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Bryant Ridge's Analysis: The Marlin 39A stands as the oldest and longest continually produced shoulder firearm in the world, earning its place as an iconic example of lever-action design. Renowned for its precision, the 39A is widely regarded as one of the finest and most accurate .22 rifles ever crafted. Its legacy extends further, as it holds the distinction of being the best-selling lever-action rimfire rifle in U.S. history, a testament to its enduring appeal and unparalleled performanc …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: The first Model 48, serial number K 348746, was produced on May 11, 1959, and was featured in the Smith & Wesson catalog by August of the same year, as documented by Roy Jinks in History of Smith & Wesson. Since its introduction, the Model 48 has been exclusively available in a blue finish, with barrel lengths of 4, 6, and 8 3/8 inches. Over the years, this revolver has undergone four revisions, each introducing significant changes to its design. The origina …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: The Colt Single Action Army (also known as the Model P, Peacemaker, M1873, Single Action Army, SAA, ) is a single-action revolver with a revolving cylinder holding six metallic cartridges. It was designed for the U.S. government service revolver trials of 1873 by Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company, today Colt’s Manufacturing Company, and adopted as the standard military service revolver until 1892. It is perhap …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: When it comes to revolvers in the US, the “Big Three” of Colt, Smith and Wesson, and Ruger remain strong. However, in the 1970s, a new company emerged and attempted to challenge these three (Smith in particular) with an innovative new design. This company was Dan Wesson, and the Model 15 was that design. Founded in 1968 by Daniel B. Wesson II after the acquisition of his family company by conglomerate Bangor Punta, Wesson sought to create a company to continu …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: The Colt Diamondback revolver, introduced in 1966, was designed to be a premium, small-frame revolver resembling the highly regarded Colt Python but scaled down. Built on Colt's "D" frame, which was also used for models like the Detective Special, the Diamondback was equipped with high-quality features such as a long, grooved target hammer, target-style walnut grips, and the Colt Accro adjustable sight. Its barrel, inspired by the Python, was produced on the same machine …