CMC Diamondback.

One of my favorite movie guns has been my Colt Diamondback - it has worked on about seven of my projects.



consequently it now needs a little TLC - I contacted Colt and they will completely refinish and reblue the gun, checking all the mechanics - I have also decided to exchange the four inch barrel for a two inch barrel - which took about three years to find! Colt no longer keeps these parts.
*Steve McQueen uses a two inch Diamondback with slimline grips in Bullitt.

I am also dropping down to the smaller sized "service" grips - losing the worn out "target" grips currently on the revolver.

I like to have replicas of the movie guns, that can work in situations the real gun isn't practical, or with armorers who don't have their EFP (I have a rubber version for stunts, already) - (or as sometimes is the case, you have a second unit running where two revolvers are needed.)

I found this one in auction and it arrived today - it is a really nice little replica - super clean.



CMC Colt Diamondback - still in box, papers, plastic wrapper and cartridges.

I'll swap out the grips to match when I finally get to that stage with the real Colt - and use a chemical to take the chrome to blue, again when the real Colt comes back from the factory and we know exactly what color we're dealing with.
BTW Colt turnarounds are in the 18 month range!

Here is a pic side by side with the real one - and new two inch barrel.

That CMC is a very nice find, to get it with the box and rounds is nearly a miracle! Didn't John Wayne use a dimaond back in McQ?
Having never held the diamond back but i have held the Python, what is the actual difference (apart from one taking magnum rounds)as they both look the same, did the diamond back come out before the python?

The diamondback is a "slightly" scaled down Python - also the trigger is more egg shaped than the Python, the Python has a frame mounted firing pin, the Diamondback has it on the hammer -

It looks like a big gun but isn't, actors with small hands love it - lol.

No parts are interchangeable between the two handguns - although the Colt Diamondback does have some parts, the grips for instance, that interchange with the Colt Detective series.

The Diamondback has an almost jeweled action, absolutely the height of Colt's precision hand engineering, made by master gun-smiths and workers, with decades of experience hand-fitting and smoothing metal, just before they were replaced by machines.

It is a delightful revolver to shoot -
The Python is not bad, but because of the tolerances of the .357 Mag, it's a chunkier, heavier piece - still a wonderful and very collectable revolver - look at the prices.
*IMO the .357 magnum is the best combat handgun round ever made - ballistics, power to weight ratio.

The Colt Diamondback, available in .22lr and .38 Special, is a very collectable and desirable handgun - and with the two inch barrel has a great look.
When this has been retro-fitted and refinished by the Colt Factory, I have the original box and papers still - it will be a $2K+ revolver.

The CMC was $42 including shipping.
*The cap firing "bullets" are inertia triggered, the hammer, sends the internal section, slamming forwards against a firing pin in the barrel, a return spring inside each bullet sucks the end back into the shell case after firing - nifty - the barrel excluding the tiny firing pin is otherwise open.

$42!!!!!!! Holy S&^T really, i thought Kickback was the only one on the forum who found bargains, even more envious about it now. 2K and you use on set! dont think i could do that. The python is my favourite revolver its just a beautiful looking gun, loved it from the first time i saw one in magnum force, has to be the 6 inch barrel for me though, it was way to expensive for me when we could own handguns over here which is why i went for the S&W M19 way cheaper but still a great gun.

I am honestly not 100% sure I will use it on set when it comes back from Colt - that will be in the balance.
It will not even have a cylinder turn ring, the blue will be perfect - basically a brand new 1962 Colt Revolver - so will I?  
- that's where the CMC comes in.

A lovely revolver you got!
Or even a pair :-)

As for the bargain... envy is the right level of congratulations ;-)
I wish (for Christmas) we could all find such bargains!

Freddie sports - he is still selling the collection on gun broker it is (was) a large collection.
http://www.gunbroker.com/All/BI.aspx?IncludeSellers=312461

Sterling and UZI still there.