I picked up a Dan Wesson 15-2 on Friday. Looks to have some honest wear but I’m happy I was able to get my hands on it. And for a price of about $230 I wasn’t going to let it go. I’ve been wanting to get a nice shooter .357 in a 6” barrel. Does anyone have any feedback on the Dan Wesson revolvers? My understanding is that they are pretty nice revolvers.

Hickok45 did a review on DW model 15s awhile back. It's worth watching. I have not owned one buy keep my eyes open for a deal on one. I'll have one someday.

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Regards,

Tom

Who in their right mind would sell that for only $230.00 ??????

I believe someone thought it had a major issue because it would not function in single action. The grip screw was tightened way down by the previous owner. I had to add a couple washers to give the grip screw a little more length. Works fine now.

Excellent guns.

Bought my first one in 1975 or so, acquired a half dozen more since.
22,357 & 44, all are tack drivers provided you have it adjusted properly (ie: barrel tension etc.) they are super accurate.

Another point of interest is observe the design, shrouded & tensioned barrel, mid center cylinder lockup, removable front sights, post vs full frame grip assembly...all features that you find today in the newer revolvers.

The bluing is what I still find amazing today as I look at those guns.
Do not use any tool other than one designed specifically for the barrel ring.
They are available and a simple thickness gauge will keep you good.

StackPath

I’m guessing the barrel is worth almost what you paid for the gun.

No, that particular barrel and shroud is worth $300+ on eBay! For $230, you did great! Last time I saw a DW 15-2 for sale it was priced $100 over what it was worth. It was on consignment and the owner never dropped the price. It was still there before the great Covid shutdown of 2020. Dan Wesson's typically have a bit of a heavy, but very short double action trigger and a relatively light and very crisp single action pull. Accuracy tends to be on par with Colt Pythons. They are also very durable. The cylinder is S&W K-frame size, but the frame is slightly larger, much closer the the S&W 586/686. The Monson produced specimens are considered to be the best.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

My first revolver was a 6 inch High Standard "Dan Wesson". It was very accurate and caused me to learn to reload. I traded it for a Security Six. I kind of wish I had it back.

I have always wanted one also . They pop up around here once in a while . There was a 15-2 a little while ago , but he wanted $850 . Not knowing their values , I didn't know if that was a good price or just plain crazy .

The OP's revolver was exceptionally well bought. My example cost me $375 a few years ago plus another $50 or so for the grips and Patridge style front sight blade. The Manson revolvers are so well built and reliable I gave my daughter a Model 14 snub for home protection.

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Dan Wessons are so rarely available because those who have, keep them.

There is a Dan Wesson forum that will answer any question you might have. As torizus said get a proper barrel wrench for the .357 if the gun didn't come with one and a .006" shim to gap the barrel. If you want other barrels and shrouds they are out there.

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Jim
Many K and N Frames

Here are my Dan Wesson pistols. A 15-2 sporting a 2½ barrel (I have a 4" and 6" to go with it) and my .44 mag.

I've carried the 15-2 as my EDC for years but got a little heavy last year after a back injury and I bought the .44 mag for deer hunting while I carried the 15-2.

Both guns will shoot 2½ groups or better at 85 yards from a rest and using a scope (with the 6" barrel on the 15-2). I won't part with either of them but would like to pick up an 8" barrel for the 15-2. My .44 is a fixed barrel but shoots exceptionally well for a fixed barrel.

I call little brother and big brother. I've had the 15-2 for about 25 years and the .44 for about 15 years.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

I've owned 2 Dan Wesson .357's (a 6 inch 15-2VH and a 14-2 snub), foolishly trading off both of them, before coming across a 15-2 pistol pack early this summer at an LGS. I didn't let the opportunity pass and I snagged it. I finally got around to shooting it with the 8" barrel last month and was every bit as accurate as I expected. No, it will not be going anywhere.

When the company was resurrected yet again 1997 I contacted them about barrels and shrouds, I was able to purchase a FIVE inch barrel and shroud.
The Dan Wesson was designed by Karl Lewes who also designed the Colt MarIII and Browning Lever Rifle.

Looks just like the one I had. It was the first handgun I bought after turning 21 and I should have kept it. I was going to use it as my duty weapon but was not allowed as the Sheriff did not the cylinder release in front of the cylinder.

Whitestang—Why was the Sheriff opposed to the the cylinder release being in front of the cylinder? Training issue with everyone else in the department with S&W? Or maybe he thought it was dangerous to put your hand forward of the cylinder?

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No school like the old school.

You hit a home run. 10 or so years back these guns were cheaper as they were overlooked by all but those knowledgeable about their many attributes. They are accurate, hell for stout, and if you reload, very versatile. I have two 15-2 and a model 14 (fixed rear sight). These are never sell revolvers, congratulations.

Great find! I have a 15-2 with a six inch barrel and would love to find another at that price. Great shooters and easy to slick up. As mentioned above, need to make sure you don't over tighten the grip screw.

I own a DW 15 and several I have talked to mentioned the transition between shooting it and a S&W in stressful situations if you train with both. I am fine as I rarely use it as a carry. Dept I was associate with as a Reserve had no problems with one.

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Front sight and squeeze

Back in my police revolver days, I tried a couple of DWs. They were accurate SA pistols and widely used in handgun silhouette shooting because the barrel/cylinder gap was adjustable. Plus, you could get long barrels for them, affordable. I don't know if that game is still going on, but if it is, I'll bet DW revolvers are still being used.

Despite their SA accuracy and lower cost, no one carried them as personally purchased duty guns, and we were allowed to. Never saw a LE agency that issued them (or any other revolver other than Smith and Colt.) Main reason if my experience is typical, is they had an awful DA trigger. And we were taught only to shoot DA.

Barrels interchange between the older DW M-12 and M-15, as do most internal parts, barrel shrouds and side plate screws do not.

My wife has a .357 pistol pack, I have a .44 mag and a .22.
If I saw that one I'd grab it and add it to the group.

Had a 715 Pistol Pack. Barrels were very rough and difficult to clean. Shot it loose and sent it back to the factory. They tightened things up but the barrels were still rough. Traded it. It was very accurate however.

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Foster Positivity.

He said it would take longer to open the cylinder with the release in front unlike a Smith or Colt. He was old school only tried and true weapons. I got a 39-2,which was approved as the ISP had carried them for a number of years.

I don't know about this particular model but it appears that the people who designed the action on DW revolvers must have been experimenting with psychoactive drugs. Get ready to play in the puzzle palace when you take the side plate off. In my opinion there must be worse designs. I just haven't seen them.

I don't think it is any more complex than that of the Colt Trooper MK III.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

My point exactly. I have detail stripped S&W, Colt, DW and other revolvers and DW's are among the worst I have been into I often tell people that Colts are for looking at, Smith & Wessons are for shooting. I ripped that quote off from another member years ago.

Here is a shot of my one remaining Dan Wesson's, a D-11. I keep it for sentimental reasons.

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The barrel on that gun is worth $100 more than the $250 you paid. Great score. The 15-2s (I have two) were built so the owner could easily disassemble them without needing a gunsmith. The large frame(44 cal) are a different story. I disassembled mine today to replace the mainspring and reassembled it in about 25 minutes. Barrel, shroud, grip, trigger, connector(transfer bar),trigger return spring, hammer, and mainspring out and back together in that time. Check out the DW site for the "poor man's guide" to disassembly. BTW, I bought a 8" heavy barrel yesterday for $100 more than you paid for your !5-2. Have fun with your DW.

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An inexpensive set of automotive feeler gauges and an EWK barrel wrench($26) is what I use. Allen wrenches for side plate screws, grip screw, trigger over travel screw and front sight screw.

That's what I thought the first time I took an S&W design gun apart. The DW action is simple and basically unbreakable. The only thing I've ever broken on the dozen or so 15-2's and a 715 is the hand spring on one, and the bolt spring on another one. Both had been "adjusted" by the previous owner. I don't understand the "puzzle palace" comment at all. Where is the puzzle? Karl Lewis knew what he was doing.

To the OP:

You made a major score! My first and best GB deal was for a DW 715 in 2006. It was in the box with 3 grips and a ****** barrel wrench, along with some spare parts, for $269. You came close to that 15 years later, and got your gun for about 1/3 the going price. The scratches on the side plate are common. I lucked out, neither my 715 or my pretty 15-2 have them, but my rough 15-2 does have some. The grip screw causing problems is a common thing too. I blew a hole in the range roof about 1980 or so when I tightened the screw just enough to cause the gun to have an unsafe SA trigger. I cocked the gun, and while the muzzle was raised, it went off. Embarrassing.

The EWK wrench is the way to go, much better than the ones they(CZ) sell now.

I have three model 15-2s. An 8" heavy, 2.5" vented non heavy and a 3" fixed barrel. I also have a newer 715

The only issue I've had is a few guns had excessive carbon buildup in the yoke barrel/cylinder area and removing the cylinder and disassembling is not as easy as a S&W. The ejector rod with the knob on the end will require some thought to remove, I used a drill chuck in my hand.

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-Matt

I remember handling this type at gun shows back in the day. I never bought one because of the DA pull and also because in my hands they had the worst factory grip I'd ever felt. Had Pachmayr or Hogue come out with grips soon enough I might have bought one out of curiosity.

There's a 4" DW 15-2 on the local Armslist here. No box, papers or extra barrels. Asking price is $900.

My wife bought me a DW 15-2 heavy ventilated pistol pack. It came with 2.6, 4. 6 and 8" barrels and shrouds. It also has a cobbat grip as well as several front sights white, red and yellow. I find that it has almost as good single action trigger pull as my S&W's and actually beats S&W in the double action pull, IMO. My particular one is a very accurate revolver and a pleasure to shoot. If memory serves me right, she paid around $300 for it. The blue and grips are in almost mint state. I do really like the option of removing the barrels for cleaning. When the company was in operation back in the "old" days, you cou get barrels of various lengths up to 15". I always wondered if a 15" one with a scope would be a great varmint pistol. Sorry I didn't pursue that idea.

EWK does not seem to be making barrels/shrouds anymore and that's a shame.
It always brought something different to the table.

For the lovers of 3"


And the uber heavy 4".

I've had the Pistol Pac (same revolver with different length, interchangeable barrels) for years.
I can tell you it's a great revolver. You definitely got a deal on yours. Congratulations.

I own a Dan Wesson Model 744 that I purchased before Dan Wesson was bought by CZ. It has, bar none, the best single and double action of any revolver I have ever owned. I have hunted with it, carried it when in bear country, and it would be the last handgun I would part with. My sons will inherit it when I die. You got a steal for the price you paid. I passed up on a Dan Wesson Model 15 Pistol Pack back in the 1970's and have kicked myself since. Those pistol packs came with 4 barrels lengths, three different front sights, two grips and all the tools needed to change barrels, sights and grips. In those days I was into Pythons. Silly me. Wish I could have a do-over on that one.

Can anyone tell me what is the current worth of a DW Pistol Pack including all four barrel sizes?

Current pistol pac prices are between 1450 and 2200 depending on what it is. A Stainless 22 with heavy lug will bring the most. The blue standard 357 with a solid rib on the lower end. Also depends whether the barrel tools, belt buckle, paperwork and extra grip are there. I have 7 complete pistol pacs in 22, 357 and 44 mag. Also have 2 357 Max supermags. I collected most in the 80’s when you could get them at a reasonable price. I collected Dan Wesson before I started on S&W’s. I Shot silhouette back in the 80’s. The dan wesson dominated the competition with the best single action trigger and accuracy. Also you can adjust the barrel gap to use slower powder. I normally adjusted to .003”. Can’t see far enough to shoot 100 yd targets anymore with open sights although I still Shoot them once in a while.

I still own 2 in .357 and one in 44.Blue is superb,accuracy,if you regularly check the tension on that barrel is excellent.Never had a hiccup with one.
I know the hype nowadays is about Colt revolvers but to me,the DW are above(and I'm not saying that because I don't own a Colt)
While I've been ''raised''with a S&W in my hand,I must admit that the DW is a close second choice to my paw before the Colt and Ruger revolvers.
But that's a very subjective feeling I admit.

My only DW is a model 14. I just like the clean lines of fixed sights. I paid $450. I thought it was an ok deal.20190920_105252.jpg

The plain Jane model 14 is often ignored but they are "clean " if nothing else . Wonderful service guns just not what most DW buyers were looking for.

You will love your DW. Got this Model 15 "Porkchop" Dan Wesson in 1982 for $150. Will never let it go. Head shots at 25 yrds even with the 2 1/2" barrel! Would love to find a 4" and a 6" barrel for it. The older barrels are hard to find.

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4006 CHP, CS40 2-Tone, M&P 40

Just goes to show you have people have different takes on something, I had no problems with the DA pull, it gets better with rounds/dry fire, and the factory grip is what I end up going back to over and over again. My 715 came with a rubber grip on it when I got it, when I took it to the range the first time, the stock grip went back on. Vastly superior to the S&W Magna grips and they sure look better. On my 44, the smooth factory grips are OK shooting .44 SPL, but I put the rubber ones on it that came with it in the box if magnum loads are going in. Worst factory grips I've ever felt on a revolver? S&W "Cheese Grater" grips with insanely sharp checkering like my 686 came with back about 1980 or so. I'm shocked they haven't become a cult item the way some people like (IMHO) totally overdone texturing on semiautos.

My second gun period was a 15-2, and soon after, I got a "veteran" 28-2 of mid 50's vintage and while I liked the (worked on) DA pull better than my stock DW, I preferred the SA pull on the DW. When I was selling some guns to get moving money, I sold the 28-2, and one of my 4 15-2's. With only a couple of months without one, I've owned a 15-2 or a 715 for over 43 years now. Obviously, I like DW guns a lot.

There's a 15-2 for sale now in the classified section....just for a heads up.