Daniel Baird Wesson II (April 22, 1916 – November 24, 1978)^[1] was an American inventor and firearms maker, who in 1968 founded the company now known as Dan Wesson Firearms. He was the great-grandson of inventor and firearms maker Daniel Baird Wesson, a co-founder of Smith & Wesson.

Wesson was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, in April 1916.^[1] He was educated at Deerfield Academy and Amherst College.^[2] He worked at Smith & Wesson,^[3] the family company, for 30 years.^[1] After the family company was acquired by conglomerate Bangor Punta, he left and launched Dan Wesson Arms Inc. in 1968.^[4]

The first Dan Wesson Arms production revolvers, the Model 11 & 12 (later revolvers were marked as D11 & W12) were shipped in August 1970. Wesson's firearms were known for a high quality of craftsmanship, and the company introduced a rare design among revolvers; the ability to change barrels and grips with simple hand tools, which made these guns popular with shooters.

Wesson died in November 1978, having suffered a heart attack while chopping wood at his home in Monson, Massachusetts.^[1] His company subsequently went through several ownership changes, was run by his son Seth from 1991 to 1995, and in 2005 was acquired by CZ-USA.