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July 17, 2023
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Hello DW forum members! I am a new member to this forum and a first time DW firearm owner. My apologies in advance for the lengthy post but I recently acquired a DW revolver model 744-VH in its original hard case (picture attached) and have a lot of questions about it. It came with (2) sets of 8" and 6" barrels with one set being ported barrels and the other set not ported. It also came with (2) barrel shrouds, wrench, and the (2) original wood and rubber grips. Based on the research I have done to date, the only thing that seem to be missing from this set is the original barrel shim and the original owners manual. Given that I am a first time DW revolver owner, I have a number of questions relating to this firearm that I am hoping the forum members can help answer for me. These questions are as follows:
- The gun was manufactured in Monson, MA per the stampings on the gun. It is my understanding that this model could have been manufactured there sometime between 1968 and 1988. The serial # is SB0104XX. Can anyone tell me more specifically what the date of manufacture was for this firearm?
- The hammer and trigger have a jeweled finish on the sides of them. Was this typical for this model or would this be an indication that this firearm went through their custom shop or some other type of customization by someone else? I know one thing, the double action on this revolver is silky smooth and it does not appear to have had a lot of rounds through it.
- I am considering the idea of putting a picatinny rail or some other mounting system on this revolver so that I could put a scope on it for hunting and/or target shooting at distance. There are no threaded holes or milled bases in the frame or shrouds for doing something like this so I was wondering of any forum member has done something like this for this specific model? Did the mount go onto the top of the frame or onto the shroud? Looking for some realistic and reliable options for putting a scope on this revolver that would work so any help on this would be appreciated.
- What would be the current fair market value for a revolver such as this including all of the components that came with it? I have not been able to find a comparable value using sources such as Gunbroker.com so any value insight here would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance for your assistance on these questions and I will look forward to participating and contributing to this forum going forward!
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Dans Club
March 25, 2013
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Welcome to the Forum. You can use a set of automotive feeler gauges instead of the shim. It actually is better because you can use a smaller size to fit your preference. The small frame Dans cylinder will expand when it gets hot and the face is not necessarily perpendicular. The factory recommends 6 hundredths gap on the proudest chamber. You should check each chamber. I use 4 hundredths. Less than that and the cylinder can bind when it heats up or gets dirty. Once you have a feel for the correct gap you can hold the gun up to the light and eyeball the gap as you rotate the cylinder. The gap for a 44 can be 2 thousandths of an inch.
The 44 mag debuted in 1981. Your gun was probably made in 1982 or 1983. You have a 44 Magnum Pistol pack. Minus the yellow cloth that lined the foam. Probably came with patch and belt buckle. The ported barrels were DWs worse idea IMHO. Called Powerports, the holes don't line up with holes in the Shroud and all that powder get deposited in the shroud. It has to be cleaned every trip to the range. If you use it you should use jacketed bullets. Few folk use them. The jeweled hammer and trigger are definately aftermarket work.
The factory recommends a D and T scope mount on the shroud because of recoil. Do not drill the top rail of the frame. It would greatly lower the value of the gun. If it is the shroud you can replace the shroud when you don't want to use the scope. Burris and Weigand make bases as do others. You will not be happy with a clamp on mount.
Values today are all over the place but one thing is certain. They are going up quickly. It is not likely they will be made again. The 44 mag DW held virtually all the IHMSA records until Freedom Arms was allowed to compete.
44 mag packs are uncommon. I would estimate it is worth $1750 to 2250. Perhaps more.
I hope I answered your questions.
February 16, 2016
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July 17, 2023
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Many thanks for the info Ole Dog...Yes, I have a set of feeler gauges and have used them to gap the cylinder/barrel at .006" per the original specs but I will do as you suggested and go through the process to gap it down to .004" - and I assume you meant thousandths in your post and not hundredths. I would have guessed the date of manufacture to be in the early 80's and I had figured that the hammer and trigger were not original factory so thanks for confirming both of these for me. I do my own handloading and was planning on loading and shooting only 44 Mag loads that have JSP/JHP type projectiles in the 220gr-240gr weight range so thanks for that advice as well. I do have a couple additional questions about the scope mount suggestions you made as follows:
- What is a "D and T" scope mount? I am unfamiliar with this scope mount and I can't seem to identify specifically which mount you are referring to by doing a Google search. Can you provide me with a link to a web site that shows this specific mount or can you provide some additional info that will allow me to identify this mount specifically for this type of gun?
- When you say that "Burris and Weigand make bases as do others", should I assume that you are referring to picatinny rail bases that could be attached to the shroud after drilling and tapping the proper holes for mounting the rail or did you mean something else by this statement?
- Is it safe to assume that you do not recommend a clamp on type mount because they don't stand up to the heavy recoil and/or don't hold zero?
Thanks again for your help on this as well as answering my additional questions above...
July 17, 2023
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I just realized this but does "D & T scope mount on the shroud" mean any "drilled and tapped scope mount on the shroud"? When I first read this I thought it might be a brand of mount...
Dans Club
December 5, 2008
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D&T is a generic term for any drilled and tapped mount. Dan Wesson sells one that is identical to the one Weigand used to sell for DWs. The factory will even mount it to your shroud.
DWF Supporters
July 12, 2020
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Welcome to the forum from PA!
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Dans Club
March 25, 2013
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Yes, thousandths, not hundredths🙄. Yes, Recoil is too great for clamp on. And it mars the shroud. My bad, I was trying not to be too wordy. I aspire to the brevity of Snake-eye, but he is a master of brevity.
Dans Club
December 7, 2020
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I had a whole two paragraphs and they disappeared. So here's the annotated version:
IMHO: Do not D&T that original shroud! Buy a New One!
https://shop.cz-usa.com/dw-products/revolver/barrels-shrouds/44-magnum.html
Use the new barrel on both the new D&T shroud and the original.
Value is Up and down, but Ole Dog is as good a value as I would guess.
If you want to clothe you foam, there are fabric stock#s for Hobby Lobby and JoAnns Fabric within the forum. There are the closest matching color to the standard pacs.
Welcome from Texas!
July 17, 2023
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Thanks for the input Scout728...I assume you are recommending I buy a new barrel/shroud and mount a scope to that to preserve the value of the original barrel/shroud or is there some other reason for making this recommendation? Also, I still have not been unable to find the proper rail for this gun even though I have been to many web sites including the shop.cz-usa.com web site as well as other sources recommended by forum members. Can you provide some assistance in this regard because finding the proper rail to D&T onto the shroud seem to be my biggest challenge at this juncture...
Dans Club
December 7, 2020
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biggcary said
Thanks for the input Scout728...I assume you are recommending I buy a new barrel/shroud and mount a scope to that to preserve the value of the original barrel/shroud or is there some other reason for making this recommendation? Also, I still have not been unable to find the proper rail for this gun even though I have been to many web sites including the shop.cz-usa.com web site as well as other sources recommended by forum members. Can you provide some assistance in this regard because finding the proper rail to D&T onto the shroud seem to be my biggest challenge at this juncture...
Yes, to preserve the value of the original shroud.
Genny@cz-usa.com Scope Mount Base, Revolver part #dwr0062 Clarify what gun it is for and confirm it it the correct part.
Genny wears many hats now and parts used to be her primary job. It may take time to respond.
For a weaver/Picantanny rail. I think if she still has some, they are $50-60 each:
July 17, 2023
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Thanks for the additional info Scout728...I have sent this person at CZ-USA an eMail to see if I can purchase one of these rails from their web site because it does list it as being "In Stock". What is interesting here is that this rail does not show up in their product list when you browse the "Dan Wesson Products" catalog for "revolver" products on their web site. The only way I could find it is if I did a search on the specific SKU# that you gave me so many thanks for providing that to me!
July 17, 2023
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Scout728 - I was able to contact Genny at CZ/DW and she confirmed for me that this was the right SKU# (DWR0062) for a rail for my revolver and this part is currently in stock at a cost of $50 as you had indicated. Unfortunately, it only comes in a blued finish but at this point, I am just happy to have a rail solution for this revolver. Genny was also able to confirm that they have 8" (SKU# DWRB332S) and 10" (SKU# DWRB333S) barrel/shrouds in stock that will fit my revolver frame so I will consider buying one of these too as you had recommended.
At this point, I think I have all the information I need to move forward with this project. Many thanks to all of the forum members that helped answer all of my questions. It is greatly appreciated!
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Dans Club
March 25, 2013
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And it is only your first DW revolver! Beware DWAS.
July 17, 2023
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OK Ole Dog, I will bite on the teaser...What does "DWAS" stand for?
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DWF Supporters
June 11, 2016
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DWAS (Dan Wesson Acquiring Syndrom) is terrible and there is no cure. The only thing that stops one from buying more and more Dan Wesson's is running out of money (At least for me)!!
July 17, 2023
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I figured it would stand for something like that...too funny...time will tell if I come down with it...
February 16, 2016
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This particular affliction even has it's own emoji.
Dans Club
February 24, 2013
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Welcome from central IL!!
July 17, 2023
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Many thanks to Ole Dog, Snake-eye, and Scout728 for the info and guidance you provided to me for my DW revolver. I was able to purchase the proper pic rail for this revolver directly from CZ/DW and then had Hyatt Guns in Charlotte, NC drill and tap the shroud for mounting it per the machining instructions CZ/DW provided with the rail. I then mounted a Burris 2x7-32mm scope on the rail using Burris Signature rings. I thought I would pass along a picture of the finished product for you to see. She is big and beautiful weighing in at a hefty 5lb 3oz (empty) but it turned out exactly the way I hoped it would. Ready for the range and the load development process...Many thanks once again!
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