I am the owner of three new Colts, two Pythons and an Anaconda. I am very satisfied with them although I am not a fanboy. If a gun doesn’t work as expected, I change it ‘til it does or I send it on its way. All three of the snakes have met or exceeded my overall quality, accuracy and durability requirements. I do not have all the answers to the very precise and interesting technical/engineering questions being asked. I am fairly certain (90%?) that EDM parts are used but not MIM - I may be mistaken but I believe those parts are made by Pratt-Whitney to Colt specifications.
I had “trouble” with the rear sights on my 6” Python and 6” Anaconda. Now, what I mean is that I didn’t like that they were wiggly. They did not come loose nor did they affect accuracy as far as I could ever tell. I just don’t like rear adjustable sights to feel loose. It wasn’t a matter of them being locktighted as that wouldn’t have changed anything; the recess for the sight ramp was milled too wide, or the sight ramp was too narrow, allowing the whole assembly to wiggle side to side, but not up and down. Again, this had no practical effect on accuracy but I didn’t like it and replaced them with Wilson’s. I also replaced the fronts with Wilson gold beads and I like this set up better. However, I left the factory rear sight on my 4” Python as it was perfectly solid in the frame. i replaced the front with a fiber optic from Wilson. Sights are easy to change with a 1/16” punch for the rear and a .050” hex driver for the front set screw.
All of mine shoot cast or jacketed bullets with equal proficiency and are exceptionally accurate. The Pythons are partial to 158’s over 125’s; my standard load of 13.5 grains of 2400 behind a Bayou Bullet 158 grain LSWC shoots teeny-weeny groups at 25 yards all day, with no leading. My 6” has close to 4k rounds through it now with no apparent wear.
I found the stock laminated Altamont grips to be pretty but the sharp shoulders kept “chiseling” the skin between my thumb and forefinger. Not a problem with .38’s but it sure was with .357’s so I replaced them with Keith Brown Roper’s and Deer Hollow 1st gen reproductions. Much better.
Triggers: the triggers on mine are excellent but, like literally all firearms these days, I have found considerable variation in weight and feel between examples. I handled quite a few before finding examples with excellent triggers. The DA pull on all is stunningly smooth and much better than its competitors (though not as nice as my Korth; totally different design). SA pull was heavier than comparable S&W models but beautifully crisp. With use and a little very light polishing from me, all three of my Colts have DA pulls between 8-9 lbs and SA pulls at 3.5-4. Comparatively, my S&Ws have DA pulls in the 10-12 lb range and SA pulls of 2.5 lbs (all S&Ws were much heavier before installing Wilson spring kits and polishing the rebound slides).
Summary: I am really happy with all my revolvers and enjoy the individual characteristics of each one. My Colts have impressed me for being very well-made with fine, attractive finishes and exceptional accuracy. The changes I made are fairly basic as many enthusiasts choose to change grips and sights to suit personal proclivities.
Like the OP, I’d be curious to get answers to many of the highly technical questions he asked for my own edification. The answers won’t change how I feel about them, how I shoot them, or whether I get another (thinking about a 3”), but I would like to know.
Thanks for listening and I hope this helps!
