I love both, but I think the winner is the 27.

The Python is a great gun that is extremely aesthetically pleasing, with great lines, finish, grip dimension, as well as being the one the best revolvers for investment. It is, in my opinion, he most rock solid of the Colt revolvers. Everyone I have fired has been accurate, with a smooth as glass action and great single action. I would not hesitate to bet my life carrying one.

All that said, its design is not as tough as the 27, and simple things you can do to the Smith you must send off to a Smith who is competent with Colt's (getting rarer these days). The Python is like a normal wood frame brick house, the 27 is like a cinder block, all holes cemented, triple rebared, with brick outside for good measure. Also, as previously noted, the Python loses the double action contest, the 27 and RMs are the winners here.

The design of the 27 is both simpler and sturdier, which is what ,for me, gives it the edge, along with its better double action. And lets face it, the 27 is no clod of dirt in the finish department. A nice 3 1/2" is a work of art, just as much as the Python. All this being said, right now I am Python-less and 27-less, so this thread is nothing but torture.