new king cobra compared to original

[HOGDOG1955]

my new king cobra came into my local turners last friday and i was caught off guard.i was thinking maybe it was my brain/ memory but i was sure the frame size and grip was smaller than my old one. and i wasnt thrilled with the lack of contrast/sharp edge where the side plate connected to the frame.

so yesterday i took my old king cobra in to town and compared it to the new one.WOW. what a huge difference .definately smaller frame on the new one, and all kinds of other things very different. i then went back home and got online and found a review of the new king cobra at revolverguy.com and it confirmed all my thoughts.

not that im gonna ask for my money back or anything but i feel colt should have given this revolver a new name as it sure isnt the same as my old one. the new one does have a nice finish,changeable front sight and a real nice double action trigger but the size change has me thrown .

all this said. i now am waiting for the 4 inch adjustable sight model to come out,lol.

[SnWnMe]

I think Colt is after the CCW market with the KC and the Cobra. The former got a 3" barrel because a 2" might compete with the latter. Besides, most 2" bbl 357 users load them with hot 38s anyway.

No pics no King Cobra.

[Dan_Eastvale]

Good comparison of the two:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S-RD2uaEVA

Old Colt craftsmen gunsmiths long since retired or dead

Precision hand fitting a thing of the past at Colt?

[HOGDOG1955]

kc

I think Colt is after the CCW market with the KC and the Cobra. The former got a 3" barrel because a 2" might compete with the latter. Besides, most 2" bbl 357 users load them with hot 38s anyway.

No pics no King Cobra.

lol, i cant take pics with my flip phone.sorry

[Calif Hunter]

Even the older King Cobras were not the same action as the older Police Positive, Cobra, Trooper, .357, Officers Model Match or the Python. I have an original 4-inch Cobra, old Model Trooper and Python. I never managed to snag a King Cobra.

[buffybuster]

The new King Cobra looks very much like the old late-70's Police Positives, except stainless and full underlug. Frame seems to be the same size.

[ZX9ALLDAY]

What Colt did with that finish is pure trash. Looks like a Charter Arms.

[SnWnMe]

What Colt did with that finish is pure trash. Looks like a Charter Arms.

It's stainless. And looks nothing like a Charter to anyone who spent more than 5 seconds looking at revolvers.

[Robert1234]

Precision hand fitting a thing of the past at Colt?

Yeah, and that's why they'll sell a bunch at $700.00, and be selling them for a good, long time.

[ZX9ALLDAY]

It's stainless. And looks nothing like a Charter to anyone who spent more than 5 seconds looking at revolvers.

It may beconstructed stainless, but the matte finish looks horrible. Should have went or atleast attempted a brushed, polished, or blued. Also, not happy with the rough edges. Colt could have done alot better IMO

[dfletcher]

Good comparison of the two:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S-RD2uaEVA

Old Colt craftsmen gunsmiths long since retired or dead

Precision hand fitting a thing of the past at Colt?

True.

I have more than my share of "old Colts". They're well made and took skill to assemble. I've also just bought their new Cobra and sub-par finish aside, inside it's easily the smoothest revolver out there. Better than Smith, although Smith with the internal MIM is (whatever its shortcomings) is smoother than the old "Bangor Punta" era machined internals of the 70's we all chase after.

Whether in DA or SA pull there's virtually no grittiness to the action. The trigger return is just right, no trigger rebound to overcome like in the Smith. Fairly short hammer fall too. And despite having a V mainspring - more like a "U" I guess - there's no stacking at all.

The internals are pretty simple. Polished where they need to be and left alone where it's not. The hand and transfer bar set up of the new Cobra is an exercise in simplicity, as is that trigger return spring.

Upscale it to Trooper MkIII size and I think it would be even better.

[9mmContagion]

True.

I have more than my share of "old Colts". They're well made and took skill to assemble. I've also just bought their new Cobra and sub-par finish aside, inside it's easily the smoothest revolver out there. Better than Smith, although Smith with the internal MIM is (whatever its shortcomings) is smoother than the old "Bangor Punta" era machined internals of the 70's we all chase after.

Whether in DA or SA pull there's virtually no grittiness to the action. The trigger return is just right, no trigger rebound to overcome like in the Smith. Fairly short hammer fall too. And despite having a V mainspring - more like a "U" I guess - there's no stacking at all.

The internals are pretty simple. Polished where they need to be and left alone where it's not. The hand and transfer bar set up of the new Cobra is an exercise in simplicity, as is that trigger return spring.

Upscale it to Trooper MkIII size and I think it would be even better.

[walterSOBCHAK]

I have to agree with the other calgunner, if I saw one from a few feet away, I'd assume it was a charter arms. It may be a fine revolver, but it looks like a sub $400 gun. Looks matter to some and not to others.

[tuna quesadilla]

It may beconstructed stainless, but the matte finish looks horrible. Should have went or atleast attempted a brushed, polished, or blued. Also, not happy with the rough edges. Colt could have done alot better IMO

I agree, I can't quite put my finger on it but there's something really wrong with the finish. It almost looks... tarnished? Like they skipped a couple of polishing steps before leaving the factory?

[HOGDOG1955]

I agree, I can't quite put my finger on it but there's something really wrong with the finish. It almost looks... tarnished? Like they skipped a couple of polishing steps before leaving the factory?

are you guys reffering to the finish on the new cobra or new king cobra? the new king cobra sure doesnt look matte to me. i saw my second one today and decided to go with the first one that came into my local turners.