[a454me]

Anyone here have a Python they shoot a lot ? I got a used one a few weeks ago and shot 100 rounds through it the day I got it . I know a lot of them live in safes but a gun this accurate needs to be shot ? Has anybody shot one loose or out of time or had any other problems ? Thanks

[BluesBear]

I bought a brand new 6" blued Python in October 1976 (for a whole $275 tax included). I guess I put at least 15,000 rounds through it of all different kinds. I even used to reload .38 Short Colt Cases with 9mm loads (you could stack speedloaders 2 high in the duty pouch that way). When I sold it in 1981 to buy an engagement ring it was as tight as the day I bought it.

Sweetest firing wheelgun I have ever owned.



I sure with I had kept it and forgot about the ring.
:banghead:

[Standing Wolf]

It's a known fact that Pythons that aren't shot regularly and frequently gradually lose their accuracy.

Seriously: I've put thousands upon thousands of rounds through my Pythons without ever encountering a single problem from shooting. I've encountered incompetent gunsmithing twice, but light, medium, and heavy loads have never caused anything even like a problem.

[dfariswheel]

The reports of Python problems are kind of like the reports of Twain's death: somewhat over stated.

I've shot Pythons A LOT, and I've repaired a lot of them. In my experience, the Pythons that have problems are the ones that have been abused.

By that, I meant "Bogarting" the gun by slamming the cylinder open and shut, force cocking the hammer, or shooting double action by yanking the trigger as hard as you can.

Some guns take this kind of abuse better than the Python, but I've seen a fair number of "tanks" like the Colt King Cobra and the Rugers damaged too.

The bottom line is, if your gun hasn't been abused, just shooting it in a reasonable manner isn't going to cause it to suddenly fall apart.

[4v50 Gary]

Not enough. Guess it's time to clean it and take it to the range again.

Backwards you asked? Well, haven't cleaned it from the last trip. :o The 22 Diamondback is even worse.

[355sigfan]

shooting double action by yanking the trigger as hard as you can.
END

Oh I think your overstating this. My first pythong went out of time after just 500 rounds of da shooting in matches with magnum level loads. I have a new one I intend to baby. They are nice but fragile guns.
Pat

[Poohgyrr]

It's good to hear all this good news from you guys. There is a lot of other info out there, and not everyone shoots Pythons that much. I always take a second look at a Royal Blue Python when I see one.

[355sigfan]

One Python out of time so all are bad? This is how myths get started and untruths get perpetuated. All of my Pythons have fired way more than 500 rounds and all still work fine.

END

In this case it was the truth. And they are not all bad. Its just a fact the Python's does not hold up as well to constant da firing with magnum loads. This is by far not a revelation. Ask any gunsmith most will tell you the same.
Pat

[Majic]

For years I have heard the stories about Pythons being weak and fragile. The 2 I have owned have had 1000's of rounds thru them with no failures. I've also had range experts tell me about the weakness of Pythons, but ask to shoot mine saying they have never shot one before. If the design was so bad how is it now almost 50 years later that it is still on the market with no changes?

Before you ask the gunsmith about the weakness of a Python, ask him if he is qualified to work on one. Good Colt gunsmiths are few and far between these days.

[355sigfan]

Wrong.

END

Come now do you have anything to say or are we going to bicker like 4 year old kids. Your wrong no your wrong. We are more grown up that that. Don't take my word for it simply get out and take to people like on this board. Its not a big secret that the Python has a weaker action. Its nothing personal just fact.
Pat

[355sigfan]

For years I have heard the stories about Pythons being weak and fragile. The 2 I have owned have had 1000's of rounds thru them with no failures.
END

How are you shooting them. Single action with 38 loads 90% of the time I bet. At that rate you will not have failures. Try shooting some pin patches with magnum loads where the firing is all double action.
Pat

[dfariswheel]

There's some truth to both sides of this.

I'm a retired Master Watchmaker/Colt qualified gunsmith. I've been repairing and re-timing Colt revolvers since the late 1960's and I've seen QUITE a few over the years. Much of my business was dealing with Colts.

In my experience, as I stated above, most problems can be traced to mistreatment.

Firing full Magnum rounds doesn't necessarily cause the Python to go out of time. I have 2 stainless guns, one 4" and one 6", and of the unknown thousands of rounds I've fired, all of them have been 125 gr Remington jacketed hollow point Magnums.
Of those rounds, the vast majority have been double action.

To be fair, when I bought them, I made sure they were in perfect time in all respects, and I have treated them as expensive firearms, not some gang member's "throw away".

In the early days of the Practical Police Course, the Python was King before the "space guns" were allowed to take over. These Pythons were shot double action for many, many thousands of rounds, and I seldom saw one in the shop for a timing problem.
I always suspected the reason was, the owners were poor working cops, and they were careful not to abuse the guns they bought with their own money.

The "weakness" of the Python concerns the timing, NOT the strength of the frame and cylinder. The "weakness" story has mutated, and now I'm hearing that "them there Pythons are weak guns, they shoot loose and fall apart".

Truth be told, the old Colt action DOES use smaller, somewhat more delicate parts, and those parts have relatively small working surfaces.
The old Colt action IS complicated, and everything must be in order.

A big factor in the Colt action is the fact that it depends on PERFECT lockup and alignment. At the instant of firing, the cylinder is perfectly aligned with the bore, and the cylinder is locked tightly in place. This is one reason for Colt's reputation for superior accuracy.

Other guns like the later Colt Trooper Mark III/King Cobra guns, the S&W guns, and the Ruger's all have actions that at the instant of firing depend on having a cylinder free to move slightly.
In these guns, the cylinder aligns itself with the bore as the bullet passes from the cylinder into the forcing cone.

That need for perfection in locking, means that any problems will degrade accuracy.

The bottom line is, the old Colt action just can't take abusive treatment as well as other guns. This doesn't mean that it can't handle a steady diet of Magnum ammo and double action shooting.
Mine have, with no problem, and so have others owned by friends that I still shoot with.

In fairness, I also have to say, I've seen more old Colt actions with minor problems than S&W's.
This is due, I think, to Colt's need for a perfect setup versus S&W's and Ruger's "close is good enough" actions.

I think the bottom line is, the old Colt action can give timing problems more often than other guns, but it's not the epidemic some make it out to be.

I base this on 30 years "into Colts" as a working 'smith.

[Standing Wolf]

Before you ask the gunsmith about the weakness of a Python, ask him if he is qualified to work on one.

They all tell me the same thing: "Yeah, sure!" It's a rare gunsmith, indeed, who's actually qualified to work on Colt double action revolvers. Mine go to http://www.cylinder-slide, although I've recently found a pretty good gunsmith in my area.