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February 22, 2025
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I'll preface this Post by saying that I am a dyed-in-the-wool S&W revolver guy and always have been. And because of that, I never really gave any consideration to owning Dan Wesson revolvers. I always knew about the innovative Pistol Packs from the 70s and 80s of course, and that DWs were well made revolvers, but just never bought one. That changed a week or so ago when I purchased a DW Model 22 from the estate of my friend's Dad. I mentioned in a previous Post that I helped my buddy catalog and value his Dad's collection, and he rewarded me by offering to sell me a couple of handguns at prices I couldn't refuse. The Model 22 that I chose (unfortunately just the revolver, not a Pistol Pack) is basically ANIB, with the tool and shim, as well as the original foam case and cardboard sleeve. It's been sitting around untouched since about 1979, so I wanted to give it some TLC. I got around to taking it apart the other day, and was surprised at the differences between the DWs and S&Ws. Fortunately for me, since the gun was ANIB, the barrel nut came off easily as did the shroud and barrel. Re-nstallation was quick and easy, and using the supplied barrel-cylinder shim was simple. The one-piece wood stock is interesting. However, the workmanship and checkering on the wood stocks is a little rough, as is the hole and insert for installing the stock bolt. Unlike a S&W, the cylinder rotates clockwise like a Colt. I usually like to remove the cylinder/crane assy. when cleaning a revolver, but the DW design makes it a little difficult in that the left sideplate and the latch spring clip must be removed first. I kind of like the forward location of the cylinder latch, however performing rapid reloads may take some practice. The mainspring design is unique...it functions just fine and the action is relatively smooth. This revolver cleaned up nicely with some CLP, a little oil, and an application of Renaissance Wax. The Model 22 is a hefty .22 LR revolver, much heavier than a S&W Model 17 (or K-22), but the Python-esque ventilated barrel rib adds a nice cool factor. All in all, I've found this DW Model 22 to be a robust and well made revolver. Once I get it to the range I'll see if my revolver lives up to Dan Wesson's legendary accuracy. I can now see why there are so many Dan Wesson fans!
Dans Club
February 24, 2013
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One of my favorite things about Dans is the ability to change barrel lengths without being a gunsmith. Quick and easy, love that!!
Dans Club
March 28, 2023
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The whole point of Dan Wessons is the ability to change barrels. also you could not choose the worst caliber to do a comparison on. The .22 Dans are completely over built. Of course this was done a complete after thought since the .22's came 10 years after the first 357 magnum. Why make a complete new gun when you can just use the frames you already had. This is also because Dan Wesson was already in finance troubles by the time they made .22's. I never liked the .22 Dans just for that reason who needs a heavy large gun to shoot a small little shell. I have one only because it was nickel plated so I bought it for the looks. Anyway I think once you shoot a 357 and even better a large frame Supermag you will see where we are coming from! There would be no 500 S&W guns without the 445 Supermag! I hope you get a chance to shoot one. The Dan Wesson was built on the 357 mag pistol pacs. If you had one first you could dazzle your friends by pulling out a 8 inch heavy vent barrel and then with in 3 minutes make a very small 2.5 inch snub nose gun with small combat grips it was so cool. Once you get used to the latch it will not bother you at all! You can still do it with one hand also. As far as grips you have so many to choose from it will be easy to find one you like! Get you some big boys and enjoy! PS I love S&W also if not for Dirty Harry I would not have had the nickname Harry Callahan in high school! Now I love my 5.7x28 with the tempo barrel with a can on it and the other tempo 22 magnum with the 30 round magazine! Only WMR that did not jam! As for a .22 & a .22 mag give me a High Standard 9 shot! They look like lil Colt Pythons! 
Dans Club
March 28, 2023
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PS. until you can do this (under 3 minutes) You can't really appreciate the Dan Wesson. I changed this out from my 8 inch target down to my snub carry ! This was what Dan Wessons were all about originally when you bought one in the late 70's early 80's. Once the large frame guns came in then reasons changed. Hunter pacs showed up so you could change from a scope mounted barrel to a non scoped gun in under 3 minutes. Also the Supermags were for silhouette shooting when it got popular Dan made Supermags just for that. He listened to shooters and made guns they wanted. Even though the whole point originally was the pistol pac and making 2 guns out of one he pivoted to other uses! Here is my change from 8 to 2 inch barrel with small grips for concealed carry! Then a pic of a Hunter PAC you could go from a scoped gun in under 2 minutes to a regular gun or a carry gun! You could even take your silhouette cannon and switch to a bear carry gun for the outback! 
January 31, 2023
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I saw in the other thread you picked it up for $600. Nice score! As Stan said, it's heavy/overbuilt for a .22LR, but from my perspective, that's what I want in a target gun. Two things before you go try her out:
- Check out this thread, especially post #5. One of my 15-2VHs is for silhouette competition, long distance, and such. It wears the 8" BA set at .002" to the tightest cylinder bore, and grouped *much* tighter than when it was at .006", with no problems getting dirty.
https://www.danwessonforum.com/forum/revolvers/barrel-adjustment/
- If you already know this, ignore the following, but since you can't reload rimfire rounds to tune a load for accuracy, you have to try a large variety of factory .22 stuff to find what it likes the best. I tried a dozen of the good to pricey loads. The differences will surprise you, mine went from shotgun patterns (in my F-Class/PRS mind) to OMG tight. I got lucky, none of my .22s liked the expensive, LRN target rounds. Hell, they don't like lead at all. Another stroke of luck, both my custom 10/22 and my tricked-out MK III Ruger love 36gr HP CCI Mini-Mags. (I know, that doesn't make sense ballistically, but prairie dogs hate that 10/22 out to 250+ yds!) *grins*
There's an old saying about those who forget history.
I don't remember it, but it's good ...
February 22, 2025
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I appreciate all of the feedback. I probably should have chosen to buy one of my friend's other Dan Wessons, either the NIB DW Model 15-2 or the stainless Model 714 with two barrels. But I already own a dozen .357 Magnums and really don't need any more of those. The 714 was really cool with the extra barrel, but I've always preferred target sights as opposed to service/combat sights. I only have a couple of .22 LR revolvers, and the vent rib is sweet, so I thought that this would be a fun one to add to my modest collection. I'm sure that I could pick up one of those .357s from my buddy at a great price if I change my mind. 
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Dans Club
March 25, 2013
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I just reread the old thread about setting the barrel gap and have something else to add. First, I second Hugelk's comment about NEVER, EVER using red loctite on a barrel nut. If you do that you might as well buy a S&W or Colt. My pet peeve is idiots who wrap a rubber band around the barrel end of a BA to prevent it from falling out of the shroud. If you do that, I don't really mean you are an idiot, you just haven't scrubbed the disintegrated rubber off the threads that have been on the barrel for 30 years. Not an easy task.
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Dans Club
March 25, 2013
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Also, a couple of observations about 22lr Revolvers. In 1931 S&W introduced the K22. Up until then 22s were lighter and not as steady. I eschewed 22lr when I started collecting Revolvers. Not powerful enough for self protection I thought. I have heard that more people are killed by 22lr than any other round.
The K22 is the same size frame as 38 Special and was greatly appreciated for target shooting. The K frame also is used for the model 19 357 Magnum. DW small frame is a wee bit more robust than a K frame but it is entirely appropriate in 22lr. 22 Magnum is not much more powerful than a 22lr in a short barreled revolver. I would use an 8" barrel for magnum. Or longer.
I went through a number of revolver fetishes besides Dan Wesson. H&R made many but they are quite inaccurate. I do have an H&R Trapper, meant to be used a couple of inches from a fur bearing mammel. I thought the High Standard MK IV was a sweet little baby Python. Not especially accurate and the cases tend to stick in the chamber. I got rid of most of both makes. Except the HS MK 2 and 3s. They are really Dan Wessons but don't have the extremely fast hammer fall of the DWs models 11,12,14 and 15. The difference is the later porkchops and dash 2s have a little ledge on the hammer for the trigger return spring to rest on. That 1/16" difference magnified the length and time of the hammer fall.
Dans Club
February 24, 2013
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Ole Dog said
meant to be used a couple of inches from a fur bearing mammel.
That’s a hilarious way of making your point!! 
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Dans Club
March 25, 2013
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Kurt, I thought it was cute😉. They are sweet little things for shooting a mink in the head in a leg hold trap.
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January 24, 2009
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Jimbo2025, thanks for your thoughts on your first ever DW. Myself, my first DW was a 15-2 PP (.357)...that gun was/is a high mileage gun that loves to shave lead with each round. One of these days I'm gonna send it in for a tune-up, however aside from spitting lead, it was fun to shoot. My first ever revolver was a Smiff 29-2 with the 8-3/8 barrel (I like long barrel handguns), but I only had that for a short while & ended up selling to help pay for doctor bills when my kids were young (I was young too, 26 if I recall). Eventually I bought a couple other guns through the years, but nothing too cool & ended up trading them for stuff (a truck one time & bike parts the next).
Through the years I had always been intrigued with DW's. I'd attend gun shows & would be handed pamphlets (this is late 80's ~ early 90's), but each time I had the funds lined up, they were either in bankruptcy, or plain out of business. 
Guys at gun stores would say stay clear, this company is not stable! So I decided DW's were not for me & put the company out of my mind until 2008 when I got divorced. During that time my "give-a-damn" about life was VERY broken...however, one day I decided that since the kids were out on their own & wife too, I'm gonna buy some GUNS! Looking at the local online gun site, there was a guy selling a 15-2PP for $700. Then all the intrigue from years gone by came back to me at a rush! I was finally in a position to buy a DW PP! I met the guy in a parking lot at dusk & after cash was swapped, my first PP came to be (looking back, I should have passed on that one, but oh well). 
After my first few range trips, I thought I'd try to find more info on these guns & found this site a few weeks later & I found the 
I joined about a week later. And not long afterward followed a subliminal occurrence none of us at the time had a name for...
...and yes, it's VERY real! Shortly after the 1st one, came a slew of others!
Anyway, I'm just saying that you never know what kind of internal fire owning & fondling your first DW may lead to. So congrats on finding your first one. Tell us your impression of your 1st range trip, and be sure to share with us when you land your next one!
Dans Club
March 28, 2023
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My first Dan Wesson was in 1979 when I was 18 years old. I was working at Arthur Treachers Fish & Chips. wow what a greasy first job but another story. A guy there brother was a FFL dealer. I was already into guns as me and my friends had seen Dirty Harry & Taxi Driver my friend had a S&W 29 so I had already shot a 44 magnum. This guy was showing us some guns and pulled out a Dan Wesson. They were a bit cheaper than a S&W he was pushing them as a new dealer for Dans. I had to have my brother buy my gun I was too young. I bought a Dan just a single 8VH and took it home. I had seen the pistol PAC it was $$$ 325 I could not afford it but then got a paycheck and took back my single gun and got the full lug vent heavy PAC! Boy was I happy! I remember sitting in the living room chair pointing it at the TV with the 8 inch barrel and doing my impressions of Dirty Harry " did I fire 5 shots or 6, well do you feel lucky punk!" Also the famous Travis Bickle chant in the mirror "You talking to me" Anyway I loved that gun but sold it over the years as other things took over like girls and marriage. I remember buying another PAC in the 1990's The price went up to $600 then bought another one around 2010 it was $900 sold that one then 2022 came around and price was $1700 wow! Those were the days!
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Dans Club
December 4, 2011
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I got my first Dan in about 1982, from a friend who was a gunsmith. It was the obligatory 15-2, used, with an 8Vand 2.5V barrels, checkered wood grips and a Pachmyer gripper, in original box with the plastic tool and a manual. I still have it. I got a few more Dan's as years went on but didn't get DWAS until the 2000's. I wish I'd been more on the ball in the 90's, I could have amassed a fantastic collection for chump change compared to today's prices.
Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
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If a man designed it, and a man built it, then a man can fix it.
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