So has my shooting buddy, who experienced the same results when I asked him to verify what I was experiencing. Semi Autos are cheap, practical and suitable. Most buyers will go out and shoot their stainless guns, but many folks would relegate a blued Python to safe queen status like too many do with the Single Action Army. All groups were shot in single-action, seated off a bag at 25 yards, and the listed groups are averages of five rounds shot over four shot strings. Manufacturers, retailersif your actual, physical product does not include actual sincere and genuine customer serviceyoure wasting the customers time and money. Best review Ive seen here in a LONG time. I didnt lube them again or clean them until I was taking photos. Groups are measured center to center with a metal ruler. Hahahahha But it seems a lot like there are more people claiming that their Colt is bad than the number of guns that Colt actually sold. Got busier since then and havent had time to fight with it. In 1980 I saw a sidebar ad in one of the gun mags with a photo of the newly available 8 barrel. Not even in fancy colors. On June 2, 1955, the first production Colt Python models left the factory and launched what still remains one of the most iconic double-action revolvers of all time. At the time published MSRP was $505. Once the hammer is released from the trigger, it rotates forward striking the transfer bar transferring energy to the firing pin to ignite the cartridge in the chamber. The vents do look pretty cool. The shooting hand thumb will find the spur with ease and surety. The enthusiasm was so high that eager buyers joined a Colt Python waiting list or even paid a premium to get the desirable revolver early. Maybe I handled a bad new Python, but there should be no such thing. Reliability * * * * * Of course, if I didnt like it, there would be plenty of other fan boys to sell the guns off to. Called them today and couldnt get through, as per usual. , Ive been careful with my money all my life and this is what it gets me. I stared at that picture for months deciding that I had to own one of those guns. Ill read a few more reviews and decide if that government check should go to Colt. Ill keep it up over the next few days and keep annoying them. We all hoped. Shipping cost is $45 and includes shipping insurance to the CONTINENTAL US. I have ordered 2 of the 4.25, hopefully consecutive numbers, though when I might see them in this environment, who can tell. Have at it, which reminds me of the adage That is why they make Chevys and Fords,everyone can have what they want. The Colt Python featured a fully adjustable white-outline Accro rear sight and a 1/8-inch front ramp with red inset. The Python. We have 100s of Collector Grade firearms (not on auction) in our inventory and available for . JW thanks for a very informative review. Ill also guess that it was easier to make this system than the old, from a manufacturing standpoint. Some of the time, I have to take a propane torch to parts to get them to come apart (eg, red Loctite). As much as I bristle at that (I shoot the heck out of finely finished guns all the time), Im afraid theyre right. Capacity: 6 rds. Including inflation (and depending +/- on the decade), the price today is comparable to the Python of yesteryear. It may have just passed up my pinned barrel 29 Ive been looking for as #1 to get. Ive also been upset front when they disappointed me, like with the King Cobra, although I have certainly warmed up to that gun. We were allowing the trigger to fully return, are aware that trigger reset wont happen unless thats done. I'm very disheartened about this. It was that marriage of the ergonomics of the duty-sized weapon with target accuracy that made the Python so sought after. The subject comes up sometimes when re-finishing post-64 Winchester 94s. Very proper. There is definitely more metal to the top strap. If they own up to the problem(s) and fix it/them, then theyve done well. The blueing of stainless often requires you hit a narrow temperature range, sometimes you need to run the salt bath temp up and down through the range to get the blueing to start, then you need to sometimes agitate the salts a bit to keep them blueing the stainless, etc, etc. The heaviest of either gun was 8 lbs 6.4 oz. Yes, the Colt action is powered by a V spring that returns the trigger and the Smith and Wesson features a trigger return spring. My .454 Raging Judge once had the cylinder lock up on me Given that there is no way to easily clear the weapon in that case, that was exciting. They owned up to that and said that it was their fault. As always, I lubed the gun (in this case with the supplied Lucas Oil Gun Lube) prior to shooting. Spent two hours on hold with Colt before I got a living person on the line and they promised an RMA that never came. Over a single long session of shooting, I put 300 rounds of reloaded .38 SPL and 200 rounds of .357 Magnum reloaded rounds through that 4.25 gun prior to doing some brief accuracy testing. On both the 6 and 4.25 guns, the Armscor 158 gr FMJ in .38 SPL shot the best. Colt said that they had started using thread locker as well as tested to see if the side plates would come loose during firing. Note the last 4 words of the review. If you cant trust the US treasure check these days, whom can you trust? Please do call them back and let us know what they said. Colt has been providing quality firearms for the US Military since Samuel Colt's first US Patent in 1836. Lanyard loop. Its simply too bloody expensive for what you get. Dont bite the hand that feeds you. Of course, I was wishing I had a rifle. Happy out of the army to me! The gun pictured here was made in 1962. If theyre still being produced later, with no issues and they can be bought for retail or under, Ill consider one. In either mode the functioning sequence is similar, when the trigger or hammer rotates rearward, the trigger unlocks the bolt from the cylinder, while the trigger lifts the hand to rotate the cylinder clockwise, the trigger also moves the transfer bar up behind the firing pin. The Serial Number is under 4000, and it was delivered to my dealer from the distributor one week ago. The screws measured between 9 and 10 inch-pounds of torque required to loosen the plates. Its that speed in shooting the full pressure .357 Magnum loads where the Python excels. Any one is free to gamble with their funds as they see fit, isnt AMERICA grand,as for myself Ive gambled way too much to continue with any more colt products. Altamont makes some grips for the GP100 that look great, and really class the gun up. Which is it? Of the guns Ive looked at, none of them have it. Not to mention that this is Colt desperately trying to gain its following back after giving most of the civilian market the finger for years. And I was worried Hartford would screw it all up releasing a sub-standard Python. I'm going to be contacting Colt tomorrow. Me, Id be far more interested in the 8 barreled version like the one introduced in 1980. Rising to the top in a single year is . When you say surface, do you mean the finish, or the material, or the physical structure of it? Rated 4.68 out of 5 based on 31 customer ratings. Some were of significant value. I find it in screws. Screws coming loose on a sideplate above? Pubgbet , CHOKEDEE88.COM - . None of the threads on any of my guns included a thread locker material on them. Finally, our impatience was rewarded when, earlier this year, Colt released the 6 and 4.25 Pythons. Serial number range is PY2052XX, and there is already a "U" or "J"marking inside the crane that I remember, so it was supposed to be of the fixed models for the initial issues I believe. The full under-lug, combined with those rib vents complete a certain stout elegance. Weight: 42 oz. Same for Garands. The cylinder on the 4.25 gun was blasted and caked with powder burns after shooting it, so much so that the cylinder squeaked when I moved it. Be advised, I did see a couple of people slowly let the trigger out, and then observe that the cylinder would freeze when they tried to bring it back in. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaumont%E2%80%93Adams_revolver. The Colt Python has retained its popularity even after remaining out of production for decades. Saying it another way, I removed about 0.010 inches of material from the part of the hammer that contacts the receiver and stops further forward movement of the hammer. Absolutely not. Not saying that S&W and Ruger, the two big players in that space, are bad by any means (theyre not!). Excellent quality, great 178 grain bullet. 5 1/2 barrel. Colt-PY300168. However, Colt took the. Look at simply rugged, frontier gunleather and Purdy gear . Enjoyed reading your review (youre not a Colt fan at all, are you?). pweserge, spoken like someone long on theory and little real world experience. I own a 74 Colt Python and it is amazing. The cylinder never failed to cycle in single or double action. It continued in that manner through another 50 rounds or so, certainly didnt self-correct. Yup! re: the need for thread locker on modern guns. They put the hand in a perfect position to both manage recoil as well as get a proper finger position on the trigger. For anyone whos ordered a Single Action Army, or simply had a high polish put on by the Colt Custom Shop, theyve seen what Colt is currently capable of. Great review Jon. As of this writing, Colt says they have produced about 5,000 Pythons and they are split about evenly in barrel lengths. Lyman oven makes around a 190 grain mold. Barely fired. Blue or brushed stainless. Big black maw waiting to destroy my soul down to the sub atomic level. You know, before the turn of the last century. The original Pythons were expensive and genuinely premium pieces, this is just overpriced average (and thats assuming they really have fixed the reliability issues). At no point did I clean or provide any maintenance to the guns in any way during the shooting. Heck of a startup for a 1600 dollar revolver, if you ask me. Thanks a lot for sharing this excellent info! They lock right in the hand, and help make shooting the Python a joy. Nice colt wheelies thanks for the good article. Colt last week issued an update to clarify some reported questions with their rebooted Python series of .357 Magnum revolvers. I own the first Colt double action .357 Magnum, a New Service with 7.5 inch barrel, several Official Police revolvers, an original Python, the new Python, and I often carry a 1956 Colt Cobra. I shoot it better than my g19. Once the gun fires, theres no reason to carefully bring the trigger forward. Like from an 80s movie (or Stranger Things) where the trusty, crusty Sheriff ventures into the dark woods with his smokewagon in hand. YouTube has indeed changed our world . Bought the very fist one I could get my hands on, picked it up January 6th. The documented problem was that the cylinder would intermittently fail to advance. Now Colt, make more of them. I was also considering a high polish prior to nickle boron and then B coverage. 1 selling revolver among FFLs using the services of GunBroker.com in 2020. There is, IMHO, an intimidation factor involved with large frame revolvers. The only way to get a double action gun back in the game is to get that trigger forward as fast as possible. In any barrel length, the tastefully done marks and the finish makes the Python stand out. But it is more utilitarian. Despite some very heavy hand loads. Width: 1.55 in. Very through. Still, I tried a different method, and measured the end-shake at just over .002. I much prefer a .44 or .45 caliber. And this Python just might be the one gun I need to add to the herd. But its never bad to have another player, especially when the product is that good, and according to this review, the product *is* that good. But it seems a lot like there are more people claiming that their Colt is bad than the number of guns that Colt actually sold. ( 31 customer reviews) Sold: 18. Effective semi-autos (aka semi-autos in a useful caliber without performance issues) by a little more than that. According to Colt, the top of the frame has 30 percent more steel in it by cross-section. I just hope Colt makes them for a while so all the fan boys can get their fix leaving the rest of us guns we can buy without waiting on a list for months. Alas, all is not sweetness and light. But they will be more affordable as time goes. But Im happy with it. The Python has never been an inexpensive weapon. Fails to fire about half the time (light primer strikes). You just have to work at it. The stock Pythons front sight, in both barrel lengths, includes a red ramp front. New-production Colt Pythons retailed for $125 in the late '50s, which is the equivalent of $1,350 in 2023. Colt Python 6 A wide spur, checkered hammer and grooved, curved trigger provided maximum control and fast lock time. In CA we have to have a 4 inch tube to legally carry while hunting. How is it that Ive never heard of a S&W or Colt sideplate shooting loose in 100 years of production guns before this? boar with a Glock 17. I tested the end-shake with three different new Pythons and compared them to several old Pythons, including an unfired 4 gun. Then go shooting. This round produced consistent five-round groups of just under 1. Back in the day I used both eagle and mustang grips, lots of sanding and then a nice finish . A whole lot of people are starting to fire up their keyboards, telling me Im wrong, yadda, yadda. They were, and are still, fast to draw, fast to fire, and with a competent marksman, sure to strike the intended target. Slightly gritty. The Python is back! The eye picks it up easily, and combined with the rear sight, its effective at making both quick and precise shots. Customization on a revolver is a package deal. That may be good for Canadians, but not so great for those of us who can easily find holsters for 4 guns that may not fit just right with that extra 1/4 of barrel. Thanks for the review. The .357 Magnum can be a painful handful in a lightweight, snub-nosed revolver. Overall * * * * * I have a Galco Summer Comfort and a DeSantis Thumb Break Scabbard for my Ruger GP100 4.2. I was NOT surprised, however, at the way the gun press and Python addicts from the old days over reacted. I was thrilled to find a new Python at Cabelas. Ive always wanted a 2.5 one and would buy one of the new ones if they offered the option. Its not exactly what the Democrats wanted done with the money, which makes it all the more delightful. During all of that shooting 1,700+ rounds I found no issues at all with any of the guns. That was almost three months ago. Not sure if Ill keep it when it returns from Colt, as Im concerned about reliability. Yes. Mark A. Keefe, IV, Editorial Director. Colt in the past 40 years or so quality control lacks or is fairly non existent,can they be corrected yes but at a price and one shouldnt have to with what colt charges for their product. But in no way am I saying I dislike Colts, I just couldnt afford both. But, I just dont like to pull on the cylinder release. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. Do you have one to recommend or a particular bullet you like? Yeah, this gun is a hot mess. This detailed review implies the contrary, according to the author its all good. And, no, I dont consider the Volcanic to be a practical semi-auto because its a weird hybrid thing that doesnt fit into any modern handgun category. Unlike the King Cobra, and more like the original model Pythons, there was no discernible movement of the cylinder during full lock up. If you take a look at the King Cobra review, youll know just what the trigger mechanism is on the new Python. I was ready to be angry. I really enjoyed this review. Also in keeping with tradition, at twenty-five yards the 2020 Python is unerringly lethal. Colt Python 3-Inch Specifications: Caliber: 357 Mag Capacity: 6 round Barrel: 3-inch Overall Length: 8.5-inches Overall Height: 5.5-inches Overall Width: 1.55-inches Barrel Technical: 1:14 LH, 6 Groove Frame: Stainless Steel Finish: Semi-bright Grip: Walnut Sights: Rear, adjustable (windage and elevation); Front, red ramped My newest handgun is a stainless Ruger. Too many recycled stories and a lack of depth. Its not blued, but its the best brushed stainless on the market. Classic Python style put six stars in this category before we even started. Same comment for 1903s and A3s. Months before Colt was able to get me guns to review, the guns from my buddy came in. The reply was that stainless steel guns are what people will shoot. The Colt Officer Target pistols, especially in .22 and .32. If you mentioned it I missed it, but there is a difference in the frame. Buy Colt Python 2020 ENGRAVED Royal Snake Scale by Altamont 4.25" .357 Mag: GunBroker is the largest seller of Revolvers Pistols Guns & Firearms All: 973467538 . I never had any trigger hang-ups. Unequivocally yes. The single action trigger on that gun measured at 4lbs 8.2oz and the double action measured at 9lb 2.7oz. It is possible to blue stainless steel because it is possible to corrode stainless steel. BTW, i hope you and Jeremy dont leave TTAG, hands down the best writers/reviewers here! Colt advertises the trigger as falling between 7 and 9 and half pounds. I find that lack of specificity disappointing, especially since Colt also touts that the new trigger has a more consistent weight and feel. * I have a Galco Summer Comfort and a DeSantis thumb Break Scabbard for my Ruger GP100 4.2 stock front... Always, I tried a different method, and combined with those rib complete... Best review Ive seen here in a perfect position to both manage recoil as well as get double. 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