New Dan Wesson Model 14

[Texasred]

Hey just bought a like new Dan Wesson 14 blued steel. Fixed sights, 6" bbl, and walnut grips. It's about 97% condition. The guy was asking 389.99 and I asked him if he would take 350.00...I've always heard good things about Dan Wessons and I knew about the Monson thing too. So I was still a little unsure about the whole thing. I have a 2" SP-101, a 4"GP-100, and a Smith 442. So I was looking for a 6". So the guy handed it to me and that was it! The trigger felt ridiculously nice, the grip was nice, the finish was pretty, the balance was perfect.
So I'm happy until I got my gun price book out and looked at the prices, seemed I got ripped off. This is like 100.00 off. Did I get ripped off? I hardly ever see these things, that's worth something right? My other concern is that I read the internal parts are made of sintered metal parts? Is this like "pot metal"? Is it junk? Are replacement parts hard to come by? Is the action strong like Ruger strong? I see some smiths will fix em and work on them.

 

[Texasred]

 

[LoneCoon]

Not really. The gun prices are really variable, and 350 is actually pretty decent, especially for the 6" model. They're really hard to find.

The guns are ridiculously strong, you'll probably never have a problem. You will love it, I promise. And if you don't, ship it my way!

 

[content]

Hello friends and neighbors// Nice DW $350.00 is a great price around here.
The ones I've fired from Monson have a trigger like putting your finger through hot butter.

I looked at a DW 2,4,6,8" pistol pack in .357 at the Charlotte gun show last weekend, it was minty but at $1000.00, I thought while someone else bought. Yours has nicer grips too. I'm glad though, lookin for my $350.00 DW, hope its that nice.

 

[Texasred]

Thanks guys that makes me feel a lot better. I plan on using this as a hunting target piece.

 

[Mike J]

You can still get parts from CZ. If you want information on Dan Wessons www.danwessonforum.com is the place to go. There is information there on how to get parts & everything else you might want to know about these guns.

 

[.45Heater]

Great gun and a very good price! ENJOY!!!

 

[Zundfolge]

Yeah, come on over to the DW forum ... there are several very knowledgeable guys there.

Dan Wessons are really a bargain; Tough as a Ruger, smooth as a Colt, reliable as a S&W priced like a Taurus

My model 14-2 snubbie is in my pants as I type this.


If you REALLY want to feel better about your choice to buy the Dan Wesson, read this.

 

[Mike J]

I think you did fine on the price also Tex that is one nice looking revolver.
Zundfolge-While that is a testament to the toughness of these guns that is just scary.

 

[content]

Hello friends and neighbors // Zundfolge
That beats any dumb range story I've ever heard 4 rounds
Did it take 4 rounds to jam the cylinder so he had to stop?
Glad your daughter is ok.

Myth busters did not even go that far, DW are "very "well made indeed.

 

[harmonic]

The internal parts are made of potmetal. I had a 744 that I needed work on. A gunsmith told me that because the internals are potmetal/sintered, DW doesn't/didn't do any fine tuning. All they did was to keep changing out parts till something fit.

Shame too, since the whole concept of interchangeable barrels was so innovative.

Anyway, I sold the 744.

 

[KingMedicine]

I found a Dan Wesson 15-2 with a 6 inch barrel for 160 two weeks ago. Mind you it looks like its been through hell and back, but man, its a solid pistol. I love the thing.

 

[Texasred]

Wow Zundfolge, that's pretty amazing!

 

[DWFan]

You didn't get ripped off. Prices on Dan Wessons have been steadily climbing in the last 8-10 months.
http://www.notpurfect.com/main/dwrev.htm
There is a rumor that CZ is reconsidering their "no more revolvers" policy in light those price increases.

 

[Reed1911]

The internal parts are made of potmetal. I had a 744 that I needed work on. A gunsmith told me that because the internals are potmetal/sintered, DW doesn't/didn't do any fine tuning. All they did was to keep changing out parts till something fit.

Shame too, since the whole concept of interchangeable barrels was so innovative.

Anyway, I sold the 744.

Sounds like your Gunsmith is just a gun mechanic and does not know much about DW guns.

 

[harmonic]

and does not know much about DW guns.

On the contrary. It sounds like you don't know much about DW guns.

Specifically the work I needed done was to increase the angle of the hammer gripping surface to provide a more secure gripping surface. With a forged hammer it could be heated and bent. Not with potmetal.

 

[Reed1911]

“Potmetal” usually refers to an alloy of cheap iron and steel scrap that has been melted for general use of non-load bearing, ornamental use, etc. Sintered metal in fact, has been proven stronger than forged and hardened steel and is much less costly to produce, it can also be held to tighter tolerances at a lower cost than a forged, cast, or machined part. Let me be clear, as long as we take cost out of the equation, yes a custom forged or machined part can be held to a tighter tolerance, but not at a cost that most folks are willing to pay. Point of fact just about every quality gun manufacturer out there uses sintered parts for many parts of the gun including barrels. To say that sintered metal is potmetal is completely erroneous and rather ill informed.

Next, the idea that DW just slapped parts together that "would fit" is rather inane. I cannot imagine how one would think that is the case with the many, many smooth actions that came from there, time and time, gun after gun after gun. Pretty much like saying Colt just slaps parts into the frame until they will line up right and that is the product they put out. Heck, piece of crap Taurus does a better job than that, so it is laughable that a "gunsmith" would say that.

That you repeated it makes me think you had one DW gun that had a problem and assume that all of them are junk. I could be wrong, but that is how I see it.

 

[harmonic]

Not me. Grant Cunningham, noted gunsmith who specializes in handguns said the following re DW.

Doing an action job on a Dan Wesson is harder than doing a Colt," says Cunningham. "Many parts made over the years are poorly machined, and I'm surprised they work as well as they do. It's not unusual to get through two or three factory parts before I find one that actually fits and works.

me think you had one DW gun that had a problem

It wasn't a problem, per se. If you look at the hammer of the 44 mag and compare it to the 357 or the 22, you notice the 357 and 22 angle is more extreme. That makes for a secure cocking surface. The 44 is not so extreme, and the grooves/knurling are almost rounded. On a hot day when I was sweaty, I couldn't securely get a thumb grip on the cocking surface.

That's when I started looking for solutions. The grooves couldn't be recut/cut deeper due to the type of metal. The hammer couldn't be reconfigured due to the type of metal.

I'd like a 22 or 357 since it already has a decent hammer.

 

[Texasred]

Well either way I shot it today and it shot better than my Ruger GP 100 w/ 4" bbl.