I lament the extinction of Colt handguns.

[ColtPythonElite]

Colt might not be making them anymore, but there are plenty of them out there to be had...Sure, some guys have them hoarded up, but in a few years as they die off their kid's will be selling 'Em for pennies on the dollar to help pay for their latest must haves.

 

[DPris]

Saxon,
Had a 1951 OP, out of time when I got it.
I had a slightly newer OP, out of time when I got it.
The Python I bought brand new in about 94 was out of time on two chambers.
The unfired 1966 Trooper .357 is out on two chambers. (Will be going back to Colt later this year.)

That's four of mine to counter four of yours. New, old, you got some that stayed in time, I got some that didn't.

Not all of the old Vs developed timing issues, but they did if you shot 'em enough, and the hotter loads placed more strain on the weakest part in the action- the hand.

If you check with knowledgeable gunsmiths that have been in the biz for 30+ years & ask which action among the three, S&W, Ruger, or the older Colts, goes out of time the most with roughly comparable use, they'll tell you Colt.

I can take a new Ruger GP & my Trooper, shoot 10,000 full-bore .357 rounds through them both, and I'll tell you the Colt will not hold up to it the way the Ruger will.
The Ruger will still be going strong long after the Colt is reduced to a wobbly out-of-time shadow of its former self.

Regardless of how much the relatively few fans on a gun forum like those Colts, they're not coming back & the reasons have been given.
Denis

 

[Guillermo]

From Grant Cooper's "reprint" of Massad Ayoob column
http://www.grantcunningham.com/acc-rifle.html

Gun expert Stan Trzoniec has said in print, "The Python is an expensive revolver to be sure, but it will outlast the shooter."

Jerry Moran told me of one Python he owned that had passed 100,000 rounds of Magnum ammo and was still perking along with only minor tuning

I can attest from personal experience that when firing .357 Magnum rounds, the Python stood up better than the K-frame S&W, and compared well with the bigger frame Smiths.

The Python is expensive, and it should be."

Jeff Cooper

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I've got more than 1 V spring Colt. I'm still trying to shoot one out of time.

 

[DPris]

"Minor" tuning?
Denis

 

[Keeterbird]

I have 2 Official police models. I just love the feel of them and shoot them all the time. I shoot them pretty well, probably because I love them. There seems to be a correlation between "like" and good.

 

[Guillermo]

"Minor" tuning?

passed 100,000 rounds

...

 

[Walkalong]

their kid's will be selling 'Em for pennies on the dollar to help pay for their latest must haves.

May I live long enough, or have educated my kids well enough to buy them.

 

[JohnBT]

I wonder what a 20-year-old iPhone will be worth?

 

[DPris]

Guill,
It required more than "minor" tuning.
I used to work with a guy who used a Python in competition. It had to be rebuilt at least once that I recall, and a Python wouldn't go through a hundred thousand rounds of full bore .357s without more than "minor" tuning, and more than once.
Depends on your definition of "minor", I suppose.

Anyway, this has gotten pointless, I'm done with it.
Denis

 

[Guillermo]

It required more than "minor" tuning.

so do you think Stan Trzoniec was lying or Masaad Ayoob?

 

[788Ham]

Saxon, what a beautiful display of firearms, very lucky man indeed!

Texan Scott, post # 12, the Cobra you have, an older model I assume? I picked up a 4' Colt Cobra at a GS about 3 weeks ago, 98%, but no box. I don't think this piece was ever shot much, no drag line on cylinder, stocks as new, the bore is pristine! It was dirty inside the bore, probably shot and put in the sock drawer, cylinder cleaned up with some scrubbing, just like new. It shoots very accurate, not as good as my 6" Python, 82 circa, but another Snake anyway. Glad to hear these old pieces still being used!

 

[JohnBT]

"I'll tell you the Colt will not hold up to it the way the Ruger will"

And I know of a 1992 Cavalier that's still running well. I still don't want one.

The Python was not designed or built for fast action shooting. Anyone who would use one for that is abusing the gun and unfamiliar with their tool. Anyone would would shoot tens of thousands of full bore loads is abusing the gun, too.

To do it and then complain about it, well, I'd be embarrassed to admit to it.

John

 

[ColtPythonElite]

The gun says .357 on the side, I always assumed that is what they were designed to shoot. I have a couple of Pythons with their original owners manuals. I don't recall them saying to limit the number magnums fired. I feed mine magnums regularly. If they break I will fix or replace them....If I wanted to shoot .38's only , Iwould save a few bucks and buy Diamondbacks.

 

[SaxonPig]

Shooting a gun is not abusing it. My Pythons get nothing but full power (125@1600) loads. I'll let you know when something goes wrong.

 

[Owen Sparks]

Someone will eventually buy the name and start making "Colt" handguns again, probably in a factory in South America or China and plenty of Americans will gladly pay a premium for a name.

 

[seeker_two]

Owen: it'll probably be the Philippines. Armscor already makes a decent Colt lookalike in .38SPL.....

 

[HadEmAll]

The name "COLT" had a magical connotation to me growing up. After owning 2 series 70 1911s and a Python in the 70s/80s, I got over it.

The Python was pretty and accurate, but fragile. Failure to carry up in slow cock on all chambers, and rattled like a bucket of bolts after less than a thousand hot 125 grain factory loads. The rear only lockup was a contributing factor. I found myself making scotch tape shims to fit between the frame and cylinder so it didn't rattle so embarassingly around my friends less expensive revolvers.

I guess a "minor" (coughbull****cough) tuneup or two might have kept it limping along, but better .357 magnum revolvers, though not so pretty, were available.

 

[Guillermo]

so HadEmAll

do you think Stan Trzoniec was lying or Masaad Ayoob?

 

[massad ayoob]

The quote about 100,000 Magnum rounds through one of his Pythons came from revolversmith Jerry Moran, who probably knows more about the inside of a Colt revolver than any of us posting here. He didn't mention the type of shooting he was doing. Some Colt aficionadoes believe that what sends the brand out of time is lots of fast trigger pulling, not recoil from Magnum loads in a fairly heavy gun.

My own Pythons got most of their shooting with .38 Special loads in competition, and all remain in time. Most of that shooting was done at PPC pace, with a relatively slow roll of the trigger. That's a lot easier on the double action mechanism. For faster shooting, such as IDPA, I join some others here in preferring the Smith or the GP100.

 

[seeker_two]

If anything, it sounds like the 125gr. load is the biggest deceiver. It seems to kill more Colt (& S&W K-frame) revolvers than BG's. That's why I refuse to use it.

Sorry for the drift....

 

[CDR_Glock]

I have 2 Colt Pythons: Blue 4" and 8" versions. They're such great revolvers.

 

[Auf Grosser Fahrt]

I wonder what a 20-year-old iPhone will be worth?

And I wonder what a 40 year old plastic pistol will be worth.

 

[helitack32f1]

And I wonder what a 40 year old plastic pistol will be worth.

Just found this in a very brief google session on this question. I suspect I can find more. If what he says is true, and an original is 25 years old, then I suspect at 40 years old, it will be worth a lot. there are plenty of people in the world who are forward thinking enough to realize that just because it is made of plastic, it isn't worthless.

"The first generation G17's are getting to be in big demand by collectors. Since you have the original box and mags, presumable the paperwork and other usual items as well. I think you are looking at a value of about $550 - $650. If its a very early G17 - i.e. "Pencil Barrel" then I think you may be looking at a value of $650 - $750."

 

[harvester]

I have a Trooper that will be riding an airplane to Hartford tomorrow. It is a 1966 and is going home for a tune up. Probably take 5 weeks(Colt estimate) since no refinishing is needed. Not too bad for a 46 year old 357 magnum going home for its first visit. Colt still makes lots of handguns including revolvers which are single action. They also make more 1911 pattern guns than anyone except Kimber.