I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid, I loved to watch The Lone Ranger. Setting aside more recent concerns that our culture has about political correctness, I remember the show both romanticizing the idea of being in law enforcement back in the old west and, also, the idea of always trying to be the good guy.
Flashbacks to pretending to be a hero cowboy when we were children is one likely reason that we’re seeing more revolvers hitting the market lately. Capitalizing on that trend, Diamondback Firearms out of Florida has introduced a new .22LR revolver on the market, the Sidekick. Virgil Caldwell gives us details:
The revolver features a swing out cylinder with nine chambers. The cylinder release doubles as the ejector rod. Pull the ejector rod forward to release the cylinder. Load, close the cylinder, and you are ready to fire.
The double action revolver may be fired double action with a simple pull of the trigger or in single action by cocking the hammer and applying a light trigger press.
The Sidekick is smooth enough in double action for an economy revolver. The best means of managing the double action pull is to stage he trigger; press until the hammer almost falls, pause to get a solid sight picture, and then fire.
The single action trigger pull breaks at a very clean, crisp four pounds. That invites single action shooting and most shots fired with a Sidekick will probably be while plinking or informal target practice. The double action trigger is pleasant enough to make for good double action training.
The traditional plow handled grip with GFN checkered scales fits most hands well. There is no step in the handle required to stabilize the hand for double action fire with the .22’s modest recoil. The hammer spur allows for easy thumb cocking.
If you’re in the market for a small caliber revolver for fun or other low-stopping-power need uses, then, the Sidekick may be one to consider.
