Quote of the Day: D.C. Same for my little S&W mod 60 38 five shot. Truly a local historical site, and missed by all who knew it. Sweet little pistol, for sure! Since I carry Two at all times I dont feel the need to run out and buy Colts for $699 to get one more round. The fit and finish of this gun is crap. Im pretty sure Colt got rid of their custom shop so now who knows you probably cant get it done anymore. Back in the mid 90s they couldnt give the King Cobras away. The new Kimber revolver at least looks great for the money. *After 7 months of ownership the new Colt Cobra was in my hand and operational for only 4 of those months. I personally would like to see Colt revive the big old New Service in .45 Colt. I may take it with me. Buy a Smith & Wesson. That .357 Magnum, 4-inch barreled gun served as my introduction into shooting IPSC in the late 1970s. This describes what I believe to be the perfect concealed carry revolver. RE: Mustang II that was my exact thought! To gunsmith came over started messing with it and then started taking it apart at that point they couldnt figure out why the gun locked up so they put it in a lock box and put it back with the rest of their gear. The revolver points easily and the fiber optic red front sight is quick to acquire. The Colt Cobra, used by such notorious individuals as Jack Ruby, remained in production across several variants into the 1980s, then was recently reintroduced in 2017 as Colt made a return to. I have been a Colt fan all my life. When they were making revolvers 40 years ago, labor was cheap and technology was expensive. Acting like a spoiled brat if you ask me. Absolutely; hands down winner. It works one time, and then the cylinder doesn't rotate on subsequent shots (double action or single action). Insert your serial numbers by clicking them. but Economic reasons restricted my opportunity to own one of the percussion colts in the second release in the late 20th century. Colt Viper 38 Special Revolver (Like New in Box) Notify Me When Available; Brand: Colt; Item Number: VIPER USED; Colt Cobra 38 Special +P Double-Action Revolver $769.99; . Is it produced by Colt 100%, or has Colt partnered with anyone else? These have the same general size of frame and the same size cylinder as the older small frame models. Hell, TAURUSs stainless looks better than that. Firearms dont get much more iconic than John Moses Brownings legendary Auto-5 semi-auto shotgun, affectionately called the Humpback for its distinctive drop at the rear of the receiver. The new Cobra sports a Hogue OverMolded grip. So who will see it? With barrel lengths of 2,3,4,5 & 6, a 6 shooter using half moon or full moon speed clips or redesign the cylinder with internal clips as Charter Arms did. Gist of what I heard: I ran the gun both strong hand and weak hand. I would expect a gun brought in by Colt as representative example of their work would have been gone over by them with by a fine-tooth comb before it was displayed. It was my backup and off-duty weapon since I bought it used in the 1960s and it has never failed me or jammed. COLT (In Stock) 0.0. The success of the Cobra saw Colt bring two more of its iconic revolvers out of retirement. Im what you would call a Colt fan boy. Peace Officer Retired I cant think of any other gun from any other manufacture that got the level of attention and finish that the Python did in its heyday. I guess Im just too dumb to understand the brilliance of someone in marketing. The front sight pops into view immediately. Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. As I began rummaging through my stockpile of ammunition, I realized that I had sufficient quantities to really do more than just accuracy testing with the Black Hills 125-grain 38 Special +P.Once I was equipped with all the necessary gear, I strapped on the Colt, loaded up my speed loaders and speed strips, and headed to the range. Ive carried a Taurus 605 as my everyday carry gun for several years and have never had a problem with it. Instead of a high polish it looks like Colt went for a bead blasted exterior. The combination of the grip angle and rubber grip makes shooting controllable and comfortable. The Cobra shot well with both loads tested, including this Sig Sauer Elite Performance load. The extra-large trigger guard allowed ample room for gloved fingers and the hammer pull and mechanics were slick and sound. KING COBRA 357 MAGNUM. The finger-tip on that cylinder advance lever looks a bit DAINTY. They have graphs, charts other tests that resemble a pathological liar's polygraph test. Fits my hands perfectly and is light weight enough to carry, but Ive been looking at Kimber Micros to replace it for carrying because they are so much lighter and slimmer, but just cant make the switch. I was a big Colt snake gun revolver man in the early nineties. (Photo: Kristin Alberts/Guns.com). Upon inspection of the insides of the Cobra, it became apparent that this was a complete redesign. Stroking the side of the revolver feels less like stroking the slick scales of a cobra and more like a cat licking your hand. Dont need 357 magnum. I agree with you that would have been a much better plan of attack. The grips do not stick to clothes. Here, here. Looks like a charter arms for a whole lot more money and who wants heavy, big, bulky, outdated, .38spcl caliber either yawn waste of time reporting on this dead out of the gate no one wants revolver . Nobody has cried about price yet though i may have to scroll down more. Another modification has been made, this one to trigger geometry. I just dont get it. Remington's Nylon 66 semi-automatic .22 LR rifles have grown from 1950s bargain buys to 21st century collectors darlings. Additionally the reason their triger pulls are all over the map is no one left at Colt has any in-depth revolver tuning knowledge. Stay in the know. First of all, I like the idea that they made it a bit heavier but I think they made it too heavy. This is not John Waynes revolver it is a modern work of art! I guess you have to fill up space and sell clicks but coming out of the gate with a slam like this is a bit lame. Original Cobras were produced from 1950 to 1981. I lust at them on line but not a reality. In my admittedly limited experience with various revolvers, the only one Ive personally experienced that locked up (and not in the good revolverish way) was a colleagues Taurus. Tradition and nostalgia are important for a lot of gun enthusiasts. A. THE GOOD: Easy to shoot and completely reliable. I really wish I some of those Colts back todayId be a lot richer. The SP101 is one hell of a gun. Aside from that, very satisfied with the weight balance, look, feel, functionality and fit. Your email address will not be published. The new Cobra (l.) sports a stainless steel frame whereas the original was aluminum. Again keep up the good work. Now we will see if the name can pull them back. Now old and retired, it is my wifes preferred concealed carry, and we both love to shoot it just for fun. I believe that if Colt can get their act straightened up this would be a good run for them. Tauruss biggest thing going for it is that they are affordable. Folks expect a certain fit and finish from a Cobra, and by failing to achieve that, Colt is hurting their image much more than if theyd released the gun under a less auspicious title. see fit to give us a longer ejection rod in atleast a 2 1/2 barrel shroud thatll positively shuck out the cases (better even than my K. Cobra)? Buy At Auction. The S&Ws rotate out of the window. Colt being in the situation financially that they are would have made much more money had they built the guns the way they were built before the dawn of the Glock back when gunsmith actually assembled firearms and hand fit things that were a little rough to make sure theyre perfect before they leave the doors. Make the same gun in a nice They started with compact revolvers because concealed carry revolvers are the biggest sellers . And the price is WAY Too much for me to consider. Six shots at 7 yards in double-action. My father got that iconic revolver back in the estate, and it has naturally become a family heirloom. We fed a mix of ammo to the test Cobra with decent accuracy. Also, 2 of her 5 shots were in non-lethal areas. I mean, look at how successful Henry is in a market thats saturated with ARs. Is it produced by Colt 100%, or has Colt partnered with anyone else? Wide rear sights have very easy to adjust screws for windage and . If youre short a demonstration gun, perhaps RF could beg, borrow, or swipe an example he could slide your way for that video ? In these later Colt's repairs are done, not by refitting parts as in the old action, but by simply replacing worn or damaged parts with new parts. Re-profiled and radius the trigger face more like an vintage colt or S&W pad. Yet in this new small Cobra frame. Then when theyd gotten a feel for those, then do a test run of Pythons. Many other guns in the same size category hold only five rounds. I may even carry it with some Underwood slugs. Took a chance on it, because I love the balance and handling. Also they should make a Centennial type concealed hammer as the exposed hammer is a huge disadvantage in concealed carry draw, prevents it from being able to reliably fire through a pocket or purse and a liability in a self defense situation when the perp claims you cocked the hammer on him before you fired. I agree with the comment above regarding the answer from Colt as to why they didnt make this in .357 magnum is utter nonsense. They were distinguishable and worked well. The New Cobra seems like an updated Detective Special. When US Patent/US Firearms went out of business it all went to the scrapper. To purchase on GunsAmerica.com, click this link: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?Keyword=Colt%20cobra. I would like to have seen it in the original aluminum. Never gonna happen, Colt left most of the Python tooling in the old Colt building in the area where US Patent/US Firearms was making their SAAs. Yeah I would suppose they are changing some things I was there the day at Shot Show when they revealed that when it broke at the shooting range there was a bunch of chatter that I overheard people were not impressed. A. I wish I could take apart a trio of S&W, Ruger, Colt DA revolvers side-by-side and show people whats really going on inside a DA revolver, and what is required to get the timing right.. I fired the gun double action first shot cylinder started to rotate probably 15 degrees or so and the trigger stopped wouldnt let me press any further and the cylinder stopped as well. Back around 1974 I bought the colt detective special which is still my carry gun today. Like the 6 rounds. Barrel not too short nor too long. The trigger action in DA and SA is incredible. Many times, small-frame revolvers are suggested for new shooters because theyre easy to handle and dependable. The problem here is that many of the writers at TTAG havent been around enough guns that arent made from injection-molded cheez-whiz in their lives. I was able to find a DeSantis belt holster and a speed loader without much effort that seemed to be made for the Cobra. Although introduced at SHOT Show 2019, the Colt King Cobra revolver traces its lineage all the way back to 1908 with the launch of the Colt Police Positive. Q. I dont think I ever saw one in a big gun store unless, again, I had no idea I was looking at one. The cylinder release is still old-school original; it is pulled rearward to unlock the cylinder. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Its gone now and I dont miss it at all. Still I did not mind that. I have been looking to add a Colt Revolver to my collection for a few years. Some new Colt Python problems have been widely discussed online, including heavy single action triggers and a cylinder issue covered by Youtubers like Hickok45, but Colt has taken steps to address the concerns. I did some 12-round drills that required a reload, which was easy enough, with no difficulty with the controls. They laughed it off and got the defective gun out of sight as quick as possible but not before a bunch of us realize what was going on and reported it to our friends and I believe the truth about guns had something about it too maybe in this article previously. It was marketed as, and was, a PREMIUM revolver. The main issues that are being reported on are cylinder lockup and light primer strikes. Q. Im surprised they didnt offer them in anodized colors to boot. For how long we will see. I have had several of the lightweight Smith-Wesson revolvers. The Pythons were always desirable, the King Cobras and Anacondas were scorned for having transfer bar triggers. Shroud the hammer to be nearly snag-free. At $699 MSRP, that type of blued finish just isnt possible these days. The new Colt Cobra is actually an updated Detective Special with a fiber optic front sight. To prepare for my trip to the range, I pulled down that box of holsters that all gun guys tend to have and undertook my best effort to find something that the Colt would fit. You just described, minus the .32 calibers, an original 1950s-1960s era Colt Cobra / Detective Special. I have had the cylinder on a J-frame bind after two or three cylinders. After a 36-year hiatus, and to much fanfare, Colt brought back the Cobra in 2017. And it immediately turned heads, winning the 2020 Ballistic's Best Reader's Choice Award for Best Revolve r. . If you want a small revolver in 44, the Charter Arms Bulldog doesnt seem to have much competition right now. According to internet forums and YouTube personalities like Hikock 45, the new Colt Python has issues causing malfunctions. I see that the extractor rod is still a bit short with the 2 brl. Muzzle jump and flip, commonly associated with small revolvers, is nonexistent on the Cobra. While the gun world seems to be all about the automatic pistol these days and I have some nice shooting autosI do love me some revolver. The only chambering currently offered is .38 Special +P. Yeah, the same ol, same ol striker fired polymer affair. In the mid-1960s, he purchased a Colt Trooper from Massey Hardware in downtown Conway, Arkansas. A target load of a 148-grain wadcutter at 700 fps offers excellent accuracy. Someone else said if Darth Vader had a 38 snub, this would be it. The items in this catalog will be sold at a live auction with online bidding starting on Saturday March 18, 2023 @ 9:00am. Light. That Cobra was purchased for $220,000 at an auction in 1991. The fit and finish was outstanding and the trigger pull (SA and DA) was a glass-rod dream. As Col. Sam Colt wrote, Be not afraid of man or beast, that walks beneath the skies When danger threatens, call on me and I will equalize!, Sincerely, I found many positive features. Since the department required we carry a S&W or Colt revoler. Those 12 and 16 ounce revolvers are too light. Colt has made it clear that this is the First offering. Here's what it's like to shoot this classic scattergun. The MSRP is a bit rich for my bank account but in line with what others charge. There are a number of Colt small-frame .38s in the house here, but in the end, the one that goes for a ride in the big world most often is the Agent, the dull-finish version of the real Cobra. The Cobras frame was constructed of aluminum alloy rather than the all-steel construction of the Detective Special. Colt can produce the old style pistols if they actually want to put a couple bucks at it but apparently from your review it seems that there CNC Machining all the parts and assembling them on assembly lines buy gun techs not gunsmith theres your freaking problem Colt. I also prefer a .38+P to a .357 for a carry gun this size, and dont fault Colt for the caliber. This trigger is worthy of the name Colt, and honestly, it is every bit as good as that of the last Python I shot. Need Help?service@guns.comCall (866)582-4867, PO Box 1131 13800 Nicollet Blvd Burnsville, MN 55337 2023Guns.com. Alberts achieved six-shotgroups within a 2-inch circle at defense distances with no problem in single-action. The second version was produced from 1972 to 1981 and can be identified by its shrouded ejector rod. And it's not just for defense against four-legged attackers. This would never happen if they would have followed the original blueprints of hand fitting the action and the parts that cause the cylinder to rotate such as the Paul and everything else that goes into making a revolver revolve. The revolver features a generous ejector rod despite its short barrel as well as a full underlug. Leather, nylon, or Kydex holsters, it doest matter; youre going to get finish wear. I was hoping for better reviews. Finding a Cobra has been a problem since Colt discontinued it was in the early 1980s and originals became collector items. Q. I have had the trigger break on an HK P7 during the first range session. I had a Colt King Cobra in 357 Magnum a Colt Anaconda in 45 Long Colt and a couple of Colt pythons 1 in 4 inch 1 in 6 inch. 4 Anaconda. The trigger is excellent right out of the box and the sights work, not something that is true of many snub-nosed revolvers. Epic 22 Pocket Pistol: The Beretta 71 Jaguar. Thank God I Had a Gun: True Accounts of Self-Defense Paperback February 1, 2014 The Anaconda also ships with Hogue rubber grips, which help dampen recoil. LOL. Do us all a favor and dont discredit the quality and craftsmanship that you once had by turning out inexpensive mass-produced garbage. Rather than a smoothly swept oval, the trigger guard. So I love my semi-autos and my VEPR in 7.62 x 54r but for a revolver newbie, which is the market think Colt is addressing, this one is a winner. Maybe reintroducing their Snake gun line will keep them above water. Just got my Colt Cobra 38. Is there any talk from Colt to bring back the other lines of revolver will guns?? Colt also offers a tritium front sight as an upgrade. Q. And I thought the K6 was vaporware too until last week. revolver in 25 years. It stood alone not only in Colts line at that time, but in American mass-production gunmaking at that time. Colt spent many years carefully planning before re-entering the revolver market with the Cobra. For full auction info and info on other online ammo & sporting goods auctions visit www.paauctioncenter.com. Claims of as smooth as a python intrigue me a lot. The new owners understand that abandoning the consumer market was a mistake. That $200-$300 will buy a lot of ammo. Im thankful to see something not made out of plastic. It may not be the people in Miami who have the communication problem. While manipulating the trigger on the gun, I was impressed by just how nice the trigger felt. Ergonomics on the Cobra are exceptional. I was encouraged by the pull experience you had but yours must have been worked on to get the pull weights you claim. Fans of Colt revolvers have been clamoring for a new model for years, and the Colt Cobra addresses that desire. They should make it again . I believe that they were never cataloged. Why anyone would want a .38 over a .357Mag. Just thinking! That would be the bomb. The .357 Magnum cartridge in a compact, lightweight package can be punishing. After WWII, the quality of American gunmaking took the first big step down, with Remington leading the way, and Winchester following them down the chute into the crapper. Give us a grip option with more meat in the web area just behind the hammer (like my K.Cobra). Interesting reading, I dont believe any of it. Holy CrapI read the whole article and all the comments so far and the word Python only came up once. I am one of the Nations Senior Citizen, But I am and avid reader. Would it have killed them to polish the thing? Theyre the only Gun Company besides Caltech that you you have a constant supply of firearms being shipped back to the manufacturer because of design problems and just poor quality parts. To be fair, you'll get the same wear from opening/closing the cylinder on any revolver. As for the finish, I carry concealed. The trigger pull needed some work. the blued versions werent especially great. Cobra was the great carry piece. Comparing a Colt t a Night Hawk??? Running a hit piece like this because a demo gun jammed up during range demo day is silly and irresponsible. Features & Specifications of New Colt King Cobra: New Colt King Cobra Common New Colt King Cobra Problems and Solutions Slide Plate Screw Misaligned Sure and add a couple of hundred to the price. I think they missed the boat. Sporting a heavy-duty frame, and brushed stainless steel construction, the King Cobra secures a new place in the legendary heritage that makes Colt double-action revolvers some of the hottest collectible firearms today. I dont have high hopes for the return of the Colt snake line. Have you ever heard of the term the past repeats itself well this is exactly whats going on people have been Auto crazy for the last 30 years now we want something else a little different and a lot of these new automatic handgun Shooters have not spent any or very little time behind the trigger of a big bore revolver. So I get it. The new models are updated small frames like the old Detective Special and Diamondback. Left the top strap bead blasted, and top grip frame a little more muted polish. or when cocking to fire? If you have an issue with this SP101 being a little small try one of the new GP100 with 2in OR 3in carry Barrel its pretty dang small for a full size 6 shot capacity. William Tiewater. The new Colt Cobra is in that same vein, and while it bears the same name and specs as the original it falls short on a few key features. There still are some jigs that survive at the East Hartford plant in the testfire area but they look rusted beyond salvation. Lee Marvin carried two Colt Cobras while playing Detective-Lieutenant Frank Balinger of the Chicago Police Department on the TV series M Squad. i mean, what the hell were you expecting? The U-style (soft-V-style?) People are getting over the polymer Plastic Fantastic guns now and were reverting back to a cold piece of Steel a hog leg if you will. YES WHY DONT THAY MAKE THE COLT 38 LEFT HANDED?????? The lock-up on this Cobra, if they are using the original Colt lockwork requires attention from a gunsmith who knows how to time up a Colt mechanism to make the lock-up what Colts were known for. We simply have not had a large selection of revolvers to choose from when it comes to full size revolvers. A Cold War era classic with smooth lines, a legendary back story, and an exotic-sounding name, Beretta's Model 71 was definitely a mouse that roared. Demand was so strong upon its release, the Cobra was often difficult to find. Its nice to see Colt woke up and is back in the game. Smith & Wesson Model 586: Reviewing A .357 Revolver With Class. Colt's Manufacturing Company LLC A few. I wish I could take apart a trio of S&W, Ruger, Colt DA revolvers side-by-side and show people whats really going on inside a DA revolver, and what is required to get the timing right. Id love to see the Diamondback in a nice 3-gun set of 4 or 6 models in .38, 22LR and .22WMR, hopefully to be followed by the Python. However, it likely SAVED HER LIFE, regardless of how ideal the weapon and ammunition were for self-defense. Bead blasted finish? There have been quite a few revisions and improvements since the first run. Theres never been a better revolver for smaller handed shooters such as women. They call em like they see em, warts and all. So I carry a Charter Arms Police Undercover because its over 20 oz and holds SIX rounds. Ordered it in June of 2017 took 10 months. Hell, before Kimber changed things up, revolvers were even plastic. Come on Colt with the Pythons already We want new Pythons. How about a Smith and Wesson level of fit and finish, guys? The trigger on this sample was perfect; I checked the pull on my Wheeler Digital Trigger Gauge, and the single-action breaks at just over 2 pounds, while the double-action is a consistent 7 pounds. They both produced very nice groups double action with a two-handed grip at 10 yards. Hardly bigger than a S&W 640-1 but has a little more barrel and 6 rounds instead of 5. Colt 1911 Series 70 A full review of the GI model here. Had my dear ol grey haired Mother ship it to me as soon as I had an firm address. It made a solid click when I press the cylinder into the gun and I rocked the cylinder left and right to make sure that it was locked up previous to shooting. Why cant the mfgs. Colts rotate into the window. As a new Police Officer back in 1969 after graduation one of the first things was the purchase of an off duty gun. The Cobra was easy to control, with a very soft recoil. Excellent suggestion. It is June 27, 2017 and it is still not available anywhere. I get the sneaky feeling that this is a desperate cash grab attempt from a company on the brink of insolvency and I just hope they dont ruin what was an amazing line of firearms. Exactly. My experience with other Colt revolvers like the Anaconda is that they were NOT premium handguns. It will fit in a box 7.2 inches x 4.9 inches x 1.4 inches. Ive got a blue 2 1980 Detective Special and a blue 6 1980 Python.