Should I buy the Dan Wesson VH8 .445 Super Magnum?

[357-8-times]

I was looking for a .44 mag when I discovered the DW VH8 in .445 supermag which can also fire .44mag/.44spl and thought it might be a better choice then a model that only does .44mag.

My usage is purely target practice and home defense (would be left loaded with .44spl +P) and my estimate is that it will be firing .44spl and .44mag about 90% of the time and the $1.35-per-shot .445 ammunition on occassion just for practice handling the load and for the occassional kick

Is buying a .445 a wise choice?

I live in a blue state where registering each purchase is such a hassle that this is basically one of those "if you could have just one" choices... (I already have a S&W 1911 .45 and a Taurus 608 .357 8-shot)

 

[357-8-times]

Another consideration was buying the S&W .460 (about the same price as the DW VH8) and loading with .45 LC for home defense, but the ammunition price in all three of the caliber that it accepts (.460, .454 and .45LC) is daunting.

 

[PotatoJudge]

Sounds like you don't reload, so you may not be shooting enough 445 to justify it over a 44 mag. That being said, I think the DW in 445 is pretty cool and would buy one given the opportunity.

This'll get you down to $1 a round:
http://shop.reedsammo.com/category.sc?categoryId=143

 

[357-8-times]

But why buy a .44 when you can buy the .445? What is the downside to the .445?

Thanks for the reedsammo link, they have really good prices! (I do not reload)

 

[earplug]

If you don't have A need don't buy it.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

What is the downside to the .445?

The price of the gun is a good start...

 

[357-8-times]

The difference in price of a S&W 629 .44mag and the VH8 is about $250; considering that I have to take off 1.5 days of work just to register the thing where I live, the price difference is not significant enough to be a factor for consideration. Between legal redtape and limited time off from work this may be the last firearm purchase for a while, so it has got to be the right choice.

I want something with long-range power and accuracy, was considering learning to sillouette shoot, but was really shopping for a .44 mag to complete my home-defense arsenal. Is there any reason that I could not use the .445 supermag as an everyday .44mag target-practice gun?

 

[unspellable]

445 vs 44

The 445 is a clear winner over the 44 for sillouette shooting. Although the VH8 barrel might be over the wieght limit. DW made a special 8 inch barrel for sillouette shooting that stays inside the weight limit. For casual plinking the 445 is a bit of a howitzer and it will never be a popular CCW, but if size and weight are no drawback then it wouldn't matter.

I don't use 44 Specials or 44 Mags in mine. Don't use 44 Specials in a 44 Mag or 38 Specials in a 357. I hand load and always use the correct length of brass, even for lite loads. There are many advantages to rolling your own and it doesn't take that much of an investment to get set up.

 

[PotatoJudge]

The advantage to getting a 44 mag is the variety of guns you have to choose from. If you want the DW then that variety hardly matters.

 

[357-8-times]

Potato, according to the reviews the DW seems to have excellent accuracy (at least with .445) and is rather esthetically pleasing (at least to me.) Other than that, all .44 six-shooters appear to me as basically the same (am I missing something?) and the quality brands are all within $250 of each other for a SS full size (5" or more,) so the DW seems as good a choice as any.

The size and weight are a bit of a stretch, but I really am comfortable with my Taurus 608 6.5" which is no lightweight at about a pound less and almost the same size as the VH8; I figure the heft would make shooting the .44mag more pleasant?

My only concern is if there is a drawback to using a gun designed for much more powerful ammo? The only thing I could find researching online is fouling, but that seems to only be an issue when attempting to shoot .445s after .44s without cleaning it first, and even so the only complaints that I have read about were with cartridge ejection after firing.

unspellable, I do not shoot nearly enough to make reloading worthwhile. Have you ever shot .44 in yours? If not, would you mind giving it a whirl and letting me know how the experience was? Thanks!

 

[unspellable]

short cases in long chambers

I've never run anything but 445 brass in my 445. The pros and cons of short brass in long chambers run like this:

1. Short brass results in a fouling ring farther back than from long brass. If not cleaned out this can cause sticky extraction or high pressure when switching back to long brass. The high pressure results from the long brass neck having insufficient room to expand with the crud in place.

2. With short brass the bullet takes a longer run before hitting the forcing cone. This is detrimental to accracy. The bullet builds up more speed and hits the forcing cone harder putting more stress on the forcing cone. (A very substantial part of the velocity is acquired before the bullet goes through the forcing cone.)

3. With long brass and a lite load there is excess powder room which is detrimental to accuracy. Certain load combinations are unsafe with excess room. the correct load will aleviate these problems. A non-issue with factory ammo since for the most part the factories don't put up lite loads.

4. For the difference in accuracy either way to matter, you would have to be a very good shot which means you've been shooting so much you've already gotten into hand loading. The difference in wear and tear is trivial if you are not doing enough shooting to justify handloading. Also, changing a Dan Wesson barrel tube is a five minute at the range job. It's a gun smith or factory job on any other revolver.

5. The price of factory ammo is such that it doesn't take much shooting to make handloading pay.

Bottom line is that while I always run long brass in long chambers, I wouldn't be afraid to run short brass. (I run 2-3/4 inch cartridges in my 3 inch shotgun.)

 

[Action_Can_Do]

Makes you wonder about all those people who plan on shooting 45 colt out of their 460s cause that is a big jump. That said, the cartridge length difference between a 44 mag and a 445 super isn't that big. I wouldn't hesitate to fire 44 mags through one.

 

[357-8-times]

So does that mean that everyone here thinks that it would be a good idea to buy it instead of a standard .44 if you had to decide between the two?

 

[wheelgunslinger]

Yes. It's a good idea. It's a sweet weapon.

Go find one and check it out before you buy, if you haven't. You'll be sold.

 

[Mr.Revolverguy]

Heck I wish I could find a shop that I could walk in and handle one. I have asked about it before in 6 different shops and was looked at like I was asking for a white rhino's horn, heck on owner I felt like he had never even heard of it. So to save embarrassment I just gave up hope.

 

[357-8-times]

Still looking for one myself. I had a few stores who never heard of the gun or even the caliber. I wish I would be able to shoot or even handle it first, but that is unlikely. I bought my Taurus 608 blind, might as well do this as well...

 

[Ranger61]

I own 3 Dan Wesson 44s ( 4", 8" and 10") and my friend has an old 445 6" with an aimpoint on that I have shot. They are great guns, the most accurate 44 revolvers I've shot. I haven't shot an FA but they are a bit pricey. If I found a good one here locally I could look at, I'd buy it in a minute. For your goal of one revolver to cover all the bases I don't think you could find a better candidate for someone who doesn't reload. The ability to change barrels is the feature no other gun has. Just my two cents but I bet if you buy one you will be very pleased.

 

[Vercingetorix]

Me too !!

357, I'm considering the same purchase of a DW VH8 as you are, and for the same reasons (range/HD, mostly .44spl with an occasional .445SM).

I have only 2 wheel guns so far ; a SW 686 6" bbl .357, and the SW PC 627 5"bbl 8 shot .357. I'd love to add a .44 and the VH8's ability to chamber and shoot all the .44 loadings looks like a winner to me. I'd also like to try a different brand of revolver from the Smith's I have and every where I've gone on the net, the results are the same; a well built, very accurate revolver for the DW line.

Their old website (danwesson.sectordevelopment.com) shows the spectacular SRS-1 (Super Ram Silhouette) .445 with Bomar sight and front hood.....AWESOME !!!. For the heck of it, I sent them an e-mail to see if this was still available (I know CZ handles them now) I also considered driving over to their plant (4 hours from me on Long Island) but it was to much of a hike.
Anyway, I'll probably buy it (sight unseen) at some point and will also follow your post to see if you decide to do the same; I don't think we'll be disappointed.

 

[357-8-times]

I considered the S&W 327 and 627 before buying my Taurus 608 (also 8-shot .357) but cost made the final decision. The SRS-1 looks nice, albeit identical to the VH8 only different barrel and sights. Personally, I could do without the site-hood and the rainbow-blueing in the barrel-sheath-slots- I prefer the look of the VH8- could be a moden day Dirty Harry gun, only on steriods.

I have yet to find a dealer who can even order the VH8, but am still hopeful. If I cannot find one I think I will go for the S&W 460V or 460XVR and suffer the cost of 45LC ammo.

Are you in Nassua or Suffolk?

 

[PotatoJudge]

Any reason you can't buy one off gunbroker.com? Not sure of the laws in your state.

http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=78622078
http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=78556480

That second one might be a bit too long, or could just be an excuse for an extra 4 inch barrel.

 

[unspellable]

buying

You can buy Dan Wesson revolvers, barrels, etc. direct from the factory. If it's a revolver, they will have to ship to your local FFL, barrels and such they can ship direct to the buyer.

 

[357-8-times]

Gunbroker is very tricky to buy from where I live as they have a Brady-bill-gone-wild 3-4 month wait from the time of application (which requires listing the caliber of purchase, okay for normal calibers, but this would lock me into .445) until pickup from an FFL.

I will try the factory direct option, thanks.

This was a response I got from a well-respected gun advocate:

The Dan Wesson .445 I once owned years ago, before the company went under and was later bought by CZ Arms, would not shoot .44 Magnum loads well. It shot .44 Special loads even worse. The long bullet jump from the case to the cylinder forcing cone was probably the culprit. Any of the several .44 Magnum revolvers I own today all shoot exceptionally well with .44 Special loads. If you only intend to shoot .445 loads on an infrequent basis, pass on it. Buy a Ruger Redhawk or a S&W Model 629.

Anyone think that was just a fluke or should I start thinking about other gun options?

 

[BigG]

That looks to be a huge handful of pistola, over 64 oz in weight. The 5" Colt 45 auto is 39 oz, by contrast.

I usually buy what I want, and I would advise you too also. There is no one to please but yourself in the long term.

 

[wheelgunslinger]

You can buy Dan Wesson revolvers, barrels, etc. direct from the factory. If it's a revolver, they will have to ship to your local FFL, barrels and such they can ship direct to the buyer.

Darn. Unspellable beat me to it. You can save big bucks on a used one, but buying new is a good way to go if you can afford it.

 

[shooter429]

Get what you want if you can afford it and handle it

"A man's got to know his limitations" I know that my ability to place precise shots in a 40-some ounce revolver ends with the 44 Magnum +p+. I do not enjoy and cannot shoot anything that recoils harder. You state that you have a .357, but that is not in the same league as a .44 Mag, much less a supermag. If I were you, I would make sure I could handle that much power before I plunked down the money. But hey, thats me. I love making lots of noise with my .44 handloads, so do what you enjoy. You only live once. Post a review when you get your new baby please.

Shooter429

P.s. Welcome to the wonderful, addictive, world of big-bore magnums