zzzz

[danny]

zzzz

[bigbore5]

I shoot more 38's in my 357's than I do 357's. So why not?

I wouldn't mind a Service Six in 38/4".

[strawhat]

Full sized 38 S&W Special?  To me, that would be the S&W Heavy Duty.  Way back in the 1930s LE was asking for a better cartridge to deal with the gangsters of that era.  Colt responded with the 1911. S&W answered with the Heavy Duty, an N framed revolver chambered for the 38/44 cartridge. This was the 38 S&W Special but souped up several hundred FPS.  The HD was a fixed sighted revolver designed with Lawmen in mind. Th3 38/44 OutDoorsman had adjustable sights and was for the target shooter or hunter.  Phil Sharpe used an OutDoorsman to come up with loads for the cartridge introduced in 1935 as the 357 S&W Magnum.  

Here is my Heavy Duty, a later model, from 1950. Complete with the 5” barrel and short action.





Not sure why you think a Diamondback is a full sized revolver?  This, the S&W Heavy Duty, is, without a doubt, a full sized revolver chambered for the 38 S&W Special cartridge.

Kevin

[danny]

zzz

[Odin]

Generally speaking, when someone speaks of a "full size gun" most folks figure it's a reference to frame size as opposed to barrel length. The Colt Diamondback is a smallish mid-size gun, frame wise (how's that for vague), similar to a Smith K-frame. This might not matter a hill of beans when we're talking 38 Special, but in 357 Magnum it makes quite a difference.

Small frame guns don't care for all the abuse heavily loaded 357 rounds dish out. While large frame guns think the 357 is kinda cute...

As to the benefit of a longer barreled revolver, the increased sight radius makes precise aiming easier and there is a bit of velocity gain for a given load over the short barreled guns as well.

[bigbore5]

If you want "John Taffinisms", then why don't you just ask his opinions?

He's a great man and freely shares his vast knowledge and expertise on here regularly.

[squawberryman]

Odd

[bigbore5]

[JM]

Sept 23, 2023 18:54:11 GMT -5 danny said:

zzzz

www.sixguns.com/tests/tt38spcl.htm

www.sixguns.com/crew/summer38.htm

www.sixguns.com

[danny]

Sept 24, 2023 4:36:16 GMT -5 squawberryman said:

Odd

It wasn't a very useful posting, it seems, so I did the closest thing I could to delete.

Danny

[squawberryman]

If everything on here needed to be useful, I'd have 20 posts.

[danny]

Sept 24, 2023 10:07:44 GMT -5 squawberryman said:

If everything on here needed to be useful, I'd have 20 posts.

Maybe I should have only asked if owning or buying a Colt Diamondback in .38 Special (6") made much sense. It does not shoot .357.

Danny

[oddshooter]

The Colt Diamondback may be my favorite sixgun. The fit to my hand and eye is just about perfect. A lot like my K frame S&W's. The trigger is like a glass rod breaking. The bluing may be my idea of what a deep pool of liquid steel looks like. Fit and finish is just outstanding.

I don't always shoot ginormous dinosaurs, so the 38 special is a fine caliber as designed. I shoot mostly long-distance ringing steel, so I really don't have to have 357mag or more. I have bigbores for that should the need arise. The Diamondback is my go-have-some-fun shooter. My 22lr Diamondback is a fine companion piece as well.


Prescut

[squawberryman]

Danny I'm guessing you work for a living. After the bills are paid and you want a Diamondback, get one.

[ridgeline]

I've never shot a Colt Diamondback, so I can't speak to that, but I think a 38-Special-only revolver makes plenty of sense, regardless of size. It makes sense in a small revolver and for concealed carry or indoor protection for obvious reasons, but even in a larger revolver there are plenty of reasons to go 38-Special-only (or 44-Special-only for that matter). I've never bought into the argument that you should always get a magnum since you can always shoot the special cartridges in it but not the other way around. Magnum revolvers are great for many applications, but they are optimized for the magnum cartridge, not for the special cartridge. So if you don't need a magnum, or if the recoil, noise, and muzzle blast of a magnum (357 or 44) negatively impacts your shooting, then why insist on having one? I think the special-only revolvers that are optimized for those cartridges are very underrated, especially the 38-specials that are +P capable for the times when you need a little more oomf.