Colt Diamondback

Colt Diamondback
Colt Diamondback
	.22 caliber Colt Diamondback revolver with 6" barrel
Type	Revolver
Place of origin	United States
Production history
Manufacturer	Colt's Manufacturing Company
Produced	1966–1988
Specifications
Mass	(.38) 2½": 26oz; 4": 28.5oz.; 6": 30.5oz.; (.22) 2½": 28.5oz.; 4": 31oz.; 6": 33oz..
Length	2½", 4" or 6" bbl.
Cartridge	.22 LR; .38 Special
Action	Double-action
Feed system	Six-round cylinder
Sights	Rear adj.; front ramp

The Colt Diamondback is a revolver manufactured by Colt's Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut, in calibers of .22 LR and .38 Special. Inspired by the successful Colt Python, the Diamondback was manufactured from 1966 to 1988 and was available in barrel lengths of 2½, 4, and 6 inches.

.22 caliber Colt Diamondback rollmark

Description

Colt introduced the double-action Diamondback as a deluxe model in 1966.[1] It has a wide serrated target hammer, ventilated rib, fully adjustable target quality sights, and full-length barrel underlug.[1] It is a 6-shot revolver with a swing-out cylinder and was available in blue or nickel finishes.[1] Visually, the Diamondback resembles a scaled-down version of the Python, though the action was not tuned as finely as the Python, nor did it receive the Python's Royal Blue finish.[1][2] While the Python is built on Colt's "I frame," the Diamondback is built on the smaller "D frame," as used in the Detective Special. The Diamondback was dropped from production in 1988.[3]

Because of the light recoil of .22 caliber ammunition, the .22 version of the Diamondback can be used as a training gun for novice shooters. It had gained popularity with gun enthusiasts due to the inexpensive price of .22 caliber ammunition and since it has been discontinued, for its rarity.[4]

In addition, the Diamondback was marketed to law enforcement agencies who did not allow the use of the .357 Magnum cartridge.[1]

Users

Saddam Hussein collected the Colt Diamondback among other guns.[5]

Cultural References

Burt Reynolds used a 6" .38 Colt Diamondback in the 1981 movie Sharky's Machine.
John Wayne used a 4" .38 Colt Diamondback in the 1975 movie Brannigan.
Steve McQueen used a 2.5" .38 Colt Diamondback in the 1968 movie Bullitt.[6]
Peter Boyle used a .22 Colt Diamondback in the 1973 film The Friends of Eddie Coyle.
The Italian film Colt 38 Special Squad (Quelli della Calibro 38) is about a group of rogue policemen armed with .38 Colt Diamondbacks.

References

Fjestad, S. P. (2016). Blue Book of Gun Values. Iola, Wisconsin: Blue Book Publications. p. 212. ISBN 978-1-936120-60-4.
"Diamondback". ColtFever.
Sapp, Rick (November 21, 2007). Standard Catalog of Colt Firearms. F+W Media, Inc. pp. 116–117. ISBN 978-0-89689-534-8. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
Fjestad, S.P. (August 18, 2015). "Colt's Snake Guns". American Rifleman. National Rifle Association.
Zucchino, David (April 21, 2003). "From the detritus, clues to character of Hussein regime". The Baltimore Sun. And the guns. The guns are one thing ordinary Iraqis might have known about. There was an arsenal in every home. Some bedrooms were supplied with gold-plated MP-5 machine guns. Others were stacked to the ceilings with boxes of Colt Diamondback .38 Specials, .357-caliber Combat Magnums and Sig Sauer pistols, still in their packing boxes, complete with owner instructions and generous supplies of boxed ammunition.
Ayoob, Massad (September 22, 2008). The Gun Digest Book Of Concealed Carry. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-89689-611-6. Retrieved January 24, 2012.

External links

Ballistics By The Inch tests including the Colt Diamondback.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[bbgv-1] Fjestad, S. P. (2016). Blue Book of Gun Values. Iola, Wisconsin: Blue Book Publications. p. 212. ISBN 978-1-936120-60-4.

[2] "Diamondback". ColtFever.

[Sapp2007-3] Sapp, Rick (November 21, 2007). Standard Catalog of Colt Firearms. F+W Media, Inc. pp. 116–117. ISBN 978-0-89689-534-8. Retrieved January 24, 2012.

[4] Fjestad, S.P. (August 18, 2015). "Colt's Snake Guns". American Rifleman. National Rifle Association.

[5] Zucchino, David (April 21, 2003). "From the detritus, clues to character of Hussein regime". The Baltimore Sun. And the guns. The guns are one thing ordinary Iraqis might have known about. There was an arsenal in every home. Some bedrooms were supplied with gold-plated MP-5 machine guns. Others were stacked to the ceilings with boxes of Colt Diamondback .38 Specials, .357-caliber Combat Magnums and Sig Sauer pistols, still in their packing boxes, complete with owner instructions and generous supplies of boxed ammunition.

[Ayoob2008-6] Ayoob, Massad (September 22, 2008). The Gun Digest Book Of Concealed Carry. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-89689-611-6. Retrieved January 24, 2012.