Dan Wesson Repair

[wouter83]

He everyone.
I'm new to this forum and have a few questions. Excuse me for the english, but I live in The Netherlands.
I got a 357 mag revolver from Dan Wesson from a friend who said it shot rubbish, and tried to fix it but broke of a part, and didn't know how it went back together.
My job is a metal worker so I thought that I probably could fix it.
But the problem is I have no manual or whatsoever, and don't know the type. And Dan Wesson is know overtaken by CZ, and don't make this model anymore (i think).

Here are 2 photos of the gun.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/78043997@N00/

Does anybody know the type and has got a manual? Or a explosion drawing, so I could't see if I can fix it.
The other photo is the part that broke of, I looks like a bent steel wire measiring in length about 1 cm(0.39 inch), diameter 0.13 cm (0.05 inch)
Does anybody knows where this part belongs? And is it broken, or can it put back together?
The guns cilinder doesn't rotate anymore when you pull the hammer.

But nevertheless the gun is beatifull and shot very nice (when it used to work, i shot a few times with it) and it a too good still to trow away.
I also went to an Gun Smith but said that Dan Wesson revolvers had often problem and parts weren't available anymore.

Thanx already, and hope you can help me.

wouter

[wiley]

Some good news: that part isn't broken, it is what fits in a groove on the cylinder pivot pin. It is part # 42 in this blow up:
http://www.e-gunparts.com/productschem.asp?chrMasterModel=1320z15
More good news is that parts are available, just a question of how do you get them.
Bad news, who ever put this together, didn't do it right and shouldn't be allowed to play with it anymore. I wouldn't let your gunsmith near it either.
If the cylinder isn't rotating, it's likely the hand spring is not correctly installed with it's spring. I hope it isn't lost or broke!
Wilet

[darrell8937]

Never go back to that Gunsmith, Not only are Danwessons reliable and durable, but parts are available. Sometimes you have to do a lot of searching! I have a actual high quality picture, of the model 15 with the side plate off, Showing all the parts if you need it.

[darrell8937]

here is the picture
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e97/darrell8937/danwesson.jpg
copy and paste to browser.

[RollTide]

Wiley and Darrell,
Great job!!!!!

It is really great to have so many knowledgable and helpful people on this forum.

Roll Tide

[wouter83]

He guys,

Thanx for all the info and help.
I'm really relieved that the part wasn't broken off, and that I can install it again. I'm going to disasemble the gun tomorrow.
So i've got the the Dan Wesson Model 15, from what I understand from you guys.
Did some google-ing and camo up with the site  http://www.stevespages.com/page7b.htm
So the manual of my gun is the Dan Wesson 14-2, 15-2 if I understand it correctly?

Also thanx to "wiley" for the research, that it was part #42, and to "darrell8937" for the pic of the gun trigger mechanism.

I hope I will sucseed, and I'll keep you guys posted on the future.

Thanx,  wouter

[wiley]

Yes, you have a Model 15, meaning that it has an adjustable rear sight. Specifically, you have a Mod 715-VH6, which translates as a stainless steel adjust rear sight small frame DW with a vent rib heavy barrel configuration. I'd think that you may be able to get a manual from Dan Wesson/ CZ at:
http://www.danwessonfirearms.com/products_dan_wesson.php?m=1
Internally, the Mod 14 and Mod 15 are the same.

Wiley

[wouter83]

He guys, I fixed the gun today.
I was a piece of a cake. Especially with the photo of the trigger mechanism, and the expoded view.
The little part fitted easily, and a spring wasn't correctly put back, and now everything is in it's place.
It all works now, but when I pull the hammer, the cilinder rotates only 3 times automaticly, and the other three times you can't cock the hammer and
you will have to help the cilinder with your hand to rotate. This was already a problem when the whole gun was still untouched by the previous owner.
So it cannot be his fault. I thought of giving the barrel a bit more space, but (ofcourse) the "barrel nut" was tried to loosen with a plier or something, and is now become round, so the wrench doesn't has grip anymore. I made a photo of the "extractor" witch rotates the barrel, and saw unusual "gaps" (it look like the "hand #part38" has done this) maybe this is the problem or is this usual wear. The picture is here http://www.flickr.com/photos/78043997@N00/ and i drew a white line around one "gap".
Tomorrow I will try to make something to loosen te nut, but could the problem be something else?

thanx already,

wouter

[darrell8937]

Don't try to fire this until it is fixed! I looked at both my Dan Wessons , model 15 and model 14. closley looking at the extractor in you picture You can see the problem. My model 15 which is a Monson Mass production has no sign of that wear but my model 14 does have these marks. They are much lighter than your appear. It looks like the hand slowly cuts these marks over time. lots of use. My model 15 is in pristine condition and shows no mark. The model 14 has been shoot a lot. Some of these revolvers see alot of use. I eould replace the extractor. If the hand engauges one of these notches and not the proper notch, it will not fall into time. The drum pawl must lock the cylinder underneath. It is unsafe until corrected. I will post two pics of mine. My photos are not as good as yours but shows the problem area.
the part number is 155670-02

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e97/darrell8937/model14.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e97/darrell8937/model15.jpg

copy & paste if not highlighted.

[wouter83]

Today I tried to loosen te barrel, but as I said the barrel nut was damaged.
I've made a little tool to unscrew te nut, and by my suprise it succeeded.
Made a picture of the tool, you can see it here; http://www.flickr.com/photos/78043997@N00/
It's just a simple 3mm thick plate of steel, were I filed a bit until it was this shape. It turned out that the barrel nut was damaged while screwing
the barrel to its place. So the unscrew side was relatively undamaged. When I unscrewed the nut, I filed the "square gaps" a bit bigger until they were
square again, so the tool had some grip on it. When I put it together I had a plate with a width of aprox. 0.006" (0.015 mm) between the barrel and cilinder,
and put it back together after cleaning the parts.

The gun works now correctly 100%!!     YEAHHH!!!

Every time I cock the hammer the cilinder turns right on it's place.
So I think that the problem was that the cilinder and the barrel were to close to eachother and made the cilinder rotate heavy,
which in it's turn created the gaps in the extractor, because the 'hand' gave to much power to the cilinder, creating the gaps.

Tomorrow I will take it to the shooting court, and I will look if it works 100%, but I really think it will.

I'll keep you guys posted...

Thanx for everything...

[wiley]

Nice save on the barrel nut! A DW tool for the job might look like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Dan-Wesson-357-Barrel-Multi-Tool-with-Gauge_W0QQitemZ300045456793QQihZ020QQcategoryZ36258QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

If the cylinder was dragging on the back of the barrel stub for only half the rotation, the cylinder may be cocked out of alignment because the crane is bent or the ejector rod is bent. Are there drag marks on the front of the cylinder? This could have been the result of dropping the pistol or flipping the cylinder shut. How is the gap between the frame and the crane when the cylinder is in firing position?

[wouter83]

Thanx Wiley.
But i knew how a DW tool looked like, and to make that it at least an hour work, and my tool was <5 min. 
Maybe someday later, i will make a better tool.

I can't see much drag marks on the front of the cilinder. And when I give the cilinder a spin it rotates smooth and without any 'wobling'
The extractor rod seems a little bit bend, but its marginal.
And I don't really know what you mean about the gap between the crane and the frame. What about it do you mean?

Thanx,
wouter

[wiley]

With the pistol unloaded, look at the front of the seam between the frame and the crane. If it is even from top to bottom, no problem there. If the extractor rod is bent, it can move the back of the cylinder around during the course of fire. That would also move the front of the cylinder around and cause it to drag for part of the rotation as you describe above. Increasing the barrel gap simply exceeded the runout of the cylinder; but the chamber would be slightly tilted with respect to the axis of the bore. A review of the blowup shows the relationship of a replacable bushing and the ejector rod. The back of the cylinder is "located" by the small ball bearing that locates to a hole on the extractor star. Repairing the extractor rod/bushing would likely improve accuracy and smooth up the mechanical operation of the pistol.
Wiley

[wouter83]

I checked the seam you talked about, and it's perfectly parallel.
I think it might be handled with care, although the previous owner wasn't that smart about guns at all.

Went saturday to a shooting range, and shot a couple of rounds .38 with it.
Thought it was a bit safer because a .357 mag is much more powerfull than a .38

The previous owner of the gun was also with me, and could'nt understand that I fixed the gun he was happy to get rid off.
We both shot about 20 round with it, and he even asked if he could get it back. 

I said that I keep the gun for a least 2 years before even considering to give it back, but I think eventualy I will.

Thank you guys for everything, and now I've made a good shooting gun from a bit of a wreck.
wouter

[Snagglepuss]

Very interesting post and fun to read.  Nice to hear a success story.  Thanks guys.

[TrenchMud]

This thread really shows the great side of a forum like this ! Lots of folks helping other folks out !
Great work guys !  So many safety comments to try and keep another shooter safe ! Well done.