There were not a lot of brand-new revolvers out for SHOT Show 2025, but there were certainly some good ones! A few revolvers were revealed right before SHOT that were interesting, so the suspense was building for what would be revealed right before the doors opened.
The loudest news buzz was the announcement that Smith & Wesson was removing the lock from some of its revolvers. The Internal lock, located on the side plate above the cylinder release latch, was added over 20 years ago. It was immediately disliked by part of the revolver community and viewed as unnecessary and extremely unappealing to the eye.
Many revolver enthusiasts have waited for this day to come, myself included. So, with that S&W probably takes the prize as the number one newsmaker for SHOT, but as we will see, that wasn’t the only reason.
It’s always interesting to see what my friends at Bond Arms have come up with each year. Their DT47 (Trump Gun) commemorates our recent election of President Trump in one of Gordon Bond’s tough .45 Colt/.410 derringers.
Diamondback Firearms’ SDR 3” .357 Mag and SDR 2” 9mm are a couple of slick double-action revolvers. I shot the SDR 2” in 9mm on range day and was impressed with the action and feel of the gun. The little time I have been able to spend with these guns has indicated they are really worth a serious look.
Lipsey’s Exclusives
Lipsey’s Senior Vice President & Product Development Manager, Jason Cloessner, is a gun guy through and through. The expertise of Jason and his team is apparent in the exclusives that Lipsey’s continues to offer through their coordination with firearms manufacturers. Each year they bring great firearms ideas and guns for gun folks to the forefront. They have really knocked it out of the park this year!
For starters the Mid-frame Ruger Flattop Bisley in .41 Remington Magnum was a great idea and one that will be cherished from now on. Next up is the John Taffin Perfect Packing Pistol, another Ruger Bisley chambered in .45 Colt and .45 ACP. This gun comes with Tyler Gun Works stocks that really set it off with a fine, custom look.
Topping off their single-action revolver offerings is the Ruger Vaquero in .357 Magnum with a 7.5 inch barrel. The Ruger LCR in .32 H&R Magnum with bronze anodized frame and barrel and Hogue Tamer grips is a good candidate for a personal defense revolver.
The biggest news at Lipsey’s booth, and probably at the entire SHOT Show for that matter, was the return of the Smith & Wesson Mountain Guns in .44 Magnum and .357 Magnum, without the side locks! Tapered four-inch barrels, pinned gold bead front sights, and Tyler Gun Works’ Bear Hug Grips made of walnut have these sixguns on the top of many a handgunner’s shopping list.
Last year’s S&W Ultimate Carry Revolvers were so successful that lighter Titanium cylinder models, the 432UC-Ti and 632UC-Ti, are available in .32 H&R Magnum. Both guns come with Hamre Forge AFR Grips.
Staying with the same snub nose design, they also have the Special Operations Association 432UC and 442UC-SOA Editions in .32 H&R Mag and .38 Special. These guns have VZ G10 grips, gold bead front sights and the SOA logo engraved on the side plate. Finally, we have the Ultimate Carry Titanium J-Frame. Lots of great snub-nose options right there!
Rule #1 in gunfighting is to bring a gun! The NAA 22 Magnum “Rule 1” Edition ensures just that. This revolver is small enough to always have with you and the Hamre Forge Mini Hook Grips are a welcomed addition.
Take a look at the Lipsey’s website for full details on these guns and the various finishes and barrel lengths that are available for some models.
More Revolvers to check out
Pietta Firearms had several samples of an upcoming like last year. This year their 1873 Premier was the culmination of various designs that entail a fine finish of blued steel, color-casing, and checkered walnut stocks.
Smith & Wesson continued the trend with three more No Lock Classics with their Model 10 (.38 Special), Model 36 (.38 Special), and Model 19 (.357 Magnum). These classic, blued revolvers are certain to sell since so many shooters have called for the return of the “lockless” revolvers for decades. The surest way to ensure that S&W continues the trend toward other models is to buy one of these!
Manufacturers like Charter Arms, Colt, Heritage Manufacturing, and Taurus have released new model revolvers since SHOT ’24, but they were not recent releases like those mentioned above. While those companies aren’t featured in this particular roundup, I would still urge you to visit their websites to see the fine revolvers they brought out last year.
As I said, there is not a lot of “brand new for 2025” quantity, but we most definitely have some real quality to look forward to!
