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Bryant Ridge's Analysis: The Colt New Frontier is a remarkable single-action revolver that first made its debut in 1961, with a design that would go on to define an era of revolver craftsmanship. Revived after a long hiatus since Colt ceased production of single-action revolvers during World War II to focus on military arms, the New Frontier was introduced with the intention of providing a high-end, target-sighted variant of the iconic Colt Single Action Army. Named after the slogan popularized …

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: 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 …