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Bryant Ridge's Analysis: Reintroduced in 1983, the Smith & Wesson Model 24-3 is a double/single-action revolver chambered in the powerful .44 S&W Special cartridge. Built on the square-butt N-target frame with a three-screw configuration, it was offered in 4-inch and 6.5-inch barrel lengths, with rare examples also produced in 5-inch and 5.5-inch configurations. The Model 24-3 features a high-polish blue finish, a six-shot fluted cylinder with a nominal length of 1.57 inches, and a shrou …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: The Smith & Wesson Model 36 (also known as the Chief's Special) is a revolver chambered for .38 Special. It is one of several models of J-frame revolvers. It was introduced in 1950 and is still in production in the classic blued Model 36 and the stainless steel Model 60. The Model 36 was designed in the era just after World War II when Smith & Wesson stopped producing war materials and resumed normal production. For the Mod …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: The Taurus M-217, chambered in .218 Bee with a 12-inch barrel, is a distinctive and specialized revolver that merges the compact handling of a handgun with the precision and power of a rifle cartridge. The .218 Bee, first introduced by Winchester in the 1930s, is a high-velocity, small-caliber round traditionally used in rifles for varmint hunting and target shooting. By chambering this cartridge in a revolver like the Taurus M-217, the result is a unique combination of …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: The Colt Python revolver holds a prestigious position in the history of modern double-action American handguns. Introduced in the mid-1950s, this firearm was developed during a time when the quality of American gun making was beginning to decline from its peak in the 1930s and 1940s. Rather than joining the trend of fast, mass production firearms constructed from stamped and fabricated parts, the Python was designed to be the finest revolver ever manufactured in America, …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: The Colt Python is a .357 Magnum caliber revolver manufactured by Colt's Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut. It was first introduced in 1955, the same year as Smith & Wesson's M29 .44 Magnum. The Colt Python is intended for the premium revolver market segment. Some firearm collectors and writers such as Jeff Cooper, Ian V. Hogg, Chuck Hawks, Leroy Thompson, Scott Wolber, Renee Smeets and Martin Dougherty have described the Python as "the finest production …