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Bryant Ridge's Analysis: Smith & Wesson’s dominance in the .357 Mag. market changed forever in 1955; however, when Colt introduced its first revolver chambered in .357 Mag.: 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 an …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: Colt introduced the double-action Diamondback as a deluxe model in 1966. It features a wide serrated target hammer, ventilated rib, fully adjustable target quality sights, and a full-length barrel underlug. This 6-shot revolver has a swing-out cylinder and was available in blue or nickel finishes. Visually, the Diamondback resembles a scaled-down version of the Python, although the action was not tuned as finely as the Python, nor did it receive the Python's Royal B …

Bryant RIdge's Analysis: The Smith & Wesson Model 39-2 is a historic and reliable semi-automatic pistol that continues to garner respect among gun enthusiasts and professionals alike. Developed in the wake of World War II, the U.S. military sought a modern 9mm service pistol to eventually replace the iconic Colt 1911. Smith & Wesson responded with the Model 39, which was designed in 1954 for the U.S. Army. However, despite its innovative features, it was not adopted by the military and i …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: The Smith & Wesson Model 639 is an upgraded version of the Model 39, a semi-automatic pistol that was initially used by military and law enforcement. Smith & Wesson's first-generation metal-frame semi-automatic pistols started with the Model 39, which was released to the civilian market in 1955. As more similar designs were created, the Model 39 became known as a "first generation" design. Second-generation models have three digits in their model number, while th …

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& …