Anyone know what serial number the new Pythons started with? I've recently acquired two. One PY271xxx and the other PY311xxx.

The first group of serial numbers...not sure how many...maybe the first one hundred...were saved for presentation or special guns. Otherwise...the first numerical digit (not the prefix) tells you what production year..."1" is first production year..."2" is second production...etc. You cannot tell how many were made in any year by the serial numbers plus Colt doesn't release that information.

There is a group of Pythons with a different prefix...supposedly there was a misstep by BATFE which has to approve serial numbers since the law is all firearms must have a distinct serial number and they didn't approve a serial number group Colt requested approval for in a timely manner. So Colt ended up using a serial number prefix already approved but not intended for Python production. How large a group of Pythons that is I don't know but I would expect down the road someone will start promoting them as "rare variations".

The last I heard production of the new Pythons has been closing in on 100k units...maybe higher by now.

That's really what I was wondering, how many of these have they cranked out. I know since 1978 Colt has been very cagey on serial number data. Sounds like quite a few have been made.

I'm guessing the King Cobra used the same methodology?

Thanks

I can't say for sure but it makes sense to do so...use the same system across the board.

The prefix sometimes (but not always) tells who the vendor was that supplied the raw frame forgings to Colt for machining and finishing. That way it's much easier when ever a consistent issue comes up they know how to narrow it down to a specific vendor to address the issues.

Mine is PY006735. I picked it up May, 2020

My first one was purchased very early. S/N was PY0027XX. That was a 6" one, that I eventually sold off. I prefer 4" guns.

My second and first 4" was a few months later (about 05/20) and the S/N on that one is PY0055XX.

My third one, also a 4" was about a year later. S/N is PY205XXX.

They seem have used a bunch of numbers. No idea how many guns that represents.

__________________
John 3:16 .

I have seen video of Ken Hackathorn and Bill Wilson discussing revolvers where Hackathorn mentioned that Colt, in all barrel lengths, was around the 300,000 mark in total numbers for the 2020 series of Pythons.

I thought that sounded high, but what do I know? They are certainly cranking them out and they seem to be available at LOTS of sellers.

Mine is a 3 inch gun that starts with serial number RA3, indicating 3rd year of production (2022). The RA is apparently one of the "future rare variation" guns SnidelyWhiplash was talking about..$$$...

Larry

According to the 2021 ATF manufacturers report Colt made 65,062 revolvers that year. The prior year they had made 33,000. I'm pretty the number of new Pythons is not 300,000.

For 2021 they made 424 .38's, 54,879 .357's, 8,618 44's and 1,140 45's(45 to 50 cal). I'm guessing the .38's are Cobras, .357's are a mix of King Cobras and Pythons, the 44's are anacondas and the 45's are SAA's. with a spattering of SAA's in the mix of small calibers.

Colt doesn’t have the capacity to have made 300,000 Pythons since 2020…even at the expense of discontinuing all other production. Considering that Colt built somewhat over 600,000 Pythons from 1955-2005 that seems quite optimistic to build half of that number in three years.

Wilson and Hackathorn are probably assuming serial numbers over 300,000 must correlate to actual numbers produced.

The RA prefix is for King Cobras. At least mine is an RA.

There are some Pythons with the "RA" serial number prefix. It was made necessary because of a screwup with BATFE approving serial number ranges.