Overview
Diamondback is best known for its compact 9mm semi-auto pistols, AR line, and interesting 5.7mm DBX platform. However, the company has been creeping into the world of wheel guns for a few years, starting with the double-action (that looks like a single-action) nine-shot Sidekick rimfire revolvers that debuted in 2021.
Breaking new ground as a company, Diamondback moved into the centerfire revolver market at SHOT '24 when it debuted the Self Defense Revolver, or SDR, in a bright stainless finish, soon followed up by models in a more subdued glass bead satin stainless and a tough-wearing black nitride. A six-shot .357 Magnum, it is a snub-nosed compact revolver with a 2-inch barrel.
The overall styling and push-button cylinder release evoke the Kimber K6 series and help keep the width down to 1.38 inches over the semi-fluted cylinder itself.
For full disclosure, Diamondback provided this SDR to Guns.com for review purposes. All testing was done on this one gun, which has been under evaluation since June.
The Specs
- Overall length: 6.53 inches
- Barrel length: 2 inches
- Overall width: 1.38 inches at the widest point over the cylinder
- Overall height: 4.44 inches
- Capacity: 6-shot cylinder
- Sights: Fixed, green low profile fiber optic rear, orange fiber optic front
- Sight radius: 3.6 inches
- Trigger pull: 9.9 pounds double action, 2.3 pounds single action (10-pull average). Non-stacking
- Weight: 21.2 ounces (unloaded)
Features
Trigger
We found the SDR's double-action/single-action trigger smooth compared to other factory revolvers. Non-stacking, it broke clean at an average of 9.9 pounds in double action, dropping to 2.3 pounds in single action.
A video of the trigger at work on the range:
Reliability
The SDR right out of the box exhibited good lockup and timing. We fired a mix of over 500 rounds through it in three range sessions, and the cylinder kept time and exhibited no shaved lead or binding. The recoil was a bit stout with full-powered +P .38 loads and .357s but was still controllable, and the revolver was easy to get back on target for follow-up shots. The only problem we encountered was user-induced errors (short-stroking the trigger in DA mode). Also, after a few hundred rounds, we felt the need to run a bore rope through the barrel and cylinder to pull out the carbon buildup and reduce overall gumminess.
The ammo involved included 300 rounds of PMC Bronze 132-grain FMJ target rounds with an advertised velocity of 912 fps and another 100 of Federal's American Eagle 158-grain FMJs with a spicier 1,240 fps. Self-defense rounds were Federal's 120-grain Punch and 129-grain Hydra Shok .38SPL+P JHPs with a 1,000/950 fps velo, along with Winchester's 145-grain .357 Mag Silvertips, which pushed 1,290 fps.
Accuracy
Small-framed snub-nosed revolvers are not renowned for their accuracy at distance, particularly when fired in double action. This is compounded by the narrow, round butt grips and fixed sights. However, the SDR proved more than capable of practical accuracy at 15 yards. Pushing back to 25, we were still able to hit an IPSC plate with some concentration, albeit with a lot more Charlies and Deltas than Alphas.
Carry
Much like the SDR accepts widely available K-frame speed loaders, its doppelganger dimensions compared to the J frame means most holsters that fit the S&W snub-nosed line (or 2-inch K-frames and Security/Speed Sixes, et.al.) will likely work on Diamondback's .357. A little heavy for pocket carry at 1.5 pounds loaded, the SDR nonetheless fits our go-to pocket snub holster, the DeSantis Nemesis. It also fits the Bianchi No. 6 suede inside the waistband concealment holster and Galco's beautiful Combat Master professional-grade belt holster.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Excellent value when stacked against its competition
- Accurate
- Reliable
- Compact
- Has great sights
- Uses common holsters, speed loaders, and grips
- Has a quick-detach cylinder assembly
Cons
- Diamondback's first centerfire revolver
Conclusion
Snub-nosed carry revolvers have arguably been around since 1849, when Colt hit the market with the "Wells Fargo" Pocket model. Now pushing into their 175th year, there is a reason they are still popular: a blend of simplicity, reliability, and concealability. A quick look shows Charter Arms, Colt, Kimber, Ruger, S&W, Taurus, and now Diamondback as making new DA .357 Magnum wheel guns for the carry market. Of those, the six-shot SDR, with an MSRP of between $777 and $853 depending on the model, typically falls less than a Kimber, Ruger, or Colt; about neck and neck with a five-shot S&W Model 60 with plainer sights, and a little more expensive than something like a Charter's five-shot .357 Mag Pug or the similarly five-shot Taurus 605.
We've been kicking an SDR around for several months and found it easily supportable, dependable in use and operation, and innovative with its removable cylinder assembly. Further, while not meant for long-range benchrest target shooting, it is accurate to fill the needs of your typical EDC snub gun.
Did Diamondback knock it out of the park their first time at bat when it came to a centerfire revolver? Looks like it.
