I’m a fan of 9mm revolvers. What helped me learn how to shoot snub nose revolvers was an LCR in 9mm. The price of revolver ammo, like .38 Special, remains high, and 9mm makes it a fair bit easier to shoot. Plus, there are plenty of defensive ammo options, and you can use reduced recoil ammunition without fear of reliability issues and more. I like 9mm revolvers, so imagine my satisfaction when SHOT showed me two new 9mm revolver options.
The Diamondback SDR
I’m not a revolver expert, so my opinion is barely worth a spit. However, if I had to describe my perfect carry revolver, the SDR would get pretty close. I’d cover the hammer, but I wouldn’t change much else. I’d probably change even less now that it’s in 9mm. The SDR comes in a nice shiny chrome finish that wears smudges just perfectly.
The grips are long enough to fill my hand, and the barrel is a true two-inch long option. The gun is nice and heavy, which sucks for pocket carry but makes it nice shooting. Oh, and did I mention the sights? The dovetail rear sight and the high visibility front sight. Real sights make this thing a blast to shoot.
The new 9mm version uses moon clips, which I don’t mind. I wish I knew if they were interchangeable with something like the Ruger LCR moon clips, but I’m not sure. (I’ll look into that and report back later.) The SDR feels like a high-quality gun and shoots like a high-quality gun. It might be time for me to see if Diamondback is interested in sending one out.
The Charter Arms Double Dog
The Charter Arms Double Dog was the first time I realized Charter Arms was still in business. As the owner of a Bulldog, I appreciate the company, but they seem to go in and out of business like I go in and out of Taco Bell. I do like their novel approach to firearms design and that they take risks and do things differently. The Double Dog is an excellent example of that.
The new Double Dog is a snub nose revolver, one of the Pug series, but these aren’t your average 9mm revolvers. The Double Dog comes with two cylinders. One allows you to chamber .357 Magnum and .38 Special, and the second allows you to shoot 9mm. The standard .357 Magnum model uses your normal revolver ejection design, but the 9mm cylinder uses the built-in extractor designed for automatic cartridges.
This means you don’t have to worry about moon clips. The cylinder can extract the spent cartridge easily enough and a dummy round was on hand to show just that. Being able to swap calibers allows for cheap practice with 9mm and effective carry. You could swap to the mightier .357 Magnum if you hate your hands and love noise.
Two New 9mm Revolvers
As a fan of 9mm revolvers, it’s rare we see one, much less two new guns. What’s best is that these aren’t just your normal revolvers. They both stand out. The SDr features a lot of modern touches that make it a solid shooter. The Double Dog allows you to swap calibers I like different, and I’m excited for both of these guns.
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