ASG Dan Wesson 715
The original revolver and history
Dan Wesson is a particularly renowned figure in the world of gunmakers. Up to the late 1960’s he was part of the well known company Smith & Wesson, he left to start his own gun company.
The Model 715 is a descendant of the Model 12 and later the Model 15. The Model 715 is a refinement of the Model 15, the “7” indicating that stainless steel rather than regular blued steel was being used for the frame and barrel shroud, this gives it a distinctive satin silver appearance.
After financial difficulties, the company was purchased by CZ-USA, “Wesson Firearms” (as it is now known) ceased revolver production, focusing instead on making 1911-style semi-autos. However, a gun company with “Wesson” in its name that doesn’t make revolvers is just not right. Thanks to some substantial upgrades at its manufacturing facility in Norwich, N.Y., Wesson Firearms is back in the revolver game.
TV & Film
I originally thought this firearm was used in the Dirty Harry film “Magnum Force” but I was wrong and can find no appearances for it yet.
Specifications
- Calibre: .357 Magnum
- Capacity: 6 rounds
- Weight: 1.3kg
- Barrel length: 6 in.
The CO2 replica
The Dan Wesson 715 was my second replica, and I will admit that I bought it thinking it was the firearm used by the vigilante police team in the Dirty Harry movie “Magnum Force”, but I was wrong, however it is a beautiful replica of a real firearm so I will keep it.
Made by ASG under license from Dan Wesson, the 715 is a thing of beauty and great accuracy to the original. I have it in the smoked-chrome finish which is very distinctive. The action feels very smooth and well engineered, not like some revolvers where the cylinder wobbles on its shaft etc. The trigger is dual or single action, single action pull weight is fairly light and precise but double action pull is a little heavy, not badly so though.
The rubber grip is soft to the feel and fits the hand perfectly, it holds a single 12gm CO2 cartridge inside the grip, each CO2 cartridge yields around 60-70 shots before power drops off.
I liked the 6″ version so much I also bought the 2.5″ snub-nosed version by the same manufacturer. It does come in a 4″ version as well. The 2.5″ is in the chrome finish which is slightly shinier than the original but still very realistic. The barrel section is interchangeable as it is on the original, however it is held by two pins instead of a threaded barrel tube. I believe the 6″, 4″ and 2.5″ models all share the same barrel tube, which is rifled, I think this sharing of the barrel is one of the only let-downs and a full length barrel on the longer sizes would improve accuracy.
None the less, accuracy is pretty good and fully acceptable for the intended use – smashing tin-cans at distances of 6-12yds which is fairly typical for Co2 guns, it does pack a punch and is certainly no toy. The safety is positive and easy to use being situated just below the hammer, it is clear when the gun is safe or not.
Possibly the most realistic feature is the pellet loading system – the pellets are loaded into brass replica “cartridges”, these cartridges are then loaded just as real ones would be into the cylinder. For ultimate realism, the 715 also comes with a fully working speed-loader: if you have more than the 6 cartridges provided, you can reload in an instant and carry on bashing the tin-cans.
The cylinder release catch is identical to the real item, the cylinder swings out on the crane in a smooth action, the catch is firm and positive. The rear sight is adjustable for windage and elevation – a very nice feature. The ejector rod which runs down the centre of the cylinder is fully functional although the spent shells never need force-ejecting, they just fall out 🙂
The Dan Wesson 715 Co2 revolver is a very accurate replica and as such, wins a permanent place in my collection, even without a TV or film reference.
Specifications
- Calibre: .177 Pellet
- Capacity: 6 rounds
- Weight: 1.2kg (6″) or 1kg (2.5″)
- CO2 Usage: approx 60-70 shots
- Visible barrel length: 6″, 4″ or 2.5″