Any feedback on the Dan Wesson ,357?
- Thread starter Brutus
- Start date
Had one for a while but in the end still prefer the Smith 686 or GP 100.
DA trigger good but no better than the Smith or Ruger. The very square
barrel with sharp edges no help either.
Combined with a much higher price is why you probably don't hear much about it.
Not enough revolver guys, especially DA guys, out there to generate much heat.
DA trigger good but no better than the Smith or Ruger. The very square
barrel with sharp edges no help either.
Combined with a much higher price is why you probably don't hear much about it.
Not enough revolver guys, especially DA guys, out there to generate much heat.
Way back in 1978 or so, I bought a Dan Wesson .357 Mag. pistol pack.
It had a total of 4 barrels (2.5", 4", 6", 8") that came with it, as well as some different colored sights and barrel changing tools. It also came in a neat little suitcase type of container.
The barrels were all the full-under-lug type and blue. I shot it some with the different barrels and don't recall anything special about it.
Long story made short, I sold it and I've regretted it ever since. I think I paid under $400.00 for that when I bought it.
It had a total of 4 barrels (2.5", 4", 6", 8") that came with it, as well as some different colored sights and barrel changing tools. It also came in a neat little suitcase type of container.
The barrels were all the full-under-lug type and blue. I shot it some with the different barrels and don't recall anything special about it.
Long story made short, I sold it and I've regretted it ever since. I think I paid under $400.00 for that when I bought it.
Crazy Carl
New member
I passed on a Monson, MA .357 with 2.5", 4" & 6" barrels a few years ago for $300. Just didn't have the money 
I have owned both DW and a 686. The 686 gets my vote for all-around practicality.
DW has some cool factor and are usually hand fitted well. Hammer, trigger, and cylinder stop were all MIM parts on my Norwich CNC made gun, one generation back, but still had a very nice action. Not sure about CZ's stuff today. Just saw a new 357 in the case at Fin Feather in Ashland Ohio last week, around $1,000. Looked nice, they modernized the vent rib look a bit, but I am over it.
DW also has an odd, short straight back hammer stroke. (short stroke for shorter hammer fall/lock time, but heavier to pull back). The design was conceived for single action high powered silhouette competition (not DA), so they really shine for single action target duty.
The 686 has a very long history, with spare parts, grip options, and information galore you just cant overlook. Better price point, great accuracy, mine has a SA trigger to die for. DA is nothing to scoff at either.
Sorry, this wasn't supposed to be a poll was it....
DW has some cool factor and are usually hand fitted well. Hammer, trigger, and cylinder stop were all MIM parts on my Norwich CNC made gun, one generation back, but still had a very nice action. Not sure about CZ's stuff today. Just saw a new 357 in the case at Fin Feather in Ashland Ohio last week, around $1,000. Looked nice, they modernized the vent rib look a bit, but I am over it.
DW also has an odd, short straight back hammer stroke. (short stroke for shorter hammer fall/lock time, but heavier to pull back). The design was conceived for single action high powered silhouette competition (not DA), so they really shine for single action target duty.
The 686 has a very long history, with spare parts, grip options, and information galore you just cant overlook. Better price point, great accuracy, mine has a SA trigger to die for. DA is nothing to scoff at either.
Sorry, this wasn't supposed to be a poll was it....
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Back in the 1970's I worked in a retail paint store.
Business was always spotty. We either ran our butts off or picked our nose and passed it around.
I used to buy all the gun rags the local drug store in the shooping strip carried and read them during the down times.
Metallic Silhouette was the big thing back then & everything about Metallic Silhouette was - Dan Wesson in .357 mag.
Dans were the only thing that could stand up to the constant pounding and still work as required.
Business was always spotty. We either ran our butts off or picked our nose and passed it around.
I used to buy all the gun rags the local drug store in the shooping strip carried and read them during the down times.
Metallic Silhouette was the big thing back then & everything about Metallic Silhouette was - Dan Wesson in .357 mag.
Dans were the only thing that could stand up to the constant pounding and still work as required.
Other than my comments, it seems most refer to the older guns.
The new DW has a much, much better double action trigger than those of old but I still prefer the 686 or GP 100 in DA shooting.
No doubt the new gun which I owned was beautifully finished, etc. but in the end it really "isn't there" for me.
What I found interesting, or odd, is that for such a big revolver the cylinder remains K-frame sized rather than the beefier L frame or GP frame. It takes a K-frame speed loader while the other two, of course, need an L-frame speed loader.
As a lefty, I was never much bothered by the forward frame cylinder release but I'm sure that with righties it's a bother.
The new DW has a much, much better double action trigger than those of old but I still prefer the 686 or GP 100 in DA shooting.
No doubt the new gun which I owned was beautifully finished, etc. but in the end it really "isn't there" for me.
What I found interesting, or odd, is that for such a big revolver the cylinder remains K-frame sized rather than the beefier L frame or GP frame. It takes a K-frame speed loader while the other two, of course, need an L-frame speed loader.
As a lefty, I was never much bothered by the forward frame cylinder release but I'm sure that with righties it's a bother.
Sort of...
""normal sane" .357 mag loads had a lot of trouble with the Rams.
The loads they fed the Dans were on a whole different level.
They were throwing the 180 grain and 200 grain slugs in the 1500 fps neighborhood.
That's pretty much where the .357 Max was born.
Those pills were so stout they shook the big N frame S&W up and the Ruger Blackhawk too!
FairWarning
New member
The definitely look appealing, although I haven't heard much high praise to the point that people wanted to drop their current .357s for them. As in this thread, most are quite happy with their 686s and GP100s.
I simply can't justify the expense when I already have a 686P.
I simply can't justify the expense when I already have a 686P.
It is very encouraging to hear that the new CZ version has an improved DA trigger. I agree with most everything written so far but I would have to guess (since I was not a shooter in the heyday of IMHSA) that while the Dan Wesson "stood up" to the pounding of the nutbar-level heavy bullet .357 Magnum loads... it wasn't so much that the revolver was indestructible-- it was more likely that the barrels got torched and could be quickly, easily and not so costly replaced.
Myself, I have owned two old Dan's, both Monson, both 6", one was a standard barrel and the other a full lug. My full lug was bought to "upgrade" my first one and it was in mint condition.
I liked the good things about them but the things I didn't like refused to go away. Accurate for damn sure but the double action was heavy, clunky, not smooth and lousy compared to S&W. But the two other problems (both of them!) were bigger deal breakers for me:
--light strikes in DA with CCI primers
--cylinder would bind when heated up, making a lousy DA even worse
And yes, before you ask, 100% certain that it was NOT binding at the muzzle end of cylinder and my flash gap was NOT set too short. It was in the back end and it was maddening when the exact same problems occurred in my mint, nicer "upgrade" gun, I was extremely disappointed knew it's days were numbered.
I'm a double action guy, through and through. The Dan Wesson revolvers were totally awesome for single action shooting but no good for me.
Myself, I have owned two old Dan's, both Monson, both 6", one was a standard barrel and the other a full lug. My full lug was bought to "upgrade" my first one and it was in mint condition.
I liked the good things about them but the things I didn't like refused to go away. Accurate for damn sure but the double action was heavy, clunky, not smooth and lousy compared to S&W. But the two other problems (both of them!) were bigger deal breakers for me:
--light strikes in DA with CCI primers
--cylinder would bind when heated up, making a lousy DA even worse
And yes, before you ask, 100% certain that it was NOT binding at the muzzle end of cylinder and my flash gap was NOT set too short. It was in the back end and it was maddening when the exact same problems occurred in my mint, nicer "upgrade" gun, I was extremely disappointed knew it's days were numbered.
I'm a double action guy, through and through. The Dan Wesson revolvers were totally awesome for single action shooting but no good for me.
While that may have played a small part in it, it really was the robustness of the inner workings that played the major part of it.
Matches back then were two days long - Saturday and Sunday.
The gun had to work with no repairs or modifications allowed for the whole two days.
For production class, the gun had to literally fit inside a special box & it had to sell under a certain price.
Small refinements to the locks were allowed, but, no real custom creations.
The 200 meter Ram targets have a "sweet spot" about 8"x 8" on the top where a hit will produce a fall - if the slug has enough oomph.
Inside, the Dans are more like the Ruger. Matter of fact, I permanently loaned my friend Jim, who's a Ruger only kinda guy, my old Monsoon Dan .22lr. He commented how alike the two are & I agree.
That greater internal strength is what made them hold up enough to maintain the level of accuracy needed to hit that "sweet spot".
I've mentioned this before and I haven't gotten around to it yet, but, I probably will before too much longer.
I believe I might have some of the old magazines I had back from those early times were all the news is on the Dans. I think they are down in the basement. I've only been putting off the job of finishing the basement since 1986, and now that I've been retired 5 years, my wife is bugging me again about it. If I run across them, I post something here about it. Maybe someone wants them.
Not to single you out, but the problem is the current dan Wesson is a totally different company than the old dan Wesson. So comparisons to the old company aren't much help.
From my own experience from owning several of the original DW's, I would hope the quality is better with new one.
Jim