Yeah, they're nice...
BluToe, I have a used 15 VH. Excellent piece and beautiful finish. It's about the heft and weight of a S&W L frame I think (from having been shopping around for CCW holsters). The blueing is such a gorgeous shiny deep blue that I have remorse putting that gun in a holster. But a gun has got to do what a gun has got to do...
Fast/smooth trigger. Came with 2.5", 4" & 6" barrels. Exactly like having 2 different guns (got no use for the 2.5" barrel and that gun is the wrong heft for a snubbie anyway). New parts are available from DW and interchangeable with older pieces (shrouds, barrels and barrel nuts). The new Dan Wesson Firearms company kept the grip fastening system so there are plenty of grips available from Hogue and others.
DW is a small shop I think, and it's not a bad thing. I asked them a few email questions and they were prompt and detailed in their answers. Going out of business twice has probably hurt the brand. I also think that many people just plain don't like the idea of a removable barrels system. For my part, I like it now that I have practiced with it a little: change barrel 2 mns (I'm slow and paranoid with the feeler gauge!), change grip: badabim badaboom Papa got a brand new gun.
Since I acquired mine, I have looked into this a bit more, and finding .357 Pistol Pacs in new to very good condition is relatively easy, if you're patient enough. For some reason that I cannot quite fathom, it would seem that many people bought these guns and did not fire them, or fired them very little. Maybe they were seen as collector's item? A very bad calculation then, because they are by no means collector's stuff: they are build to shoot and they did not retain high resale value. This last point is cited by some as a DW drawback, but I see it as a bargain
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Moreover, I would argue that DW used prices are close to a good used S&W in the same category, so it's not that bad.
With my gun came the original brochures that went with the .357 Pistol Pac, describing the different options and model codes available. If you're interested, I will scan them and post them here, if it's OK with the moderator.
PS5