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January 1, 2019
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New here and have never owned a Dan Wesson
I am a S&W guy and do some work on them and other guns. I was getting ready to ream a couple of K22 cylinders to 32 cal. One of them a 327 Federal. A friend asked me do do a couple of cylinders for one of his friends at the same time. No problem. Was sent the cylinders. While reaming them I thought about fitting the DW cylinders. The 22lr cylinders have a rim around the out side that functions as a recess. Not knowing if DW center fires are recessed I emailed and asked the guy if he would need the ledge machined off so they would work or if he planned to adjust the lug on the side of the frame that keeps the cylinder from moving back when ejecting. He told me he was going to use them in their original frames. I then asked how he planned to move the firing pin from rim to center. He told me he had been told that because DW used a transfer bar it would not be a problem. ????. I looked at what drawings I could find. Did not see even a firing pin bushing on a DW. Frame mounted pin, held in place by a cross pin. I don't think it is going to be an easy fix for this guy. It is not really my problem. I figure you could modify a frame to make it happen, but not simply and not something I want to do. Am I wrong? Is there a simple way to do this? Curious. I know how a transfer bar operates as I have had some Rugers. Don't see how that will hurt or help go from rim fire to center fire.
I have made a couple of S&W hot rod 22 center fires, a 22 TCM that uses moon clips and a 22 Harvey Kay Chuck, but I mounted the cylinders and barrels on center fire frames. I had assumed the guy was going to use the cylinders in center fire frames.
Thanks
PS. It seems DW cylinders are a bit harder than S&W cylinders and are a bit surface hardened. No real problem just something I noticed.
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Dans Club
February 22, 2009
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This guy?
https://www.danwessonforum.com/forum/revolvers/converting-rimefire-to-centerfire/
I looked at my .32 and .22- haven't taken things apart but it doesn't appear to be an easy/ economical conversion. Better to use a .357 frame (15-2), then have a barrel tube cut to the thread pitch used on the 15-2 frame- viola.
Technically, the glass is always full; half liquid, half air....
January 1, 2019
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The guy is having the 22 barrels reamed and then rifled to 32 cal. That is spendy. I would have done something like you suggest. Bought some blank .312 barrel and machined outside for the frame treads and nut that tensions it in shroud. Basically machine the OD of the blank to match a stock barrel. All I was asked to do was ream the cylinders and assumed they were going to be fit to a center fire frame. I believe you could convert a rim fire frame to center fire by drilling out the existing firing pin hole, centering the drill on the spot where the center fire pin needs to be. Then either thread the hole using fine pitch threads and making a insert to fill the hole. you could also make a plug slightly oversized, super cool the plug with dry ice and warm up the frame. Plug would shrink by super cooling, frame hole would expand. Once inserted plug would expand a bit and hole shrink giving you a very tight fit. Once the hole was filled, machine a new firing pin hole and cross pin hole to retain firing pin in center fire location. Not only would the cross pin retain the firing pin, but, it would also lock in the plug. But, not easy, time consuming and if anything went wrong a junk frame. Easier and probably cheaper to find and use a center fire frame and sell the rim fire frame.
Do the DW 38/357 guns use the same barrel threads and yoke assembly as the 22 caliber guns?
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Dans Club
February 22, 2009
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I assume the yolks are the same but have never checked. Threads are different on the differing calibers to prevent accidents- like screwing a .22 tube onto a .357 frame....
Technically, the glass is always full; half liquid, half air....
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Dans Club
March 25, 2013
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The threads on the muzzle end are all the same. The frame ends are different. DW sells 32 mag barrel tubes for probably less than the cost of making one. I would use a 15-2 frame. When your client is done he will have a lot of money in a gun with very little resale value.
On another note. I had my local gunsmith drill a small hole in a 9mm stainless Dan Wesson cylinder for the roll pin that holds the cylinder bushing on the rear of the cylinder in place. He broke many hardened drill bits before he was able to complete the small shallow hole. Dan Wesson was a metalurgist of note. His guns are every bit as rugged as Ruger or more so. IMHO.
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