Description
The Diamondback Sidekick 22 LR Revolver is a nine-shot convertible rimfire that looks like a nineteenth-century cowboy gun and works like a modern one. Two cylinders come in the box, one for .22 Long Rifle and one for .22 Magnum, and swapping between them takes seconds. This is the black Cerakote version with a 4.5-inch barrel.
Old Look, Modern Cylinder
The silhouette borrows from the Colt 1877 and the old High Standard Double Nine, right down to the plow-handle grip and the exposed hammer. What is underneath is not period correct at all, and that is the point. The cylinder swings out for loading and ejection instead of feeding one round at a time through a gate, and the ejector rod itself doubles as the cylinder release, which keeps the profile clean.
Diamondback Sidekick 22 LR Revolver Convertible Cylinders
Each cylinder holds nine rounds, three more than a traditional six-gun. The .22 LR cylinder handles cheap bulk ammunition for an afternoon of cans, and the .22 Magnum cylinder steps up the velocity for pest control or small game. Changing them requires no tools, so the same revolver covers both jobs without owning two guns.
Action, Sights and Build
Operation is double action or single action: thumb the hammer for a light, precise press, or run it double action for speed. Sights are a fixed blade in front and a groove integral to the topstrap, which means nothing to adjust and nothing to knock loose. The frame is zinc alloy finished in black Cerakote, the barrel carries a 1:16 twist, and the grips are checkered glass-filled nylon in the classic bird’s-head-adjacent shape.
Specifications
- Model: Sidekick (DBSK22LMB)
- Calibers: .22 LR and .22 WMR, both cylinders included
- Action: double action / single action
- Capacity: 9 rounds per cylinder
- Barrel: 4.5 in., 1:16 twist, 6 grooves
- Overall Length: 9.875 in.
- Weight: approx. 32.5 oz.
- Frame: zinc alloy
- Finish: black Cerakote
- Grips: checkered glass-filled nylon
- Sights: fixed blade front, integral rear
- Cylinder release: integrated into the ejector rod
- UPC: 810035752450
How It Shoots
Nine rounds of .22 in a full-size grip is a genuinely relaxing combination. Recoil does not exist in any meaningful sense, the sight picture is simple, and the single action press is light enough that hitting a soda can at twenty-five yards is realistic rather than aspirational.
Two things to expect. Rimfire ammunition is dirty, so the cylinder face and the ejector rod want a wipe every few hundred rounds. And a zinc frame keeps the price where it is, so this is a revolver built for regular recreational use rather than a lifetime of magnum abuse.
Swapping Cylinders
The routine is worth learning early. Open the cylinder, pull the ejector rod assembly forward, lift the cylinder free, drop the other one in and reseat the rod. It takes under a minute the first time and a few seconds once it is familiar, with no tools involved.
Keep the two cylinders clearly separated in the range bag, because they look similar at a glance and .22 Magnum will not chamber in the LR cylinder. Most owners mark the magnum cylinder or simply store each one in its own pouch.
Why Buyers Choose the Diamondback Sidekick 22 LR Revolver
Convertible rimfire revolvers with a swing-out cylinder are surprisingly rare, and most of the alternatives are either single-action-only or cost twice as much. Getting nine shots, both cylinders and a double action trigger at this price is the whole argument, and it is a strong one for a gun that will mostly see cans, targets and the occasional garden pest.
Who Should Buy It
Plinkers, campers, small game hunters, new shooters learning revolver fundamentals, and anyone who likes the cowboy look without the cowboy reload will get real use here. Bullseye competitors and anyone needing adjustable sights should look at a dedicated target revolver.
Learn more from Diamondback Firearms, or browse the rest of our firearms selection.
Every firearm we list ships to your chosen FFL and is transferred there after a background check.
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