Hi all,

A little introduction to me and Dan Wesson. When I was a kid my father always had a beautiful Dan Wesson 15-2. Just beautiful. Well I didn't realize it until yesterday but it was his first pistol ever. As a young buck he bought the 15-2 pistol pack. The whole shebang. It was his pride and joy. He had a good handful of pistols stemming from the 70's until now but that one was always his favorite. And for the past oh, decade or so its lived with me. Occasionally going out but not too often. 

Now back in the 90's we moved across town to the family property, built a house and lived there the rest of my childhood. Apparently when we moved, as one does, many things get donated. Some bits and bobs, useful things, my mothers precious moments collection (he still hasn't heard the end of that) and.....a brown suitcase. Yes all, someone put an old brown suitcase in the goodwill pile. The same suitcase which contained the 2", 4", 8", tool set, and other grips for his beloved 15-2. Gone to the wind and likely got pitched as tool parts. Who knows. Tragic, I know.

Well since I got my permit many moons ago I have been casually looking to replace the barrels one at a time. Often they were unattainable at what I could afford if I could find a barrel shroud and barrel. And one at a time. I'd find one, I'd get excited but couldn't get the scratch together and off it would go. Fast forward a decade and a bit of a collection, a good job, and an incredibly understanding significant other, and the story comes to its next chapter.

I enjoy firearms, shooting, reloading, and collecting. And 2 Saturdays ago I just got the itch for something new. For some reason I was just looking for a little Freedom Arms 22 mag (Probably because a good friend of mine and retired silhouette shooter has kept one in his pocket for 40 years). So I stopped down to my favorite local shop to look around. Nothing that fit the bill, but boy was it busy. A few minutes of poking around, my son pestering me for a 410, and a gentleman walked in with 2 others. And I see. None other. Than the case. My jaw hit the floor.

I look to my friend who was with me and I just kept mumbling "ithinkthasadanwesson"...What? "ithinkdanwessn" What? "I think thats a Dan Wesson Pistol pack". He just looks at me oddly not really knowing what on earth I am talking about or why that gentleman clearly has a typewrite case in a gun shop.

I walk up to the guy and say "Excuse me, is that a Dan Wesson?" He has a box of other handguns and says "Uhh this?" showing a few Berettas among other things. "No sir, the case."

"Oh yes, its a revolver but these are the barrels, the gun is in this case" My eyes light up like a a sunrise. I ask him a few things and he opens the case, to which I am about as see through as a 14 year old playing poker in Vegas with Aces hight. I tell him a little of my story, and that I am incredibly interested in that firearm. He says he's just looking to sell some of his dads old guns for something more practical for him. Now this is a buddies shop which Ive done a good bit of business with and I'm not one to steal a deal from him. We all have to earn our living. So we wait. And wait. And wait. I tell the shop owner that I want that pack, dont care the cost, and wouldn't try and sneak it out from under him. The gentleman leaves because a family member wants one of the guns but they probably wont want a revolver as he says. I tell him if that comes back it will go to a good home and someday be this kids (pointing to my son). He says he will be back next week. A short conversation with the owner and he tells me he will let me know, and I am first in line if it comes back.

Saturday comes and goes. No message. Sunday I send him a text. "Any luck?"

"Well I had 4 people try to buy it already, came in late Saturday. Are you still interested?"

"Ill be there Tuesday"

I get there and its in all its glory. If its been shot 300 rounds through all the barrels combined I would be surprised. I brought in a Ruger Kodiak Backpacker in 44 mag to soften the wallet hit, which I didnt need to do but dang that gun sucked. It had a neat factor but in full house hunting loads it would just wreck the webbing between your thumb and your index finger. Had it a few years and only came out when someone thought they were recoil behemoths. And I shoot my BFR 45-70 regularly in some quantity. But that Ruger was just awful. At any rate the Ruger went, and I left with the Dan Wesson 15-2 full pistol pack. AND a goofy little Freedom Arms belt buckle 22 mag that I originally wanted which the same gentleman walked in with.

My retired silhouette shooter friend is getting giddy about coming out and doing some ram shooting to show me the ropes on stretching the legs on a handgun out to 300. My father is pretty ecstatic too, and I am still looking to complete his pack one day. And now I have my fathers, my first, and my sons 2 Dan Wessons some day.

At any rate hope you enjoyed the story that was 40+ years in the making, and glad to have found the forum!

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