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July 16, 2014
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Okay joined a couple days ago, as I waited for my first Dan Wesson. It showed up today and damn am I amazed at what I just bought from gun broker. this gun has never seen a round. I actually put the first mark on the striking surface of the hammer and frame when I dry fired it after picking it up from my FFL. It is a 6"vh 44mag it has an extra barrel 6" not ported but only one shroud. the barrel wrapper says april 1979 the serial number is 00757x. Could this be that early production? there is a price sticker on the box $449.00 do you think I did ok at $720.00? I will post pics when I figure out how, Im old! thanks for your time and all the great info on this site!
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January 24, 2009
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john said
It is a 6"vh 44mag it has an extra barrel 6" not ported but only one shroud. the barrel wrapper says april 1979 the serial number is 00757x. Could this be that early production?
Early production? Absolutely! Your gun should have a short hammer spur, which is indicative of the early 44's. Looking forward to some
and 
aboard!
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Dans Club
March 27, 2009
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Welcome and yes you just may have an early 44! We do like the cool pics when you figure them out!!
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Dans Club
February 22, 2009
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That was a good price for the revolver even better if you throw the original price on an inflation calculator. $449 in 1979 runs out to be $1440 today. Welcome to the DWF. Now, I'll say it....
Technically, the glass is always full; half liquid, half air....
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October 11, 2009
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Dans Club
February 16, 2014
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With the extra barrel and original box and the great finish your pictures show, I call it a smokin' deal! Welcome to the DWF!
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July 2, 2011
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Very nice! That baby is darn near pristine. I think you did very well.
Now go shoot it and show us some from the range! 
Almost for got to welcome you the forum.
To the paranoid people who check behind shower curtains for murderers:
if you find one...what's your plan?
Dans Club
April 18, 2014
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to 
!!!
That's a fine looking gal you got there. Glad to have you aboard...
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Member AAGSR Member AGA #83120600233
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
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Dans Club
March 25, 2013
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Not much of a cylinder ring. The sharp edge of the bolt is responsible, totally nornal for revolvers, but I've read that a drop of oil on the bolt before shooting can minimize the line. I've also read that stoning lightly the edge of the bolt can prevent a line. I have never been in a position to check it out as my dans all had lines. That is a beauty, congradulations. As far as a deal, just imagine what a custom Smiff would cost.
July 16, 2014
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Thanks all. I've gotta say I was very happy with what I payed for this expecting a clean used revolver. But when I opened it up the first time at my FFl and seen the actual condition of it I absolutely could not believe what I held in my hand. This by far is the cleanest gun I have ever purchased and I've bought a few in my day! There's a pin point size nick on the barrel shroud and other than the three marks I put on the face of the hammer and frame where it hits it when I dry fired it, I can't find any clue its ever been fired. I question if its ever even had any rounds in the cylinder? Don't mean to ramble just not my normal luck and I'm as excited as a puppy with a new leg to hump!!
February 4, 2009
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Congrats on the great score and welcome to the forums.
I know what you mean about the excitement of finding a museum piece. I have a 71 W12 in the safe that still remains unfired. I still haven't decided whether to shoot it or not even though many here rightfully say "Dans are made for shooting". I have others to shoot so the jury is still out on whether I will ever pull it from the box and fire it.
Anyway, congrats, and enjoy it.
April 28, 2014
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Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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The Large Frame (.44 Magnum) revolvers became available in late 1980. There is some pretty substantial history that the barrel wrappers were from a couple of years earlier and had been stockpiled for later use. Your S/N seems to be a 1981 gun, it fits into this year based on several entries in our Serial Number Registry.
A bit of advice- do not shoot the ported barrel unless you are prepared to scrub out the shroud, barrel, and barrel ports after every session. This is not a very good ported barrel system and it requires a lot of maintenance.
AND, Welcome to DWF
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
July 16, 2014
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Thanks Steve, that brings up a question I had. How much difference does the ported barrel make? I will be shooting this beauty a lot, plan on using it for hunting which means regular trips out for practice. Well maybe not a lot by some standards but I will shoot it as much as I can afford. I guess my point is if it makes a substantial difference I don't mind cleaning if it just makes it louder I'm not going to mess with it. Out of all the firearms I own excluding my AR platforms its my first ported anything not to mention handgun.
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October 11, 2009
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Great dan , very nice, artex
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Dans Club
March 25, 2013
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John, Dan Wesson Power Ports were a really bad idea. The amount of venting into the space between the barrel and shroud is unsignificant. The problem is not just propellent. Lead vaporizes and them precipitates out in the space. A fifty round box of unjacketed cartridges will fuse the barrel to the shroud. If you use the ported barrel it should be with jacketed bullets. You will find the gun heavy enough to handle recoil well. The smooth target grip was supposed to help with the recoil but I prefer finger groove grips whether they be rubber or wood.
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Dans Club
March 27, 2009
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I think most have covered concerns here with the ported barrel! Now take that baby to range and let her rip! Great buy, now to find the little brother to this one in 357!
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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Ole Dog said
John, Dan Wesson Power Ports were a really bad idea. The amount of venting into the space between the barrel and shroud is unsignificant. The problem is not just propellent. Lead vaporizes and them precipitates out in the space. A fifty round box of unjacketed cartridges will fuse the barrel to the shroud. If you use the ported barrel it should be with jacketed bullets. You will find the gun heavy enough to handle recoil well. The smooth target grip was supposed to help with the recoil but I prefer finger groove grips whether they be rubber or wood.
All of this, and even with jacketed bullets those little tiny holes can peel a little bit of the jacket and help clog the holes. My one and only DW 44 mag experience included massively impacted barrel ports (lead, powder, copper) and a shroud that took heroic efforts to remove. I shot maybe 200 rounds through this gun, and I unknowingly inherited someone else's inattention to this problem.
The Top 2 stupidest DW innovations were:
Power Control B/A's
Plastic Barrel Wrenches
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
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