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February 26, 2013
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Hello! I'm fairly new to revolvers and definitely new to Dan Wesson. Looking forward to the great info here! Was wondering if i could get a bit of identification help. I looked on the other posts about it, but came up empty, but my eyes aren't great. It's a .38 special, and the only numbers I could find on it were behind the cylinder release switch. One was a 20xxx number, which i presume was the serial and the numbers/letters 10d10s. Not sure what to make of it. Can't get better pictures because it's still at the pawn shop. Thanks in advance guys, I appreciate it.
Dans Club
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April 20, 2010
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Welcome to the forum, that is a model 14. We fondly refer to the older model Dan Wessons as 'porkchops' due to the shape of the barrel shroud. That looks like a very nice condition one! I assume you are buying it? Post up some more pics after you get it home, and if you come up with questions you can't find answers to, ask away.
The 20xxx is probably the serial #, I am not sure what the 10d10s stands for.
-Lonwolf
"The lion and the tiger may be more powerful, but the Wolf does not perform in the circus"
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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I didn't respond on this because I'm a little confused about this gun. The frame looks Model 14, and S/N seems right for that, but there appears to be a recessed barrel nut. The frame and shroud look a little mismatched.
I'd double check to see that it's really a .38, not just tagged that way in the shop.
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
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January 24, 2009
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*EDITED in post #8 with correct info...I'm an idiot!*
Good eye Steve, that shroud does look incorrect for the frame, unless someone did a custom recessed nut job on it (unlikely).
Floggindave, the gun frame is a model 14, but the shroud is from a 14-1. It's not a big deal really & the gun should still function just fine, but I'd do as Steve suggested & make sure the cylinder will in fact only accept .38 Spl & not .357's too. Also, I don't have any info on the 10d10s numbers, do they appear to be stamped from the same size tools used to stamp the serial number?
aboard, looking forward to hearing "the rest of the story".
February 26, 2013
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Thanks very much for the replies. Lonwolf93: I am buying it, and for 300, i felt like i could've done a lot worse. The bluing wear seems to be from a holster and the turn ring is still really light on it. No rust or pitting anywhere. Little fouling in the cylinders it looks like, but nothing a good cleaning can't fix. Cylinder is tight, but from what i've read, its adjustable on a dan wesson, so that's kinda moot. Hoping to have her home soon. Steve: I will definitely check. Thank you for spotting the differences, you do indeed have a keen eye. Would there be a difference in opinion on model if it is a .357, or is that what would qualify it as a model 14? (sorry, very new to Dan Wesson's still. I could talk semi-auto's all day though haha). Charger Fan: The other numbers and letters do indeed seem stamped from the same tooling. I will have to get a better picture when I bring it home. Should have gotten more while I was there. They took the 10d10s as the model number, which hopefully means it was under priced! I love the feel of the revolver. Very heavy and the front site is thick and a bit massive. I like it. Even if it is mismatched, I think it makes for a really cool, unique revolver and I'll be happy to have it in my collection. I didn't post the picture of the cylinder, but it's a 6 round cylinder if that helps. One more question for you guys: The grips look stock, but I hadn't seen anymore of them anywhere. Are they an old style? Thanks again so much.
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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Those are a very old style grip. Newer grips will fit, yours looks to have the older, small grip medallion.
A DW .38 Special would normally be a Model 8 or 9 (fixed or adjustable rear). Sometimes a .357 is misidentified as a .38 because a .357 won't chamber. If the .357 was fired extensively with .38 Spl and not properly cleaned, the chambers build up a carbon deposit that will not allow the longer .357 to chamber.
In addition, DW caliber designation is on the shroud, so a non original shroud could lead to confusion on the correct caliber of the gun.
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
February 26, 2013
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Steve, I was wondering if you could help me out a bit. I was reading more on the subject and came across this http://dwcollectors.org/history which states that the model 14 debuted the recessed barrel nut. *if* that is true, would the revolver be a model 14-1, since it has the "leg" on the barrel shroud? I'm not familiar with the designation's as well. I haven't been able to find a difference between a model 14 and a 14-1 for example. If it is truly a .38 spec, would it then be a model 8 with a model 14 barrel shroud? Im going to get more pictures of it here in about 1/2 an hour. I'll post them here on my return. Sorry for all the questions at once
Thank you
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January 24, 2009
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I tell ya the older I get, the more my mind goes! 
I don't know what I was thinking in my previous post...the D11 had the exposed barrel nut! The cool new news when the model 14 was introduced was the flush barrel nut...just like it states in the DW history link. DUH on me!
So yes, the barrel is very likely original to the gun, sorry about that.
Yours is definitely a model 14. The rear sight on the first 14's is raised & "windage" adjustable (meaning you can bump it left or right with a mallet), the crane release is the early flat serrated type & it has the smaller knurled ejector rod. Also, the action inside is slightly different than later models.
Most of the earlier 14's had the model number clearly roll marked on the frame. The model 14 was used for both the .38 Spl & the .357 Mag guns. Toward the end of the model 14 (as they neared the 14-1 model), the "model 14" rollmark was removed for some odd reason, so it's possible that yours does not have the model roll marked on your gun.
The model 14-1 has a fixed rear sight, the later style crane release & a mushroomed end on the ejector rod. It also has the updated action.
Fixed rear sight...
The serial number is roll marked on the outside of the frame & no model number is used.
February 26, 2013
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That helped tons! thank you Charger Fan! Here are some more pics, which dont seem to help my confusion. I had the guy at the pawn shop check (he did it in a back room so i'm not sure how) but he said it seemed to be .38, not .357. I looked down the cylinders, and while there was some rings of powder burnt on, it didn't seem like it would impede a .357 round, but I could be wrong. Here are more pics I took. You can tell it needs a damned good cleaning, but it doesn't seem to be in terrible shape. Definitely a shooter condition gun though. I was wrong about the 10d10s numbers, for what it's worth. They are obviously not from the same tooling. 
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January 24, 2009
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The cylinders used on a .38 Spl & the .357 Mag are basically identical, the only difference is that the chambers in the .357 cylinder are bored a little deeper to accept the longer cartridge. So a true .38 cylinder (that is scrubbed clean of all carbon deposits) will not be able to chamber a .357 deep enough to close the cylinder. I hope that makes sense.
The lack of the model number on the frame tells me that yours was built toward the end of the model 14 time, shortly before the 14-1's. Those 10d10s numbers definitely look to have been added sometime after the gun was built. Maybe an added security measure by a previous owner in case it was ever stolen. After looking at the pics, everything else about the gun looks correct to me.
I think you did great with the purchase price!
February 26, 2013
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Awesome! Thanks again so much for the help. I'm really really looking forward to shooting this gun, it just feels so right. I will check for myself on the chambering after I get the gun home and clean it. I thought the model 14 was only chambered in .357, but i'm learning a lot in a short amount of time, thanks to you guys and this forum. I really appreciate the time you guys are taking on my behalf. Look forward to updating you as i go!
Thanks again!
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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+1 on scrubbing out the chambers. I have a 14-2 that would absolutely not chamber .357 until I scrubbed out very well. I chucked a .40 cal bronze bore brush in a cordless drill, doused it in bore cleaner, and scrubbed slowly for about 2 minutes on each chamber. .357 dropped right in after all the residue was cleaned out. That .38 special carbon ring can be pretty tenacious. it gets built up and crusted in place, and hand cleaning would not dislodge it
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
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