Log In
DWF Supporters
June 26, 2022
Offline
OK, so I am mainly a Smith & Wesson collector but have a side collection of 12 or so Dan Wesson Monson, Mass revolvers. It seems to be the most difficult thing with the DW is deciphering a date when the revolver was made. Can anyone help guide me through where and what I need to do?
The revolver in Question is .44 Mag Monson, Mass Serial number SB009157. I simply would like to know when this left the factory.
Daniel Gray
February 16, 2016
Offline
friendofbillw1 said
It seems to be the most difficult thing with the DW is deciphering a date when the revolver was made.
Firstly, 
to the 
Yes, the dates are a pain. Every time factory ownership changed hands through the years, the records were seized by BATF, so it is difficult to determine exact manufacturing dates.
The DWF manages a Serial Number Registry that lists S/N's with positive provenance of purchase dates, which allows you to zero in on an approximate year.
It resides in the supporters section, so hopefully one of those members will chime in on your query.
Supporter
Dans Club
March 25, 2013
Offline
The first 44 mags were the 500 grey and 9500 blue with a short hammer tang. Circa 1981. New number sequence. Then in 1983 Stainless were added starting with a S and a number. In 1986 the letter B was added denotating 44 Magnum after the S for stainless and the number sequence started fresh. I estimate that your gun was the 9157th gun made in that sequence so maybe 1987 or so. That doesn't tell how many were made before yours but it does indicate when it was made.probably over 50K blue and stainless before yours .
DWF Supporters
June 26, 2022
Offline
I appreciate your time and information! I love these guns! However, S&W is so much easier to figure out a ship date.
Daniel Gray
June 8, 2009
Offline
After seeing my first Grizzly bear tacks in a Montana Wilderness, my 6" DW .357 seemed SO small I bought the first DW .44 I came across at a gun show. I was with a buddy and lucky for me he didn't find anything, so he had some $ to loan me so I could buy the .44V8. $339
SN 012,XXX The vapor paper only has DEC for the date.
If I remember correctly the stainless guns had not been released yet.
I bought a 4VH BA soon after getting the gun. Many years later I bought an old stock NIB 6VH BA and I think I paid more for the BA than I did for the original gun.
1 Guest(s)
