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January 9, 2019
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Hi Everyone,
Hope everyone has had a great Christmas and 2020 has started off well for you all. I have found a DW model 14 for sale down here in Australia it looks to be in good condition and the price seems very fair at around USD$400. I have a S&W 6"686 but I have always desired a DW and they are not too common down here. I have a few questions for the well informed people on this forum please. What year would this have been produced ,are parts available for these guns in the US, what should I look for before spending the asking price, are the front sights interchangable (I'm not getting any younger and my eyes work much better with fiber sights) can you buy accessories like holsters and speed loaders easily. I guess most importantly how do the 4" DW guns shoot, I'll be using it for service pistol match comps in both 10mtr and 25 mtr events. I'd appreciate any feedback on this firearm.
Thank You
Mike
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Dans Club
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November 17, 2008
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Around here the price would be fair to good. The front sight is not the changeable type DW is know for but any sight can be changed if you want to bad enough. If I found that revolver at that price it would probably go home with me. Just my Opinion. My eyes are old enough I can't read the serial number to narrow down the age but a rough guess would be the 80s. Good luck.
LB
Wisdom is merely the realization of how little one knows, therefore I am wise.
February 16, 2016
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October 18, 2017
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Nice DW! It will be every bit as accurate as your Smith 686. Understanding of course that the sights are fixed, you may have to experiment with different loads to find the one that hits the point of aim most reliably at the distance you're shooting. A little fluorescent hobby paint applied to the top surface of the ramp front sight does wonders for visibility until you would decide to retrofit fiber optics. Any holster or speed loader that fits the 686 should also work with this gun reasonably well. Most parts for DW's can be found on eBay. Also, you can usually get gently used DW target grips on eBay which will make it feel more like your S&W. Houge currently makes both wood and rubber grips for the DW. Obvious things to look for (assuming you are buying this gun hands on) is a reasonably tight lock up, and a timing check. Pull the hammer all the way back very slowly making sure the cylinder locks into place before the hammer reaches full cock position. DW's are known for their accuracy and durability. I doubt you will be disappointed.
January 9, 2019
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Hi 3ric,
I appreciate your response, I did go ahead with the purchase and am looking forward to taking possesion as soon as the PTA Permit to Acqiure is processed by the Police Dept, down here it can take 6-10 weeks or more for this process !!! Should be fun using a 4" and I am delighted to have a DW as I have always wanted one of these, they are pretty scarce in Australia. I'll let you know how it shoots once I can get my hands on it. I do have a few different loads so I will try them all out before I settle on a "DW" load, I will hit the front sight with some paint as you suggested ,I have done this with my Beretta and it works ok for my old eyes !!.
Thanks again
Mike
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