Well, I had my first "problem" with the 2020 Python yesterday. At one point it skipped advancing the cylinder and the hammer fell on an already fired cartridge. A brief stop and it continued to function in dry fire mode, so I went back to shooting. In a couple of cylinders, it did the same thing.

This time I stopped and looked things over closely and found that the two screws on the left side of the gun were loose. If you look at the pictures, you'll see a screw about middle of the trigger guard, and there is another under the grips that you can't see. The one in the middle of the trigger guard was so loose, the sideplate was starting to come up. Since the sideplate is used to hold all the internals in place, that was allowing them to come out of alignment with each other. (This is as I understand it from what people who know a lot more about the internals tell me. I ain't that smart.)



It took about thirty seconds to find a screwdriver in my bag, a minute to remove the grips, and a few more seconds to snug each screw down, and flip the gun over and check the one on the right side. It was OK.

I had 450 or so rounds through it at this point, almost all of them being 357 Magnums. After I tightened up the screws, I went back to shooting with no more problems and have dry fired it another hundred or so times. I'm sure that was, and has resolved the "problem." I have purple locktite on order and will put a dab on those screws when it arrives.

So, other than that, I'm up to 500 rounds with no real problems. No, I don't consider having to snug a screw to be a "problem."

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John 3:16 .

Good thing it was an easy fix. Wonder if any of the other pythons people had problems with could actually be all right, they just didn't think to snug up some screws.

Thank you again for the Update on your Shootable
Reintroduced Colt Python 357Rem Mag.

I'm glad that I had montioned about the Screws in
one of your other Posts.

I have one S&W I have shot a lot. One day awhile
looking it over (while shooting), the Rear Sight looked
like it was coming up in the Front, never caught it before.

Another time the Strain Screw had backed out. Didn't
realize it until a light primer strike.

It happens to the best of us. Also please stop
saying "you ain't that smart", you are a good and
decent person, your updating us proves this.

Again, the Best to you and your Endeavors.
Thanks again for the Update.

P.S. I still have the 4.25"Bbl in mind.

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SD social distanc'n since 1889

For those than think semi-automatic pistols are more prone to failure and revolvers never fail, the screws in a revolver and the ejector rod can unscrew and make a revolver fail.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

That's true. I bought a 28-2 a couple of days ago. When I got it home I noticed it was hard to open the cylinder (It hadn't been at the dealer). I was about to get ticked off when it finally opened and I thought to check the ejector rod. There was an 1/8" bare metal showing. Screwed the rod back in. No more problems. It's still tight after 50 rounds of 357 yesterday.

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John 3:16 .

Makes one wonder why the factory didn't use a dab of purple or blue Loctite as assembled. In lieu of this, some kind of torque control on these screws.

Good update -- thank you. You're not the first 2020 Python owner to report that loose side plate screws appear to be causing the "does no revolve" issue on these guns.

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Pickpocket

Colt has made a royal mess out of reintroducing the Python. That being said, you've illustrated one of the problems with living with a revolver here in the third decade of the twentieth century.

A revolver is simply a more user involved system. Back in the bronze age, go to any PPC or Bullseye match and nearly everyone had a screwdriver and a toothbrush in their back pocket. It was common knowledge that screws had to be checked periodically and even a little debris under the extractor could bind the gun up tight, as well as a host of other things. That was just the way of it with a design introduced in the late nineteenth century.

Now, we have an entire generation of shooters who've grown up in the age of the plastic fantastic, who think squirting a little lube on their gun from time to time is onerous maintenance. A revolver is a diferent beast entirely. It will give good service, but the shooter has to do their part.

There is a very nice photo of a new Blue Python in the NRA magazine this month.

Is the blue one being reintroduced as well ?

Having screws come loose when shooting J frames was not all that unusual, especially after 100 rounds, but I’ve never had problems w/my K frames. Maybe I’m just lucky.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

Yes, you are lucky unless you or someone else put blue Loctite in appropriate places!

So it would seem that revolver
shooters all have a loose screw.

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Ubi Est Mea

Thanks for the report. I’m glad at least some of the reports of apocalyptic failure turn out to be fixable with a dab of Loctite and the turn of a screw.

Still waiting on mine. In the meantime I spent almost two Pythons to find out my dog had a bad cold. A little more delay is not a bad thing right now.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

I'm just looking forward to getting mine.

Pre ordered a 4.25".

Kinda like buying a class 3 weapon. Pay for it, then wait.

I did finally see a 4.25" pop up on GB. Last I checked it was up to $2,300. At least I know their out there now, saw a lot of 6" ones from the start, but never a 4.

Congratulations on finding what may be the cause of most or all of the similar field complaints with the new Python. Now the question is whether the screw threads were mis-cut, the screws were not tightened properly, or something else.

My 1956 Python once had loose screw problem.So did my 1975 Python...and my 629-2 and my 586 and my...you get the point.
Any screw will work loose at some point.A small drop of Loctite will cure it.
What I mean is I don't think that screws working loose should be considered a manufacturing defect:that puts us you and I on the same level as far as manufacturing qc.
A little Loctite and have fun with your Python.Beautiful gun.

I'm strangely hesitant to loctite revolver screws, but I'm pretty sure I've had them back out of every magnum S&W revolver I own.

When they finally release a 3" blued Python, I will not be able to resist.

I make no claim that I "found the cause." It's been discussed on the Colt forum now for a while. That's where I picked up on the idea that the sideplate tension is vital to the functioning of the gun. I mean it's logical, but sometimes I'm not the most logical person in the world.

I had checked the screws earlier and found two of the three were good, but the one under the grip was a little loose. I had said at one time it was about three turns, but that was pretty much a SWAG. It was probably more like a 3/4 to one turn. At the time I didn't have a proper screwdriver handy, so I just snugged it with a Swiss Army knife, but didn't try to torque it. Then I forgot to go back and snug it down properly.

Now with everything properly snugged down, I'm going to hold off the Locktite for a bit. I'll try it again and keep a closer eye on the screws. I'll have the Locktite if needed.

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John 3:16 .

I recently viewed a video on the Colt's official Facebook page. They are officially saying that loose sideplate screws are the cause of the cylinder not indexing. They intend to start using loctite at the factory.

I decided to do something I had never done before - remove a sideplate screw from a revolver. Model 66-8, I can attest that the yoke screw had thread locker on it.
Why Colt wouldn't do the same is beyond me, unless part of the routine owner maintenance calls for removing the sideplate.

The red coating on the S&W OEM sideplate screws that many are interpreting as Loctite or "threadlocker" is not a conventional thread locker at all, but a coating applied to the threads of the screw and allowed to dry before installation.

This coating, commonly called "VC-3" or "Vibra-Tite" prevents the screw from vibrating out while secured in the threaded hole, but enables the screw to be removed and reinstalled repeatedly, while retaining it's "anti-vibration" capability. Great for firearms, or on other fasteners that are frequently subjected to high frequency harmonics and vibration. Be sure to read and follow the label instructions when using. This particular product has to dry fully before the screw is placed into the threaded hole.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Vibra-TIT...-Red/396624718

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

Wish I had know that before I put red loctite on my revolver screws

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Forum consigliere

Is There Really a Recall on the Colt Python? | Field & Stream

Interesting article which came out last month. Looks ike the loose side plate was the issue-but I still wonder what the issue was with Hickcock45's gun was

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Forum consigliere

I have been an active competitive revolver shooter for over 30 years. Loosening of various screws is normal, especially with heavy use. Smith and Wesson ejector rods are notoriously able to unscrew enough to lock up the gun. Sideplate and main spring screws loosen easily on some guns but not on others. Users must learn to check the screws...if you don't want to use a threadlocker, check the screws frequently.

People who send their new Pythons back to the factory will have the screws tightened and red Vibratite dabbed on the screws.

Routine maintenance minimizes problems.

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Bob.
SWCA 1821

Just another noteable design flaw in many of the venerable Colt DA revolvers, including the Python. Instead of occupying a hand slot in the frame, the hand or "pawl" as they call it, is held in place by the sideplate screws. Sideplate screw loosens......gun stops working. A true classic.

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer