Colt Diamondback(2-1/2" chambered in .357 & .38 special)?
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jglsprings
New member
Quote of the week...
Worth at least $20,000.00!
All the paperwork, from the box to the letter says .38 Special. No mention of .357
The barrel shows ".38 SPECIAL CTG." properly and typically centered under "Diamondback". You can see a good, and also obvious IMHO, copy of Colt numerical style, for the "357&" crowded, without proper spacing, in front of the "38 SPECIAL CTG."
If Colt had decided to experiment with the .357 mag in a D frame---Why do it with a 2" barrel? Why not a 4" or a 6", which were actually more popular barrel lengths at the time for the 357? And why do it in a gun that they did not rate for the 38/44 heavy duty loads?
Fact is they didn't do it.
Someone reamed out the chambers and remarked the barrel. Then someone, maybe the same person, maybe not, decided to sell it as a novel experiment from Colt.
tipoc
The barrel shows ".38 SPECIAL CTG." properly and typically centered under "Diamondback". You can see a good, and also obvious IMHO, copy of Colt numerical style, for the "357&" crowded, without proper spacing, in front of the "38 SPECIAL CTG."
If Colt had decided to experiment with the .357 mag in a D frame---Why do it with a 2" barrel? Why not a 4" or a 6", which were actually more popular barrel lengths at the time for the 357? And why do it in a gun that they did not rate for the 38/44 heavy duty loads?
Fact is they didn't do it.
Someone reamed out the chambers and remarked the barrel. Then someone, maybe the same person, maybe not, decided to sell it as a novel experiment from Colt.
tipoc
OzeanJaeger
New member
Good hypothesis. The guy selling is probably not the guy who did it, and he may believe whatever story he was told when he bought it.
If you have collector pieces you need to get providence. I hate to say it, but it is what the paperwork says it is. If it’s an upside down airplane on the stamp you need providence proving it came that way from the printer, and someone didn’t alter it..
If you have collector pieces you need to get providence. I hate to say it, but it is what the paperwork says it is. If it’s an upside down airplane on the stamp you need providence proving it came that way from the printer, and someone didn’t alter it..
Nick Bangkok
New member
Another one found in Thailand.
I'm not sure if members are still interested in this D-back .357 discussion.
A few days ago, I got a Line question about parts for a 357 Diamondback. My first response was ".38 Special, you mean ?"
The guy sent pictures showing a D-back with 357 & .38 SPECIAL marking, a view for six chambered rounds. He insisted it did fire accurately. The serial number is D7273, which according to Colt's handbook signifies 1967 year of production. This gun came to Thailand during the Vietnam war era.
I'm not sure if members are still interested in this D-back .357 discussion.
A few days ago, I got a Line question about parts for a 357 Diamondback. My first response was ".38 Special, you mean ?"
The guy sent pictures showing a D-back with 357 & .38 SPECIAL marking, a view for six chambered rounds. He insisted it did fire accurately. The serial number is D7273, which according to Colt's handbook signifies 1967 year of production. This gun came to Thailand during the Vietnam war era.
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Dfariswheel
New member
As was discussed in this thread, Colt would never stamp an odd centered "357 &" mark on one of their guns, not even an experimental.
A key feature of non-factory conversions is oddly spaced extra markings, and non-factory fonts.
Notice the "357 &" is not centered with the barrel, and is in a different font.
These are clearly hand engraved marks, something Colt just never did, even for an experimental.
If you got an Archive letter from Colt the letter would show the gun shipped in .38 Special.
As said, any fool with a chambering reamer can re-chamber a gun to an unsafe caliber.
Obviously this was someone's idea of a "neat" thing to do, and it's dangerous to fire, NO MATTER HOW MUCH IT'S BEEN FIRED.
It may go a number of rounds, but the frame is being beaten to death and will be stretched if fired much.
The cylinder metal and heat treating was not made for .357 pressures and sooner or later it will blow. It may go any number of rounds or it may blow the very next one.
This is simply another form of Russian Roulette.
Colt themselves say they only made the Diamond back in .22LR and .38 Special, and "may" have made an experimental version in .22 Magnum, but never made or sold any production models.
This causes heartburn because there ARE some Diamondback revolvers clearly marked .22 Magnum.
Colt says this was a factory stamping error where a few barrels were mistakenly stamped with the wrong barrel stamp and weren't caught before being shipped.
In original factory condition these will not chamber the .22 Magnum.
Of course, some people decided to re-chamber them for the .22 Magnum, and will claim their factory guns.
So again, the blatantly fake barrel marks clearly show this is not a Colt factory .357 Magnum Diamondback.
A few years ago, Colt sold their factory museum and prototype collection.
There were a lot of really odd experimental guns, and these all sold with factory letters detailing that they were prototypes and experimentals.
There were no .357 Diamondbacks in the collection.
A key feature of non-factory conversions is oddly spaced extra markings, and non-factory fonts.
Notice the "357 &" is not centered with the barrel, and is in a different font.
These are clearly hand engraved marks, something Colt just never did, even for an experimental.
If you got an Archive letter from Colt the letter would show the gun shipped in .38 Special.
As said, any fool with a chambering reamer can re-chamber a gun to an unsafe caliber.
Obviously this was someone's idea of a "neat" thing to do, and it's dangerous to fire, NO MATTER HOW MUCH IT'S BEEN FIRED.
It may go a number of rounds, but the frame is being beaten to death and will be stretched if fired much.
The cylinder metal and heat treating was not made for .357 pressures and sooner or later it will blow. It may go any number of rounds or it may blow the very next one.
This is simply another form of Russian Roulette.
Colt themselves say they only made the Diamond back in .22LR and .38 Special, and "may" have made an experimental version in .22 Magnum, but never made or sold any production models.
This causes heartburn because there ARE some Diamondback revolvers clearly marked .22 Magnum.
Colt says this was a factory stamping error where a few barrels were mistakenly stamped with the wrong barrel stamp and weren't caught before being shipped.
In original factory condition these will not chamber the .22 Magnum.
Of course, some people decided to re-chamber them for the .22 Magnum, and will claim their factory guns.
So again, the blatantly fake barrel marks clearly show this is not a Colt factory .357 Magnum Diamondback.
A few years ago, Colt sold their factory museum and prototype collection.
There were a lot of really odd experimental guns, and these all sold with factory letters detailing that they were prototypes and experimentals.
There were no .357 Diamondbacks in the collection.
Jim Watson
New member
I READ that Colt tested a Detective Special - same frame as Diamondback - in .357 and while it did not blow up, it did not meet their standards for TBO - Time Between Overhauls.
Nick Bangkok
New member
Dfariswheel, I agree with you completely. From the picture we can see the 357 & was engraved, not roll-stamped.
The sad thing is, the .357 Magnum was not designed a little longer so that it won't fit in a reamed .38 Spcl. chamber. As is, it's overall length of 40 mm. is not longer than the .38 spcl. cylinder, thus opening the door for this dangerous and unethical practice.
The sad thing is, the .357 Magnum was not designed a little longer so that it won't fit in a reamed .38 Spcl. chamber. As is, it's overall length of 40 mm. is not longer than the .38 spcl. cylinder, thus opening the door for this dangerous and unethical practice.
Dfariswheel
New member
Colt did a great deal of prototype and experimental work, most of which never saw the light of day until the big collection auction.
Also, a lot was simply scrapped and was never seen by the public.
Colt often made pistols or revolvers with really weird alterations, but people never understood that they often had nothing to do with pistols and revolvers, but may have been to investigate a function or feature for something like an aircraft cannon.
The bottom line is, once a gun is shipped by the manufacturer it's game on.
Anyone can do anything to it, even grossly unsafe alterations.
It's bad enough in the USA, but far worse in other countries where guns are hard to get and people who want something may attempt to make it themselves.
That's likely the case of this Colt Diamondback that's in Thailand.
And as is common even here in the USA, the person may insist it's a rare, unknown factory gun. He may even believe it.
One owner of a fake .41 Magnum Python swears it's a Colt factory gun even though Colt says it shipped as a .357 Magnum.
The owner tells people that it IS a Colt factory gun, but for unclear reasons Colt is lying about it.
You can't reason with that.
Also, a lot was simply scrapped and was never seen by the public.
Colt often made pistols or revolvers with really weird alterations, but people never understood that they often had nothing to do with pistols and revolvers, but may have been to investigate a function or feature for something like an aircraft cannon.
The bottom line is, once a gun is shipped by the manufacturer it's game on.
Anyone can do anything to it, even grossly unsafe alterations.
It's bad enough in the USA, but far worse in other countries where guns are hard to get and people who want something may attempt to make it themselves.
That's likely the case of this Colt Diamondback that's in Thailand.
And as is common even here in the USA, the person may insist it's a rare, unknown factory gun. He may even believe it.
One owner of a fake .41 Magnum Python swears it's a Colt factory gun even though Colt says it shipped as a .357 Magnum.
The owner tells people that it IS a Colt factory gun, but for unclear reasons Colt is lying about it.
You can't reason with that.
Dfariswheel
New member
Also "Bullet" with Steve McQueen.
He carries a Diamondback with Detective Special grips in an up-side-down shoulder holster.
He carries a Diamondback with Detective Special grips in an up-side-down shoulder holster.