colt diamondback

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chrisintexas

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what would be fair price to pay for a blued 4 inch colt diamondback, 38 special? can you tell me more about the revolver? thanks
 
Sigh. Has it been drug behind a truck down a gravel road or has it been nestled it's entire life in it's own little box, unfired, with all the tools and papers? Original grips? Unaltered in any way? It could be $300 or $1,500.
 
The Colt Diamondback was made from 1966-79 in .38 spl and .22 lr calibers. It is made on Colt's D-frame which is the same frame as the Colt Detective Special and Police Positive Special.

While it was inspired by the Colt Python, it's action was not as tuned as the Python's and the finish did not have the same level of polishing as the Python (less luster). The Python is made on the larger I-frame. Both guns have the same basic internal lock work. Below is a pic of one of my Dimaondbacks, followed by one of my Pyhtons. I have not priced Diamondbacks in quite a while because I don't plan on either buying or selling anytime in the foreseeable future. The Diamondback is a very fine revolver. As the previous post notes, condition is critical in valuing this gun.

Diamondback in .38 special.


Python in .357 magnum.
 
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I guess one should examine their buying motives if looking seriously at a Colt Diamondback? Collector or shooter? Or are you one of these people that would pay top dollar for what would be a collector piece and shoot it?

They were discontinued in 1986 or had a 20 year production history. Colt assembled some in 1992 from parts and sold them. Some were pretty fancy. The 4" blue 38 spl is the most common of the various Diamondbacks. It is also my favorite size in 22LR.

They made a lot of them. But production on some variations was pretty low probably because they didn't sell well at the time.

I like Colt Diamondbacks a great deal. They are probably my favorite revolver of all time.

I have purchased more than a few 4" 38spl DB's, but always sold or traded them off for the 22's. You might say they were major trading fodder for me 20 years ago. Prices have gone up and I still wanted a 2.5" or 4" for a "truck gun". I ended up buying a Detective Special for that purpose.

Hope you find what you're looking for. The price will likely be higher than you think. Think $800-$1200 for something that is not quite as-new.
 
Since Colt quit making DA revolvers many years ago prices on existing guns are through the roof. A really nice 38 DB will go $1,000 easily and maybe $1,400 or more at auction. Value depends on condition and presence of box/accessories. Really big money comes from collectors who demand a pristine gun in the original box. If you have that maybe $2,000 or more.

Of course rare versions, like 2" barrels and nickel finish takes the price off the chart.A snub Python in nickel can bring $6,000 in a snap.

Add 25-50% for the same gun in 22 LR.

On the same day in 1999 I bought a 4" 38 DB at a pawn shop for $185 and at a big gun shop I bagged the 22 mate for $325 (and felt like I paid too much).

I keep asking why it is that with used Pythons and DBs bringing such huge amounts Colt can't build new ones that would sell for a profit?
 
I never viewed the regular Diamondbacks (DBs) as "collector" pieces until I was forced to accept reality. My first good 22 revolver was a 4" blue DB. I liked the good old days when you had to decide between S&W or Colt at about the same pricing and both were consistently good overall. I always chose Colt and only started buying Smiths in the last 10 years. Prices on Diamondbacks hovered around $400 for years at shows.

Now, I just look at the prices and shake my head. Sometimes, I wonder why I even bother to keep them. Probably has something to do with greed, my history, and the fact that I sold my original Python for about $600 as prices were rising and the same gun would run at least 3x that today. I sold that gun with pachmayrs on it and still have the original stocks somewhere in my "stuff". Forgot to take the grips with me that day I sold it. So, I could reap a bit of a bonus selling them if I wanted to. The gun is still the same. I don't regret that sale really. I purchased a NIB 6" DB 38 spl with the proceeds and a little cash that day. That gun is much much less common than the 98% 6" blue Python I sold. Some day it will help pay for my retirement whims or pay the mortgage for a couple months.

Now I look at my DBs and always ask myself the question, "Do I really want to shoot that when I have others to shoot?" The answer has been consistently "No" for the last 10-15 years. That bothers me.
 
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I keep a few of 'em in my tackle box. :p



A pair of .38's and a .22 - I paid $299 in 2000 and $350 in 2002 for the .38's. I don't remember, and didn't document, the price of the .22, but probably bought it in the late 70's.
 
I also paid $300 for a 4" 22 LR Diamondback in the late '90s and about $350 for a 4" 38 cal Diamondback years later. Never regretted buying either of them.

However, I don't keep them in a tacklebox.
 
At a show in Phoenix I handled what I thought was a 4" blue Python but I kept thinking it was too light and small. Appeared to be in excellent shape but no box or papers. Price was $500. This was about 5-6 yrs ago. It was a DB.
 
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That was actually a good price 5 or 6 years ago for one in fairly good condition (95%+). It isn't like that anymore. That same revolver is more likely to be priced at $1000-$1500 or more at a show.
 
The last Python I bought was about 10 years ago. A perfect 4" blued model I paid $600. My 4" nickel Python cost me $500 a little earlier and my 6" blued snake set me back $350 about 20 years ago. Keep going higher. I guess if Colt isn't interested in making DA revolvers at this point they never will. I wish they would go under and be bought out by someone willing to go back into business.
 
Those were the days and you probably had to be careful to find those prices then. The 6" I mentioned above was in fact purchased new for about $350 in 1978-1980 time frame. It was with me for a long time. I was just never a python guy. I have purchased them at shows for $350-$400 as-new and so forth in the late 1980's and early 1990's. The one that I look back on and kick myself for is the 6" nickel (bank gun) that I purchased as a set; a 6" nickel Diamondback 22 and 6" nickel Python. I promptly sold the Python the same day as I had no interest in it then, only the Diamondback. Still have that one.
 
I ran across a pristine Diamond back, 4 inch barrel, nickel, .38spl, at the local gun/pawn this weekend. $1700 price tag on it. Still sitting in the case.
 
The "snake gun" mania seems not to have filtered down to the older guns like the many Police Positive and Officers Model Match guns which were (IMHO) as well or better made than the "snakes" but don't have the value added by the names.

Jim
 
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