Author Topic: serial numbers and production dates (Read 45033 times)

brownie_bellows · « **on:** November 19, 2003, 05:34:30 PM »

Just added an old model 12 to my dan wesson collection and am looking for info on older models (the ones with L-shaped barrel shrouds) but haven't found much. I'm looking for old reviews, diagrams, production dates and serial numbers, etc. on the web. Is there a web site I haven't come across?

The company site isn't much help.

kobi · « **Reply #1 on:** November 28, 2003, 12:50:37 AM »

Brownie, I have an old sheet from Dan Wesson (Monson) that showed the first serial # of a series, and the date built for their pistols. I show the first # for the Model 12 as #4, built 1/12/73. Hope this helps?? Kurt

John C · « **Reply #2 on:** November 29, 2003, 08:47:50 PM »

Kobi;

If it's not too much trouble, could you look up another S/N?

I have a Monson production model 15 (I think a -2) with S/N 259xxx. Do you have any info on it?

Thanks a million!

-John C

kobi · « **Reply #3 on:** November 30, 2003, 04:55:59 AM »

John, I show Model 15 started with serial #21 on 7.17.72. Hope this helps, Kurt

kobi · « **Reply #4 on:** November 30, 2003, 05:00:25 AM »

John, I also have info on a 15-2. Serial #1343xx was built 4/87. Kurt

John C · « **Reply #5 on:** November 30, 2003, 03:53:11 PM »

Kobi;

Thanks a million! I guess I have a very late production gun. That's probably why the trigger is so rough. Does anyone know a 'smith that works on DW triggers?

-John

brownie_bellows · « **Reply #6 on:** December 01, 2003, 05:34:22 PM »

My model 12 has serial of 399XX. Any idea what year that would be?

I have a 15-2 with serial of 905xx and I bought it used in 1975. My 15-2 serial number 1573xx I guessed at 1988. Any better gues from the serial number list?

It appears from your posts that the model 12 and 15-2 were produced concurrently for a period. I thought that the model 12 preceded the 15-2.

Van/TX · « **Reply #7 on:** December 02, 2003, 01:22:21 PM »

Mine is 34XXXX. Anyone know the year of manufacture. I believe my Dad had it in the late 80's. Probably bought it used. Thanks.....Van

Van/TX · « **Reply #8 on:** December 03, 2003, 01:24:42 PM »

Aw come on guys, ain't there some DW experts/historians out there some where?

.....Van

monson_magnum · « **Reply #9 on:** March 08, 2004, 10:36:47 PM »

Any guess at when my 15-2 , s/n 2064xx was produced. Thank's, Cal

mooselakedon · « **Reply #10 on:** July 21, 2004, 10:40:21 AM »

Hi! I purchased my DW 15-26 in late 1978, serial # 169xxx. suggested retail was $227.45, from DW April 1,1978 price list. Hope that helps. Don

Dan Wesson · « **Reply #11 on:** July 22, 2004, 02:43:48 PM »

Without a Database for the serial #s we are only guessing.
I noticed that early ones have the over travel set screw in the trigger and later they put this in the frame.Manson & I figured that out a while back.
Mine is a 15-2 4VH and I have added the 6" & 8" barrels,Hogue grips and Millett sights.
My Serial # is 3268XX Monson Mass. 357 CTG.
Dan Wesson DanWessonArms@Yahoo.Com

dougk · « **Reply #12 on:** March 22, 2005, 12:00:35 PM »

How do we get a database with serial number ranges and year of production?
Doug

unspellable · « **Reply #13 on:** March 22, 2005, 12:42:05 PM »

But why do they put the over travel screw in the wrong way around so you have to tear the revolver apart to adjust it?

Dan Wesson · « **Reply #14 on:** March 22, 2005, 07:04:28 PM »

My Monson Mass DW 15-2 4VH has the overtravel adjustment screw in the trigger not in the frame.. Serial # 3268XX
Monson Magnum & I discussed this a while back & I'll post the pics..
Here's one of my Dan Wesson in all it's Glory

mg66 · « **Reply #15 on:** June 03, 2005, 03:49:06 PM »

I emailed Dan Wesson Arms only last week to find a date of manufacture and model number for my newly acquired .357 4" Monson, MA (I believe it is a Model 15), serial # 2058xx and got a very prompt reply the next day stating they dont have any records of serial #s ...

quote from email

"I'm sorry I do not have any records of older serial numbers. It sounds
like you have a model 15."

Very strange, a company, particularly a firearms company has no records !!!

RollTide · « **Reply #16 on:** June 03, 2005, 05:28:58 PM »

mg66,
The reason that they have no record of serial numbers older that 1997 is because each time the company changed hands, the BATF took all the records. An approximate date can be obtained as follows by PLACE of manufacture.

1971 - 1992 Monson, MA
1992 - 1995 Palmer, MA
1997 - Present Norwich, NY

Roll Tide

GregP42 · « **Reply #17 on:** June 07, 2005, 04:42:31 AM »

Hey guys, I have a question for you. I have a DW made in Monson, MA, the ser# is 32-20b05xx It is a 32-20 that I bought new in I think 88 or 89, anyone know how many of these they made and what model it is IE 15 etc?

Thanks for any info you have,
Greg

GregP42 · « **Reply #18 on:** August 22, 2005, 10:10:00 AM »

Quote from: GregP42

Hey guys, I have a question for you. I have a DW made in Monson, MA, the ser# is 32-20b05xx It is a 32-20 that I bought new in I think 88 or 89, anyone know how many of these they made and what model it is IE 15 etc?

Thanks for any info you have,
Greg

Wow,

I guess I really did kill this thread dead....

Does anyone have an answer for my old question?

Greg

breaker · « **Reply #19 on:** May 20, 2006, 09:56:37 PM »

Just picked up a Monson 44 at the gun show with a serial of:
012xxx

It came with the orignal packaging, manuals etc. The only date reference I can see is "DWA-79" on the back page of the manual. Which is either the printing date or the date that this version of the manual was first issued. The overtravel screw is in the frame.

Mark Meyer · « **Reply #20 on:** July 26, 2006, 03:39:32 PM »

Quote from: Dan Wesson on March 22, 2005, 07:04:28 PM

My Monson Mass DW 15-2 4VH has the overtravel adjustment screw in the trigger not in the frame.. Serial # 3268XX
Monson Magnum & I discussed this a while back & I'll post the pics..
Here's one of my Dan Wesson in all it's Glory

Hi Dan,

I've got one of each (.22/6" blue, .357/4" blue, .44/8" blue), all of which I bought brand new over the counter from gun stores, but for the life of me, I can't place the years I bought them. It was a while back. My best recollection is that I bought all three within about a year of each other but I can't swear to that.

But just to add to the reference base, I thought I'd mention that my .357/4" is Ser#254xxx and it has the set screw in the frame and full underlug shroud. It is stamped "Monson" on the side. Since my Ser# appears to be earlier than yours, but my set screw is in the frame, that may indicate some confusion about the time frame of when they moved the location of the set screw.

My .22 is Ser# 260xx (just 5 digits), it is also stamped Monson, and it has the set screw in the frame, and it also has the full underlug on it's 6" shroud.

My .44 has only had probably 2 boxes of ammo put through it, but it's in it's original box at the bottom of my safe and I don't feel like digging it out to check the numbers. However, it is an 8" barrel, and it came brand new with the extra ported barrel (never fired) so it's still in it's original box with papers and all. When I do dig it out at some point, maybe some of the paperwork will give some more info.

If I get lucky, I may run across my original receipts for some or all of these which would better place their time of manufacture.

Mark

Mark Meyer · « **Reply #21 on:** July 26, 2006, 05:10:22 PM »

Ok, here's my .44VH update:
I pulled it out of the safe to take a closer look and found:
My original receipt from when I bought it new dated 4/14/82.
A "Congratulations! You've Chosen the Best!" letter from Dan Wesson with a date of April 1, 1981 on the front.
The never-been-unwrapped extra (vented) barrel, still in anti-rust paper, with a date of "1979 April" stamped on the anti-rust paper.
Serial #0080xx

I've got a good photo of it with paperwork and accessories but I don't have a photo parking site to put it on.

This "dates" this particular .44VH Ser#0080xx to what I think can be thought to have been manufactured in April, 1979, because of the wrapping on the vented barrel. I think it's reasonable to assume that the barrel was manufactured within a month of the revolver itself. Note that it has the trigger travel adjust screw on the frame, not the trigger.

The reason I post this is because if enough people can be reasonably accurate in the documented history of their DW revolver as I have here, we might be able to put together a timeline of production based on Serial numbers. If enough can contribute (again, with certain, documented history), we could conceiveably end up recreating a Serial number production date list that might do some good.

If I can later find the receipts for my .22 and .357, I'll post them as well to help fill in some more blanks.

Mark

wienranch · « **Reply #22 on:** September 10, 2006, 06:57:28 AM »

New to this group ( and to computers). I have a DW Model 11, s/n 41xx, with 6' and 2-1/2" barrels. It's the service version of the model 12 (fixed sights). Don't see this model mentioned very often. Guess a fixed sight Dan Wesson wasn't very desirable. Can't remember for sure, but I bought it in 71 or 72. Love this gun - it shoots to point-of-aim, is very accurate, decent trigger, and just feels good.

old geezer · « **Reply #23 on:** September 10, 2006, 07:59:02 AM »

I have a .357 with a five digit serial number starting with 76, adjustment screw in the trigger. At one time, after much research, I "guessed" it to date somewhere around 74 or 75.

gypsyman · « **Reply #24 on:** October 04, 2006, 01:57:01 AM »

I think I can help out in the frustration dept!! The reason DW doesn't have any records of serial numbers is probably this. I started shooint IHMSA,(handgun silhouette) in the early '80's. Around '92 or '93 we held our Internationals in Ft. Stockton,Texas. I met and talked with Seth Wesson, Dan Wesson's grandson. He had taken over the company after Dan had died, and some investors had mucked up the company for awhile. When he was in the process of mucking it up.(that's another story) He mentioned that BATF had been at the factory for 3-4 days, INSPECTING, the books.
I'll bet, with all the company problems over the years, at one point in time, all the serial numbers that had been recorded, ended up in a BATF wharehouse somewhere. Just a possibility. Gypsyman

mcshot · « **Reply #25 on:** July 23, 2007, 03:00:15 PM »

First post.
I have a DW Monson 357 that does not have a model # anywhere I've looked. The serial # is 132XXX and it has the 8 " barrel. It's the most accurate of my revolvers. Anyway, If there's a place to look for the model # as with other makers I'd appreciate knowing. Back to the lurk.
Thx,
mc

David Carey · « **Reply #26 on:** July 23, 2007, 08:05:41 PM »

Quote from: mcshot on July 23, 2007, 03:00:15 PM

First post.
I have a DW Monson 357 that does not have a model # anywhere I've looked. The serial # is 132XXX and it has the 8 " barrel. It's the most accurate of my revolvers. Anyway, If there's a place to look for the model # as with other makers I'd appreciate knowing. Back to the lurk.
Thx,
mc

Model numbers are not stamped on the gun anywhere. 357 models #11 and #12 are the oldest with the porkchop barrels and external barrel nut, model #14 and #15 is more likely what you have, and the difference between them is only that the model #15 has an adjustable rear sight.

I hope this helps. and remember that the factory has better prices then Ebay. contact info is in a thread below this one.

Dave

blhof · « **Reply #27 on:** July 25, 2007, 02:17:19 AM »

Way back in the posts, someone asked about a trigger job for his DW. If you haven't found one yet; try a Bullseye kit first. It solved the hard trigger problem with my model 15. The springs are an easy do it yourself job and a lot cheaper than a Good trigger job. I have owned 3 DW's and handled/fired many more and have always been amazed at the accuracy out of the box.

tthomas8107 · « **Reply #28 on:** January 22, 2008, 10:37:29 AM »

I am a new DW owner and have a model 15 with a serial number of 18xxx. I have been trying to find where I could buy the pork chop style shrouds as I only have a 2.25" barrel and would like to get a 6" Would also really like to know the approximate production date.

brownie_bellows · « **Reply #29 on:** February 03, 2008, 09:56:13 AM »

Quote from: tthomas8107 on January 22, 2008, 10:37:29 AM

I am a new DW owner and have a model 15 with a serial number of 18xxx. I have been trying to find where I could buy the pork chop style shrouds as I only have a 2.25" barrel and would like to get a 6" Would also really like to know the approximate production date.

A couple of warnings here...You can find pork chop barrels on Auction Arms or Gunbroker sometimes, but you have to make sure that they will fit, so you probably need to buy shroud AND barrel. The barrels for recessed nut (which you have, judging from the photo) and for external nut are different in length. In other words, you may find pork chop shrouds, some of which are machined for external (star-shaped) nut and some for recessed round nut.