The Diamondback Firearms may have been the hit by introducing their brand new Self-Defense Revolver in .357 Magnum. At first glance, amongst the thousands of other revolvers in the building, it stood out from the rest of the crowd upon closer inspection and from what was experienced on Industry Day at the Range.
This marks Diamondback’s second revolver, their .22LR/.22 Magnum Sidekick released last year. Unlike its older sibling, the SDR was designed as a traditional snub nose carry gun, executed in stainless steel with a high polish finish. Capacity is 6 rounds, which gives it an edge over similar offerings from Smith & Wesson, Ruger, and Taurus.
One of the distinguishing features of the SDR is the push-button cylinder release quite like a Ruger, and so it allows for a design that is low profile and snag-free. The revolver features an orange fiber optic fixed front sight and a green fiber optic dovetail rear sight for excellent visibility. The crane link and cylinder assembly are fully captured, so that the end-user can effect disassembly and cleaning without side plates or screws.
Weighing in at just 21 ounces, the SDR sports a 2-inch barrel along with its solid stainless-steel frame. Grips are comfortably bearing the Diamondback logo, with them being rubber Hogue grips, and they are compatible with any J-frame S&W grips for a great deal of customization.
The features and engineering details combined in the SDR make this one stand out in the crowd of snub-nose revolvers. Add the 6-round capacity, removable crane and cylinder, great sights, and now put an outstanding trigger in and pull: the single-action is light and crisp, and the double-action is smooth and allows for accurate double-action fire.
All of the major components of the Diamondback Firearms SDR revolver are made of stainless steel, including the barrel, cylinder, and frame, which is forged and finished with a high polish. The barrel is 2 inches long with a full underlug that encloses the ejector rod. A 45-degree target crown is visible.
Concealed Carry Ideal, the overall length is 6.53 inches, the height is 4.44 inches, and the cylinder width measures 1.38 inches. The sighting system for the revolver incorporates a front post employing an orange, fiber-optic insert and a rear notch employing two contrasting green fiber-optic inserts to give the user an increased accuracy.
At an MSRP of $777, the Diamondback SDR is certain to be a huge hit for home and personal defense. Combining innovative features, hand craftsmanship, and practical design, this handgun is among the most significant models in the Diamondback line of personal defense products.