Diamond Back 9mm

[JohnLM]

I need a little information please. I was thinking of adding a small pocket pistol to my collection. I was at my local shop and I notice a customer buying a small pocket pistol. I asked what it was and was told it was a Diamond Back 9mm. The gun did look good so I went home to get some info on the net. What some was saying is that its another Kel Tec product. I have had some bad experience from a Kel Tec 380 and I vowed never to buy another Kel Tec product. My question for the forum is has any one tried this Diamond Back 9mm and what do you think of it. I like the look and feel of the gun but like they say "I don't want to buy a pig in the poke".

 

[BluesStringer]

I was going to say that Diamond Back Firearms was founded by former Kel-Tec employees, but decided to double-check to see if I was remembering that right. Turns out I was. Link Removed where the writer gets that issue out of the way right from the top:

As I handled this tiny 9mm I noticed that it disassembled in the same fashion as Glocks do. The next thing I noticed was that it was made in Cocoa, FL. There is another very popular firearms manufacture by the name of Kel-Tec in the same city; matter of fact, they are just down the road (half mile). With a little more research I discovered that Diamondback was founded by a couple of former Kel-Tec employees.

Lots of pictures at that review. As I was looking at them, they struck me as more similar to a Glock design than Kel-Tec. The writer said they break down just like a Glock.

While an 11 oz. 9mm is quite a design feat, I can't fathom how severe the felt recoil would be. At 17 oz. my Kel-Tec PF9 is no fun at all to shoot. Then again, I didn't buy it for fun, I bought it for a self defense weapon, and if I ever have to fire it in that role and I come out alive, I'm not going to give the bruised part of my hand a second thought. Still, that 11 oz'er must be pretty darn snappy.

Let us know what you think if you end up getting one.

Blues

 

[KingsKid]

I do read a lot of reviews before I purchase a weapon. It helps to hear what others are reporting about performance and functionality and customer service from manufacturers etc., etc. That being said, anything further is basically just personal preference. Just like one person likes Ford over a Chevrolet. Yes, this weapon is manufactured by a couple of former Kel-Tec employees. Because of that some features are similar but there are differences.
I do have a DB9 and I love it. Before purchasing it some of the reviews that I read indicated service issues. I have had no problems that needed service so I can't confirm one way or another. I have short fingers so this weapon fits me perfectly. I allowed a friend of mine who has large hands to fire it and he had a hard time because it is a small size. But that's exactly why I like it. Small and light. It's not much bigger than my wallet! My son had trouble with ejections when he fired it , which I attribute to a limp hold because of all the rounds I have put through it I have had no failures. I have used many different kinds of ammo and the DB9 handles all of them. I did notice that certain kinds of hollow points hang up on the feed ramp some times but FMJ has had no issues. The edge of the projectile in defense rounds catches sometimes but I think a little emery cloth polishing will fix that issue. I did read a review (with pics) from a man that had the barrel explode out the bottom. (Very lucky that he didn't lose a finger or two) He admitted though that he had used +P ammo. The manufacturer is explicit in it's warning, "DO NOT USE +P".
All in all, I love this weapon. It's my daily carry weapon. It has proven to me that I can trust it!
So, read this and many other opinions, then do what your conscience tells you to do Happy Trails, KingsKid

 

[the dark]

Wait a couple of months and you will be able to buy a real Glock pocket pistol.

 

[Nukeranger]

I like my DB9 for size but find that I can line up a target quicker with say a Beretta 92A1 or PX4