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Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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You are FAR better off without a ported barrel, it is a major maintenance and cleaning issue with no value as far as recoil control. The Power Control system was the silliest thing DW ever did, I doubt seriously that Daniel B. would have allowed this to be done if he had been alive at the time.
The best barrel wrench you can get comes from EWK Arms, right sidebar.
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
September 13, 2012
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EWK barrel wrench is a piece of art. Have to disagree with Steve as far as p.c. barrels go though. Never done an A B comparison but I think it made a positive difference. As to cleaning, I guess it's what you're used to. It was never a big deal, and after 30 years it still looks great inside and out. I do remember that you can't shoot semi wad cutters through p.c. barrels, I think it was lead fouling.
October 27, 2010
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Does anyone know where these pictures can be found? I picked up a 744 not too long ago and was hoping to dig into it and give it a good cleaning like I did my 15-2 shortly after acquiring it.
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January 24, 2009
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I profusely apologize for the pics disappearing on page 1 in this thread, it was my fault this time. But they are now back & I'm pretty sure all are in the correct order.
January 31, 2014
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Charger Fan said
I profusely apologize for the pics disappearing on page 1 in this thread, it was my fault this time. But they are now back & I'm pretty sure all are in the correct order.
Thank you very much!
When it comes to understanding mechanical devices, a picture is worth more than 1,000 words!!!
April 27, 2014
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I came across this forum searching for any info to help me disassemble (and clean) my 357SM.
The photos were of immense help as I had forgotten how over the 25years since I shot IHMSA.
Anyone removing a Dan Wesson barrel might want to try this technique. It prevents damaging the nut.
Attach a short piece of flexible tubing to a small funnel and insert the tubing into the forcing cone, pour a small amount of hot water down the barrel and out the muzzle then you can easily undo the barrel nut as the heat has lengthened the barrel and loosened the nut, I also use this method before re-tightening.
Dans Club
December 5, 2008
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What a great idea! Thanks very much Riverman. Amazing that I've never heard this one before, but it makes a lot of sense.
August 11, 2014
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Can steps 3 and 4 be skipped if you don't want / need the hammer out? could i just take the tension off the hammer then remove the side pin and take out the trigger assembly leaving the hammer in or floating around there ? I have some end shake I'd probably like to shim out of my 744 and any reduction in work to do so is well worth knowing about!
Ty for any replies and a big thanks to the O.P. for the nice description.
also... can any one explain to me... what exactly holds the cylinder on the crane? i understand how in the tutorial it is removed but cannot grasp what exactly is stopping it from being done wile the crane is in the frame...
Dans Club
April 18, 2014
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I can't answer about the steps for disassembly. Do not own a large frame, yet, but the ejector star and rod screw together like most revolvers. That coupled with the spring keep it on the crane.
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Dans Club
DWF Supporters
April 20, 2010
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I do not have a lot of experience with the large frames but you could probably leave the hammer in loose, but you might have a difficult time feeding the hand and transfer bar up in with the hammer in the way. Why do you want to leave it in? I think once you open it all up you will want to remove the hammer completely to allow for a proper cleaning and lube.
The cylinder crane is held in the frame by the little clip in pic 7, and you cannot slide the cylinder off the crane while it is in the frame because the cylinder stop cast into the left of the frame prevents it.
You are right the OPs did a great job on this thread, I have done 2 large frame disassemblies now and they both were simpler than I anticipated once I started on them.
"The lion and the tiger may be more powerful, but the Wolf does not perform in the circus"
August 11, 2014
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Thanks for the replies .. As for why I would not want to remove the hammer... I really really don't want to move the sights if I don't have to. Right now its sighted in so sweet! 
It makes my S&W 629 hold its head in shame. maybe the End Shake is not that big of a deal. its about .002 . I just set the gap to just where the cylinder will freely tern but with the shake is .002 - .003 gap.
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January 24, 2009
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I have had two of my larger frame guns apart twice each & have been able to remove the hammers without removing the rear sight. Some guns may be have tighter tolerances between the sight & hammer, but I was able to do it with a bit of wiggling.
August 15, 2014
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On my DW44 the hammer came out with no problem…..on reassembly I had to remove the sight to get the hammer back in place. Afterwards I wondered if you could unlock the trigger assembly, lower it enough to get the hammer back in, then re-lock the trigger group.
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April 9, 2015
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Thanks to the OP for the helpful photo tutorial. Broke down my 44 Mag purchased a few weeks ago to clean and polish trigger parts. The tutorial and especially the pics gave me the confidence to proceed. I have disassembled all of my revolvers including a few Smiths and one Ruger GP100. The Small frame Dans 15-2 are similar to the Smith & Wesson design due to the side plate access, the internals are different and on the left instead of the right, but if you can break down a Smith you should be able to break down a small frame Dan. The Large Frame Dans like my 44 mag are more like the Ruger GP-100 in that there is no side plate and the trigger assembly must come out the bottom of the frame.
Part of the fun of guns for me is taking them apart and getting to know their design. Great how all revolver manufactures have differ designs but the function with slight differences are the same.
Thanks again
“We cannot but pity the boy who has never fired a gun; he is no more
humane, while his education has been sadly neglected.”
-Henry David Thoreau
“When some of my friends have asked me anxiously about their boys, whether
they should let them hunt, I have answered, yes – remembering that it was
one of the best parts of my education – *make* them hunters.”
-Henry David Thoreau
October 1, 2012
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Hello,
I saw some discussion on the pics for Large frame disassembly. My brother wants to clean up his 44. Its not something I can explain on the phone. I cant find them and dont know anything about photbucket ? Could some one please fill me in ? Thanks
Hugelk
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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The pictures posted are hosted on PhotoBucket, which was a "free" hosting site up until a couple of months ago. Once it became a paid hosting site the photos are blocked until the original poster pays PhotoBucket a monthly fee.
Although those photos are not mine, I have many photos on DWF hosted on PhotoBucket that are also not visible.
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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Steve said
The pictures posted are hosted on PhotoBucket, which was a "free" hosting site up until a couple of months ago. Once it became a paid hosting site the photos are blocked until the original poster pays PhotoBucket a monthly fee.Although those photos are not mine, I have many photos on DWF hosted on PhotoBucket that are also not visible.
I think I have the pics saved on a thumb drive at home. I will look when I get home tonight & try to get the pics back up in this thread.
October 1, 2012
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That would be great. Taking some ones pictures hostage doesnt seem right to me. 
Hugelk
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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hugelk said
That would be great. Taking some ones pictures hostage doesnt seem right to me.Hugelk
Not hostage exactly. It was very easy to upload as many photos as I wanted and share them freely at no cost. A sensible, reasonable minimum monthly cost would have been acceptable.
I am working to get the important stuff back on my laptop so that I can share them more effectively.
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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