DW 44 and 445 questions

[webrehm]

I talked with CZ yesterday and they are only selling 445's and alaskan's(445 I think) at this time.  Since there is no more DW website, there is no catalog to learn from, especially concerning used DW's in either 44 or 445.

So I would appreciate any help with the following questions
Are the 44 DW's the same frame as the 445 DW's?
Can a 44 DW become a 445 DW with a cylinder change?
What about shooting 44's in a 445? In a FA shooting a 45 in a 454 cylinder will void the warranty.
and finally,  what info can I obtain from a DW seller(used) to help me make an informed decision to buy or not?

If anyone has a pdf of a DW catalog I would sure like to get a copy.

[David Carey]

No the frame is not the same the 445 has an lengthened cylinder to except the lengthened case of the 445.

You can not put a 445 cylinder into a 44 frame.

Dan Wesson has always promoted the shooting of the shorter shells into thier Supermag revolvers. The recomendation from those of us that shoot shorter shells is to clean the cylinder well after because you could get a build up of lead or burned powder in front of the shorter shell in the cylinder.

You can not go wrong with purchasing a Dan Wessen revolver you will not be sorry.

David Carey

[webrehm]

Am I right in saying this:
The 15-2 frame is for 357, then the larger frame for 44 and 445, with the 445 frame weighing a few more ounces due to the extended space for the longer cylinder.

What is the weight of a 15-2 in 357 with 6" barrel?
What is the weight of a 445 with 8" barrel?

Sorry for 20 questions but without a DW revolver site, information is a little hard to come by.
Pretty sure I will go for a DW as what competition does it really have in a DA?  Trying to learn enough to make an informed decision.

[David Carey]

Yes you would be right.

My DW with 10"bbl and scope loaded weighs more then four pounds, I do not know what a 357 weighs. Not exactly concealed carry worthy it that is why you are asking about the weight.

David Carey

[RollTide]

webrehm,
You are correct.  There are 3 Dan Wesson frame sizes.  
The Small Frame for everything from 22lr to 357mag.  

The Large Frame for 41mag, 44mag, 45lc, and the 360.

The Supermag Frame (which is just a Large Frame with an extended cylinder window) for the 357sm, 375sm, 414sm, and 445sm.


Dan Wessons are on the heavy side in whatever caliber you choose, compared to most other makers in the same caliber.  To me this is a plus because I am a big guy and the weight does not bother me.  It actually makes it more pleasant to shoot and helps avoid flinching.  

The wieght of a Model 15 is about the same as a comparable K frame Smith & Wesson.

The Model 44 is about in the same weight range as a Ruger Super Redhawk.

The Model 445 is about the same weight range as the Smith & Wesson X frame guns.  

Hope that is helpful.

Roll Tide

[unspellable]

I view the DW "small" frame as being a "medium" frame as it is the size of a S&W K frame or a tad larger.  It's not really oversized for the 357 Magnum chambering, where as the DW large frame is definitely bigger than a S&W N frame, it's built like a brick outhouse, as big as a Redhawk if not bigger.  Really the best DA frame around for the magnum and SuperMag chamberings.

The DW large frame is stronger than a S&W, better looking than a redhawk, and more accurate than either.  It's heavy to tote, but as mentioned above, it's a pussy cat for recoil.  I just ran an experiment that involved running 120 factory loads through my 44 Mag DW in one session and I was ready for more.  With a S&W 44 the recoil will make you toss in the towel before you get to 120 rounds in one session.   Can't say about this for the Redhawk.  I once had one but did not like the looks, ergonomics, or the strange noises it made while cocking it.  Although the Redhawk is said to be about as hard to break as the DW.