[SHOT 2026] Diamondback Firearms SDR-A

A well-made wheelgun is a palate cleanser in a world of polymer-frame, striker-fired semi-auto, Glock wannabes. At range day, the first gun I shot was the Diamondback SDR-A, and it helped set the mood for the rest of my day, which I assure you only ended in sore feet and not libations, or too many libations anyway.

Diamondback makes a lot of different things, from ultra-micro 9mms to PDW-like guns with the DBX. They entered the world of revolvers a few SHOT Shows back and expanded into a couple of different sizes, and even made a 9mm version. The guns are traditionally stainless steel, hefty, but shootable.

The Self Defensive Revolver line has been hitting the mark for a couple of years, but for 2026, they’ve addressed the one thing that keeps their all-steel snub-nose out of my pocket: weight.

The “A” Factor

The A in SDR-A stands for aluminum. It is Diamondback’s answer to the super-light, pocket revolver category. By moving to a forged 7075-T6 aluminum frame, they’ve cut the weight to 15.6 ounces. For comparison, the original all-steel SDR sits at over 21 ounces. That doesn’t make it the lightest revolver by any means, but it’s light and affordable, with an MSRP of $614.

We’ve seen what happens when you use too much aluminum. Does the Colt M13 ring any bells? The 2-inch barrel and the fluted six-shot cylinder are still made from stainless steel. This makes sure the gun only goes boom in one direction.

Key Specs

• Capacity: 6 Rounds
• Caliber: .38 Special +P.
• Trigger: Double-Action Only (DAO) with a shrouded hammer.
• Finish: Glass bead blast with a DBGuard coating for corrosion resistance.
• Sights: Fixed orange fiber-optic front and a low-profile green fiber-optic rear.
• MSRP: $614.

Range Impressions

Putting lead downrange with a 15-ounce .38 can usually be a masochistic experience, but the SDR-A is surprisingly easy on the hand. We were shooting a fairly mild 130-grain load from Federal, but it was still downright soft shooting. The rubberized grips provide enough grip to grab while remaining small enough for concealment.

The trigger is a nice surprise. For a budget-friendly revolver, the pull is non-stacking and impressively smooth. When you combine that with the fact that Diamondback put a dovetailed rear sight on the gun, I remained on target out to 25 yards with ease. Not just slow fire, but shoot, sights align, shoot type speed.

I wanted to shoot it more, but sadly, my time was up all too soon. I’m excited to hopefully try a variant of the SDR for a longer-term test.

The Verdict

We got the size and weight of a compact revolver, the capacity of a mid-size revolver, excellent sights, a decent trigger, and an MSRP of $614.

It seems like a winner for Diamondback.

Am I forgetting anything? Oh, you can use most S&W J-frame grips with it to.

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