So I bit the bullet....

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Poper

Poper

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A long time Python owner, two years ago I sold them all to fund a non-firearms project.
You can say what you want about them, but every one of the old Colt Pythons I have ever had has been a fine example. At one time I had 2 blued 6" examples - one 1978 new in box and one 1974 like new-no box, a 1967 6" nickel like new - no box, a 1966 4" blued shooter grade - apparently carried a lot but fired very little, and a 1972 2" nickel plated Colt Historian Lettered example. I was awed at the prices I got for them all at the time and I am even more impressed that the prices have gone up significantly from there!
:what:
Be that as it may, I've been itching for a Python ever since, so in a moment of utterly complete weakness, I bought a Colt King Cobra on-line at the local Sportsman's Warehouse. I had to pay full retail, but that was still a full $200 less than the going street street price around town. It is supposed to arrive the day after my 66th birthday, so I guess it is happy birthday to me! :thumbup:

Maybe I'll get over some of the seller's remorse? Yeah, sure..... :rofl:
 
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Not sure when one says King Cobra these
days. The new one based on D frame or
older ones from the 90s based on I believe
the older J frame? The latter is the size of
the Pythons, old or new .
 
Poper said:
A long time Python owner, two years ago I sold them all to fund a non-firearms project.
You can say what you want about them, but every one of the old Colt Pythons I have ever had has been a fine example. At one time I had 2 blued 6" examples - one 1978 new in box and one 1974 like new-no box, a 1967 6" nickel like new - no box, a 1966 4" blued shooter grade - apparently carried a lot but fired very little, and a 1972 2" nickel plated Colt Historian Lettered example. I was awed at the prices I got for them all at the time and I am even more impressed that the prices have gone up significantly from there!
:what:
Be that as it may, I've been itching for a Python ever since, so in a moment of utterly complete weakness, I bought a Colt King Cobra on-line at the local Sportsman's Warehouse. I had to pay full retail, but that was still a full $200 less than the going street street price around town. It is supposed to arrive the day after my 66th birthday, so I guess it is happy birthday to me! :thumbup:

Maybe I'll get over some of the seller's remorse? Yeah, sure..... :rofl:
Click to expand...
Congratulations, and use it in good health.

full disclosure: That's my carry gun. :)
 
ontarget said:
That was quite a collection.
Click to expand...
The funny thing is, it was a sort of accidental collection that occurred over a number of years.
This first one was in about 2004 and was the 6" blued, NIB. On a lark I put in a starting bid (it was reasonable for the time on GB) and was satisfied if it would win. It did win. It was just before Christmas and the seller needed the money.
#2 was the 4" shooter grade about 2006. This one I really wanted just for a shooter. It had a broken grip and a good deal of holster wear. It became mine for $670 off GB.
#3 was a LN no box 6" blued wrapped in an old cotton sweat sock. Bought about 2008 or 2009. Pretty piece. Came from a co-worker that was hard up for cash and needed to pay child support.
#4 & #5 came from a much older fellow shooter at the range in 2016. He was liquidating a bunch of his guns and had seen me with my shooter. He offered them to me for a price I could not pass up. I offered him more but he refused to accept more. Money was not his problem and he had nobody to leave his collection to. They were the 6" nickel and 2" nickel.
He had used the 6" for bullseye competition years ago. It was pretty dirty and heavily leaded up around the forcing cone. Lots of time with a detailed cleaning, elbow grease and lead remover and it looked new with perfect timing and solid lock-up.
The 2" came with a custom holster and was reputed to have been a career LE detective's carry gun. It was not lettered when I got it, but upon the advice of a fellow enthusiast, I did contact Colt for a letter. Turns out that the Colt production 2" Python is uncommon but is often 'faked' by shortening a barrel. A 2" nickel plated Python that will letter as having left the factory that way added at least $800 to the selling price. A worthwhile investment of time and money, I think.
The one I miss most is the 4" shooter grade.:oops: It pointed better for me than any other handgun I own or have owned. A close runner up is the 2" nickel. Just so dang cute! :D
 
So I picked up my new Colt King Cobra the other day.
Looks like it may have had at least one full cylinder fired through it as the front of the chambers were ringed with soot/lead. :scrutiny: It cleaned up in just a few minutes of elbow grease.
When dry firing it DA, I noticed that every so often it fails to advance the cylinder. Sometimes only once and sometimes repeatedly in the same position. :uhoh:
I am going to go back to Sportsman's Warehouse and see if they will do an exchange. If not, then off to Colt it will go. Before I even get the chance to shoot it! :cuss:
 
Make sure your FULLY releasing the trigger after each shot. The action is different than the SW. I’d dry fire the crap out of it. Mine had two trips to colt for misfires but it was an early production. Good luck with it. Stick with it. Wonderful revolvers
 
I don’t think there’s much “spring” forward to the trigger. It’s very soft. My Ruger gp100 is very heavy spring forward ( trigger release)
 
shoebox1.1 said:
Make sure your FULLY releasing the trigger after each shot. The action is different than the SW. I’d dry fire the crap out of it. Mine had two trips to colt for misfires but it was an early production. Good luck with it. Stick with it. Wonderful revolvers
Click to expand...
So last night I decided to "dry fire the snot out of it".
Yes, the failure to rotate the cylinder and correctly index ocurred again. This time I repetedly cycled the trigger double action until it finally rotated the cylinder. 63 times. After 63 cycles, I tried to move the cylinder with my fingers and then ran the trigger double action and it cycled.
During the 63 cycles without a rotation to the next chamber, I tried everything I could think of in the manipulation of the trigger to get it to rotate, all to no avail. Including releasing the trigger from the fully pulled position by letting my finger slide off the trigger and letting it snap to its released position. No luck.
So, I guess it's off to Colt.
 
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I had the same problem with a NIB Smith 642. Cylinder stopped rotating after the 7th round through the pipe.
To say I was disappointed would be an understatement.
I was going to send it in but decided to pull the side plate off and see if I could fix it myself. I found a sliver of metal that was obviously left from a machining operation that was holding the hand back from engaging the cylinder ratchet. Pulled it out and it's been perfect ever since.
Not saying you should pull yours apart, just saying that it may be something less than a catastrophic failure causing your problem.
 
UPDATE:
The King Cobra came back from Colt. I picked it up at Sportsmans Warehouse exactly 2 months from the day I first picked it up there. Not too bad considering the Covid crap and all.
The comment on the service slip says they adjusted the transfer bar. I dryfired it last night for half an hour without any failures to cycle. :thumbup:
I'm thinking a range trip is happening in the near future! :D
 
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