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December 24, 2017
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Just picked up a Dan Wesson Arms revolver. Monson, Mass. USA. I'm trying to figure out what model and year it is.
It is a 6 inch nickel plated .357/.38 (barrel shroud says .38 special, but, a .357 will drop into the cylinder.
It has the plastic grips and the serial number is 26526.
Forgive the quality of the photos, it's hard to get a good picture since the nickel finish is about 100%.
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Dans Club
December 4, 2011
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Drop by new members and introduce yourself. Your gun would be a model 9 pork chop. Someone probably reamed the chambers to accept 357 mag. If that is an original finish, it would make you'd a very uncommon piece.
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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February 16, 2016
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to 
... nice Porky !December 3, 2015
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Welcome.
Just curious, is this the DW that was recently discussed on this forum?
Seller on Gunbroker in his listing stated that a knowledgable DW aficionado informed him that the revolver would accept .357 Mag. Cartridges as it came from the factory. Even though marked .38 Ctg.
December 24, 2017
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I don't know. I'm new to the forum. I bought this on gunbroker recently.
I've been collecting guns for years and in my opinion this is a factory original gun.
Other than the grips being in rough shape the metal part of the gun is 98 % +.
I thought Rugers were hard to find info on, but, Dan Wessons are even harder.
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Dans Club
March 25, 2013
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I am very opinionated. I will be glad to give you a few after I welcome you to the forum. WELCOME. It could very well be factory chambered in 357 and the had an order for a 38 special so they put a 38 shroud on it. Another opinion, the short action hammer( It is really the trigger that creates the short action. It lacks the little ledge that in later models the trigger return spring rests on.) and the nickel plating inside make the trigger much smoother than other Dans. If you put Wolff reduced power mainspring and especially the trigger return spring in it becomes world class. You may have to test different ammos for reliable ignition. What you have is a model 15. They were made from late 1971 to around the end of 1972 or start of 1973. Shortly after yours was made they used a different rear sight and the longer hammer throw and it became the 15-1. If you put one of the short action triggers in a 15-2 you will be amazed. There is one on ebay right now. The hammer is sold with it. They are not very common. Oh, it is a BIN. Take good care of the nickel. I would just use oil or Dextron to clean it. A copper solvent will cause the nickel to flake off.
December 3, 2015
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OP, if you have been collecting for years you most likely know much more about firearms than I do. If you feel the Revolver is factory original then you also Believe a manufacturer would mark a revolver .38 Ctg. And bore the cylinder to accept .357 Mag. In my inexperience I do not share that belief.
Others on the forum have forgotten more than I will ever know in regards to DW revolvers and hopefully will offer you some information. I will offer this as a starting point.
Revolver is an internal barrel nut "Pork Chop" style with target sights. This makes it a model 15,. Maybe a 15-1. IMO several possibilities exist. Most straight forward would be that the revolver is factory original with the exception that some dufuss had the cylinder bores altered to accept .357 Mag. cartridges and is therefore not "factory original".
Several other possibilities exist that involve any combination of substituting shroud, frame and or cylinder combined with a couple of refinishing scenarios.
Look under the crane for a model number. If you in fact find one is there a letter "N" ? That could confirm factory plating.
Good luck with your search for information.
Don't want to highjack your thread but,Could you measure the height of the front sight for me? I have a porker internal nut shroud that I am trying to identify as a 15 or 15-1.
By chance is it 3/8" tall?
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Dans Club
March 25, 2013
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Different Drummer, it is a 15, not a 15-1. Notice the humongous rear sight. 15-1s used the High Standard sight, hence the shorter front sight blade.
The reason that a gun would be marked 38 spec vs 357 is to prevent the use of 357 in a gun not strong enough to handle it. Moot point in a Dan Wesson. Maybe it made the gun law enforcement compliant for some Departments. Again, just one of my many unfounded opinions. Discovering true knowledge of early Dan Wessons is like looking into the threshold of a black hole. We need to waterboard Bob Serva before that knowledge is lost to use too. Lol, just kidding Bob.
December 24, 2017
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Thanks for the help gentlemen.
Under the crane there is no model number, but, if you look REAL closely there is a faint letter N, possibly a light strike and some fill-in with the plating.
The front sight height is 13/32".
I used to shoot PPC and my competition gun had a Mascot sight rib. That design seems similar to the rear sight on the Dan Wesson. Same manufacturer maybe ?
December 3, 2015
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I see OleDog and I must have been one finger pecking at the same time. Him on his phone and me on a small tablet as I am traveling at present.
I will defer to OleDog on the model 15. I have been fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of his most generous hospitality and view as well as fondle his collection. Overwhelming to say the least.
I will stick to my guns however on the .38 special / .357 Magnum part. Without someone with specific and privileged knowledge from DW stating they did in fact make a model 15 marked .38 Ctg that was also capable of chambering .357 Mag. I remain a naysayer. It would essentially be a .357 Magnum with a .38 special barrel shroud. Why bother?
I also realize that the liability issue is sort of a moot point with Dan Wesson in regards to strength/durability. However there are other reasons to not produce such a revolver, even If only in theory. DW is known for accuracy, no? Why make a .38 using a .357 Cylinder? Consider The jump from the bore to the Cyl. throat and it's potential effect on accuracy. What about gases escaping from that same gap? The escaping gas effect on performance? I know there are those that say In practice .38 special is accurate from a .357 Mag. Cylinder. That is another subject altogether. Without solid evidence such as production records I believe there are more reasons to believe that DW would not do such a production than reasons to support they would.
IMO the fact that the hammer and trigger are not Nickel plated along with your finding what appears to be n "N" stamped in the frame support It being a factory plated model 15 that left the factory as a .38 Special. Someone at a later date modified the cylinder to accept.357 Mag. Cartridges.
Thanks for measuring the sight. That is just 1/32 difference from what I have measured on mine. (3/8"). I suspect the DW shroud I am using on an orphaned High Standard is from a DW model 15 like yours. That slight difference may be because mine is 3.75" barrelnd yours is longer.
December 24, 2017
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So, the one question that is still hanging out there is the year it may have been made.
I saw one gun on the forum with a higher serial number made in 1971.
Did Dan Wesson make 26,000 guns a year ? Or, did they start with a number other than 1.
I have a first MONTH production Whitney Wolverine with a serial number of 100,1XX.
February 16, 2016
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Our Registry shows that model 15 serial number 26621 was manufactured in 1971 (s/n 3611x was in 1974 for production volume reference).
December 24, 2017
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Thanks Stinger.
My gun is 95 numbers before 26621 (26526) so, if my research is correct, 1971 was the first year of production for the Model 15 ?
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Dans Club
DWF Supporters
February 4, 2017
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I can't add anything of value to your question sartracker...but I'd really like to know how that Wolverine handles? I have had my eye on them for a long time but never took the plunge.
Rimfire
"LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO SPEND IT WITH AN UGLY GUN!" - John Taffin
December 24, 2017
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Rimfire,
The Wolverine shoots just fine, but, the total production was 13,371 guns and mine is one of only 928 made from the original aluminum alloy it is a safe queen.
Trying to preserve it for my "401K".
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Dans Club
March 27, 2009
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Welcome, Now to add a few things. A few years ago several Pork Chop shrouds showed up in 38sp plated. A 15 would be chambered as a 357 this may have been an add on at some point. Welcome to the Pork Chop fun! EWK makes an adapter to accept the later shrouds.
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January 24, 2009
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IMO, this is a model 15...wearing a wrong shroud at some point in it's life.
Maybe a PO had an affinity with nickel guns, maybe the original BA left with another frame years ago, because it was too short or long? Who knows. What we do know is that both the frame & cylinder of this one screams model 15. I do believe the BA wasn't original to the gun pictured, based on what has been said.
I was poised to show you a mixed-up early 15 of my own, but just realized that my photo host lost all my pics during the latest hack.
I will try to submit new ones soon to further my statement.
December 24, 2017
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After extensive research I found out that this revolver is AS IT WAS PURCHASED NEW.
I am the second owner, there were no alterations done by the original purchaser who bought it new in 1971.
February 1, 2019
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Looks like Different Drummer has been trumped by Ole Dog.
April 24, 2018
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Rupert said
Looks like Different Drummer has been trumped by Ole Dog.
sartracker said
After extensive research I found out that this revolver is AS IT WAS PURCHASED NEW.I am the second owner, there were no alterations done by the original purchaser who bought it new in 1971.
Care to share what research confirmed this, curious to learn.
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