Saw 2 Pythons at an LGS, 1970s vintage, 100%, 1-4 inch nickel and 1-6 inch blued., $5000.00 each!  I only had $20.00 in my pocket so I had to pass.  Reminds me of the 100% Winchester 9422 I saw at another place for $1000.00.  Makes me wonder if there is someone willing to pay those kinds of prices.

Check closed sales on Gunbroker.  

Yes, there are people willing to pay that for snakes.  Madness.

Python prices have gone utterly stupid!!  

The Python was a hand built semi-custom gun that was the finest quality DA revolver produced during its life.
It was a legendary revolver that people wanted to own just like owning a Rolex or a English "Best Quality" double gun.
It's now and forever out of production.

It's like trying to buy a 1960's Ferrari and complaining about the stupid high prices.

Well said.  It's a Rolex that shoots.

Txl

It's a Rolex that I missed the boat on also

I had to settle for the Python's kid brother, the Diamondback.

Couldn't stomach the Python pricing.

DSC_5801 by FredMan, on Flickr

DSC_5219_Diamondback-lzn by FredMan, on Flickr

never got a round to buying one and at these prices never will



Over 10 years ago had an urge to buy a new gun and the LGS owner showed me a Series 70 Gold Cup and a Python.  Both were $850.  I chose the Gold Cup

I wanted a 6" Python really badly back in the 80's. Back then, you could buy a brand new one around here for $525.00. I was about $500 short back then.  

I still don't own one. I still want one. But, I can't bring myself to pay the kind of prices they're bringing now.

Reminds of Hulk Hogans story when he was asked about endorsing a grill or a sports shake maker which he decided on. Of course George Foreman chose what was left, the rest is history.

The majority of Pythons for sale are out of time. And few gunsmiths know how to fix them.

Add to this that Colt won't service them anymore either.

Love the 'Cup though, no ragrets







 

I would much rather have a S&W registered magnum than a Python.

What's a registered magnum? Never heard of it. Destinguished Magnum maybe?

For those who missed the Python boat and want one, the original .357 Trooper or the Colt 3-5-7 Model are essentially the same gun.

The original Trooper and 3-5-7 are often called "poor man's Pythons" because they use the exact same frame and action, only with a tapered round barrel and without the better action tuning and Royal Blue finish.
The Trooper and 3-5-7 often had the narrow Service hammer and Service grips, and these days a lot of Colt's that had the Target grips have had them removed for sale at crazy prices and replaced with crap grips.

The original Trooper used the older Colt "E" frame with the firing pin on the hammer and was made only in .38 Special and .22LR, but still it had the same action and frame size as the Python.
The post-1961 Trooper was made in .38 Special and .357 Magnum and used the same "I" frame as the Python.
These are not to be confused with the later Trooper Mark III and Trooper Mark V which are totally different guns and actions.

Trooper .38 Specials can be picked up at very reasonable prices, and the .357 Trooper and 3-5-7 Model are well under Python prices by hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

Colt original Trooper with Service hammer and grips.  Also made with Target hammer and grips.  Made in early version in .38 Special and .22LR and in later "I" frame version in .38 Special and .357 Magnum.


Colt 357 Model.  That was both the name and caliber.  The Python is simply the 357 with the Python barrel, slightly more tuned action and the Royal Blue finish.

 
Grandpa left me these Officer Models.  38Special and 22 Match

Nope, registered magnum was the precursor to the models 27 and 28.  The old 38-44 was replaced by the magnum which came with registration cards.  Iirc they were 1 of Thousand originally and that number was on the registration card and by the crane.  Send the card and you got the letter from S&W.  My good friend has an early one with the letter to the original owner.   The "registered" moniker stuck.  They are very nice magnums.  Stout.   The 38-44 was a bad idea as the 38-44 was an overloaded 38 special and the factory 38-44 ammo would trash a basic 38 special hence the next step the magnum.

Cool. Thanks for the lesson. Learned something today.

If you look at the closed sales on GB, specifically the no reserve auctions that actually sell, the going rate is in the $2000 to $2500 range.  Most dealers have Pythons locked in with huge reserve prices and most of them just sit there.

Recently picked up an extremely clean 38 Trooper, with target hammer and girps,  from that era for $650.

http://www.guns.com/2012/02/07/the-smith-a-wessons-registered-magnum-possibly-the-finest-handgun-ever-made/

everyone owns a 686 or gp100 but years from now when the walking dead reruns get released to another generation the pythons value will just keep going up. Comic nerds will pay top dollar for hero guns. safe queens that increase in value are never bad.

Hmmm.  I have a 4" and 6" blued in outstanding condition.

Maybe I should sell mine.

I have a 6" NIB Python. I got it from my best friend that passed away three years ago. He got it from his grandpa that bought it new in 1977. They could be $10k and I wouldn't sell.

I know where there's a Bicentennial set that comes with a SAA, Walker and a Python with matching sn's for $5800. The cylinders haven't even been turned.

I couldn't handle something like that. I doubt I could resist the urge to shoot them.

Around here, all thing being equal, a Diamondback is more expensive than Python.

I've had my 4" royal blue Python for 5 years now and enjoy shooting it! Prices have gone up since I got mine even, wow!

I had a pair of BEAUTIFUL Colt Diamondbacks a couple years ago.  A 4" nickel and a 4" blued in box.  Sold them both for around 1500 each.  Wish I held onto the nickel one though.  Beautiful gun but I like my Smiths better.

You sure about that??  Don't speak too soon as they are tooling up the machines to make some revolvers again.

Yeak, at that price I am thinking it was "over ten years ago" like 10 or 15 OVER ten years