Colt's Double Action Revolver Market: The Road Ahead

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Mr. Mosin

Mr. Mosin

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Musing over Colt's re-issue of the snake guns, and I'd love to hear what you want Colt to make next. Me *personally*, I'd want a new release of the Trooper Mk III (aesthetics wise), with them not screwing with nothing that didn't need to be screwed with- in other words, leave it just like it was. Modify the guts if you want, copy S&W for all I care. I want that 4" (NOT 4.25") half lug barrel. I want original grips to interchange. I want a high polish stainless or a Royal Blue finish. Not that "blah" looking matte stainless.
 
Mr. Mosin said:
Musing over Colt's re-issue of the snake guns, and I'd love to hear what you want Colt to make next. Me *personally*, I'd want a new release of the Trooper Mk III (aesthetics wise), with them not screwing with nothing that didn't need to be screwed with- in other words, leave it just like it was. Modify the guts if you want, copy S&W for all I care. I want that 4" (NOT 4.25") half lug barrel. I want original grips to interchange. I want a high polish stainless or a Royal Blue finish. Not that "blah" looking matte stainless.
Click to expand...
A viable new Trooper Mk III would have to be a modified new Python--which would be great.

Solid rib, half lug barrel.

There are business reasons why it would have to have a 4.25 inch barrel.

Environmental regs and cost dictate stainless over Royal Blue.
 
Right now, the new Python remains a hot item
in auction biddings and the few at LGSs. If
the suggested retail price or below is to be
achieved, Colt needs to ramp up its
production. Until then the new Python
remains, as I see it, a boutique firearm.

As a boutique firearm, it exists more for
most buyers to talk about if at all but not to
buy.

Had Colt wished to fill the Trooper market,
which some here think exists, it could have
launched King Cobra as a firearm more
in keeping like the original instead of
a costly Diamondback in disguise.
 
UncleEd said:
Right now, the new Python remains a hot item
in auction biddings and the few at LGSs. If
the suggested retail price or below is to be
achieved, Colt needs to ramp up its
production. Until then the new Python
remains, as I see it, a boutique firearm
Click to expand...
The price is a function of demand.

UncleEd said:
Had Colt wished to fill the Trooper market,
which some here think exists, it could have
launched King Cobra as a firearm more
in keeping like the original instead of
a costly Diamondback in disguise.
Click to expand...
The Trooper has the same frame as the Python. Whether a market exists remains to be seen, but commonality with the Python is a significant potential advantage.

The King Cobra is a lot smaller, and the gun is more for the CCW market.
 
Kleanbore,

Of course, the price of the Pythons is a function
of demand. But what people are paying now
reflects the lack of enough product. Before
wondering about filling a new market with
a Trooper, Colt should concentrate on
the 2020 Python production.

As to the King Cobra, the original one was
an extension of the Trooper heritage.
The new King Cobra is of the "D" frame
family, not the "J" frame (if you prefer,
the "AA" frame). The current
King Cobra should have been named
the Diamondback in keeping with its
frame size.

And yes, I realize the original Troopers
used the lockwork used in the Python
(the "I" frame, offspring of the "E" frame)
but then was simplified..
 
Last edited:
None of em. Keep the classics as classics.

Just as Ford did with my beloved Bronco and Dodge did with the Hemi, the new Python has little in common with the original.

Id like for Colt to add to the Snake line. There are thousands of kinds of snakes. Gimme a royal blue New Service frame, 4" barrel, shooting 327FM/32H&R. Id call it the Blue Racer.
 
Bluing is becoming prohibitively expensive thanks to the EPA. This will not get better under the new regime.

I strongly suspect that Colt designed the current Python frame to be capable of upscaling into a .44 Magnum, even if it is only a five-shot cylinder.

Personally, Id rather see a new .22 based on the Cobra Target frame. 8-shot, 4 and 6" barrels, stainless is fine. Call it the new Officers Model (or whatever), price it under 7 bills and sign me up!
 
A nice .22LR and .22 mag I think would sell if they keep the price reasonable.

I would love a .32L or .32Mag, better yet a .327 but that is me.

If I were them I'm not sure I would do much 38/357 as that market is crowded and it seem they have limited capacity. With a S&W J frame at $500 or so I don't think I would try to compete there.

Anaconda would be neat but not sure the demand is there after the first surge of pent up buyers.

I hope they stay alive no matter what they make, and making me happy is not important to their bottom line.
 
New Pocket (coltfever.com)

Colt should bring these back to the market.

"The New Pocket was a much better design then the New Army & Navy revolvers, having an improved simpler, more sturdy action.
The New Pocket was an immediate hit with police and civilian buyers, and was the first of a series of Colt revolvers that dominated the police market for the next 70 years."

Maybe stiffen it up a bit for 32 H&R magnum?
 
P5 Guy said:
Colt should bring these back to the market.
Click to expand...
Why? A tiny revolver that was not drop-safe, sized for a low powered cartridge with an outside-lubricated bullet??

They stopped making them in 1905. The Police Positive was far superior. The Police Positive Special led to the Detective Special. We now have the new Cobra for that role.
 
Kleanbore said:
A viable new Trooper Mk III would have to be a modified new Python--which would be great.

Solid rib, half lug barrel.

There are business reasons why it would have to have a 4.25 inch barrel.

Environmental regs and cost dictate stainless over Royal Blue.
Click to expand...

Kleanbore said:
The price is a function of demand.

The Trooper has the same frame as the Python. Whether a market exists remains to be seen, but commonality with the Python is a significant potential advantage.

The King Cobra is a lot smaller, and the gun is more for the CCW market.
Click to expand...

The "original" Trooper and the Python where the Colt I frame. The Trooper MKIII was a Colt J frame. The Trooper MK V was the Colt V frame. They could quite easily modify the New Python to a New Trooper. Something true to the MKIII would be much harder.
 
Kleanbore said:
Why? A tiny revolver that was not drop-safe, sized for a low powered cartridge with an outside-lubricated bullet??

They stopped making them in 1905. The Police Positive was far superior. The Police Positive Special led to the Detective Special. We now have the new Cobra for that role.
Click to expand...
Perhaps he meant the frame size. And it's not like Colt couldn't modify the action. Lord have mercy.
 
Mr. Mosin said:
Perhaps he meant the frame size. And it's not like Colt couldn't modify the action. Lord have mercy.
Click to expand...
Why would anyone in their right mind go back to an obsolete design and modify it, when the current product is in its third iteration of modification?

The original frame size would not accommodate a hammer block safety or handle modern cartridges.

That's why it was dropped.
 
Kleanbore said:
Why would anyone in their right mind go back to an obsolete design and modify it, when the current product is in its third iteration of modification?

The original frame size would not accommodate a hammer block safety or handle modern cartridges.

That's why it was dropped.
Click to expand...
I guarantee Colt could modify the action.
 
I'd like to see the Anaconda return in blued steel.

The EPA is not the reason why bluing is on the decline. The American consumer that wants dishwasher-safe stainless is the reason. That and no one wants to pay for proper polishing. They're already doing an awesome job polishing the new Python so a blued version would be easy.

DA .357's are not really my thing but it'd be cool to see the Trooper return, in the form of a new Python with less finish work and a lugless barrel. They could make it matte blued and call it the Peacekeeper I wanted as a kid. :p
 
Mr. Mosin said:
I guarantee Colt could modify the action.
Click to expand...
The question was "why?"

Why would they drag a long-obsolete design out of the archives and modify and enlarge it when they have already done that and have the Cobra in production?
 
Kleanbore said:
The question was "why?"

Why would they drag a long-obsolete design out of the archives and modify and enlarge it when they have already done that and have the Cobra in production?
Click to expand...
For the same reason S&W still lists the Mdl's 10, 64, 67, 36, and 27. *Someone* would buy em. Designate em a collector's item, chamber em in .32 H&R; and I guarantee; *someone* will buy enough of em to make production worthwhile.
 
Mr. Mosin said:
*Someone* would buy em.
Click to expand...

Why? Have you ever seen or heard anything that would indicate the existence of a demand for rehashing the long gone and little known Col New Pocket.?

Would that "someone" make the business case close?

What are the "em" that you are visualizing? How might they differ from the New Cobra?
 
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