Dan Wesson Firearms

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Dan Wesson Firearms
legal form Subsidiary of the CZ group
founding 1963
resolution 1996
Reason for dissolution Company takeover
Seat Norwich , United StatesUnited StatesUnited States 
Branch Weapons manufacturer
Website www.danwessonfirearms.com

Dan Wesson Firearms was an American weapons manufacturer in Kansas City , the handgun has developed and manufactured. The Czech arms manufacturer Česká zbrojovka (Uherský Brod) took over Dan Wesson Firearms in 2005 and continues to run it as part of the CZ (USA) group of companies.

Dan Wesson was the nickname of Daniel B. Wesson II , the founder of the company. He was the great-grandson of Daniel Baird Wesson, one of the founders of Smith & Wesson (S & W), and lived from 1916 to 1978. He worked for S & W from 1938 to 1963, but from 1948 onwards he also ran a tool making company. When S & W was sold by the family in 1963 , he left the company and dedicated himself to his own business. Even after his death, the name Dan Wesson was retained as a brand name for the weapons.

History and developments

While Daniel B. Wesson II was the founder of the company, Karl R. Lewis was responsible for the development of the Dan Wesson revolver, which was the focus of development. The majority of the patents came from Karl Lewis, from whom Dan Wesson later took over the rights of use. In total, only seven patents have been registered by the Dan Wesson company itself.
Due to the fact that the enthusiastic technicians repeatedly suppressed commercial aspects, the company's history was characterized by numerous problems and changes of ownership. This meant that production was temporarily suspended, the company lay idle and had an uncertain future.

Company history Dan Wesson Firearms
Period Company name Production site State (US) Corporate management Business owner Remarks
1948-1963 DB Wesson Inc. Monson Massachusetts DB Wesson DB Wesson Toolmaking
1963-1971 Dan Wesson Arms Inc. Monson Massachusetts DB Wesson DB Wesson many patents
1971-1983 Dan Wesson Arms Inc. Monson Massachusetts Seth and Carol Wesson Wesson family many patents
1983-1995 Wesson Firearms Co. Palmer Massachusetts Wesson Wesson move
1996-2005 Wesson Firearms Norwich new York Bob Serva New York International Corp. new production
2005-current Wesson Firearms Norwich new York Alice Poluchová CZ-USA Company takeover

CZ took over the company in 2005. New products and spare parts for old models were still available; however, only pistols based on the M1911 were imported to Europe .

Dan Wesson Revolver Model 44
Dan Wesson revolver .357 Magnum, 3 exchange barrels, tools, original case
Dan Wesson barrel jacket, barrel with fine threads at both ends, clamping nut

Dan Wesson Company Product History

Dan Wesson Firearms has manufactured various weapons and ammunition throughout its history. Weapons from Monson production (see company history) are already collector's items in the USA. The European inventory of these weapons is very small. Besides revolvers, Dan Wesson also manufactured other weapons, developed new calibers and revolver ammunition (see list of small arms ammunition types ).

Dan Wesson revolver

Dan Wesson is particularly well known for his drum revolvers , e.g. B. the Dan Wesson Model 44 . Two innovations make Dan Wesson revolvers stand out in particular:

  • Instead of a two-part handle around a frame, Dan Wesson's handle consists of a spur on the frame of the weapon, which engages in a one-piece wooden handle and is screwed from below. The wooden handles are made from one piece and fit without reworking.
  • The lock of the drum jib crane is in front of the drum (in contrast to Smith & Wesson with the push handle or Colts knob for pulling behind the drum)
  • Except for the period 1996-2004, a Dan Wesson revolver consists of a frame with a handle on which barrels of various lengths can be placed. The run is not like z. B. in revolvers from Colt, S&W or Ruger, part of the frame; the barrel and barrel jacket are separate. The barrel is screwed into the frame and adjusted to the correct distance from the drum with a gauge , then locked with a nut on the barrel end with the barrel casing. For this reason there are few Dan Wesson revolvers with only one barrel; In contrast, Dan Wesson offered a "Pistol Pak" (sic) consisting of a frame and 2–5 barrels with barrel jackets of various lengths. Usually there are cutouts in the case for barrels of 2 1/2 ", 4", 6 "and 8" lengths. The ability to set the barrel distance from the drum exactly according to the gauge led to a very good precision of the weapons. Instead of the nut on the muzzle, a flash hider available as an accessory from third-party companies can be installed, e.g. B. when used as a catch firearm in the hunting on wild boar in the dusk .
  • Around 2007 different models of the weapons were offered.

M1911 variants

Rifles

  • Dan Wesson rifles

ammunition

Patent information

DW patents for revolvers:

  • Patent US5225615 : Compensated barrel shroud. Published July 6, 1993 , Applicant: Wesson Firearms Co., Inc. (Palmer, MA), Inventor: Robert Talbot, Edward C. Arventos. ‌
  • Patent US5305678 : Compensated barrel shroud. Published April 26, 1993 , Applicant: Wesson Firearms Co., Inc. (Palmer, MA), Inventor: Robert Talbot, Edward C. Arventos. ‌
  • Patent US4833809 : Firearm hammer construction. Published May 30, 1989 , Applicant: Dan Wesson Arms Inc, Inventor: Robert E. Domian, Robert W. Macwilliams. ‌
  • Patent US4807380 : Firearm (Revolver locked breech mechanmism). Published February 28, 1989 , Applicant: Dan Wesson Arms INC., Inventor: Robert E. Domian. ‌
  • Patent US4833810 : Firearm (revolver interchangeble barrel). Published May 30, 1989 , Applicant: Dan Wesson Arms INC., Inventor: Robert E. Domian. ‌
  • Patent US4058050 : Gun leveling device. Published November 15, 1977 , Applicant: Dan Wesson Arms INC., Inventor: Paul E. Brouthers. ‌
  • Patent US4015354 : Gun sight. Published April 5, 1977 , Applicant: Dan Wesson Arms INC., Inventor: Paul E. Brouthers. ‌

Lewis patents for revolvers:

  • Patent US3633302 : Cylinder Mechanism For Revolver-Type Firearms. Published June 11, 1972 , Inventor: Karl R. Lewis. ‌
  • Patent US3683535 : Handgun Grip Construction. Published August 15, 1972 , Inventor: Karl R. Lewis. ‌
  • Patent US3648374 : Adjustable Firearm Sight. Published August 15, 1969 , Inventor: Karl R. Lewis. ‌
  • Patent US3367053 : Firearm Construction. Published February 6, 1968 , Inventor: Karl R. Lewis. ‌
  • Patent US3303594 : Firearm Barrel, Shroud, Frame, And Cylinder Construction. Published February 14, 1967 , Inventor: Karl R. Lewis. ‌
  • Patent US3237336 : Cylinder Ratchet Mechanism For Revolver Type Firearms. Published March 1, 1966 , Applicant: Browning Ind Inc, Inventor: Karl R. Lewis. ‌
  • Patent US3157958 : Hammer Safety For Fire Arms. Published November 24, 1964 , Applicant: Browning Ind Inc, Inventor: Karl R. Lewis. ‌
  • Patent US3701213 : Revolver Firing Mechanism ... (Sa / Da). Published October 31, 1972 Applicant: Colt Ind Operating Corp. (US), inventor: Karl R. Lewis. ‌
  • Patent US3163951 : Firearm Firing Mechanism. Published January 5, 1965 , inventor: Karl R. Lewis. ‌
  • Patent US2927390 : Single And Double Action Revolver Firing Mechanism. Published March 8, 1960 , Inventor: Karl R. Lewis. ‌

literature

Web links

Commons : Dan Wesson Firearms  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ CZ-USA: Pistols Dan Wesson ( Memento from December 29, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
  2. ↑ CZ-USA Hunting and Sporting Firearms ( Memento of October 2, 2007 in the Internet Archive )