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October 11, 2009
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I have been a fan of the Dan Wesson revolver system since the late 70's. I always thought they were beautiful. And I love to shoot them. But I have found over the years that many folks and I mean very knowledgeable ones sneer or ignore DW's.
I have seen gunsmiths and dealers turn their nose up if you say you like them. Every T.V. show that is gun related never has a review on them. I have seen more reviews on the Taurus line of revolvers than DW's. And back in the 70's Taurus was considered a cheap piece. " American Rifleman" Shooting USA" "Handguns" etc never has anything to say let alone a review. So why do they hate or ignore them?
Moved to General Discussion-Steve
Dans Club
May 17, 2009
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Ignorance of a fine revolver. The marketing was, perhaps, never there to educate the "gun" public of the quality of the DW line. I may be wrong since I was not into shooting when DW was in it's heyday. Too bad the release of the Norwich 357 didn't take off. Semi autos are the hot item now I suppose. JMHO
Ed
October 11, 2009
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Back in the 70's and 80's. You did not buy a copy of Guns and Ammo or Shooting Times without a seeing full page spread ad about Dan Wesson's. Thats how I became aware of them. I thought it was the coolest gun I had ever seen. So the word was out.
Dans Club
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April 20, 2010
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I think, after Dan Wesson Arms went into bankruptcy it didn't help. It was probably hard to get dealers to stock the new Wesson Firearms after that, and a lot of people wouldnt have faith in buying from a company that might close again and not have any technical support. People wont spend hundreds of $ on anything if they don't feel the company will be there to back it up if it breaks or doesn't work right. Most folks now dont realize the great factory support the revolvers still have or even that there is a Dan Wesson arm of CZ at all.
I have often wondered, if Dan Wessons would have sold easier with a different company name? I get people all the time that when I describe my Dan Wesson interest they say "oh they are sorta like Smith & Wessons right?" or something like that. As if they were a knockoff of S&Ws. I wonder how it would have been if Dan Wesson continued a relationship with High Standard in the 70s and eventually used that name. 'High Standard' sounds good to an average guy shopping for a new pistol.
-Lonwolf
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Dans Club
December 4, 2011
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A friend of mine is into collecting Smiffs, and knows every model and sub model, which are Greek to me. He can't understand why I like to collect Dan Wessons. He keeps telling me to stop and collect Colts, Smiffs, and Rugers. He has never fired a Dan so I'm planning a range day where we take like models of different calibers by DW and Smiff and each shoot the others guns and see who/what shoots better. He may change his tune at that point.
Lonwolfe, I agree with your point about name recognition, many people seem to think that DW is somehow a knock off or cheap version of Smith and Wesson. Most don't realize DW has the interchangable barrel system or that they made so many different models and calibers.
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Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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I shoot regularly with a guy very involved with DW 1911's. When I pull out my 15-2/715 he regularly recognizes it as a "Smith & Wesson".
Once you can get someone to see that your 4" (or 2"/6"...) Dan Wesson shoots right along with their Smith, Colt, Ruger,etc. and THEN you swap out to a different barrel length, and shoot the lights out again, they start to get it.
They don't hate, they just don't understand. We regularly see shooters from outside the US who clearly understand this, because they can own very few guns, and a DW gives them more options. Even given the ridiculous price of a new manufacture DW revolver, a $3000 Pistol Pack would be a bargain outside the US.
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August 28, 2009
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I say the more people that don't like 'em leaves more guns available for those of us who do!! 
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November 17, 2008
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I agree with all mentioned above but I believe the changeable barrel system also scares off some. Some guys don't like to tinker with stuff and are afraid it will get out of "Tune" or just fall apart. Obviously the uninformed. Just my thoughts.
LB
Wisdom is merely the realization of how little one knows, therefore I am wise.
October 11, 2009
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I do agree with Lonewolf about the Company going in and out of business. I remember a local and well respected gun dealer told me many years ago that he did not stock them because of this very thing. He said he did not like to stock "Orphan Guns" as he called them.
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January 24, 2009
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Dantanna58 said
I do agree with Lonewolf about the Company going in and out of business. I remember a local and well respected gun dealer told me many years ago that he did not stock them because of this very thing.
I had the same experience with a gun dealer in the early 90's. I had finally decided to order my fist DW, a 7445...unfortunately, this was just after Monson had closed. The dealer said something like "I wouldn't buy a gun from a company who can't stay in business." At the time, I didn't want to pay full boogie for one that had been on the gun store's shelf (manhandled & dry fired 100's of times), so I left. A few months later, I ended up with a new Smiff 29. It was cool, but somehow I still wanted to scratch that DW itch.
Lonwolf also has a good point regarding the name. With the Wesson name on the gun, there probably were a lot of uneducated potential buyers who may have seen the design as some sort of knock-off from a Smiff. It was never that way with me, I always viewed them as a tougher, more burly gun than S&W had available at the time. About the only one I thought may have compared to DW's back then, were the Colt "snake guns".
October 11, 2009
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I am still puzzled as to why these gun review shows don't review the Dan Wesson revolvers. Such as America rifleman's" I have this old gun" segment. Or Midways Gun Stories. I have seen a couple of shows that talk about the history of the magnum. And not once do they mention a DW. They seem to treat them like a dirty little secret. I feel that if they did a review the public want for the gun would inspire CZ/USA to crank up the entire line again. My goodness, if they review Charter Arms, Taurus, and that Chiappa revolver. Why can't they review one of the most interesting guns ever made?
They are as tough as Rugers and as beautiful as Colts. And the price is not bad compaired to todays asking price for a Smith and Wesson. And Smith's are not nearly the quality gun they used to be.
January 22, 2008
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I have often wondered the same thing... but the downside is if they start reviewing them then the price will go up! However it would be nice to be able to buy a new one in a caliber besides 357!
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July 2, 2011
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It's funny, when I'm at the club shooting my 715, most people at a glance say "nice looking Smith". Then I start changing out barrels and grips and I'll have a mini audience wanting to know what I'm shooting. After 3 years at the club, only one member asked me if that was one of those "Dan Wessons".
I've let lot's of folks shoot it and they are amazed with the accuracy and handling.
Go figure
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