[Sylvan-Forge]

1-10

[dfariswheel]

The Diamondback certainly qualifies as one of the finest .38 Revolvers ever made.

The quality of fit and finish is first rate, and it has a great reputation for accuracy above most other .38 Special revolvers.

[wcwhitey]

My favorite Colt revolver. They have always eluded me and prices keep climbing. It is my intention to add one to the collection. I would say 9 out of 10. A fully dressed Detective Special is how I see them.

[glassman]

I'm told the colt diamondback and python are the cadillac of revolvers. I've been looking for one that I can afford but with little success. People know what they have and are holding onto them

[22-rimfire]

The Colt Diamondback is my favorite revolver. So, I'll give it an 8 or 9. No such thing as a 10. The Python comes closest to a 10 of any revolver I have ever owned and the Diamondback is no Python. The only criticism is the factory stocks, but they are pretty, and I usually just put pachmayrs on my guns that I shoot and save the originals in the box in a zip lock bag.

[Starter52]

I have owned over fifty .38/.357 revolvers in my life, and the only one that would "cloverleaf" five wadcutters at fifty feet was a blued 4" Colt Diamondback .38 Special.

[XavierBreath]

Top of the heap.
Period.

[cherryriver]

In addition to being every bit as good as the preceding gentlemen have said, it is also the very best revolver for smaller hands, such as women's.
My wife doesn't care much for shooting, but there are two guns she will voluntarily spend time with: a .22 rimfire 1911, and the four-inch Diamondback. She likes shooting steel, and since the .22 won't knock much down, the Diamondback gets the call for that stuff.
In a way, that could be the highest recommendation- a gun that makes non-shooters want to shoot.
I also agree that the OEM Colt stocks, as appropriate-looking as they may be, are functionally not so good. The Dback wears Colt-marked Pachmayrs.
Incidentally, the gun is always fired double-action. DA is hard to learn, if accuracy is a factor, but it speaks well for the Colt D-frame that the newbies do better with a good D than anything else.
Bill

[Ala Dan]

on YOUR sliding scale, a very positive +10;)

[Sylvan-Forge]

Thanks for the input folks.
Good to hear it's as good as I've read about elsewhere 'cause I recently bought one. It's incoming late this week. Hee!

[Peter M. Eick]

The Best!

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

The Dback is my first centerfire and has been shot more then any other. After now 27 years it is still a banging away!

[22-rimfire]

oo7, Why do you ask? Diamondbacks sell easily when they are priced right or slightly below market. At the upper end of the price ranges, they can move slowly at gun shows. I observed today some of the same Diamondbacks I looked at a year ago at one table.

[Sylvan-Forge]

Nice one Mr. Eick. Sure is pretty.
Is that the factory nickel finish?

Just got my first Colt wheel gun..came in friday eve..
A late numbered 1976..
I've fired alot of revolvers and this Diamondback is most excellent!

Using some Remington UMC 130gr, I could make small clover leaf groups at 10 and one-holers at 7yards. They open up a bit at 25 due to my eyes and the somewhat thick front sight.
All in all, a definite keeper.

This will make a nice teaching piece, especially as a transition to the more packable SP101.

It looks as if it will accept .357mag in a pinch.. not real sure though.. :confused:

22-rimfire, I just asked 'cause I was looking to stave off any buyer remorse as I was waiting for it to show up. I've never actually handled one before, just got to look at the pictures before I bid on it.

Sorry, no pics ... no camera ... yet ...
Looking for a good quality that's good at macro ... any ideas?

[Peter M. Eick]

Yeah it is factory. I bought that gun 27 years ago now and it has been fired over 40,000 times. For about 20 odd years it was my only center fire so it took all of the shooting time.

Great gun and now it gets to rest in the safe and others take the day to day shooting.

[Diamondback]

It looks as if it will accept .357mag in a pinch.. not real sure though...NO...the Diamondback chambered for 38 Special will safely fire only that round...DO NOT attempt to EVER use .357 Mag ammo in ANY 38 Special revolver. To do so would risk doing both damage to the revolver........
and yourself !

- regards

[Sylvan-Forge]

...NO...the Diamondback chambered for 38 Special will safely fire only that round...DO NOT attempt to EVER use .357 Mag ammo in ANY 38 Special revolver. To do so would risk doing both damage to the revolver........
and yourself !

- regards


10-4. Thanks.

[22-rimfire]

oo7, you got a great revolver. As said, it is my favorite Colt revolver. I love the 22's. Wish I had a slightly worn 4" 38spl to shoot though. I remember all the 38's I bought and sold and now I want one and they are so expensive even in slightly worn condition.

[Radjxf]

Got one. Love mine. I actually purchased mine with the intent on getting the wife to learn to shoot to hopefully protect the home when I'm gone. Not much luck so far....:rolleyes:

[Sniper X]

I had one in 4in and it was by far the absolute best .38 revolvers I ever had. I have had about 10 different .357s and not to include the Python I have now the Dimondback would outshoot them all.

[Trebor]

What is the difference between the Diamondback and the Phython? Obviously the Diamondback is .38 and the Python is .357, but besides that. Do they use the same lockwork? What about frame size? I'm just trying to see if they are as similiar as say a S&W Model 64 is to a Model 65. In other words, is the caliber the only difference?

[Sniper X]

Python is a larger frame and cylender, baasicaly the Dimondback is a scaled down Python as they look almost identical till you put them side by side, then the size is appearent.

[22-rimfire]

Diamondback is not as factory tuned or hand fitted as the Pythons. Pythons are almost a custom revolver made by the factory in terms of fit and finish. I have never had a Diamondback that had a particularily bad trigger though. (I have had quite a few.) Pythons and Diamondbacks are the classic double action revolver look!

[Sylvan-Forge]

Anyone stick a scope on theirs?

[Hardtarget]

I have two Diamondbacks....a .38 (4") and a .22 (6"). If you have a chance to buy one...don't hesitate. I've no regrets with mine...and I've had the .38 since '73. The .22 came two years later. I couldn't carry all the ammo thats been shot through these guns. They're still tight and shoot good.
Mark.

[aryfrosty]

Sir: I have had a 4" nickeled Diamondback since 1973 and, while it isn't as slick as my Pythons, it's a jewel to carry and shoot. I have never been fond of carrying a 4" .38 spl on the job, but the Diamonback was an exception before we were issued pistold and told to carry them. If I didn't stop myself I could wear one, or a Python, out just opening and closing the cylinder while listening to that glorious Colt latching the cylinder into place. Forgive my long-windedness but in my opinion the top 3 revolvers in the US are the Python, the old style Trooper or ".357 Magnum" and the Diamondback.

[22-rimfire]

The Diamondback and Python are in my top 3 too. I also love the sound of that crisp latching as the cylinder is closed. Love the old Troopers too. I prefer the Officers Model Match as my #3. Smiths follow with the Model 57 leading the way, but I don't really have that many Smith. I do like them a lot though.

Diamondbacks were worth every penny when they were in production.

[jbleinweber]

I love my Diamondback. 30 years old and still-a-ticking.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s313/jbleinweber/100_10832.jpg