The only way to get a double action gun back in the game is to get that trigger forward as fast as possible.For those particularly interested, the cylinder throats measured at .358″ on a minus pin gauge set and the major bore diameter was dead on at .357″..9″ 5 shot 25 yard group from Barnes 140gr XPB round, 4.25″ gun(image courtesy JWT for thetruthaboutguns.com)When it comes to precision, the new Python easily lives up to the reputation of the original models. Save those semi-hand-made Pythons, the new King Cobra is as good as any of the standard production double action revolvers Colt … However, if it were like most of the original double action Colt revolvers, we’d like to see no more than .003″ of movement.Using a feeler gauge, this revolver came out of the factory with .003″. Considering my experience with the King Cobra, and how well I’d see the Pythons hold up during this review, I have no concern about the end-shake growing to an unacceptable level anytime soon.Recoil shield and firing pin hole detail. Looks pretty close to perfect to me.I own the new KC. Only four things matter: 1. It was a lightweight version of Colt’s steel-frame Detective Special. It continued in that manner through another 50 rounds or so, certainly didn’t self-correct. Religiously. The fate of the other five remains unknown.I’m glad you hate to correct me, because you didn’t. I’ve read that’s why pistol cartridges like 9mm do better in snubbies than you’d expect, because of the extra free-bore. It was sweet, no doubt. An endshake of 0.003″ in a factory-new Colt used to be considered the upper limit of the endshake specification. The Python had a $125 MSRP (the same as the Single Action Army).
Interesting.That 50 fps loss in a .357 cylinder seems significant in snubbies where some .38 spec loads are already struggling to open hollowpoints reliably.Ken Water had a great article on it in Handloader back in the day.Other scribes had noted it in their work but Ken wrung it out a little more.I have never heard of that either — although it makes perfect sense:I think I have that right — going strictly on intuitive reasoning here.Gents, here is a fantastic guide showing metrics for various 38 spl and .357 defensive loads out of both 2″ and 4″ barrels. I recently purchased the King Cobra Carry and it’s been a great EDC for me, but it was helpful reading a thorough review addressing the good, the bad, and the ugly before making the decision to buy.I own a 1976 Python, and it is just too beautiful to carry- that deep Royal Blue just cries out “Pamper Me, I’m a Safe Queen!” I’m sort of looking forward to purchasing one of these altho the 3″ barrel does give me audio-visions of ear-splitting report and wicked recoil with full .357 loads. Carried it daily on my person.
Strike two. It was to the best of my knowledge Colt's first aluminum framed revolver and was designed to compete against the S&W air weight series. We all have regrets for the guns that got away. If you mentioned it I missed it, but there is a difference in the frame.
The eye picks it up easily, and combined with the rear sight, it’s effective at making both quick and precise shots.
The only way to get a double action gun back in the game is to get that trigger forward as fast as possible.For those particularly interested, the cylinder throats measured at .358″ on a minus pin gauge set and the major bore diameter was dead on at .357″..9″ 5 shot 25 yard group from Barnes 140gr XPB round, 4.25″ gun(image courtesy JWT for thetruthaboutguns.com)When it comes to precision, the new Python easily lives up to the reputation of the original models. Save those semi-hand-made Pythons, the new King Cobra is as good as any of the standard production double action revolvers Colt … However, if it were like most of the original double action Colt revolvers, we’d like to see no more than .003″ of movement.Using a feeler gauge, this revolver came out of the factory with .003″. Considering my experience with the King Cobra, and how well I’d see the Pythons hold up during this review, I have no concern about the end-shake growing to an unacceptable level anytime soon.Recoil shield and firing pin hole detail. Looks pretty close to perfect to me.I own the new KC. Only four things matter: 1. It was a lightweight version of Colt’s steel-frame Detective Special. It continued in that manner through another 50 rounds or so, certainly didn’t self-correct. Religiously. The fate of the other five remains unknown.I’m glad you hate to correct me, because you didn’t. I’ve read that’s why pistol cartridges like 9mm do better in snubbies than you’d expect, because of the extra free-bore. It was sweet, no doubt. An endshake of 0.003″ in a factory-new Colt used to be considered the upper limit of the endshake specification. The Python had a $125 MSRP (the same as the Single Action Army).
Interesting.That 50 fps loss in a .357 cylinder seems significant in snubbies where some .38 spec loads are already struggling to open hollowpoints reliably.Ken Water had a great article on it in Handloader back in the day.Other scribes had noted it in their work but Ken wrung it out a little more.I have never heard of that either — although it makes perfect sense:I think I have that right — going strictly on intuitive reasoning here.Gents, here is a fantastic guide showing metrics for various 38 spl and .357 defensive loads out of both 2″ and 4″ barrels. I recently purchased the King Cobra Carry and it’s been a great EDC for me, but it was helpful reading a thorough review addressing the good, the bad, and the ugly before making the decision to buy.I own a 1976 Python, and it is just too beautiful to carry- that deep Royal Blue just cries out “Pamper Me, I’m a Safe Queen!” I’m sort of looking forward to purchasing one of these altho the 3″ barrel does give me audio-visions of ear-splitting report and wicked recoil with full .357 loads. Carried it daily on my person.
Strike two. It was to the best of my knowledge Colt's first aluminum framed revolver and was designed to compete against the S&W air weight series. We all have regrets for the guns that got away. If you mentioned it I missed it, but there is a difference in the frame.
The eye picks it up easily, and combined with the rear sight, it’s effective at making both quick and precise shots.
The only way to get a double action gun back in the game is to get that trigger forward as fast as possible.For those particularly interested, the cylinder throats measured at .358″ on a minus pin gauge set and the major bore diameter was dead on at .357″..9″ 5 shot 25 yard group from Barnes 140gr XPB round, 4.25″ gun(image courtesy JWT for thetruthaboutguns.com)When it comes to precision, the new Python easily lives up to the reputation of the original models. Save those semi-hand-made Pythons, the new King Cobra is as good as any of the standard production double action revolvers Colt … However, if it were like most of the original double action Colt revolvers, we’d like to see no more than .003″ of movement.Using a feeler gauge, this revolver came out of the factory with .003″. Considering my experience with the King Cobra, and how well I’d see the Pythons hold up during this review, I have no concern about the end-shake growing to an unacceptable level anytime soon.Recoil shield and firing pin hole detail. Looks pretty close to perfect to me.I own the new KC. Only four things matter: 1. It was a lightweight version of Colt’s steel-frame Detective Special. It continued in that manner through another 50 rounds or so, certainly didn’t self-correct. Religiously. The fate of the other five remains unknown.I’m glad you hate to correct me, because you didn’t. I’ve read that’s why pistol cartridges like 9mm do better in snubbies than you’d expect, because of the extra free-bore. It was sweet, no doubt. An endshake of 0.003″ in a factory-new Colt used to be considered the upper limit of the endshake specification. The Python had a $125 MSRP (the same as the Single Action Army).
Interesting.That 50 fps loss in a .357 cylinder seems significant in snubbies where some .38 spec loads are already struggling to open hollowpoints reliably.Ken Water had a great article on it in Handloader back in the day.Other scribes had noted it in their work but Ken wrung it out a little more.I have never heard of that either — although it makes perfect sense:I think I have that right — going strictly on intuitive reasoning here.Gents, here is a fantastic guide showing metrics for various 38 spl and .357 defensive loads out of both 2″ and 4″ barrels. I recently purchased the King Cobra Carry and it’s been a great EDC for me, but it was helpful reading a thorough review addressing the good, the bad, and the ugly before making the decision to buy.I own a 1976 Python, and it is just too beautiful to carry- that deep Royal Blue just cries out “Pamper Me, I’m a Safe Queen!” I’m sort of looking forward to purchasing one of these altho the 3″ barrel does give me audio-visions of ear-splitting report and wicked recoil with full .357 loads. Carried it daily on my person.
Strike two. It was to the best of my knowledge Colt's first aluminum framed revolver and was designed to compete against the S&W air weight series. We all have regrets for the guns that got away. If you mentioned it I missed it, but there is a difference in the frame.
The eye picks it up easily, and combined with the rear sight, it’s effective at making both quick and precise shots.
The only way to get a double action gun back in the game is to get that trigger forward as fast as possible.For those particularly interested, the cylinder throats measured at .358″ on a minus pin gauge set and the major bore diameter was dead on at .357″..9″ 5 shot 25 yard group from Barnes 140gr XPB round, 4.25″ gun(image courtesy JWT for thetruthaboutguns.com)When it comes to precision, the new Python easily lives up to the reputation of the original models. Save those semi-hand-made Pythons, the new King Cobra is as good as any of the standard production double action revolvers Colt … However, if it were like most of the original double action Colt revolvers, we’d like to see no more than .003″ of movement.Using a feeler gauge, this revolver came out of the factory with .003″. Considering my experience with the King Cobra, and how well I’d see the Pythons hold up during this review, I have no concern about the end-shake growing to an unacceptable level anytime soon.Recoil shield and firing pin hole detail. Looks pretty close to perfect to me.I own the new KC. Only four things matter: 1. It was a lightweight version of Colt’s steel-frame Detective Special. It continued in that manner through another 50 rounds or so, certainly didn’t self-correct. Religiously. The fate of the other five remains unknown.I’m glad you hate to correct me, because you didn’t. I’ve read that’s why pistol cartridges like 9mm do better in snubbies than you’d expect, because of the extra free-bore. It was sweet, no doubt. An endshake of 0.003″ in a factory-new Colt used to be considered the upper limit of the endshake specification. The Python had a $125 MSRP (the same as the Single Action Army).
Interesting.That 50 fps loss in a .357 cylinder seems significant in snubbies where some .38 spec loads are already struggling to open hollowpoints reliably.Ken Water had a great article on it in Handloader back in the day.Other scribes had noted it in their work but Ken wrung it out a little more.I have never heard of that either — although it makes perfect sense:I think I have that right — going strictly on intuitive reasoning here.Gents, here is a fantastic guide showing metrics for various 38 spl and .357 defensive loads out of both 2″ and 4″ barrels. I recently purchased the King Cobra Carry and it’s been a great EDC for me, but it was helpful reading a thorough review addressing the good, the bad, and the ugly before making the decision to buy.I own a 1976 Python, and it is just too beautiful to carry- that deep Royal Blue just cries out “Pamper Me, I’m a Safe Queen!” I’m sort of looking forward to purchasing one of these altho the 3″ barrel does give me audio-visions of ear-splitting report and wicked recoil with full .357 loads. Carried it daily on my person.
Strike two. It was to the best of my knowledge Colt's first aluminum framed revolver and was designed to compete against the S&W air weight series. We all have regrets for the guns that got away. If you mentioned it I missed it, but there is a difference in the frame.
The eye picks it up easily, and combined with the rear sight, it’s effective at making both quick and precise shots.
7″&5″ are great general utility blades. But that all goes out the window with hand polishing.I dearly hope we see a blued Python, and I’d fight a big man or a small old lady to be first in line for one, but I don’t think we will see them in significant numbers anytime soon. That would explain the extreme prices they are going for in the resale market.New-in-box 2020 Pythons, in either barrel length, are being sold for about twice the MSRP.
This gun is chock full of MIM parts, which is perfectly fine and a great way to get material properties way in excess of what is needed for those kinds of parts, at a much lower cost and lower waste/scrap rate for the same level of precision. Reset isn’t an issue.The King Cobra has a transfer safety bar, making it completely safe to carry with the hammer down on a live round. – The Colt Officer Target pistols, especially in .22 and .32.– I’d like to see Colt bring back some variant of a .45 Colt in a double-action, built strongly enough to allow for Ruger-level loads. My buddy was a shade tree mechanic with his own workshop.
Its simply too bloody expensive for what you get.
use the Glock. I am no expert on the subject, but it was explained to me by an engineer many years ago. Rifles are different. This system worked so well, virtually every double action and many single action revolvers have basically copied Colt's design.The new design used coil springs instead of the old "vee" spring action and the feel of the actions are quite different. I may yet still.Like my kids, I’m toughest on the guns I like. Perhaps some of the gunsmiths out there can let me know why they think this change was made in the comments. Small knives are nice and handy, but dull quickly and just can’t do some of the boning and butchering as easily as a big knife. To see machining marks there would be off-putting to many revolver aficionados and collectors who obsess over buying revolvers without flame-cut marks on that area of the top strap.“Well, funny thing about that: The original Trooper Mk I had a V-spring and E&I type action, and not the coil-on-a-rod spring and the later internals.”A guess: Drop in parts; no fitting, timing or gunsmithing skill required during manufacture.Probably to get a smoother lighter pull on the new one.Those machining marks look like the tap went too deep while threading for the barrel.
The only way to get a double action gun back in the game is to get that trigger forward as fast as possible.For those particularly interested, the cylinder throats measured at .358″ on a minus pin gauge set and the major bore diameter was dead on at .357″..9″ 5 shot 25 yard group from Barnes 140gr XPB round, 4.25″ gun(image courtesy JWT for thetruthaboutguns.com)When it comes to precision, the new Python easily lives up to the reputation of the original models. Save those semi-hand-made Pythons, the new King Cobra is as good as any of the standard production double action revolvers Colt … However, if it were like most of the original double action Colt revolvers, we’d like to see no more than .003″ of movement.Using a feeler gauge, this revolver came out of the factory with .003″. Considering my experience with the King Cobra, and how well I’d see the Pythons hold up during this review, I have no concern about the end-shake growing to an unacceptable level anytime soon.Recoil shield and firing pin hole detail. Looks pretty close to perfect to me.I own the new KC. Only four things matter: 1. It was a lightweight version of Colt’s steel-frame Detective Special. It continued in that manner through another 50 rounds or so, certainly didn’t self-correct. Religiously. The fate of the other five remains unknown.I’m glad you hate to correct me, because you didn’t. I’ve read that’s why pistol cartridges like 9mm do better in snubbies than you’d expect, because of the extra free-bore. It was sweet, no doubt. An endshake of 0.003″ in a factory-new Colt used to be considered the upper limit of the endshake specification. The Python had a $125 MSRP (the same as the Single Action Army).
Interesting.That 50 fps loss in a .357 cylinder seems significant in snubbies where some .38 spec loads are already struggling to open hollowpoints reliably.Ken Water had a great article on it in Handloader back in the day.Other scribes had noted it in their work but Ken wrung it out a little more.I have never heard of that either — although it makes perfect sense:I think I have that right — going strictly on intuitive reasoning here.Gents, here is a fantastic guide showing metrics for various 38 spl and .357 defensive loads out of both 2″ and 4″ barrels. I recently purchased the King Cobra Carry and it’s been a great EDC for me, but it was helpful reading a thorough review addressing the good, the bad, and the ugly before making the decision to buy.I own a 1976 Python, and it is just too beautiful to carry- that deep Royal Blue just cries out “Pamper Me, I’m a Safe Queen!” I’m sort of looking forward to purchasing one of these altho the 3″ barrel does give me audio-visions of ear-splitting report and wicked recoil with full .357 loads. Carried it daily on my person.
Strike two. It was to the best of my knowledge Colt's first aluminum framed revolver and was designed to compete against the S&W air weight series. We all have regrets for the guns that got away. If you mentioned it I missed it, but there is a difference in the frame.
The eye picks it up easily, and combined with the rear sight, it’s effective at making both quick and precise shots.
