Well I knew that post was going to draw some thunder and lightning...
Over many decades I have done plenty of shooting, and have probably done more of it then you have - simply because I've had more time too do it.
But that isn't the issue here.
Back before World War Two, Colt recommended that owners of they're revolvers should send them back to the factory for a free tune-up every year or so (more or less) depending on how much use they were seeing. Usually this procedure took less then 20 minutes with no parts replacement, and the gun was returned with perfect timing.
Times have changed. Sending guns back to a factory can be a major (and expensive) hassle. Increasingly the factory won't take them in because parts and skilled "fixing talent" is no longer available. Private gunsmiths that are qualified are gone or going and replacements are not coming on line.
And if one of these older revolvers does go out of time and not be fixed they can go downhill fast.
Now you and I are in agreement (I think) that light duty use shouldn't hurt the gun. But the problem is that different folks define "light" in different ways.
I think that at current prices $750 for a Diamondback .38 may be reasonable. However if the owner doesn't understand that it's now 2015, not 1935 and times have changed, under the worst of circumstances they may find themselves with a $750 paperweight. As we go forward the already difficult circumstances of getting one of these unquestionably fine revolvers serviced is not going to get better.
I took all of this into consideration. I don't think you did.
Also I did not use any profanity in my post.
I didn't mean to imply you did. The choice of words was mine. The purpose was to not use profanity in my post.