re: What would you like to know about Colt revolvers?

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Thoughts on the colt auto 25 cal value going up?

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Which one? The pre-war model with the grip safety or the latter Spanish made gun?

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How do the new Colt revolvers compare to say a GP100?

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I will admit to a bias of not liking any Ruger DA revolvers. With that I especially like the new King Cobra. I handled one recently and was pleased to see the old Colt solid cylinder lockup on the gun. None of the Colt DAs have an internal lock.

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If you were going to buy one of the new ones today (price differences ignored) - do you think it would be a good investment? It would be a woods/around farm carry (not cc) type on occasion. I don’t sell guns anymore, so it would be more of a heirloom (that’s the only reason I mentioned the word investment).

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It is rare to see any Colt revolver go down in value. Unless they stop making the new ones or Colt goes out of business I don’t see them being blue chip investments.

With guns my motto is buy what you like and if it appreciates in value that is a nice bonus.

All that said, the bright polish stainless guns typically draw more market interest and money.

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Why they stopped making the Python.

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TLDR answer: The gun simply became too expensive to make and be sold at a price the market was willing to pay.

The tooling and most of the craftsman for that gun are gone from Colt. But for the sake of argument, let’s say Colt revived everything for production. We would probably be looking at a $2500-3000 gun easily. There simply aren’t many buyers at that price for a 6 shot .357 Magnum. And remember, Colt would be competing against the used Python market with thousands and thousands of guns already in circulation.

My ideal situation is for the gun to be revived, price be damned, and sold on a per order basis out of the Custom Shop. I think that is the only way we get the ‘old’ Python back.

What year was the Spanish version?

Smith and Wesson DA revolvers required just as much hand fitting as Colt Pythons. It was things like the extra polishing, tapered barrel and vent rib that took more time to produce. The design of the lock work was more suited for target use than durability on the Pythons. As a matter of fact, the Python was designed for 38 Special and it was a last minute change to 357 magnum when it was discovered that S&W would be coming out with the first 44 magnum that same year. That is why it requires constant maintenance. It's an inherently weaker design than Smith and Wesson double action revolvers.

The reason why Colt revolvers went the way of the Dodo bird is Colt didn't give a crap about civilian consumers because they were happy making money off their government contracts. Smith and Wesson evolved and made use of technology to keep costs down, so they could stay viable. Things like CNC machining and Metal Injection Molding make parts with far tighter tolerances, so fitting was no longer as much of an issue. Colt could have advanced their technology to continue making revolvers, but they gave us the big finger until they realized they actually need us if they are going to survive.

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Smith and Wesson DA revolvers required just as much hand fitting as Colt Pythons. It was things like the extra polishing, tapered barrel and vent rib that took more time to produce. The design of the lock work was more suited for target use than durability on the Pythons. As a matter of fact, the Python was designed for 38 Special and it was a last minute change to 357 magnum when it was discovered that S&W would be coming out with the first 44 magnum that same year. That is why it requires constant maintenance. It's an inherently weaker design than Smith and Wesson double action revolvers.

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Much of what you said here is inaccurate. For example: the rebound lever alone ensures that what I am calling the Colt V-spring requires more manufacturing attention than a Smith.

If you would like to start a Smith vs Colt debate thread then by all means and I will participate. This is meant to be more of a technical / info Q&A so I would appreciate you honoring the spirit of that

PS: I’m not a Smith and Wesson guy but several years ago I passed on a mint condition 5” nickel 27 and I have been kicking myself ever since! Beautiful revolver.

I like the style and delivery of the OP



The controversial question:


When is it right to carry a revolver?

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When is it right to carry a revolver?

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Man that is a big question with lots of personal factors. I will only say this: The Colt snubnose models offered an advantage over many competitors’ products in that the Colts were 6 shots vs. 5 shots for the others. Colt promoted this advantage in advertisements of the day.

Thanks for the compliment.

Prior to 1900, what calibers did Colt make the old Peacemaker in?

Why is it that when someone asks you a legitimate question, you point to a link to a video or chart that someone else took the time to make. Your so called expertise is nothing more than Google searches