I believe both Colt & S&W produced excellent handguns in the time frame mentioned and each has their own fan base and die hards just like the Ford to Chevy comparison mentioned earlier. I went with S&W revolvers because I can get them cheaper and they are still factory supported. That said, I still secretly lust for a 6 inch barreled Colt Python like the one my friend had as it is a work of art.