Dan Wesson model 15 questions

I think i have my heart set on a used Dan Wesson model 15 or 15-2. My first question is how interchangable are the barrels? I see barrels w/ VH and V and am not sure if they can all be used on a model 15 or 15-2. What is the difference between the model 15 and 15-2? I have learned that I would only want to purchase a Dan Wesson made in the Monson plant but what if I would have problems w/ it...can CZ fix an old Dan Wesson or could I run into trouble finding parts and service? I would love to buy a pistol pac but the price looks to be a little high for one of those, so I will be looking for a 6" or 4" first and buy the other barrels I want as I go. Can I buy the barrels from CZ? My other option is a Ruger gp100 but I really like the idea of the interchangable barrels on the Dan Wesson. Also how does the Dan Wesson shoot compared to a gp100 and the gold standard 686?

 

So many questioms. I have been a fan of DW revolvers for 35 years. Bought a monson mass. 15-2 in '76 and that revolver today is just as accurate . It was used mainly for hunting and shoot heavy 180gr loads at or inside 3" at 100 yards with a red dot . I now have added a another 15-2 for my wife and a 44 for hunting and retired my 1st one to play duty. The light to heavy barrel shrouds all interchange on the 15-2 series and some mix and match them with the Stainless shrouds just to have a different look. Blue ridge blueing use to do there blueing for a time and has some parts like springs. CZ does fix and repair also . At the DAN WESSON FORUM there are couple guys that started buisness that make custom grips and barrel with shrouds and sites. Lots of info and support for follow members to help with any problems along with history that can be found there also.

Search SHOOTER'S CORNER INC and scrowl down to H11 . This a a 715 palmer stainless revoler for 400 and down at H25 is a palmer for 250. Some palmers are better? Both could be worth checking out. For 250 for the H25 listing I would probly buy that and take a chance.

The rugers a real nice revolver too but get a nice DW first and you will be glad you did.

 

Thanks hardluk1! I love the list at shooters corner and its within driving distance when Im ready to buy. So if I were to get the 715 model would all 15 barrels work on it? Even the heavy and vented barrels....this is where I get confused.

 

All barrels on the 15-2 that had interchangeable barrel/shrouds can swap shrouds or barrels too no matter if SS or blue, regular profile, heavy or vented.Not so with earlier 12 and 15 pork chop shroud guns. Now vented barrel from the early days discharged between the barrel and shroud and with out good upkeep chould gum up a nice gun and make it hard to get apart. Many guys bought just a non-vented barrel so they don't have to deal with that problem. EWK has 6" non-vented barrels only for 40 bucks and really nice slab side shrouds too. But i have never seen a 357 vented, maybe venting is a large frame thang. Now they did make some fixed barrels also so look at the end on the muzzle to be sure. Go to DAN WESSON FORUM and get your questions together and post them there. I am a far from being up to speed on the history of most of dw's revolvers but those guys can answer anything I think. OH, CZ is comeing out with a new 715 around june but only 500 this year and a 1000+ dollar price tag. Makes the old ones look even better. Hope this all read right to you.

 

I hate when ppl get on here, and bad mouth a particular gun company...however..I have had issues w/ DW over the years. Had an older mod 15, the thing contantly bound up....had it to the dealer, and the company several times with no luck. Also a buddy bought a newer one (a few years ago when DW was making their comeback) he had a similar issue..finally DW let him "trade up" to their 1911...first time at range, front sight fell off.....

 

Yes, some DW's had problems, and some were/are great. Their QC wasn't always the best. That is why it never hurts to inspect a gun in person before buying.

 

SPW1 In the early years there quality control was quite good and try repair service was first class. I have only around 8000 rounds thru mine and it is still first claass shooter and still even looks good. To many only know then when under other companies banners.

Tony Ok you gave it away when you said he was able to trade up for one of there 1911's . So it was a early CZ DW revolver. They screwed up on more than a few. There not dan wessons that the wesson family ran. Early dw's of the monson and even mostly plalmer times were typicaly great guns. Even today only a freedom arms can shoot with or out shot them but that more about CZ.DW's are still winning silhouette matches today. How about the new guns today that guy's are pay'n a thousand dollars plus and they got back right off the bat. Notice no name. All companies have some problems but if someone had a problem with a mid '70's or 80's dw it would have been taken care of. When it was a family company they produce the best afordable production revolvers around. Remember too that Dan Wesson was of S&W. You think also that some of this extremly high priced browning design pistol don't also have problems ?? You just ain't owned one yet.

 

I have a late 70's early 80's monson 22 that has the shroud misaligned visibly. The shrouds alignment hole was not placed properly. It shoots ok even like that, but it was still not made right. I have another late eighties(still monson) DW 44 mag that has a couple of severe chatter marks in one of the chambers. That chamber sticks a bit but the rest are fine. Now don't get me wrong I like dan wessons, but their quality control often left something to be desired, and that included the monson years. I should also mention I have other DW revolvers that have zero issues but I still think it is best to inspect a DW of any vintage personally prior to purchase if at all possible. Especially the way prices have been going up the last few years.

 

SPW! If you bought your 22 and 44 new you should have sent them back to be fixed . If you bought them used maybe it flaws were not some they came with and should have been spotted be for buying and passed on it. Not all problems are a manufactors fault with used firearms. Now if it shoots baddly thats a different problem. I would still reather chance a early wesson if the overall firearms is a 95% finish that looks to have been cared for. If you buy most anything at a low enought price you can aford to deal with a couple issues if some are found. Even ruger and smith had issues and still do ,so don't buy them?? No At todays cost only used makes since sometimes.

 

I own two Dan Wessons, both M15-2s, both "Monson". I purchased my first one, with a 6" vent rib barrel circa 1977. It was my only CF handgun for several years. The Lord alone knows just how many rds. have been through it. The vast majority of them have been my cast bullet handloads of various flavors. It shows some miles on the outside, but it still locks up tightly and hits where it's pointed.

I've experienced exactly one part failure: sometime in the late '80's the pressed-in cylinder stop lug on the frame came off while I was shooting the last of a few boxes from a lot of PMC-made factory 158 gr. JHP's I'd purchased. IIRC, they'd seemed to me to have been a good bit "warmer" feeling in both recoil and report compared to other factory 158 gr. stuff I'd used.

Anyway, I called CS at DW to see if I could order a new part to be installed locally or if it needed to be sent to them for repair. Even though my factory warranty had long ago expired, I had the new part and detailed instructions for its installation in my hands within a week and the shipping invoice read "no charge".

I felt compelled to write the company to express my thanks and appreciation for the courtesy and consideration the CS rep had shown me. A couple of weeks later, I received a letter in return, hand-signed by D.B. Wesson himself, and an embroidered Dan Wesson Arms patch thanking me for using their product!

When the company unfortunately had gone OoB, I purchased several barrel/shroud combos and an assortment of action parts (from CDNN, IIRC) against the day when I might need replacements. So far, only the barrels and shrouds have seen any use and all of them have fit and functioned perfectly on either of my relatively early production revolvers even though the parts themselves differ in several respects from those that were OEM when they were produced. FWIW, the later model barrels with a much different-looking rifling pattern seem to display, for me anyway, a tad bit better accuracy than the originals.