Dan Wesson whose name the company bore, was considered one of the all time greats in the firearms production and design industry. Under his direction the Dan Wesson company developed its line of quality revolvers from 1969 to 1982 producing guns from .357 magnum to the later SuperMag series of guns that were introduced in 1982.

Between the introduction of the SuperMag series of Dan Wesson revolvers and 1996 in which the company was purchased by Robert Serva, production of the revolvers had ceased as financial and production problems plagued the company. Serva's intent was to reestablish the line of revolvers but from 1998 to 2000 only a small number of Dan Wesson revolvers were manufactured. Small manufacturing runs of SuperMags ensued in 2000 but required new manufacturing equipment, tooling and other production factors that slowed the further development of the revolver lines. The production of Dan Wesson revolvers came to a near standstill.

In 2005, CZ, the world's largest firearms producer purchased Dan Wesson and for the first time provided the company with every component necessary for progressing with the quality firearms that had made it famous. For a short time, it looked like the revolvers would be fully revived but to many revolver enthusiasts' disappointment, the new revolver lines never got fully off the ground and CZ owned Dan Wesson stopped regular production of revolvers in 2008 to concentrate primarily on it's high quality 1911 line of pistols bearing the Wesson name. Special production runs have been promised by the company but new Dan Wesson guns are virtually non existent now, and finding a good pre-CZ model in gun shops is becoming unusual.

But still today, the Dan Wesson line of revolves remains popular among enthusiasts and those like me, who remember the endless shooting of the beautiful and accurate revolvers. The most unusual and innovative feature of the Dan Wesson revolvers was of course it's interchangable barrel system. DW revolvers, at the height of their popularity, were commonly sold in sets with as many as 3-4 barrels coming with one gun frame. The guns' very light trigger/hammer action made them a favorite among target shooters and hunters who, if they owned a set, could hunt in the morning with an 8" barrel and carry the revolver concealed with a 2.5" barrel in the evening.

Today, the semi auto pistol has taken a significant lead in both popularity and overall use. But there will always be a place and use for the ever dependable and simple wheel gun. And I expect that Dan Wesson revolvers will continue to be much desired and used wherever available for target shooting and hunting.

I was going to try to get more specific information on these revolvers and specific info on the .357 and .44 magnums, but found more questions than answers at this point. With guns that have been out of production for some time and in limited production before that, finding extensive information means finding individuals who currently own them and have significant experience with them. One thing is certain. For those who own them, they seem to love them across the board. Wish I had kept my Dan Wesson revolvers from three decades ago.

NOTE: This is a summary web review about a gun I had limited experience with but have not owned or shot in decades. The review is from researching information from trusted sources and summarizing it.