Posted: 10/17/2023 8:40:41 PM EDT
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Was in Cabelas today picking up some shotgun wads and wandered into the Gun Library. They had a used 6" "New Python" for $900 which I think is a good deal. No box or extras. Looks to be in very good condition. I have been tempted by them new at around $1200-1300, but this used gun seems like a good opportunity. I have mostly read very positive things about these guns (after some very early problems). I also don't want to take only the opinions of the COLT FORUM for review material. : ) I have it on 5 day hold and plan to go in to buy it in the next day or two (when I can try to tolerate their f-ing 2 hour gun purchase procedure). Talk me into or out of it! (I have no "need" of any more guns. I buy new guns for fun and for casual shooting.) Rob |
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Just so you know beforehand: Unless it has already been changed, the rear sight is probably loose - they all are because it is a crappy design. If it isn't loose it probably will loosen up while you shoot it. Wilson Combat sells a new rear sight for the new Pythons and it is a much better sight and should fix the looseness. That is the only problem I have seen on mine. |
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Only took AN HOUR to start the paperwork with NO OTHER CUSTOMERS I had to wait for. Just their BS, multiple checks, etc. Just to get them to take off the trigger lock so I could check the timing and trigger took about 10 minutes to get a manager and two other "Outfitters" in the room (a total of THREE people). When the background check comes back (which they have said can sometimes take only hours), I have to go back in and probably spend at LEAST another hour for pickup. There is a reason why I stopped buying guns there a while back. Rob |
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Quoted: Only took AN HOUR to start the paperwork with NO OTHER CUSTOMERS I had to wait for. Just their BS, multiple checks, etc. Just to get them to take off the trigger lock so I could check the timing and trigger took about 10 minutes to get a manager and two other "Outfitters" in the room (a total of THREE people). When the background check comes back (which they have said can sometimes take only hours), I have to go back in and probably spend at LEAST another hour for pickup. There is a reason why I stopped buying guns there a while back. Rob Yeah, an hour or so at the big box stores is the norm. Bought from Bass Pro a couple of times, mostly because I had points to burn. |
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Rob, as with anything, complaints will come in. I'm not doubting them, I'm sure they are legitimate. Shit happens. Buy it, take it to the range and see for yourself how it shoots/functions. You'll not have a problem getting your money back if you're not happy. |
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Quoted: That ensaddens me. What kind of issues? Light primer strikes? Timing? Locking up? rob Quoted: Quoted: My Python has been a huge disappointment in reliability.  That ensaddens me. What kind of issues? Light primer strikes? Timing? Locking up? rob |
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Quoted: Only took AN HOUR to start the paperwork with NO OTHER CUSTOMERS I had to wait for. Just their BS, multiple checks, etc. Just to get them to take off the trigger lock so I could check the timing and trigger took about 10 minutes to get a manager and two other "Outfitters" in the room (a total of THREE people). When the background check comes back (which they have said can sometimes take only hours), I have to go back in and probably spend at LEAST another hour for pickup. There is a reason why I stopped buying guns there a while back. Rob Yeah I hates buying anything from them too. Company I work for gives us gift cards for Ka-belas. It's a couple hours ordeal to buy a gun there. And kiss my ass, try to find a chair while they fuck around. |
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Got the call at about 8:30 AM that I had received a "proceed" and could come pick it up. I said something like, "I'm not crazy, so I won't be coming today." He said that if I came in the next hour or so it would probably be pretty quick. I was already up and heading out anyway (to sell a tool to a FB Marketplace buyer), so I took a shot and went in. I got there about 9:15 and was #4 in the firearms queue. Took less than 5 minutes to get called up (time for a quick check for 209 primers and a quick spin through the Gun Library). The checks and paperwork refreshes were all done fairly quickly and then a 10 minute wait for a manager to do the final check. Was out in under 45 minutes, which is about best-case for them.  Rob |
| Smart man. Good gun and you got it for a great price, imo. Mine has been reliable and accurate and nothing but fun at the range. I did add the Wilson Combat rear sight, but I was not having any problems with the factory sight. The Wilson is obviously a better design and so a good upgrade. |
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I am completely familiar with non-Colt revolvers and have been shooting and repairing them for years. I purchased 2 Pythons from Cabelas during the last year and here are a few observations. - The rear sight is not rigidly mounted to the frame, giving the impression that it was not assembled correctly. The sight is not "loose" as in not tightened down. It is soft mounted to withstand recoil. All the new ones are that way. Harrison now makes a better version of this sight for those who believe there is an engineering problem. There isn't. - The Pythons have been plagued with light strikes, although not every Python will have this problem. In an attempt to reduce the trigger pull on the new guns, they lightened the mainspring too much. It is on the edge of not working. Colt will install a stronger mainspring, which solves the light strikes but also increases the (usually DA) trigger pull. Duh! - Most shooters and especially gunsmiths are no longer familiar with the Colt lockwork due to the fact that most of the beautifully made older ones are sitting in someone's safe. Colt lockwork for the Python has a similar philosophy to the earlier Peacemakers and etc. in that each part can do double, sometimes triple duty. Cool for a Peacemaker's manufacturing design but maybe not great for a modern revolver - at least that what I imagine. The general knowledge and skill required to repair or maintain the Python style revolver's mechanism might have been more common 60 years ago, but that same skill is almost non-existent now. Result: send it to the factory and hope they can do it right. - Do what? I found that both my Pythons carried up suspiciously late, at least enough to make me nervous. Other revolvers typically drop the bolt somewhere around 1/2 way to the next locking notch. That allows plenty of time for the bolt to drop into the locking groove at various DA pull speeds. Colt has elongated the locking notch lead-in groove, presumably to enhance bolt drop operation during speedy DA trigger pulls. Or maybe they thought it would reduce the appearance of the turn ring. So many out there develop emotional damage over turn rings like they should never have been invented. -The Pythons I had fell nervously close to the end of revolution of the cylinder. This movement is different than say the S&W or Ruger actions that use a hand that will cam away from the ejector ratchet and provide plenty of cylinder rotation to let the bolt drop even if the DA pull is very slow. Obviously if the bolt does not drop with a slow trigger pull, that makes me think something is wrong with the design. Since I haven't owned an original Python, I can't say how Colt designed this thing but the cylinder rotation is done with a different style 2-stage ratchet instead of the more familiar S&W design. I sent one of the Pythons to factory service but as far as I can tell they did not tweak anything. It did say it checked out OK, so what are we all to think? No expert Python smiths around to ask. Everyone points out that with anything close to a "normal" trigger pull, the cylinder will always carry up before the hammer falls due to cylinder momentum that will complete the necessary amount of cylinder rotation. That sounds great to some people, but it seems like a mechanical thing that isn't that hard to achieve. Maybe not if all the parts do 2 or more things. You have to know what is normal and what requires tweaking, and then what to do to keep everything else working as it should. This type of mystery drives me personally crazy as a smith. Tweaking the Python and other Colt revolvers is NOT obvious. Lots of guys read Kuhnhausen and figure hey this is totally within my powers. NOT. Jerry McCulek does not shoot a Python. - The rear sight does not concern me even a little. You never hear of anyone shooting off the rear sight. It comes back to its starting position. Plus a more expensive version is available. - The average shooter may never have a DA carry-up problem. As far as I can tell it will work "most of the time" - The average shooter might have to adjust the ammo type or install a stronger mainspring to prevent misfires. This is one screwup that Colt has obviously made that was avoidable. Cost of manufacture again butting into the picture. There you have it. My 2 cents worth. The stainless is finished beautifully. WhiteFox |
| I just ordered a 4 1/4" today. I'm not worried about getting in too deep with problems. The people at the store said they've been selling quite a few and they've had great feedback (it's a high volume gunshop). Thank you WhiteFox for some practical observations. Jon |