Welcome to TFB’s Wheelgun Wednesday, where we take a look at anything and everything wheelgunnery has (or had) to offer. This week, we’ll recap the 2021 revolvers and gear to see what manufacturers brought to the table, which was actually a lot. For those that enjoy revolvers, or a narrowed portion of them, there’s something for everyone across the board; from single-action, top break, double-action/single-action, to holsters and a new loading device. Make sure you join in on the comment section and tell us what your favorite wheelgun of 2021 was.

TFB WHEELGUN WEDNESDAY: RECAP OF 2021 REVOLVERS & gear

As we draw ever nearer to the 200th anniversary of the advent of revolvers, the wheelgun market is still going strong and shows no signs of slowing. We might as well start our 2021 Revolvers & Gear off with Colt’s reintroduction of the .44 Magnum Anaconda. Although I don’t personally have much experience with Colt revolvers, it’s been refreshing to see them return to their roots to answer the requests (and probably demands?) to do so. Rusty S. and Adam S. both had a go at reviewing the new Colt Anaconda, which you can view by clicking the following links.

Wheelgun Wednesday: First Look! The NEW Colt Anaconda .44 Magnum

Wheelgun Wednesday: 2021 Colt Anaconda Review

SWITCH-GUN Folding Revolver

Another new revolver for 2021 was the introduction of the Standard Manufacturing SWITCH-GUN with a folding grip and chambered in .22 Magnum. The SWITCH-GUN is one of several different firearms in recent memory that folds to reduce its overall profile to make it more concealable. This particular folding gun is also opened with a spring assist, hence the name. If you’ve tried the SWITCH-GUN or own one, let us know how your experience has been. The following video is from Standard Manufacturing’s YouTube channel and describes the operation and concealability.

 

Taylor’s & Company Gunfighter Nickel Revolver

A number of single-action revolvers were released in 2021, including the Taylor’s & Company Gunfighter Nickel model, which is available in .357 Magnum and .45 Long Colt. The Gunfighter Nickel features a larger 1860 Army grip on a new model frame cattleman profile with, as the name suggests, a bright nickel finish. Barrel length options are 4.75 inch or 5.5 inch.

 

Diamondback Firearms Sidekick Revolver

The Diamondback Firearms Sidekick is another single-action wheelgun of the 2021 revolvers. Diamondback Firearms interestingly combined a bit of old and new technology by omitting the loading gate to an updated swing-out cylinder, while maintaining the old-school cowboy look. The Sidekick is also an out-of-the-box convertible revolver that can switch from .22 LR to .22 Magnum, both cylinders of which are supplied and have 9 chambers each. The Sidekick carries an MSRP of $320.

 

Cimarron Firearms Lonesome Dove Revolvers

Carrying on with our single action theme for a bit, the pair of Lonesome Dove revolvers from Cimarron Firearms pays homage to the Lonesome Dove novel series. The .44 caliber black powder revolvers are based on the Colt Walker pattern revolvers with engravings of the two main characters’ names on the grip frames. Honestly, I’ve never heard of this series, so I’ll be looking for audiobook editions to brush up on my literature. If you’re not familiar with the series or TV miniseries either, click the link above to read TFB’s Will P’s full article on the Lonesome Dove revolvers for more information.

 

Uberti USA’s Outlaw & Lawmen Series

SHOT Show 2021 brought the announcement that the Outlaw & Lawmen series from Uberti would be seeing some expansion with two new models, each named after a famous and infamous person. At the same time, they expanded existing models to include .357 Magnum as new chambering options. The new models to the series were “Teddy,” a reproduction 1873 Single Action Cattleman New Model in .45 Colt named after Theodor Roosevelt, and “Hardin,” a reproduction S&W Schofield Top Break in .45 Colt named after John Wesley Hardin.

 

Smith & Wesson 19 Carry Comp

The S&W 19 Carry Comp isn’t completely new, it’s rather a re-issue. The Carry Comp is a Model 19 that’s been optimized for concealed carrying and gunfighting with a 2.5-inch barrel, front night sight and a ported barrel for helping to keep your sights on target. The Model 19 is built on the K Frame, which means it holds six rounds compared to the smaller J Frame models. When I suggested grabbing one to review, I was surprised at the positive response. Some will be happy to hear that I did actually receive one on loan from S&W to review.

 

Korth Limited Vintage Revolver

Recently, Korth Revolvers, which are imported by Nighthawk Customs have been releasing some pretty radical wheelguns with rails and lightening cuts, which is met with some resistance. In 2021, Nighthawk Customs announced the Korth Vintage Revolver, a return to more classical aesthetics and features, while still catching the eye with the case hardened finish. The limited aspect to the Vintage series, however, is that only 20 were imported to the U.S. Ten with a 4-inch barrel and ten with a 10-inch barrel. Between the inclusion of some gold in the builds and its exclusivity, the cost was $8,999!

 

Heritage Manufacturing BARKEEP Revolver

Let’s move on to a much more affordable wheelgun, the Heritage Manufacturing BARKEEP, with a list price of $180.30. This revolver is another convertible revolver, that comes in .22LR, but a separate cylinder in .22 Magnum is available for $29.99. The short 2.68-inch barrel should help conceal it more if that’s your goal, but it would make for a fun range gun as well.

 

2021 REVOLVERS & GEAR

1791 Gunleather Single Action Holster

Since 2021 brought a number of single-action revolvers, the 1791 Gunleather Single Action Holster is probably a great piece of gear to have. Even though single-action wheelguns never really went away, I’d wager that the Ruger Wrangler really brought a new appreciation for them in recent years, as well as the Heritage models. The 1791 Gunleather Single Action holsters come in 5.5 or 6.5-inch barrel accommodations and are listed at $59.99.

 

Obsolete Arms Smokewagon Speedloader

The Obsolete Arms Smokewagon Speedloader was just recently announced this month, but I’ve included it just in case you missed it. This speedloader is quite unique in that it can be folded out to a flat shape to better fit in a pocket, then fold in to match the shape of the cylinder you need to load. They’re currently only available for the Kimber K6S, but more models will be coming in the future. Adam S. has volunteered to review these.

 

2021 REVOLVERS & LOOKING FORWARD TO 2022

Would you agree that’s quite a selection of wheelguns from 2021? I’ve just focused on what we, at TFB have covered, so if we missed something revolvery from this year, let us know in the comment section. As we look toward 2022, I thought I’d let you know some of the reviews you can expect to see. If there’s something we haven’t covered that you’d like us to review, drop us a line in our emails or just tell us in the comments below. Have a Merry Christmas, and see you on the next TFB Wheelgun Wednesday!

 

UPCOMING REVIEWS

• S&W 19 CARRY COMP
• S&W 586 CLASSIC
• TAURUS 66
• TAURUS 605