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December 4, 2014
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Glad I found this site as I need some help.
I think I have a 15-2V6 in .357 Magnum (SN is 2049XX) which I purchased new many years ago when I had a FFL and it has set in a closet for many years. Probably has shot 200 rounds or less and that was years ago. Now that life is less demanding than in the past I decided I would take it to the range and actually start shooting again.
I fired one (1) round and the cylinder locked up and would not revolve to the next chamber. By hand I finally got the cylinder opened. I had purchased a box of Winchester white box ammo but upon checking the fired case saw no signs of a high pressure problem.
Another shooter nearby saw that I had a problem and came over and thought it might be the ammo. Since he was shooting the same caliber he gave me a few rounds of Remington from a factory box so I removed the Winchester ammo from the cylinder and replaced it with the Remington. Fired one round and the same problem as the cylinder again locked up.
Finally got the cylinder opened and again no sign of pressure problems. I then loaded only one round and fired it and again the cylinder locked up.
Any help and suggestions in solving this problem would be greatly appreciated.
Frank[Image Can Not Be Found]
Dans Club
December 5, 2008
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Hi Frank, Welcome to the forum. You will be getting a lot of help shortly, but let me start. Based on your symptoms, I would first check the barrel/cylinder gap. Sounds like carbon buildup on the cylinder front or just gap set too close.
The other most common cause is the grip screw being set in too far and thereby interfering with hammer travel. Try backing the screw out a few turns or removing it. If no difference then it's something else.
Let us know.
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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That is a 1979 15-2 V6.
Your cylinder lock up problem is most likely a barrel>cylinder gap problem. Clean it and set the gap at .006 to start with. Always set that gap to the tightest chamber, and work down to a tighter gap if you wish. If you have any lead/powder buildup on the cylinder face you can bind up a bit.
This pretty much fixes most DW revolver issues, ranging from a little cleanup to an all out tuning/fitting/spring replacement.
Welcome to DWF
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
Dans Club
April 18, 2014
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Frank, to 
. You found the right place for Dan Wesson. Looks like you've been given the foremost directions already. Welcome from the Bluegrass.
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DWF Supporters
October 11, 2009
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to from the Lonestar state, artex
December 4, 2014
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snake-eye said
Hi Frank, Welcome to the forum. You will be getting a lot of help shortly, but let me start. Based on your symptoms, I would first check the barrel/cylinder gap. Sounds like carbon buildup on the cylinder front or just gap set too close.The other most common cause is the grip screw being set in too far and thereby interfering with hammer travel. Try backing the screw out a few turns or removing it. If no difference then it's something else.
Let us know.
Thanks for your suggestions and prompt response. Please excuse my lack of knowledge on the subject of firearms.
In response from your suggestion, I just found a .006 gauge in a small envelope which was included from the factory. I tried to insert the supplied gauge between the front face of the cylinder and the barrel and it will not insert. I used a feeler gauge and I can slide it a .003 blade but a .004 blade is a no-go. Do you think this is enough to cause the problem?
Any suggestions as to where to purchase the wrench and adapter mentioned in the little instruction book supplied with the gun which is needed to be able to correct the clearance problem or would I be better off to take it to a gunsmith and have them correct the clearance.
I am at a loss as to how the clearance is off as the gun has never been loaned or used by anyone but myself. Perhaps it was shipped from the factory with the clearance problem however if this was the case it never had a problem several years ago when I had last used it. Thinking back I do know that the cylinder has always been rather a struggle to open as it was certainly not like my S&W Model 10.
I failed to mention that the cylinder turns without any binding when loaded with ammo and will cycle completely. The problem only happens when a round is fired.
December 4, 2014
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Steve CT said
That is a 1979 15-2 V6.Your cylinder lock up problem is most likely a barrel>cylinder gap problem. Clean it and set the gap at .006 to start with. Always set that gap to the tightest chamber, and work down to a tighter gap if you wish. If you have any lead/powder buildup on the cylinder face you can bind up a bit.
This pretty much fixes most DW revolver issues, ranging from a little cleanup to an all out tuning/fitting/spring replacement.
Welcome to DWF
Thanks for your help. Please read the response to snake-eye
Dans Club
December 5, 2008
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The biggest difference between Dan Wessons and other revolvers is that the barrel/cylinder gap is adjustable and there are interchangeable barrel assemblies. The owner can change barrels and adjust the gap himself. You will need the barrel wrench to remove the nut at the end of the barrel, then you can unscrew the barrel from the frame and adjust the gap as needed, or change to another barrel length. EWK Arms (see ad in right hand border of this site) makes the best barrel wrench that is all metal. Many of the original wrenches furnished by Dan Wesson were partly plastic and eventually break.
Copies of the owners manuals giving instruction on barrel change, etc can be found here on the Forum. Also check the Gunsmithing subforum here for the "Average Joe Method" that gives detailed instructions on disassembling and cleaning your gun. It is not hard and you do not need a gunsmith. I had never done anything like it when I did it the first time and I successfully disassembled and reassembled without breaking or screwing anything up.
Upon rereading your last post, it looks like you have the instructions, so just get the wrench from Eric at EWK. He also has gap gauge and all the correct allen wrenches that you need to work on your DW.
The gap can change from usage, especially if the barrel nut was not properly tightened in the beginning, or not checked after the first few rounds. Never over tighten the nut, but do check to make sure it is tight after firing a few rounds. Also, the more you fire it the more carbon buildup you will get on the front of the cylinder and the rear of the barrel, thus gradually closing the gap. The factory standard gap is .006 which is pretty standard for all makes of revolvers. Many forum members set the gap closer (as close as .002 or .003) to increase accuracy, but this requires attention to cleaning the cylinder face often as you shoot to prevent drag or lockup.
Try the easiest thing first. Clean the cylinder face,etc and reset the gap to .006. Then if you still have the same problem we can move on to other possibilities. Regardless, you need the barrel wrench.
Searching the forum for your symptoms can also yield a lot of info.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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Understand that the .006 gap standard, which is pretty common across most production revolvers, was established in response to the dirty little secret of revolvers-Cylinder face is rarely square and true.
When gapping a DW revolver you can go to as little as .002 on the tightest chamber. Every other revolver brand goes to .006 to allow for this variance. In a heavy duty shooting session, the cylinder gets hotter and expands , especially forward, closer to the barrel/forcing cone, where the greatest heat is generated. Add in any accumulation of carbon, lead, unburned powder, etc. and you can get binding at the barrel/cylinder gap.
If your gun did not have this problem "years ago", again, I suggest a through cleaning and set the gap to .006 on the tightest chamber, and try it again. You hay also have a problem with cleaniness/lubrication on #19 Cylinder Aligning Ball and/or #24 Latch here.
There is a barrel/cylinder locking system at work here that produces great results when everything is in harmony, and older unused DW's sometimes suffer a bit from longer term storage.
Clean it, lube it, gap it properly, then shoot it again.
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
December 4, 2014
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Thanks to all for the Welcome and great information, especially snake-eye and Steve CT for almost immediate response. snake-eye, I will purchase the barrel wrench and post the results, probably after Christmas before I have the tool and time to try and fix the problem.
Again, thanks for the great help.
Dans Club
December 5, 2008
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and have a great Christmas.
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