Well I was able to acquire a Dan Wesson 15-2 through, what I consider, a helluva trade. Gave a guy 2 rusty Chinese Mosin T53's for the revolver. The catch is that the gun needs repaired. When you try to pull the trigger the cylinder on rotates part of the way and the hammer will not come back. If you mess with the cylinder you can get the hammer back and pull the trigger. The other part of this puzzle is after the trigger is pulled you have to push the trigger forward with your finger. It does not reset on its own. Is this a spring issue or maybe something bigger???
Dan Wesson 15 issue
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F-111 John
Member
Check to make sure that the screw holding the grips on isn't screwed in too tightly. There is supposed to be a bushing under that screw, but if it's lost then the screw can go far enough into the frame to interfere with the hammer spring.
Here is an illustrated guide to 15-2 disassembly/reassembly: http://www.danwessonforum.com/forum/reloading/tuning-up-your-15-2-the-average-joe-method/
A good source for replacement parts is EWK Arms: http://www.ewkarms.com/
Finally, a great resource is the Dan Wesson Forums: http://www.danwessonforum.com/
Here is an illustrated guide to 15-2 disassembly/reassembly: http://www.danwessonforum.com/forum/reloading/tuning-up-your-15-2-the-average-joe-method/
A good source for replacement parts is EWK Arms: http://www.ewkarms.com/
Finally, a great resource is the Dan Wesson Forums: http://www.danwessonforum.com/
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Steve CT
Member
By all means, please visit the Dan Wesson Forum. Lot's of resources available to help resolve problems like the ones you are experiencing.
ApacheCoTodd
member
Grip screw first.
As noted.
My experience.
On my first DW 15 - I hurriedly ran out and got a pachmayr grip to cool it up and cope with that monstrous DW grip. In fiddle-fartin' around in the barracks floor, I messed up screws and ended up with the same problem as you have.
If I have it correctly, the DW screw in the Pachmayr wouldn't work.
In any case, years later I got another DW in a trade as it didn't operate. Turns out it had some off the shelf ACE Hardware hardware bin hex-head machine screw in it. Walked it into a grinder - dressed the edges and eazy-peasy it was happy.
As noted.
My experience.
On my first DW 15 - I hurriedly ran out and got a pachmayr grip to cool it up and cope with that monstrous DW grip. In fiddle-fartin' around in the barracks floor, I messed up screws and ended up with the same problem as you have.
If I have it correctly, the DW screw in the Pachmayr wouldn't work.
In any case, years later I got another DW in a trade as it didn't operate. Turns out it had some off the shelf ACE Hardware hardware bin hex-head machine screw in it. Walked it into a grinder - dressed the edges and eazy-peasy it was happy.
robhof
Member
robhof
Also check cylinder/barrel gap, adjustable with DW's, but need to be at least .004 for best operation. The DW gauge for the 357 is .006. You need a barrel tool, if one didn't come with the gun, you can find them on Ebay or from CZ/DW arms or there's an aftermarket barrel and parts maker that advertises on the danwessonforums site, his barrels are very high quality and others rave about his other parts and accessories.
Also check cylinder/barrel gap, adjustable with DW's, but need to be at least .004 for best operation. The DW gauge for the 357 is .006. You need a barrel tool, if one didn't come with the gun, you can find them on Ebay or from CZ/DW arms or there's an aftermarket barrel and parts maker that advertises on the danwessonforums site, his barrels are very high quality and others rave about his other parts and accessories.
F-111 John
Member
Vodoun da Vinci
Member
+2 on checking the grip screw. I'll add my recommendation and support for EWK - Dude's after market barrel, shrouds and extras are top end. Best I have seen and customer service is outstanding.
EWK barrel wrenches are The Bomb. Get one of those for sure if you are gonna own a DW.
VooDoo
EWK barrel wrenches are The Bomb. Get one of those for sure if you are gonna own a DW.
VooDoo
I am another that would look at the grip screw first. I got my Dan Wesson out of a pawn shop back in the 90's. I realized that it would not let me completely cock the hammer. I removed the grip screw & everything worked properly. I put a Hogue rubber grip on it & it was fine. Later on I used a slightly oversized nut to make a spacer that I could put in the wood grip it came with & it works fine with it also now. I may be wrong but I believe there were 2 different length grip screws available for these guns.
ApacheCoTodd
member
I first went with grip screw as that was most of my experience. Easy enough to tell - remove it altogether - does it "dry cycle"?
This however from ROBHOF is important as the OP says that he can get past his sticktion (it's a real technical thing - look it up) by jigglating the cylinder. Gotta wonder about gap-drag due to a poorly gapped or excessively dirty gun.
I recall getting a bit of this in my early reloading days of thinkin' powder's-powder.
Vodoun da Vinci
Member
Yup....might also be that the gap is *so* small that the barrel is binding on the cylinder just enough to make life difficult. Easy to check...open the cylinder and cock the gun/pull the trigger and see if it binds then.
VooDoo
VooDoo
Steve CT
Member
Re: DW Grip Screw
There are actually two different length screws for DW revolvers, the shorter of the two is correct for "compact" grips.
The reality with a DW grip screw is that it functions to keep the grip from falling off the gun, and the DW "tang" type grip has a lot of gripping power, even if the grip screw is not snugged up solidly. On older guns, and especially with Hogue or Pachmayr rubber grips, it can be a challenge to get the grip off the gun sometimes.
The single most common malfunction on a DW revolver is (by far) an over tightened grip screw.
There are actually two different length screws for DW revolvers, the shorter of the two is correct for "compact" grips.
The reality with a DW grip screw is that it functions to keep the grip from falling off the gun, and the DW "tang" type grip has a lot of gripping power, even if the grip screw is not snugged up solidly. On older guns, and especially with Hogue or Pachmayr rubber grips, it can be a challenge to get the grip off the gun sometimes.
The single most common malfunction on a DW revolver is (by far) an over tightened grip screw.
*update*
Ok I took the advice from here and found some very interesting information. If I open the cylinder and dry fire the gun it operates great. The trigger/hammer operates and returns each pull. However when I close the cylinder the gun goes back to its old ways. I cleaned the gun and found that the first 2 pulls the gun will fire BUT the trigger does not return. I cleaned the snot out of the gun and I can see some rubbing locations on the face of the cylinder.
What can this be now that we have narrowed it down to that
Ok I took the advice from here and found some very interesting information. If I open the cylinder and dry fire the gun it operates great. The trigger/hammer operates and returns each pull. However when I close the cylinder the gun goes back to its old ways. I cleaned the gun and found that the first 2 pulls the gun will fire BUT the trigger does not return. I cleaned the snot out of the gun and I can see some rubbing locations on the face of the cylinder.
What can this be now that we have narrowed it down to that
ApacheCoTodd
member
Either your barrel's too far back from the most recent removal and/or your cylinder is slightly forward at least at the point of drag.
My greatest concern at this point would be inconsistency of the drag indicating a flawed plane at the front of the cylinder and/or a cylinder pinion issue relating to the trueness of its axis.
If you spin the cylinder slowly while the action is opened - do you notice any axial variations?
For what it's worth - two of my early DWs had a variation in length from chamber to chamber when closed. Gave me fits initially till I determined an accommodating barrel offset dimension. Kinda like setting solid lifter rocker arms - sometimes you gotta compromise over factory spec.
My greatest concern at this point would be inconsistency of the drag indicating a flawed plane at the front of the cylinder and/or a cylinder pinion issue relating to the trueness of its axis.
If you spin the cylinder slowly while the action is opened - do you notice any axial variations?
For what it's worth - two of my early DWs had a variation in length from chamber to chamber when closed. Gave me fits initially till I determined an accommodating barrel offset dimension. Kinda like setting solid lifter rocker arms - sometimes you gotta compromise over factory spec.
F-111 John
Member
My DW 715 (stainless version of your 15) has a slightly out of plane cylinder face. When I gap the barrel I take the average of all six cylinders to get to .006 average. The low is probably around .0045 and the high about .0075.
Simply hold the cylinder-barrel gap up to the light and you should see daylight in all six cylinder positions. .006 inches is a bigger gap than you might think. It's about the thickness of two to three sheets of printer paper. Because you can set the gap, too many try to make it as tight as possible.
Do you have the barrel wrench tool and .006 feeler gauge? If not, you really need to get one. Your barrel nut may even be loose.
Simply hold the cylinder-barrel gap up to the light and you should see daylight in all six cylinder positions. .006 inches is a bigger gap than you might think. It's about the thickness of two to three sheets of printer paper. Because you can set the gap, too many try to make it as tight as possible.
Do you have the barrel wrench tool and .006 feeler gauge? If not, you really need to get one. Your barrel nut may even be loose.
Vodoun da Vinci
Member
My guess is that the barrel gap is to tight. Since the OP recently traded for the gun he probably dun't have the barrel wrench....Before he goes any further he needs to check that gap with a feeler gauge and see where it's set.
Way easy for a past owner to have set the gap "by eyeball" and tightened the nut on the barrel end tight enough to shrink the gap too far.
Need a feeler gauge and a barrel wrench in that order.
VooDoo
Way easy for a past owner to have set the gap "by eyeball" and tightened the nut on the barrel end tight enough to shrink the gap too far.
Need a feeler gauge and a barrel wrench in that order.
VooDoo
damienph
Member
Well, I have never had any problems with my 6" Model 15-2VR so I cannot give you any advise on how to fix it but... My DW is more accurate than my S&W 686, 66 and 15. They are great revolvers and personally, I prefer the big old factory target grip that comes on them.
hemiram
Member
I agree about the factory grip. I have six different ones and the originals keep on going back on. The rubber Pachmyrs are a close second place. The custom ones that closely resemble the factory grips are dead last, they are just plain uncomfortable.
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