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Bryant Ridge Analysis: Smith & Wesson’s dominance in the .357 Mag. market changed forever in 1955 when Colt introduced its first revolver chambered in .357 Magnum: The Python. By all accounts, Colt executives also considered this to be the finest revolver the company produced at the time. No expense was spared in the manufacturing process, from the revolver’s timing and lock-up to its Royal Blue finish, this would be the pinnacle of Colt’s manufacturing prowess and remains& …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: In 1966, Colt introduced the Colt Diamondback revolver. The Diamondback was intended to be a premium quality adjustable sighted small framed revolver resembling the popular Python. The new Diamondback was built on the Colt "D" frame used for the Detective Special, Police Positive Special, etc. It had a wide, long, grooved Target hammer, Target-type walnut grips, Colt Accro adjustable sight, and a barrel that looked like a Python barrel and was built on Python machinery. …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: The Model 16 is a .32 S&W Long double-action revolver built on the square-butt K-frame, previously known as the K-32 Masterpiece. The postwar version introduced several key updates, including a new hammer block for enhanced safety, a serrated barrel rib, and a micrometer-click adjustable rear sight. It features a 6-shot, fluted cylinder with a nominal length of 1.56", a 6-inch pinned barrel, and checkered walnut magna-style grips with S&W medallions and a diamond …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: The Smith & Wesson Model 48 was first produced in 1959 and was chambered in .22 WMR, a rimfire cartridge that had been introduced by Winchester earlier that year. The gun's performance quickly gained popularity among enthusiasts and continues to be a favorite to this day. However, the Model 48 faced a tough challenge in 1986, when semi-automatic pistols began to dominate the handgun market. Due to low consumer demand, production of the Model 48 was stopped. …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: The Lawman revolver featured a fixed sight design and was initially equipped with a narrow, grooved Service-type hammer and trigger. Later models adopted the wider Target hammer used on the Trooper Mark III. The grips originally were narrow Service grips, but later versions often came with Target grips. Nickel and Coltguard-finished models were paired with Pachmayr "Signature" rubber grips, which featured Colt medallions. It was available with 4-inch and 2-inch heav …