Dan Wesson vs Smith & Wesson

[silentflyer]

I own both S&W's and DW's, .44 mags and .357 mags, happy with both. The DW's can be a bit spotty depending one where and when they were built, the Monson Mass. guns being the best. Don't know about the new CZ guns, but the factory has a good reputation on other guns.
From a rest or a machine rest the DW's are more accurate, the .44 will do 3" groups all day long at 100 yards, the .357 similar results. My brother has a .41 mag DW that may be the most accurate big bore handgun I have ever seen, consistent 2" groups at 100 yards.
If you find one at a gun show give it a careful inspection, they can be a bargain.

 

[bigtubby]

The cylinder latch is very difficult for a lefty to manipulate had a 15 and could not sell it fast enough way to many small parts and a terrible double action trigger. My buddy has a couple and loves them!!

 

[GANDOG56]

I do not know why you would ask that question here, because most answers will bw swayed towards the S&W. Lets just say I've shot both and this is the one I still have.

 

[MR835]

DW-744V STAINLESS

I Have a DW 744V Stainless dual barrel MAGNAPORTED. That I bought Dec 23rd. 1982. As my 8" hunter. I still have it today, and it is more accurate than my 9" Super Redhawk, And My 629 classic. At 100 yrds it is a tack driver. All I hunt with are the guns I noted above. The DW&superredhawk. are scoped for long shots. I am getting OLD ARMS and EYES the heavy ones are used from stands with gun mounts. The 629 is lasered and bore sighted in at 70yrds. I LOVE MY DW. It is a very low serial numbered MONSON SB00109x

 

[Jlduke]

The ONLY DW I ever owned was a .357 purchased back in about late 1975 or early 1976. The very first time I pulled the hammer back in single action, the gun went off BEFORE the chamber was lined up properly with the barrel (no finger was on the trigger). Needless to say ..........! As far as I'm concerned, they were junk then and they still are.

So one issue with one gun makes you hate the entire brand?

 

[scooter123]

I have a DW 15-2 and a bunch of S&W's. The Dan Wesson's are an interesting revolver and every bit as accurate as their reputation states.

However, the double action trigger in the Dan Wesson stacks A LOT. When I purchase my 15-2 it had been "tuned" with a lighter than standard Wolff mainspring to a DA trigger pull of 11.5 lbs. at the stacking point and it was misfiring 50% of the time with Federal primers. After installing a new factory strength mainspring the ignition is reliable but stacks up to about 14 lbs. I've already done a lot of polishing on the DA sear surfaces and an slowly cutting coils of the mainspring but do NOT think it possible to get the DA trigger under 12.5 lbs and have reliable ignition. It also takes a LOT of effort to cock the hammer for single action shooting.

To be blunt, there is NO COMPARISON between the Double Action trigger on a S&W and the Dan Wesson. Anyone who claims to have a Dan Wesson with an 8 lbs. DA trigger either doesn't fire live ammo or they have never actually measured their trigger.

BTW, the most effective work around for the stacking on the DW is a strong and rapid trigger pull. Do that and you can get through the stacking point without really noticing how heavy it gets. Try and stage the DA trigger on a DW and you'll probably end up with your hand starting to shake due to the effort.

Now, the good news is the single action triggers are about the same, good crisp break with a weight in the 3-4 lbs. range. BTW, I've tuned all my S&W's to break at 3.0 lbs. and the DW is 3 lbs. 2 ounces, so nearly a complete match. Another plus for the DW is the Target grip is distinctly on the large side and makes shooting full house 357 Magnums feel a bit like +P in a S&W.

So, is the Dan Wesson a better made revolver. Not really, in terms of machining and finish quality they were about equal when DW was at their peak. When DW fell on hard times financially they weren't even close to a S&W.

However, the Dan Wesson was clearly way ahead of the times in terms of innovative Engineering. They started in the late 60's and it's only been in the past 10 years or so that S&W has started using tensioned barrels. As for the Crane Lock on the DW, it was 2014 before S&W started using a ball detent crane again and the still don't have the end shake resistance of the Dan Wesson. Finally, S&W still doesn't offer a revolver with interchangeable barrels or a tunable B/C gap. So S&W still hasn't quite caught up to some aspects of the Dan Wesson. The shame on Dan Wesson is that they chose to use a coil mainspring instead of designing their lockwork to use a leaf type mainspring.

 

[BigBill]

To me the Colt, the Ruger and S&W are the tops in manufacture of revolvers. To me and with my very stout reloads the Rugers have eaten everything. My colt python hung in there too. I'm sure the s&w will handle
the near max loads too.

I purchased my misses a Taurus m96 22lr revolver that's been awesome so far. I never owned a Dan wesson yet. Can they be compared to the top three manufacturers? I'm looking to you gurus for that answer.

 

[Huskerguy]

I have a Colt Trooper MK III, S&W 66-2, S&W M19, Ruger Security Six, and a DW 15-2V. I love them all and shoot them all regularly. They are all accurate since I adjust sights until they are correct. Drives me crazy to have a gun that is not accurate and sighted in. I have only had the Smiths for about a year and the Dan about the same amount of time. I wanted a Dan since 1979 when I purchased the Colt and passed on the Dan. The Dan is very accurate, smooth and a very nice handling gun with the 6" barrel. I took my brothers out to shoot them all and they loved the feel of the Dan. The 66 is very nice as well but overall I would have to go with my Dan but there can be so much difference between one hand gun and another of the same model. Smiths are pretty hard to beat for their overall consistency, something the Dans are missing.
The DW's are getting harder to find in good condition and bring a premium. I am a few years to late to this party.

 

[whitestang]

The first handgun I bought was a Dan Wesson 6 inch .357. It shot very well and I did not have any issues with it. I wish I still had it and the Model 19-4 4 inch I had at one time.

 

[DR505]

Zombie Thread!!!!!

 

[wesson1911]

I cant make a range trip without at least 1 Dan Wesson Revolver. I leave my DW 22 in my range bag at all times. I have several Dan Wessons including this model 715 Pistol Pack and this model 15 HV PP. I started backwards and got into Dan Wesson's first! I do now have more SW revolvers! I am a fan of the extended Wesson family!

 

[M2MikeGolf]

I had a Dan Wesson in the late 70s because I liked the concept of the changeable barrels. I never warmed to it. I finally traded it on a brand new Model 27 and never looked back. I immediately felt like I had upgraded.

 

[shawn mccarver]

I know a guy with a Dan Wesson revolver. He claims that his is a better made gun than my S&W model 19, which was made in 1977.

Is there any truth to his claim?

It all depends on your definition of "better made."

Personally, I think the Dan Wesson guns were not particularly attractive, and have no use for a sideplate secured with Allen/Hex screws, which are seemingly incapable of not stripping out with the cheaply made Allen head screwdrivers. Torx seems a better idea, but a traditional screw is far more elegant.

The Dan Wesson did have its strong points, which included very fine accuracy, apparently due to the method of mounting the two-piece barrel, which provided tension at both the frame and the muzzle, but the originals and that exposed barrel nut were just plain ugly. At least they later extended the shroud to hide the barrel nut!

Another strong point was the grip "frame," if you can call it that. The "stud" allowed almost any type of grip, but few were offered at the time.

Finally, I personally did not find the action to be as nice or as refined as the S&W action. I also did not find the full lug barrel to my liking, but then again, I am one of those people who honestly wish S&W would have simply offered the L frame in both full lug and standard ejector rod housing. Why they have not made more 686 Plus Mountain Guns is beyond me.

 

[David R]

I had a Dan, The folks at the range called it a half a wesson. It shot great. It was one of my first guns and a 4" 357. I was a new reloader and tried everything. Fixed sights were ok if I shot LIGHT weight bullets out of it. Otherwise it shot high. Trigger was smooth and DA was a little stiff, but smooth, the trigger helped. SA was as good as any revolver. After a while it got loose and spit lead, so I sent it in for a rebuild. They did it for free and in good time. I shot it a bunch more then it got loose again. I sent it back for a refit. Nice job good turn around and no charge. I bought a 6" barrel for it and had it re blued, but POA was not POI, so that barrel was useless. I tried to shim the shroud on one side to make it shoot where I aimed it. No luck.

Sold it.

A friend of mine had a Dan Wesson ported 44 mag in stainless. He shot a lot of lead out of it. I could not get the shroud off the barrel because it was full of lead. The barrel is drilled all the way around then the gassed blow out the cuts in the top of the shroud. In between is were the lead stayed.

David

 

[Rick_A]

Both companies have had their ups and downs, but the cylinder release on a DW is a deal killer for me. How awkward.

 

[Checkman]

I've been offered a Dan Wesson Model 15 vented heavy barrel with both the 4" and 6" barrels along with the tools. I'm considering it. Very much so.

 

[model70hunter]

A fellow deputy upgraded to a 357 over his DW 38 Speical 4". The LGS would not take it in on trade and no one wanted it mostly because it was a 38. One day he offered it cheap/cheap and really cheap. I bought it and made it a truck gun. It had an ugly lock nut on the end of the bbl.

When I bought it a highway patrolman was in the office. He said something like that gun is so ugly ya need to put it in a paperbag to hold it. Must have been funny lots of guys in the room laughed.

 

[Chuckster62]

dan Wesson

I've been offered a Dan Wesson Model 15 vented heavy barrel with both the 4" and 6" barrels along with the tools. I'm considering it. Very much so.

If the price is fair and it is in good condition, lots of parts still available, I would pick it up. you can still pick up a 2 1/2" barrel and have a really nice set.

Good Luck
Chuck

 

[Mtnfolk325]

I inherited a .357 Pistol Pac from my brother in 1986, it was purchased new in about 1978. It was the most accurate revolver that I have ever fired & I carried it for a little while as my duty gun with the 4" barrel. The reason it is now a range gun is the cylinder release and the rear sight. I tried carrying it in a Bianchi Judge and found that when drawn from the front break the cylinder latch would catch and unlock the cylinder. I tried carrying it in a Border Patrol style holster and found that getting in and out patrol cars all day would change the elevation in the rear sight, the tension of the adjustment just wasn't strong enough. I later had the same problem with the rear sight elevation when carrying as a field gun in a Bianchi #5. Again, it is a fabulous shooter with any of the 4 barrels but is now only a range gun for me.

 

[John R]

Only had experience with one DW revolver and it was a piece of ****.
I wouldn't give ya a nickel for a bushel basket full of them.

 

[scooter123]

Only had experience with one DW revolver and it was a piece of ****.
I wouldn't give ya a nickel for a bushel basket full of them.

Gotta just love the detail in that report, must have taken several seconds to come up with that. Also love the fellow who sent one back twice because it had "loosened up". Must have been just to much work to read the owners manual and the section on how to adjust the B/C gap and properly tighten the barrel and shroud to the frame.

The fact is the Dan Wesson revolvers were different in some key areas than most revolvers. The lock was on the crane because that location puts the lock at the location closest to the barrel, helping to insure accurate alignment between the cylinder and barrel. It also features a spring loaded ball detent at the rear of the cylinder so that End Shake just cannot happen. It also features a minimalist lockwork that is very easy to access and repair.

Downside is the leverage points for Double Action and the Coil Mainspring mandate a DA trigger weight much heavier than what can be achieved with a well tuned S&W. Sometimes and old fashioned Leaf Spring really is the better answer. The Barrel also needs to be checked for tightness at every cleaning, an easy task if you have the wrench originally supplied with these revolvers.

Sum it up and like any other revolver it's a mix of positives and negatives. Where the Dan Wesson's excelled was in Precision Single Action shooting. Some reports I saw and heard about back in the 70's was that with a scope and a sandbag a very good handgun shooter could shoot sub 1 inch groups at 100 yards.

 

[silentflyer]

Well said scooteer123, if you never shot one under those conditions, a session at the range with a DW and a good hand load will make a believer out of you. Over the years I have had more than one guy try to buy one of mine after his seeing what they are capable of. Never shot a deer with one that took more than one shot to put venison in the dinner pot.

 

[jtcarm]

Only had experience with one DW revolver and it was a piece of ****.
I wouldn't give ya a nickel for a bushel basket full of them.

They didn't come to dominate IHMSA by being junk. Only the strongest & most accurate survive in that arena.

Come on, CZ, the world doesn't need any more 1911 manufacturers. Give us the revolver!

 

[John R]

They didn't come to dominate IHMSA by being junk. Only the strongest & most accurate survive in that arena.

Come on, CZ, the world doesn't need any more 1911 manufacturers. Give us the revolver!

If they were so great why are they not made anymore?

If you have one and it works, good for you..

 

[pinto]

My only experience with them was year b4 last when the LGS asked me to go over one of the cased multi-barrel sets they had taken in.
Missing a barrel nut and dirty and never lubed.
Opened it up (allen head bolts on the sideplate -really?)
Lockwork looked to have been very crudely cast and stamped. Burrs and flash everywhere and what a Rube Goldberg arrangement it was.
Even the case was just cardboard covered with a vinyl skin.
Somebody bought it, however that was in the middle of a panic when people would buy anything.

 

[jtcarm]

If they were so great why are they not made anymore?

If you have one and it works, good for you..

Uh, because the company went under?

A great product is no guarantee of financial success.

I gotta agree with Scooter, your analytical skills are dazzling.

 

[Tom_R]

They didn't come to dominate IHMSA by being junk. Only the strongest & most accurate survive in that arena.

Come on, CZ, the world doesn't need any more 1911 manufacturers. Give us the revolver!

Don't they make a Dan Wesson Revolver now?

By the way, there are several 1911 Folks out there that feel Dan Wesson/CZ makes the best 1911 out there for the money. I believe it. I have 3 1911s, a Colt, a Kimber, and a Custom Caspian. My next gun is a Dan Wesson 1911 Commander that will become my Carry gun.

 

[jtcarm]

Don't they make a Dan Wesson Revolver now?



By the way, there are several 1911 Folks out there that feel Dan Wesson/CZ makes the best 1911 out there for the money. I believe it. I have 3 1911s, a Colt, a Kimber, and a Custom Caspian. My next gun is a Dan Wesson 1911 Commander that will become my Carry gun.

I think the last run was in 2012 and not that many.

I haven't really been following closely, so I can't say.

Sadly, I think they've found what I strongly suspect: the market for premium, medium to large frame DA magnums just ain't what it was in the 70s/80s and some of the 90s when IHMSA was in it's glory days and interest in handgun hunting and general long-range precision shooting were stronger. Just my opinion.

 

[Decker]

If they were so great why are they not made anymore?

If you have one and it works, good for you..

If Colt Pythons were "so great", then why are they not made anymore?
Same logic.

I bought all three Dan Wessons brand new at the time; a .22/6", .357/4", and the .44mag/8" with both barrels (standard and ported barrels).

To be honest, I bought them as "shooters" so that I wouldn't put so much mileage on my other S&W's and Colt revolvers.
To my surprise, I got to really like the dam things.
Still look and shoot like new with the only blue loss from cleaning.

My question is: "If Dan Wessons are such junk, then why are they bringing some pretty decent prices on GB?"

I've since put a 4" barrel on my .22 and it's a heckuva lot of fun making coke cans dance all day for a few dollars worth of ammo.
Also; my .44 and me have the distinction of putting down 8 out of 10 rams at 200 yards with open sights. Not perfect, buy I am anything but perfect when it comes to silhouette shooting with a revolver.
Just sayin'...

 

[Tom_R]

If Colt Pythons were "so great", then why are they not made anymore?
Same logic.

I bought all three Dan Wessons brand new at the time; a .22/6", .357/4", and the .44mag/8" with both barrels (standard and ported barrels).

To be honest, I bought them as "shooters" so that I wouldn't put so much mileage on my other S&W's and Colt revolvers.
To my surprise, I got to really like the dam things.
Still look and shoot like new with the only blue loss from cleaning.

My question is: "If Dan Wessons are such junk, then why are they bringing some pretty decent prices on GB?"

I've since put a 4" barrel on my .22 and it's a heckuva lot of fun making coke cans dance all day for a few dollars worth of ammo.
Also; my .44 and me have the distinction of putting down 8 out of 10 rams at 200 yards with open sights. Not perfect, buy I am anything but perfect when it comes to silhouette shooting with a revolver.
Just sayin'...

I am glad you got some good Dan Wessons and enjoy shooting them.

Regarding why COLT does or doesn't do things, unfortunately that company is SO mis-managed that it isn't funny. Bad decision, after bad decision.

I, and many others, have been convinced that if Colt could come out with a 'New' Python that has the looks and blueing of the old ones, they would have a $1500 gun that people would buy.

As it turns out, an Italian company is going to turn out Reproduction Pythons:

http://smith-wessonforum.com/firearms-knives-other-brands/426428-pietta-python-2.html

Pietta P 1955

I live less than three miles from the COLT Factory. I have to go over there some time for a tour, if they do that.