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New Member and new Owner of a 15-2 357 VH8"
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Empoweryou
Raymore, Mo
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April 11, 2013 - 8:59 pm
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Dan-Wesson-357-028.JPGImage Enlarger

Dan-Wesson-357-021.JPGImage Enlarger
Hello, I just came into posession of a DW .357. It is mechanically sound but the finish was horrible. It looked as if someone poured something acidic on it and let it sit for a couple of years. Large sections of bluing were stripped away and even a small amount of pitting into the metal was found. Being new to the forum and unfamiliar with the format, I'll try to upload some before and after pics. Really great forum! Lot's of information.

Happiness is a warm gun...Oh yes it is!

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SCORPIO
PA

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April 11, 2013 - 9:39 pm
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dwf-welcometo the forum from PA!  That is a very interesting looking gun you have.  How did you get the 'snake skin' look?  The after pic is certainly a vast improvement over the before. 

Who did the finish work for you?

 

Anything worth doing is worth doing well.

My father

If a man designed it, and a man built it, then a man can fix it.

My grandfather

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lonwolf93
Lancaster Pa
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April 11, 2013 - 9:45 pm
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Welcome to the forum, I would like to see more after pics, that is cool.

-Lonwolf

 

"The lion and the tiger may be more powerful, but the Wolf does not perform in the circus"

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Empoweryou
Raymore, Mo
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April 11, 2013 - 9:55 pm
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A very talented gunsmith from Belton,MO did the snake skin finish. His name is Robert Porter. You can find some of his examples on FB. If you look closely near the barrel end, he put flames on it too. I was giddy as a school girl when I saw it! I gave him a few guide lines but otherwise , he had complete artistic freedom.  I wouldn't normally do anything this flashy on a classic like the DW but it was so damaged, it seemed like the obvious choice. I'm super happy with it!

Happiness is a warm gun...Oh yes it is!

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Empoweryou
Raymore, Mo
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April 11, 2013 - 10:20 pm
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I'm waiting on a new grip and tools for it. I'll post a couple of new pics when it shows up. Thanks Guys! I'm still digging around the forum and learning more about the gun. Serial# is 125XXX, so if I'm reading the serial production list correctly, it was built around 76 or 77.

Happiness is a warm gun...Oh yes it is!

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rwsem
SOWELA (Southwest Louisiana)

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April 11, 2013 - 11:10 pm
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Is that a Hydro-graphic film he applied?  That was a neat way to refinish and sure to turn heads on the range.  Welcome!

Technically, the glass is always full; half liquid, half air....

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Empoweryou
Raymore, Mo
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April 12, 2013 - 7:40 am
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Happiness is a warm gun...Oh yes it is!

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Dan Fan
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April 12, 2013 - 8:13 am
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Welcome to the Forum, nice way to save a DW pretty cool looking.

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Charger Fan
Northern Utah

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April 12, 2013 - 9:00 am
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Have you shot any snakes with it?laugh That's a pretty cool looking finish, I don't think I've seen something like that before on a gun.

dwf-welcome aboard!

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Colt
ohio
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April 13, 2013 - 5:54 pm
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Welcome forum from Ohio.  I must say that's a one of a kind DW you got there. And I think you will like the 8inch barrel to me its prob. the largest barrel that you can shoot comfortably.

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DakotaJack
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April 13, 2013 - 8:19 pm
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Gotta love the snakeskin - definitely don't see one of those every day!

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ar-tex
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April 14, 2013 - 12:14 am
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SHOOTIST357
Colorado Springs, CO

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April 18, 2013 - 11:47 am
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nice looking finish--much better than the original pitting :)

SHOOT

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Empoweryou
Raymore, Mo
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April 18, 2013 - 10:23 pm
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Yea, it looked bad.  The before pic actually is a little too dark to show all of the cosmetic damage. The frame and cylinder also had large areas of bluing missing. The gunsmith noted that the gun had very little evidence of being fired. I'm replacing the grip(I'm a southpaw) and the front sight with an EWK fiber optic. It should be ready to go after that. I'm having issues with the rear sight windage adjustment. I'll post in the appropiate section for that.  

Happiness is a warm gun...Oh yes it is!

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Empoweryou
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May 17, 2013 - 10:56 pm
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All of the upgrades are complete. I took it to the range finally and what a tack driver! I bought this to recondition and sell, take the profits and buy something like a GP 100. But jeesh! This is better than any Ruger! I think the hook is set.

Happiness is a warm gun...Oh yes it is!

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brucertx
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May 17, 2013 - 11:18 pm
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Ohhh yeah... hook is set all right. Early onset symptoms of dwas

To the paranoid people who check behind shower curtains for murderers:

if you find one...what's your plan?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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RedHeadedStranger
North Carolina
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May 18, 2013 - 9:50 pm
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Man I love that snakeskin finish. What a unique, and smart way to save this honey of a pistol. As for the Ruger, I think you are smarter keeping the Dan. I was hunting a GP100 for a while, but the Dan Wesson (IMHO) is superior. My father just purchased a Ruger, I can't wait to have him shoot my model 15. I think he will look at his piece differently.

Anyway, I love what you did with that 15.

 

Red

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Empoweryou
Raymore, Mo
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May 19, 2013 - 10:29 pm
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I appreciate your input Red. I'm quite happy with the finish too. I hope it holds up. I plan to put some serious rounds through it. I'm thinking of reducing the cylinder/barrel gap to .004 to minimize the possibility of scorching the finish around the cylinder. It's kinda of a safe queen at this point. After all it's been through, I think it deserves a little TLC. I took it out again today and put another box through it. I just can't get over how comfortable it is to shoot!

Happiness is a warm gun...Oh yes it is!

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als1200
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May 22, 2013 - 8:52 am
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What a fantastic finish, that is cool.

gone are the days of classic colours!

what sort of cost was involved in getting that done?

 

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Empoweryou
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May 22, 2013 - 9:38 pm
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Thanks als1200, it was aprox. 25 to 30% of the total value of a 15-2 in very good condition. I'd be reluctant to do it to a gun that had a good factory finish. It would place it far above retail value.

Happiness is a warm gun...Oh yes it is!

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