Dan Wesson Refurbishing?

[Scout 800]

I have a DW Model 15 357 that I first purchased (with my dad's help) when I was 13.  I have shot thousands of rounds through it plinking, hunting, and silhouette competition.  And what is really amazing to me is that I still feel the same love for the thing after 25 years, still my favorite to shoot as well.  However, after all of these years, some too youthful to care for it the way it should have been, it looks a little beat now.  Bluing is missing in spots, rust marks in others and it doesn't really close up the way it used to.  So my question is based on seeing some life rejuvenated into it.  

I live in So. California and would be interested in seeing it fixed up again to look brand new, if possible.  Should I send it back to DW, would they do all of this?  Or should I find a reputable dealer in the area, does anyone know of one?  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Chris

[RollTide]

Chris,
Cosmetically, you could probably do a decent job yourself with some cheimcal rust remover (used as a precursor to bluing) and some cold blue.  I did that to a DW 357 that I bought at a pawn shop several years ago that was pretty rough looking.  It was so bad that I figured I could not hurt it.  I cleaned all the oil off the outside of the gun with solvent, then just cold blued the bare spots with the paste cold blue you can buy at sporting goods stores.  It worked great.

However, since you also have mechincal issues, I would take it to a qualified local smith first and see if the mechanical issues aren't something simple to fix.  If it is something serious, I would consider just retiring that one from shooting to a honored place (you could even still do the cosmetic stuff yourself if you want), and buying another one that is in better condition for shooting.  The 357's are fairly cheap on the used market.  You could probably keep the old one as a keepsake and buy a good used one for less than professional rebluing and major mechanical repairs would cost.

Of course if your heart is set on restoring that one to new condition regardless of the cost, I would just send it to the factory and they will do just that.

Hope that helps, and welcome to the forum.

Roll Tide

[Scout 800]

Roll Tide,

Thanks for the response.  I have given consideration to doing just that (buying a new one and honoring the old); but wouldn't the cost of a new used one be about equal to having the factory work on it anyway?  I guess I really don't even know the cost of what I am asking to be honest.  The serial number has special meaning to me since the first four digits happen to be the year I got it and the last two were the caliber my dad was teasing me that I should have instead of a 357.  He would take great delight in calling the 357 a "kiddy-gun" in front of the dealer as I was looking over each potential purchase.  He would get on a roll saying that what I really needed was a 44 mag.  Every time the dealer would get real pale and stammer,  "in no way was 357 magnum a kiddy gun, sir"

He was just teasing and he certainly never really did care what caliber I got, he just liked their reactions.  Looking back on it, while it was rather humorous, although I could certainly appreciate each dealer's alarm.  In the dealer's eyes, he was just seeing a father pressuring a 13-year-old kid into getting a 44 mag.  I used my own money that I saved up to buy it.  I imagine a few people today would scream "child endangerment", but we (my brother and I) were always instilled with the feeling that a gun was not a toy and we never treated them as play things.  They always stayed secured in the house until we took them to a range, the desert, or wherever.  So anyway, my last two digits say 44, so I guess I did get a 44 after all that year.  

Okay, that was a tangent... sorry.  Anyway. I think it can be refurbished structurally since I think the primary problem in locking up is that the latch is worn or possibly the frame part where the end of the latch connects with the frame.  If it is the frame, a good gunsmith should be able to clean up the edge to correct it.  But I guess I am not too trusting and would want someone who really knows DWs or has some really serious experience in the business.  Guess that is why I felt DW would be the best bet.

Chris

[gregg454]

DW use to be know for there rebuilding of silhouette guns in the off season. I would not give up the thought.

[Zeke Menuar]

A friend of mine sent his DW back to the factory.  He was less than thrilled with the results.  Here is one of the pics he sent me.  DW also sent him back the wrong shroud.  The shroud sent back was used and in pretty bad shape.

  My friend isn't real gun savvy.  I suggested after the fact he buy another shroud and send it and the gun to a proper gun plating/refinishing shop for proper rebluing.

To DW's credit they are taking the gun back for round two.  But I think I would go to a regular gunsmith or wait until DW/CZ gets it together on revolver production and open up a real custom shop



ZM