Retro Photo:
You Want A Dan Wesson
The first magazine devoted exclusively to handguns, American Handgunner has been educating and entertaining firearm enthusiasts and professionals for more than 45 years and remains a reliable source of handgun news and reviews.
With an extensive archive of classic issues, ‘Retro Photo’ is a weekly series shining light on photos, ads and graphics from the print pages of American Handgunner dating back to 1976.
Dan Wesson ad, American Handgunner Mar/Apr 1982
You Want A Dan Wesson
Since 1968, Dan Wesson has been known for quality, durability, ingenuity and revolvers. Founded by Daniel B. Wesson, who left Smith & Wesson and founded the company, Dan Wesson has always strived to develop the world’s finest revolvers.
“You don’t want just a handgun. You want a Dan Wesson!”
From the interchangeable barrel design of the Model 12 to their Large and SuperMag frames, Dan Wesson revolvers lived up to their name in performance, proving to be “much more than looks and feel.” However, as the company moved and changed ownership multiple times, as well as began manufacturing 1911 pistols in 2000, revolver production was limited or halted several times in recent decades.
In 2018, now under the ownership of CZ Group, Dan Wesson brought back a modern take on the popular switch-barrel Model 15 — the 715 — to the excitement of wheelgunners, but its return would prove to be short-lived as Dan Wesson has since discontinued the model as of 2021, moving on from revolvers for the foreseeable future.
As they say, you don’t always get what you want.
Read American Handgunner Mar/Apr 1990
