Tell me about Dan Wesson .44s?

[Grayfox]

I have a Model 59 listed locally for sale. A guy is wanting to trade a 4" Stainless Dan Wesson .44 Magnum with Pachmayers on it for my gun and a little boot. I've only seen pics, but it looks to be in excellent shape. No box or docs, just the gun as is.
I know DWs are considered to be good guns but really don't know much about them or their value.
I know what I want to get out of my gun. The DW intrigues me. I'm trying to figure out if I really want to do this and how much cash I should add to the deal if I make it.
So school me on Dan Wessons and about how much you figure his gun is worth.
Everything is on hold until Monday due to Thanksgiving. So I got some time to think it over.

 

[824tsv]

I've never owned one, but have shot my friends DW 44 Mag several times. He has ridden this revolver very hard over the years with max loads. It shoots like a laser beam at 25 yards. Still shoots fine. 8" barrel and the zebra stocks on his and it looks very nice. If I had the disposable income and saw one locally I personally wouldn't hesitate. They are built pretty strong.

 

[Bullzaye]

I own 2 DW .44 Magnums (as well as 2 of their .357 Magnums.) I love them, they're great revolvers. They are amazingly accurate!

A few things you should consider. First, where was it built? The common consensus is that the best ones were built in Monson, Mass. I can't recall the other locations now, (Palmer, something) but there are some stories online that they were not built to the same quality.

Second, how many barrels are included? The best deals usually have 2 or 3 barrels (and shrouds). One of the primary features of the DW brand is the ability to change from one barrel length to another. Also, there are barrels available with full underlug and partial underlug. Well, that would actually be the barrel shroud, which is separate from the barrel. There are also vented and unvented barrel shrouds. The vented shrouds have a rib on top of the barrel shroud, ala Colt Pythons. There are also ported barrels and shrouds.

Finally, does it come with the barrel wrench (necessary to remove the barrel shroud, which then allows the barrel to be removed), and feeler gauge? The feeler gauge is to set the barrel/cylinder gap to the correct (and consistent) setting. Of course, the DW feeler gauge isn't necessary...any feeler gauge, of the correct thickness, will suffice. The barrel wrench is very useful even if you only have one barrel, as it allows you to clean the barrel from the chamber end, and it also allows you to set the barrel/cylinder gap to whatever pleases you.

Hope this was helpful. There are undoubtedly others who can provide much more detailed info.

Tim

 

[Grayfox]

I'm familiar with DWs changeable barrels. This gun only has the one 4" barrel that's on it. No tools either.
I did a little searching on-line and so far haven't found any extra barrels or the tool for sale. I might find some eventually, but the scarcity gives me concerns over what they might cost.
OTOH, I only have one .44 Magnum revolver. A 6" Model 29-8. I've toyed with the notion of adding a 4" 29 to my safe off and on for several years. This DW could fill that role and I'd have no need to change the barrel.
Would someone please give me a guesstamate of what this DW is worth? It would go a long way in helping me make up my mind.

Decisions, decisions.........

 

[Bullzaye]

EWK Enterprises makes and sells a barrel wrench...that I've read is equal to, or better than, the original. All of mine are original, so I can't speak to the validity of that. They go for $25. I've seen various wrenches, both OEM & various aftermarket, for $20-$35...roughly.

Yeah, I can't find any .44 barrels for sale either. I'd guess that spare barrels & shrouds bring about $175-$250-ish, depending on condition/features. The SS shrouds will likely be more difficult to find, and probably more expensive. You could always put a blued shroud on a SS gun, if that doesn't bother you.

I'm really spitballing on the value. For a Monson built gun, I'd say between $500 & $650, for a SS gun with one barrel, in excellent condition, with the original box, tools & everything. For something other than Monson (Palmer, Mass. & Norwich, N.Y....I looked it up), I'd deduct 10-20%. It will probably be difficult to assign a real value...the Dan Wessons have a bit of a cult following, some users absolutely love them, while others detest them. There doesn't seem to be a lot of middle ground. Resale on them can be tricky. I don't think I paid over $450 for any of mine, all of which came with 2 or 3 barrels, and were all in excellent + condition.

So...what's it worth to you? As much as I love mine, I'd recommend buying it only if it appears to be in great shape (mechanically, not just condition-wise), you're very comfortable with the price, and you're not concerned about resale. Also, all of mine are Monsons...I prefer to stick with them. That's just me. Accessories/parts/grips/holsters...will all be less-easily found than for S&W or Ruger. I've gotten some real bargains on my DWs, precisely because their resale is so-so. That's okay with me...I enjoy them, and am in no rush to get rid of them.

Tim

 

[silentflyer]

Hard to go wrong with a Monson built DW, I have a couple both .44 and .357, and have sold/traded some over the years, now much to my regret. Fine guns, most accurate big bore hand guns I own. Never lost a deer with a single shot from my 10" .44, one and done.
As noted above EWK has tools/parts, barrels and other stuff pops up on auction sites from thim to time. Far more 59's about than DW's.

 

[Grayfox]

Selling the Model 59 is a non-issue. I have another one.

The thing is that I've never really been a magnum person. I love the .357. But when it comes to big bores, I've always preferred the .44 Special and .45 Colt. I just never got into the buck and roar of the big magnums. Odds are that IF I get the DW, it will mostly be shot with specials. I really don't have any practical use for another .44 Magnum.

OTOH, I haven't had much luck selling the 59 and this is the best offer I've gotten. I admit that there is something about the idea of owning a Dan Wesson that appeals to me. I've never had one before.
I don't have much money in the 59 and if I can work out a deal cheap enough, I'll probably do it. That's why I'm trying to figure out what the DW is worth. I've been burnt on trades before. So if later I should decide to sell the DW, I want to be in a position to make a profit. Not break even or take a loss as I have in the past.

Oh well, its still several days until the deal might go through. Anything can happen between now and then. For all I know, the other guy could change his mind. Just have to wait and see how it plays out.

 

[Qc Pistolero]

I've got one in .44 and one in .357.The .44 has a 6'' unported bbl and another 6'' ported(the shroud is ported).Since I shoot only cast bullets,I use the unported one.I bought it in Feb 2015 from the same dealer who had previously sold it to the original owner.I know the guy well and he assured me that the 1st owner had bought it along with another one with 8''bbl.The guy shot 25 rds with each and since he liked the 8'' better,he put the 6''in the safe and never shot it again.No ring around the cylinder or any other marks usually found on a used gun.I paid $700CDN$ for it.
Since I've acquired it,I've shot over 2000rds with it only full RPM loads(265gr cast chronoed at an ave 1304FPS).It hasn't missed a beat.I've put custom Lawrence Bruce ''Gripper'' grips made out of walnut.They fit my hand perfectly and look terrific!
Oh yeah,forgot to say;the thing is a tack driver.Just love the beast!
Qc