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July 4, 2017
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Hello all. HELP. And I do mean HELP. I have a new Dan Wesson 715 pistol pack purchased July 2017. I've been having problems with the cylinder constantly binding. The cylinder would not rotate, cannot cock hammer, and cannot pull trigger, and cylinder would not open. The cylinder will eventually open if you constantly wiggle it and let the gun cool. It will bind up in as little as 3 rounds. It's been back to DW warranty twice already. They blame it on ammo. Really?! I've been using Armscor 125gr FMJ and Fiocchi 142 gr fmjtc. I can shoot all day with my S&W 686 with this ammo and not a single hip cup. DW is sending another return label, and they also request a box of my ammo. At this point, I do not have any confidence in them repairing this issue. Help Anyone?
Nate
February 16, 2016
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Dans Club
March 25, 2013
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I suspect you are pushing the gap feeler gauge in too forcefully. It should slide in with very little effort. If you force it in it pushes the cylinder back and depresses the spring loaded dedent ball. When you pull out the shim you are left with too small a gap. As the cylinder expands from the heat it binds the cylinder. Also, when you set the gap and put on the shroud and nut, open the cylinder and keep a thumb on the forcing cone to prevent the gap from closing more when you tighten the nut. If you do both of those things you will have no problem if you set the gap on the tightest or proudest chamber at .006.
Dans Club
December 5, 2008
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Ole Dog is right. The barrel will turn when you tighten the nut unless you hold it. Always check the clearance on every chamber after the nut is tightened as described by Ole Dog. It doesn't take much to make the cylinder drag especially if you are shooting steadily or rapidly. The cylinder expands from the heat of firing. In my experience, the heat effects stainless cylinders more than non-stainless.
Note that it is not necessary to tighten the nut beyond a good snug fit. Check it after your first 6 rounds to make sure it is still tight.
If there is an issue with the construction of the gun, I would definitely trust DW to fix it. Make sure you are sending it to Dan Wesson and not to CZ. The CZ folks will not be able to solve any DW problems.
August 20, 2017
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Check the barrel-cylinder surfaces for signs of physical contact. Any shiny metal means that they were making physical contact with one another. From what you describe as to all methods failing to open the cylinder (especially until cool down), a mechanical lockup between barrel and cylinder seems the only possible cause.
I have known those who run the barrel in against the feeler gauge until the cylinder is preloaded against the against the rear of the frame. This almost guarantees lockup after a few rounds. DWs tend to have more cylinder end shake than they probably should have.
One member of the Colt Forum got a huge deal on a DW as it was locked up even cool and the LGS wrote it off to mechanical failure. Something like $150 took it home. I can never run into deals like that...
July 4, 2017
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Hello all. Thank you all for your responses. The C/B gap was adjusted correctly. I did noticed scrape marks (from the star?) on the breech face. I have since sent my gun in for the third time, and hopefully DW can resolve the issue this time around. I will post results in a few weeks.
August 26, 2018
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Hi, new member here. I feel your pain. My 715 just came back from warranty service for the same issue - cylinder locking up randomly, couldn't cock hammer, couldn't pull trigger, cylinder would not open and ejector star significantly scraping the breech face. As you have noted, this is not a B/C gap issue. The Warranty Log included with the gun upon return indicates "Added shim to correct headspace. Fit ratchet." and notes a DWR0002-004 .004 Head Space Shim Small. Interestingly, mine is also a Pistol Pack from July 2017. So far, I put 100 rounds through it this weekend without any lock-ups but I'm continuing to monitor. I'll be interested to see how yours gets resolved.
July 4, 2017
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Hello all. I'm glad I'm not going insane. I thought it was only me, since I see nothing pertaining to my issue. What brand and type of ammo are you using? I received a call from DW stating I need to use American ammo. It's a cheap ammo issue and not gun related. I never heard of a revolver that requires certain brands of ammo. I just bought a couple boxes of Sig Sauer 125gr FMJ made in the USA. I will try that when they ship my gun back.
August 8, 2016
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Armscor is far from quality ammo but should still function in your 715. Armscor is all my friend uses in his model 15 without any problems.
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Dans Club
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July 2, 2011
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Interesting. My Monson 715 will shoot just about anything.
To the paranoid people who check behind shower curtains for murderers:
if you find one...what's your plan?
August 26, 2018
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I was shooting Federal 158 gr and Remington 125 gr among others when I experienced the problem - not exactly junk. It isn't an ammo problem in my opinion (as evidenced by the headspace shim they installed). I plan to shoot some more this weekend to see if it continues to behave after repair. A revolver should not be particularly ammo sensitive.
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Dans Club
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July 2, 2011
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I suppose it's possible that if you are shooting really "dirty" ammo for any length of time and your gap is on the "tight" side, a build up of residue and heat could inhibit function. Always be sure and gap to the "proudest" cylinder.
To the paranoid people who check behind shower curtains for murderers:
if you find one...what's your plan?
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Dans Club
March 25, 2013
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Always take the barrel tool with you when shooting. I tend to use a smaller gap then .006, usually 004. After a couple of cylinders the gun can lock up from expansion of the cylinder and powder build up on the face of the cylinder. Wipe the face of the cylinder with a rag every couple of cylinder worth of rounds. If you use .006 on the proudest cylinder you will not usually have any problem but you can get powder blowing out if the cylinder face is not perpendicular and some chambers have more than a .006 gap. I am speaking about Monson guns. I do not own a CZ made 715.
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