Colt Python? Color me unimpressed

[Air]

Honestly, I don't care for the way the trigger stacks on Colt DA revolvers, I much prefer the feel of a Smith & Wesson.

I have never shot a Colt Python myself, but I do have some experience with leaf spring Colt's (I own one, Official Police)

I also prefer the cylinder latch on Smith's versus Colt.

[Calif Hunter]

The King Cobra has a different action than the Python, the old model Trooper and .357. the old Official Police, etc. They changed to different springs, etc. The new model Trooper and Lawman also had the different action/springs.

[RussG1]

RussG1

[therealnickb]

I still have that leaking thing. ^

[divingin]

Well, I got to fire my buddy's 4 inch Python this week. He bought it new in the 90's, and it's still like new.

It's nice, but it's nowhere near as smooth as my smithed up S&W 627. As I said, color me unimpressed.

Is it all hype?

Back when I got my Python (early to mid 80's), it was just another revolver. Fit and finish were excellent, but all in all, just a revolver.

Common practice among PPC (Police Practical Competition, or something like that) was to buy a Smith and a Python, keep the Smith frame and innards and the Python barrel, and toss the rest (or at least shelve it.) The S&W action was considered more capable of being tuned to what the competitors wanted, and the Colt barrel was considered better in terms of manufacture and balance.

So yeah, a factory Colt will not have as good a trigger as a stroked S&W. This has been known for years.

My current feeling is that a Python is still just another revolver, albeit a stupidly valuable one.

[beerman]

S&W Vs Colt..I love'm both, but the Colts sit in the safe because they're worth big $$ these days. I personally shoot the colts a tad more accurately than my Smiths. Can't tell you why, I just do.

[Robert1234]

If it says "Colt" on it, for whatever reason, some think it's the bee's knees.

I don't get it, nothing made by Colt is worth a third what anyone is charging for it these days, but nobody's asking me what they're worth.

[IVC]

If Colt brought back Pythons and if they were at comparable quality, they would probably run about the same as S&W-s. The current price craze is about being out of production.

You don't see guys shooting Pythons in competitions and that tells you something. (And, those are the guys who drop way more money on a race gun than what Pythons go for today.)

[newbutold]

Dan Wesson 15-2 owner here, very smooth action and enjoyable to shoot

[smak28]

The old Colts are like antiques where certain people appreciate the quality and craftsmanship. Comparing old Colts to tuned S&Ws are not apples to apples. It's like comparing an antique 1965 Shelby GT 350 to today's Tesla. My tuned S&Ws are smoother, but I would never sell my Colts. Shooting wise...I'd choose my S&Ws. Collecting wise...I'd choose my Colts.

[sigstroker]

Well, maybe they're popular because of "Magnum Force" and "Starsky & Hutch."

They do have a nice look to them, but not something I'd pay for.

Yup, that's it. Back in the day they weren't considered "exceptional" or anything like that. Just overpriced by 40 bucks compared to a S&W. Out of the box they were SLIGHTLY smoother than a Smith but often had a heavier trigger. For the 40 buck difference you could pay a gunsmith to slick up a Smith to well surpass the Python. Supposedly you could get the Python slicked up to exceed the Smith, but it would be expensive. Just about anybody calling themselves a gunsmith could do a stellar job on a Smith, and that's a big part of why they outsold Pythons by a big margin.

[TrailerparkTrash]

[jimmykan]

All this talk about Pythons not needing gunsmithing...

Correct me if I am wrong, but don't all Colt DA revolvers need timing adjustment after a while?

In double action, the cylinder is supposed to lock up just before the hammer drops, and as the the internal parts wear, the cylinder lock-up occurs later and later in the trigger stroke until the hammer drops before the cylinder locks.

[AFTII]

All this talk about Pythons not needing gunsmithing...

Correct me if I am wrong, but don't all Colt DA revolvers need timing adjustment after a while?

In double action, the cylinder is supposed to lock up just before the hammer drops, and as the the internal parts wear, the cylinder lock-up occurs later and later in the trigger stroke until the hammer drops before the cylinder locks.

Don't know about all, but the conventional wisdom was that a steady diet of .357 mags would eventually throw off the timing of a Python. It's my admittedly limited understanding that the same did not apply to the Trooper.

[Gryff]

Correct me if I am wrong, but don't all Colt DA revolvers need timing adjustment after a while?

Not really. The Python doesn't take serious wear too well. But for the normal shooter, you're not putting several thousand rounds a year through your gun.

I have my Dad's 2-1/2" Python that he regularly wore for CCW for many years. Gun still runs like a champ.