CZ-USA President Alice Poluchova (T) and the author put new Dan Wesson revolvers in .445 SuperMag and .357 Mag. to an exclusive field test in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa.

Way back in the 1980s Dan Wesson Arms produced some of the finest, most accurate, and popular large- and medium-frame revolvers ever made in America. In the demanding sport of handgun metallic shooting--where competitors are required to use open sights to knock down life-size, heavy steel (up to 60 pounds) representations of chickens, pigs, turkeys, and desert bighorns out to 200 meters--Dan Wesson revolvers literally owned the ranges.

Dan Wesson revolvers regularly captured 70 to 80 percent of the top places in the highest categories of these competitions year after year at local, state, regional, and national matches and at the annual International Championships. Dan Wesson revolvers still hold more records and titles in that sport than all other makes of revolvers combined.

Despite this record of success, however, Dan Wesson was a small company as compared to other famous-name handgun makers, and during the 1990s it fell on hard times. It went through a series of largely unsuccessful financial reorganizations and ownership changes with relocations of factories and erratic production, and it fell pretty much off the firearms industry radar except for die-hard long-range revolver fans. That's about to change.

Last winter the Dan Wesson Firearms Co. was purchased lock, stock, and barrel by CZ-USA (Dept. ST, 3327 N. 7th St., Kansas City, KS 66115; 800-955-4486; www.cz-usa.com), the international powerhouse purveyor of some of the world's finest hunting rifles and shotguns and the classic CZ75 pistol design. Beginning this year, CZ is launching a major reintroduction of the Dan Wesson revolver line, beginning with its most classic configurations and chamberings.

The new offerings include the Model 7445 Alaskan Guide Special, with four-inch compensated barrel and matte black "Yukon Coat" stainless-steel finish; the Model 7445 Tactical Revolver, with four-inch barrel and tactical accessories rail; the Model 7445 VH8, with eight-inch barrel, adjustable sights, and scope mount base; the Model 7445 VH8 Safari with special presentation case and both rubber and rosewood grips; and the Pistol Pack with four-, six-, and eight-inch barrels and English-style presentation case.

I've been a fan of the Dan Wesson revolver design for many years. I was privileged to know company founder Dan Wesson, as well as his family, and had the opportunity to consult in the development of several classic Dan Wesson models and chamberings. In November 1980 the company sent me the very first preproduction version of the .44 Magnum Dan Wesson Model 44 in a "Pistol Pac" with six- and eight-inch barrels.

On a cold, wet, miserably dreary day I took it out and proceeded to shoot a 1.12-inch five-shot group at 50 meters from the eight-inch VH barrel with open sights from a sandbag rest using S&W 240-grain JHP ammo (no longer manufactured). That would be a good result even with a scoped single-shot pistol.