[Peter M. Eick]

I noticed last night I was at post 999 so today for my 1000'th posting at this site I would post a picture of my little Diamondback. I bought this gun over 25 years ago and have shot it ever since. This was the first centerfire, first handgun and first revolver for me. It is still one of my little favorites. It has the same grips on it that I put on back in 1981. I still have the one speed loader I bought for it and it has been fired over 45,000 times now. Yes it has been back to Colt twice now for retiming and for a broken bolt spring and when I looked at the pictures I see that the finish is a lot more worn then I remember. I guess when I shoot it I ignore those issues.

It has led a hard life. When I was a poor college kid, I cleaned it with rubbing alcohol (29cents per quart, it was the best I could do). It has only fired about 3 boxes of factory ammo now. All the rest were reloads. It has never fired a single round of jacketed ammo. Pretty amazing these days! It was a protection gun camping. It has gone backpacking (this was back before I knew I needed a 500mag for protection from critters), hiking, and was used as a field gun for years. It and I have been to many an outcrop, old mine, and around a lot different geology over the years before I retired it for a big 40 S&W Beretta and then later a Glock 20. Nowadays, I am back to a 38 special for field work, just a nice pre-war 38/44 heavy duty.

Anyway, here is to the Diamondback. A great starter gun and a lot of fun ever since. Thanks Colt.

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/eickpm/dback.jpg

[GUNKWAZY]

Thanks for the story and congrats on you 1000th post. :D

Jeff (GUNKWAZY)

[Harry Paget Flashman]

I've got a blued Diamondback but it spends more time in my safe than out. That's because I feel the same way you do but about the Ruger Security-Six.
Maybe it's time to give it a workout.

[fiVe]

Nice story and a nice pic too. Thanks for posting it!

[22-rimfire]

Hey Peter. That Diamondback still looks awfully nice after being shot so much. I bought my first Diamondback in Houstion in 1977. I was also in college at the time and have visited many an outcrop as well.

[Standing Wolf]

It's hard to beat a Colt D frame revolver.

[Peter M. Eick]

Thank guys. Everytime I look at that picture I think I should go buy a blued 4" and just retire my little baby for my daughter to learn on. It is just hard to let it go though. Such a great little gun!

[BigG]

Peter, that made my day. Thanks for a great story and the 1,000 posts. I love nickel, and nice brite blue, too! :D

[thatguy]

In 1985 I bought a brand new 4" 22 D'back. It was stolen allong with all the rest of my guns in May of 1986. I thought about replacing it for years and finally in 1999 I was on my way to a gun show when I stopped at a gun shop along the way. They had two .22 D'backs, a 4" and a 6" priced at $325 and $375 respectively. By this time prices had really started to rise on the D'backs and these were a very good deal but I didn't realize it as I hadn't really been watching the prices. I bought the 4" even though it was a little more than I wanted to pay. It looked like it hadn't been carried or fired since it left the factory.

Went on down to the show, and there I found a 4" .38 D'back with some obvious holster wear on the sides of the barrel. I wasn't really looking for one, but there it was and I had just bought the matching .22, so I looked at the $225 price tag (pawn shop dealer with a table) and offered him $180. I was planning on paying the sales tax but he made the $180 an OTD price and I took it home.

These are nice little guns and it's a shame Colt no longer makes them. Except for the Python, the SAA and the 1911, are they making any handguns? With old D'backs selling for $600+ they still can't make new ones at a price that would sell? What a sad state of affairs...