gap to almost anything you want.

With any of the Dan Wesson models, if you add a 7 in front of the model number it indicates stainless steel construction.
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Old 10-05-2017, 03:34 PM
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Thank you all very much. I see it is more to change barrel length and or configuration then to change calibers. I will have to check when I get it home and make sure if the inside barrel is ported or not. I guess I do not want to shoot lead from the ported version. I'm pretty happy with it cause my only other 44 is a m29 with the 8 3/8 inch barrel and really the reason I went ahead and made the purchase is to give my 29 a break. Being it was my only 44 it has been going to the range almost every week. Having the Dan Wesson will give it a break and the 4 inch is the other end of the spectrum for barrel length for me. Shortest barrel I own is 4 inches and suppose I would drop down to a 3 inch if one were to come up.
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Old 10-05-2017, 04:23 PM
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I went into the workroom and emptied my Dan Wesson Barrel drawer for this photo. I know I shold have wiped them down first


Top to Bottom. . .
Barrel assemblies
45-V8 (45LC)
741-VH8
741-VH8
41-V8
41-VH6
41-VH4
spare stainless barrels in
357SUPERMAG
41 Magnum
41 Magnum
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Old 10-05-2017, 06:20 PM
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Fine revolver, you will like it. Parts and barrels turn up on Ebay, and CZ and EWK arms have some barrels and parts available.
I have a 744 with the 10" barrel with a Nikon scope from the metal silhouette shooting days, not much of that done anymore.
However it has put a lot of venison on the table over they years, my best shot dropped a buck at 125 yards , 1 shot broke his back and he never moved.
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