By R.K. Campbell | Contributing Editor
A few weeks ago editor Dave Workman commented that the new Diamondback Firearms Sidekick looked a lot like the High Standard Double Nine.
He was spot on in that assessment. If you have mourned the passing of the vintage revolver and complained about the high and increasing prices of good examples of the Double Nine, the Sidekick may be the revolver for you. The Sidekick is a close clone of the High Standard Double Nine.
Featuring western styling, the Sidekick is a double action revolver with a nine shot swing-out cylinder. This handgun, like the Double Nine, is designed to resemble a single action revolver. A plow handled grip, large spur hammer, and a fake ejector rod housing add up to a revolver with a bona fide western look. In common with the Double Nine, the Sidekick is nice handling and offers none of the inconvenience of the old load and eject one at a time single action.
The revolver is finished in a dark Cerakote. The cylinder is released by pulling forward on the ejector rod. This releases the cylinder and it may be swung out and loaded with nine cartridges, then simply snap the cylinder back in place.
The revolver features a front post sight and a simple groove in the top strap for a rear sight. These are typical fixed sights and are properly regulated for 40 grain .22 Long Rifle loads.
The Diamondback Sidekick uses a transfer bar ignition system. There is no danger of an accidental discharge if the hammer is struck. The revolver features composite grips with a good balance of adhesion and abrasion. A modern feature is that the Sidekick is offered with interchangeable cylinders, marked .22 LR and .22 Magnum.
Depress a plunger in the frame and the cylinder crane is released. Remove the cylinder, depress the plunger again and snap the other cylinder in place. I was surprised at the easy fit. The revolver doesn’t lose headspace but operates properly with a minimal barrel/cylinder gap. The ejector rod doubles as a cylinder release. Pull the ejector rod forward to release the cylinder. A single lock up point is fine for a rimfire revolver. The heft, balance and handling of the Sidekick are excellent.
The double action trigger is smooth but heavy at about 12 pounds’ compression; fairly light at first but meeting greater resistance toward the end of travel. This trigger action invites stacking the trigger- almost breaking the trigger, confirming the sight picture, and then breaking the shot. The single action trigger is quite smooth at just over 4 pounds. I would bet the majority of shots fired in this revolver will be single action. The Sidekick is a great choice for informal target shooting, double action practice, and teaching new shooters safety and handgun marksmanship.
All of this said, the two primary concerns of any sidearm are reliability and accuracy. I won’t compare the Sidekick to the original Double Nine. After a few decades out of production the High Standard may stand on its own merits. I will say that with the Sidekick available I would not chase down an original Double Nine for any reason. The Sidekick is the better performer.
My shooting evaluation was conducted with a variety of loads including .22 Long Rifle Winchester Wildcat, Remington Thunderbolt, CCI Mini Mag, and Fiocchi HV. The revolver never failed to fire. Loading and ejection are smooth. I use the handy MTM Caseguard K Zone shooting rest for evaluating absolute accuracy. At 15 yards the Sidekick put practically any load into less than two inches for five shots.
Switching to the .22 Magnum cylinder things were pretty interesting. I have a few carefully hoarded CCI rat shot cartridges. The Sidekick will lay waste to a reptile at 10 feet or a little more. With the CCI Mini Mag accuracy is good to excellent. I also fired the heavier Hornady 45 grain FTX. Results were good. The Sidekick is a reliable, accurate and useful revolver. It is light with low recoil and offers enough power for small game and pests. At about $320 MSRP it is affordable.
