Colt Cobra as a Carry Gun

If the size and weight are OK with you, I think it would make an excellent choice. They have very nice triggers and that 6th hole is nice.

Only thing to remember with Colt is that there are less qualified gunsmiths knowledgeable about them than there are S&W gunsmiths, especially today. Also; you have the concern of getting parts 20 years down the line. Colt may well change their lockup and guts... *again*. Honestly ? I'd go with a S&W 640 Pro or Ruger SP101.

I think it is an excellent choice. 6 rounds, great trigger.

Mr. Mosin said:

Only thing to remember with Colt is that there are less qualified gunsmiths knowledgeable about them than there are S&W gunsmiths, especially today. Also; you have the concern of getting parts 20 years down the line. Colt may well change their lockup and guts... *again*. Honestly ? I'd go with a S&W 640 Pro or Ruger SP101.

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I'm pretty sure the factory will be more than able to handle parts and service for the Cobra for many years to come.
Although it may be more difficult to find a good gunsmith for old Colts I think ALOT of that is just people repeating what they read on the internet.
I don't own a single Colt product but it has nothing to do with the availability of a gunsmith.

Kleanbore said:

Why would that be a bigger problem with Colt than with Ruger or Smith?

All product designs change over time.

The Colt has more capacity and a much better trigger pull.

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Because Colt is constantly teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

I've used mine for a year or so, and like it a lot. Great shooting gun, great trigger, the fiber optic front sight just jumps out at me. The grip is big enough for me to get a good purchase on. A little bigger than a J-frame, not as big as a K. It's the "Goldilocks" gun. If it breaks, I'll get it fixed. If I can't get it fixed, I'll pull something else out of the safe and use that.

Yea. I like mine.

I have an early 70's model. nice trigger but I can't seem to shoot it well quickly. I tend to grip the gun high and this revolver's grips are designed to hold low. When I grip it the way I normally do any other gun i will shoot high because my wrist naturally wants to straighten out. I have to consciously think about twisting my wrist downward. I also get mu trigger finger beat up with the guard. Don't know why.


EDIT - Sorry, I missed the part about the "NEW" model.

Kleanbore said:

Have you analyzed their most recent Statements of Financial Position?

Have you noted their ability to develop excellent new products and bring them to market?

Does the demand for those product indicate anything to you?

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Nope, to all of the above. And reinventing the wheel isn't new.

I own one. I also own a Ruger SP 101 .38 Spl., a S&W Model 49 nickel Bodyguard and a S&W Model 642, both in .38 Spl.

Of the four, the Colt has far better sights, a much better trigger in DA and SA and carries one more round than the other three five-shooters.

Now the 642 has ok sights, it is alloy so it is lighter and it has a truly snag-free hammer so it carries better than all the others. The caveat is recoil with anything more than lighter loads will go from attention-getting to obnoxious as the power level of the rounds go up into the more defense- effective +P territory.

My 49 has a snag free shroud over the hammer but the shiny, narrow sights are useless.

The SP 101 is a tank of a snub nose. Recoil is mitigated by the weight of it...which is good and bad. The sights are good, but the trigger stacks something fierce at the end of the DA stroke.

I’ve shot these four a lot. If I was to EDC a 2” .38 revolver, IMHO the .38 Spl Cobra is the best one of the four I have.

Stay safe.

My pick for a revolver chambered in .38 Special to be carried concealed for self-defense is the Colt Cobra; that is, the "First Issue" Cobra, made from 1950 to 1973. Weighing an ounce under a pound, having a cylinder width of 1.397 (only a tenth of an inch wider than a Smith "J-frame" revolver, and yet carrying 20% more ammunition than a J-frame-six rounds vs five). Long discontinued, of course, and not easy to find but one in good condition shouldn't cost much more than five hundred bucks. Yeah, parts and service can be issues but taken care of and shooting a modest number of "standard" (as opposed to +"P") .38 Special loads through a Cobra in good condition, should keep you in the running for the rest of your life.

I think it would be a solid choice, though I wouldn’t overlook the Kimber K6s either. It has the extra advantage of being quite pocketable.

I like mine and trust it.

There are lighter and cheaper .38 Specials carry revolvers out there, but I’m not sure there are better .38 Special carry revolvers out there.

The new Cobra would be my first choice for a brand new snub .38.

I think Colt is likely to bankrupt. That won't likely mean an end to production though. It will mean new owners and reorganizing. It seems likely they will continue to produce 1911's and SAA's because there is substantial demand for the brand on those models even though it is otherwise totally impossible to make a normal profit (as opposed to merely an accounting profit) producing guns of a type where there are innumerable other manufacturers producing clones. They did, afterall, end their civilian sales of AR-15's for that very reason.

What happens to Colt's new revolver line over the next 20 years is anybody's guess. Neither Trump nor Biden are going to sell a lot of Pythons. I offer no criticism of the guns themselves, but I doubt they are the cash cow that some enthusiasts might imagine they are. If a determined board of directors went looking for real profits, they might easily decide to ditch DA revolvers and focus on law enforcement contracts. If they beat Glock and M&P there the civilian sales would follow. Right now, they're not even trying. The Cobra can't possibly be attractive on either the margin or the volume. At least with the SAA, there's some margin.

I don't think this is a good reason to forgo purchasing one. I can't imagine anything remarkable about keeping one running for another 100 years or more.

Only companies that will service out of production models are Smith and Charter.

Ruger no longer services the "Six" series.

I really like my Charter Police Bulldog... 6 shot 38spl
20oz ... steel frame..

If pocket carry was a thing for me, I’d really consider the K6S. But for belt carry the Colt is far more practical given my hand size.

Not enough after market options for the K6S for my liking.

Edit: While I detest rubber grips, I see Hogue now makes a set that has some material on the back strap. That’s where I need it, so that sort of changes my interest level.

Still though, the Colt is really nice.

labnoti said:

What happens to Colt's new revolver line over the next 20 years is anybody's guess.

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When you get to a certain age, it doesn't make much difference.

Wolf we all gotta get older. These pipsqueaks running around all young and strong with no pains all got theirs coming...

Blue Brick said:

Only companies that will service out of production models are Smith and Charter.

Ruger no longer services the "Six" series.

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I do know Smith charges for older Model gun repairs. It’s not exorbitant, but it’s not cheap either.
With that being said, I have no issue sending an older Smith back to the Mothership if it needs work. Every gun they’ve worked on for me has come back good-as-new .
Stay safe.