...But the niche to the Dan Wesson was swapping barrels. And much like the "modularity" with sig 320 pistol.... it's a neat trick but how much does it get used. ....
I haven't had a Dan Wesson yet, but for me it would not be the barrel swap that attracts me. I agree that I would not swap it -- I'd be more likely to buy another one for whatever lengths I thought I wanted. However, I would absolutely appreciate the ability to reset the barrel-to-cylinder gap. If I had the ability to do that, I can't imagine that I wouldn't be resetting it at least once a year.
I also think the cylinder release and the lock-up on the DW is ideal. I don't find fault with S&W, Ruger, Colt or DW releases, but the DW makes the most sense to me.
The coil mainspring and stud grip frame on the DW is the way to go. Ruger copied it for the GP-100. The older Colt's V-spring was prone to breaking. The new Colt U-springs might be better than the V-springs. S&W leaf springs are ok, but harder to fine-tune. With the leaf, all you can do is adjust the preload (strain screw) or swap between one or two spring rates and bossed (power-rib) or not. With coil springs, you can adjust length and preload, coil thickness, number of coils, diameter... and I think coil springs can be made more durable than leaf springs, especially bent or folded leaf springs.
Karl Lewis' design for Dan Wesson was brilliant in every respect except the aesthetics. The Model 14 and 15 improved on the 11 and 12 in that area, but they never had more appeal than their competitors.
The Dan Wesson's investment-cast frame held it back from S&W and Colt whose forged frames distinguished them above Ruger also. The transfer bar system of Dan Wessons, Colts and Rugers is also inferior to the hammer blocks on S&W.
That I find the least fault with S&W's design is not a matter of bias, but their domination of the market for more than the last several decades is ample evidence. It's a pity their attention to detail and quality is abysmal. There's evidence in this thread that Dan Wesson has had their own problems with quality in the past, but I think the most recent 715 product from CZ's CNC re-tool are likely top-notch. I'll also repeat that I find the coil mainspring, the cylinder release, and the user-resettable b/c gap all attractive features.
I'm looking to dump two L-frames of which I've had enough of their problems, and also sell my last S&W just because it's a j-frame but otherwise perfect -- a truly great gun that's just the wrong size for me. It didn't escape S&W without a quality flaw (faulty rear sight), but they replaced it and it's flawless now. Dan Wesson is on my list of potential replacements. The thing is, I'm demanding of my EDC piece. I prefer 5" barrels, but I'd also prefer that it be IDPA legal. I think a lot of the 715's sold new recently had the 6" barrels. If I buy an older 4" barreled gun, I have more doubts.
