Interchangeable handgun barrels and grip frames are really nothing new. Decades before SIG SAUER launched the P250/P320, Dan Wesson sold eponymous revolvers that could morph from a medium-frame snubnose to a vent-rib metallic silhouette cannon with the turn of a few strategically-placed screws and bushings. Sadly, these fine revolvers have been out of production for several years . . .
As a budding young shooter in the early 1980s, Dan Wesson handguns were the epitome of cool. Before The Age Of Glocks, Dan Wesson ‘Pistol Packs’ like this one were everything you could ask for in accurate, reliable firepower. Remember: this was just before the dawn of the ‘Wondernine,’ when most 9mm semi-automatics were hopelessly unreliable by today’s standards, and even the best of them often choked on the few 9mm hollowpoints of the day. In 1982, if you wanted a sturdy handgun that reliably fired hollowpoints, you wanted a revolver.
The Dan Wesson Model 15-2 .357 Magnum was introduced in 1975, and is perhaps the ‘Classic’ Dan Wesson revolver. Its rugged frame could swap barrel lengths and grip styles at will, and the gun built an excellent reputation for accuracy and reliability. Later Dan Wesson designs got larger and larger to accomodate more and more powerful and exotic revolver cartridges like the .357 Maximum and .445 Supermag, but the Model 15-2 was everything that a Dan Wesson sixgun should be. Dan Wesson himself died in 1978, but the Model 15-2 remained in some form of production until 2008.
In the 1980s, manufacturers started to develop semiautos which could function reliably with improved hollowpoint ammunition and police departments transitioned to these designs through the rest of the 1980s just as the crack cocaine crime wave crested. Tens of thousands of LEOs traded in their used Colt Troopers, Ruger Security-Sixes, and S&W 686s for Glocks and Berettas and 5906s, and and the bottom fell out of the medium-frame revolver market. Why spend north of $500 for a Dan Wesson, when you could pick up a used Security-Six for less than $200?
The Dan Wesson company went through a reorganization in 1983, and production moved to a new Massachusetts facility in 1992. The brand was sold entirely in 1996, and production was moved to New York. The first New York Dan Wesson revolvers shipped the next year, and in 1999 the first Dan Wesson 1911 hit the market.
The 1911 proved to be the death of the Dan Wesson revolver. CZ purchased what was left of the Dan Wesson enterprise in 2005, and fans hoped that CZ would revive production of the revolver line. But this would not be the case. CZ scaled down revolver production until 2008, and finally stopped altogether.
TTAG’s own Tim McNabb cornered CZ two years ago and asked them: “Is Dan Wesson Coming Back?” CZ’s answer was a cautious but unambiguous ‘yes.’
Hearts quickened, and fans even noticed that a Dan Wesson revolver was listed in the CZ-USA catalog from 2012. A few promising production guns were released, but the 2012 production run must have been vanishingly small. Revolvers are no longer listed in the catalog or on the CZ-USA website; they’re only referred to in the historical past tense.
So, after two years, where are the Model 15-2s, and why do we hear the sound of crickets chirping? If you’re not going to bring Dan Wesson revolvers back, just say so. Dan Wesson might make nice 1911s, but 1911s are about as unique as ARs these days so don’t expect me to get too excited about another one.
I have been unfriended several times because of my position on abortion, 2nd Amendment, and my positions on faith.
I live in Washington state. I could write a paragraph or two on each person who spoke. Rather then doing that, I will just shake my head in discuss.
Unfriending people feels great after a few cocktails.
Wow…serious stupidity.
This reminds me of some teenagers in a neighborhood I used to live in who decided one night to point a laser pointer attached to a toy pistol at passing cars from a parked car. They managed to terrify numerous people in a matter of minutes but before the police could respond they lased the wrong vehicle and received 13 rounds of 9mm to their vehicle for their troubles. No one was hurt, the shooter wasn’t charged and the kids were arrested for aggravated assault. Seriously dumb. It makes one wonder if such ideas aren’t hatched by someone asking what sort of stunt they could pull that might get them killed without definitely getting them killed. Golden Darwin Award candidates indeed.
Play stupid games…almost won a stupid prize..
Strangely enough, all of my liberal friends on Facebook have been more-or-less supremely respectful of my views on the right to keep and bear arms. I think it’s primarily because I am also supremely respectful of their decision not to keep and bear arms, which is fine by me.
So, no, I’ve never done that nor had it happen to me.
I guess I’m just lucky that way.
Did I see sparks coming off the pavement? I also saw the SUV start driving really fast after the crew inside probably heard the inbound rounds.
So fucking stupid, man.
I cannot wait, though I wish the msrp had stayed at 389. :p
facebook/ zimmerman freed me of one horrible liberal turd
I hope it turns out to be better than the R.I.P. ammo. I wait with rapt antici……pation.
Never heard of these before, but I like the idea. Especially since when I asked Ruger how much it would cost to swap an SP101 barrel, they quoted me about the same price I paid for the gun in the first place.
Here’s an only slightly related thought, what about an 8 or so shot .300blk revolver with a 6″ or longer barrel? There’s no market need for it, I know, but I think it would be neat to the point that I would buy one. I’m still thinking hard about a S&W 8 shot .357, but I’d have to work hard on the reloads to qualify with it as a duty weapon.
Dan wessons were wonderful revolvers.Shooting Times tested a model 15-2 against a Python with multiple loads several years back. The Dan Wesson out performed the Colt across the board.
The R51 looks like a late ’50s water pistol.
A Freedom Group product, brand new, which uses a brand new platform based on an obscure action not made in decades.
Yeah, lets just call this one a bomb and move on.That being said, id love to be proven wrong.
Who would want a Caracal back? Shouldnt you pay the Arabs to keep it?
Is this is the same Remington Arms company in New York that everyone was talking about boycotting awhile back? If I’ve missed some pertinent facts or developments, please correct me, as I’m having that kind of day. 🙂
IMHO, protests and rallies are great for swaying the opinions of legislators who are considering passage of anti (or pro) gun legislation. After it has already passed, as in NY state, the time has generally passed for those rallies to do much good – unless there’s an opportunity to influence additional legislation to repeal or ease restrictions. So in NY, it’s time to head to the judicial system, and rallies on the courthouse lawn aren’t likely to do much good there.
Elsewhere, as recently the case in Washington State, rallies during the public comment period on proposed legislation show a huge and visible demarcation between the handful of MDA members that show up and the hundreds of pro-gun participants. So in my state, rallies are a productive tool.
“Just because you’re a law-abiding citizen today doesn’t mean you’re going to be one tomorrow.”
If this crazy bitch gets her way, we’ll all be criminals tomorrow.
I really can’t complain about this gun. I got it for 289 at academy and it been a pretty solid gun
Have a Dan Wesson .357 Mag 8″ barrel. Started looking for a 6 inch barrel in all the places posted on line and then decided to write DanWesson.com. An individual by the name of Shelley responded and confirmed full barrel assembly’s were available and for sale, as well as barrel tools with gauge. Prices quoted were less than used barrels selling on the intranet.
I still use my 15-2 ;6 inch barrel,in c/f competions and use 148grain wadcutters and 3.1grain Winchester red dot,never failed me in club comp’s. bought it in 1974.Yeahhhh!!
ccdwguy briefly mentioned that CZ fixed a problem with his revolver.
Does anyone else have experience with CZ making repairs?
I have a DW that is seriously misbehaving. It misfires at least as often as it fires.
The primer strikes are sometimes off center (timing issue, right?), but also some are on center.
I suppose I could try different ammo, but there are other problems as well.
Should I trust my DW to CZ, who seems to be scared to make the pistols now, or try to find a reputable local gunsmith?
Mr. Gross, the screw for your grip may be too tight.Back off a turn or so on grip screw and see if this fixes your problem, if it does you may consider a small washer . For more info go to Dan Wesson Forum website.
Thanks for your reply.
I have found that this screw can be overtightened, in particular the grip with finger grooves seems to have the hole bored too deep. When this screw is too tight, the gun will not allow the hammer enough movement to fire. I think your washer suggestion would work for this grip. The traditional grip does not have this problem.
I read somewhere that a screw on the side of the gun can be loose and affect the timing. This screw was loose, and the timing seems to be improved after I tightened it. I assessed the timing by putting some drag on the cylinder with a finger while slowly pulling the hammer. The cylinder was locked by the locking bolt/lug for each chamber. The cylinder does have a small amount of play when locked, though. I don’t know how tight it should be. I have not yet taken it to the range, and it does need to be cleaned.
Do you have any advice about the cylinder lock-up or service from CZ, in case I still have problems?
dan Wesson 357 Magnum 6 inch barrel pristine condition want to sellserial number 12340 looks as it’s never been shot nowhere tall bluing is perfect not a scratch on it
im interested in your dan wesson if you still have it.i am bad with computers. so if u can please call me about you dan wesson. thanks 917 359 6664
I think the website is rigged – they make it dysfunctional on purpose so people give up–
Websites are simple, all you need for a website to work properly, is have well working and enough servers to handle the amount of traffic, and the proof that it’s rigged is the fact that all there other websites work great