New Colt Revolvers

[Bobby B.]

Gents,

I'm fairly new to the revolver scene. I own primarily Smiths but I do own a NIB Colt Trooper and it is nice. Now that Colt is getting back into the revolver market and rumors of a new Python are everywhere I'd like to speculate about the future.

The other day I was looking at the Standard MFG. website. You know, the company that produces Colt single action copies and high end 1911's among other things. This company is owned by Tony Galazan of CSMC. Anyone who knows anything about shotguns knows that CSMC makes some of the finest guns ever made anywhere in the world. Anyway, I agree with people who say Colt could never make a gun worthy of the Python name today but Tony Galazan could. He could actually make it better (Colt fans please don't hate me for that comment)with modern CNC machinery. If you doubt this look at what he's done with the Fox and Winchester shotguns.

Anyway, what if Colt entered an agreement with CSMC/Standard to build Pythons with the Colt name on them? They are both in Connecticut and I believe CSMC is not new to this sort of arrangement. I thought they actually had an agreement with Winchester to built Model 21's? I could be wrong on that..but what if? They could also build single actions for Colt, heck they are already making beautiful examples and Colt can't meet demand.

Anyway this was just a thought not based in any reality but what if?

 

[ISCS Yoda]

The allure of the Python eludes me. I'll stick to my L and N frames and be happy.

 

[one eye joe]

The allure of the Python eludes me. I'll stick to my L and N frames and be happy.

DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS. YOUR MONEY, AND YOUR CHOICES.....

I SHOT COLTS EXCLUSIVELY, FOR 3 DECADES. I CONTINUE TO LOVE MY PYTHONS AND DIAMONDBACKS.....

I PURCHASED MY FIRST S&W, A M629, ONLY BECAUSE I WANTED A .44 MAGNUM REVOLVER, AND I COULD NOT WARM UP TO THE COLT ANACONDA. DURING THOSE YEARS OF SHOOTING COLTS EXCLUSIVELY, THE ALLURE OF S&Ws ELUDED ME. MY MONEY, AND MY CHOICES.......

 

[reddog81]

It’s my understanding that the new Colt revolvers are put together by Colt employees however they use outside manufacturers to produce most of the parts. I’m hoping that they can continue expanding the lineup and eventually the market is big enough that they can justify buying the tooling and manufacturing everything in house.

If Standard Manufacturing wants to produce a revolver better than a Python i'm sure they could, but I don’t see how attaching the Colt name to their product would help in that case. There are other premium revolvers on the market much more expensive than Colts.

 

[Bobby B.]

It’s my understanding that the new Colt revolvers are put together by Colt employees however they use outside manufacturers to produce most of the parts. I’m hoping that they can continue expanding the lineup and eventually the market is big enough that they can justify buying the tooling and manufacturing everything in house.

If Standard Manufacturing wants to produce a revolver better than a Python i'm sure they could, but I don’t see how attaching the Colt name to their product would help in that case. There are other premium revolvers on the market much more expensive than Colts.

I think you missed my point. CSMC has already made A.H. Fox shotguns, Winchester Model 21's and Parkers. All of them were as good as the originals, maybe better. If Standard made a Python, it would be an exact copy not a new gun with an old name. If Colt licensed it, it could be a "Colt" just made in a new custom shop. If you look at the CSMC and Standard Mfg. web sites you would see that Standard is already building 1911's and Single Actions to a level Colt probably can't. Sounds like they are 2/3's of the way there already!

 

[armorer951]

To me, part of the "mystique" if you will, of the old Colts and many other production revolvers and pistols is the fact that they are from a by gone era, with the emphasis on "gone".

Just me I guess, but the fascination surrounding the timeless look and feel of an original hand fit 'factory' made revolver cannot be re-created on a CNC machine.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

MY MONEY, AND MY CHOICES.......

Who says anything different? You want to spend your hard earned cash on something go ahead and do it. I actually used to like the Diamondbacks my own self. Having handled so many different guns I much prefer the feel of a S&W over a Colt. YMMV of course!

 

[Texas Star]

Any photos of those M-1911's and SAA's from Standard?

Didn't know they were building them.

Price ranges?

Their shotguns are very high dollar.

 

[Grayfox]

I have a few Colt revolvers and am quite fond of them. Including a Python.
You may be right and CSMC just might be able to build a gun just as good. But, here's the thing. There would be an uproar from the old school Colt guys that will absolutely insist that these guns are NOT real Pythons. No matter how good they are, there will be people bad mouthing them from the get go.
Just look at how Colt's new Cobra has been received. While sales seem to be good, many still insist that they aren't as good as the old guns and continue to nit-pick every chance they get.
It won't matter if its Colt or somebody else, any NEW Python is gonna face a very hard uphill battle and likely never will be accepted as anything but a poor copy.
Deserved or not, the Python is a legendary icon in the shooting world. There will never be another like it and any attempt to build one will be treated as blasphemy.

(edit to add)
BTW: back in 2015 the Italian gun company Pietta announced they were planning to make a Python copy. There were even a few prototypes that showed up at a couple of industry shows and a few pictures got on the web. There was quite a bit of talk and speculation about these. But then the whole project just quietly faded away and hasn't been heard of since.
I doubt any other company would have better luck.

 

[reddog81]

I think you missed my point. CSMC has already made A.H. Fox shotguns, Winchester Model 21's and Parkers. All of them were as good as the originals, maybe better. If Standard made a Python, it would be an exact copy not a new gun with an old name. If Colt licensed it, it could be a "Colt" just made in a new custom shop. If you look at the CSMC and Standard Mfg. web sites you would see that Standard is already building 1911's and Single Actions to a level Colt probably can't. Sounds like they are 2/3's of the way there already!

My point was that I hope Colt stops outsourcing the production of their guns and would build up the resources to do them in house.

If Standard Manufacturing wanted to do it I’m sure they could, and the gun would be prices accordingly. Their cheapest 1911 is $1,295. If they wanted to produce a Python I’m sure they could as the rights have surely expired decades ago just like they have with the SAA and 1911.

 

[Bobby B.]

I have a few Colt revolvers and am quite fond of them. Including a Python.
You may be right and CSMC just might be able to build a gun just as good. But, here's the thing. There would be an uproar from the old school Colt guys that will absolutely insist that these guns are NOT real Pythons. No matter how good they are, there will be people bad mouthing them from the get go.
Just look at how Colt's new Cobra has been received. While sales seem to be good, many still insist that they aren't as good as the old guns and continue to nit-pick every chance they get.
It won't matter if its Colt or somebody else, any NEW Python is gonna face a very hard uphill battle and likely never will be accepted as anything but a poor copy.
Deserved or not, the Python is a legendary icon in the shooting world. There will never be another like it and any attempt to build one will be treated as blasphemy.

(edit to add)
BTW: back in 2015 the Italian gun company Pietta announced they were planning to make a Python copy. There were even a few prototypes that showed up at a couple of industry shows and a few pictures got on the web. There was quite a bit of talk and speculation about these. But then the whole project just quietly faded away and hasn't been heard of since.
I doubt any other company would have better luck.

Ive already outlined Connecticut Shotguns accomplishments. They speak for themselves. They most definitely are not “some Italian company”. Quite frankly they are one of the premier gun makers in the world today. Did I mention they already build single actions and 1911’s and are located in Connecticut ...

 

[one eye joe]

Who says anything different? You want to spend your hard earned cash on something go ahead and do it. I actually used to like the Diamondbacks my own self. Having handled so many different guns I much prefer the feel of a S&W over a Colt. YMMV of course!

NO REASONABLE PERSON WOULD SAY ANYTHING DIFFERENT---YET THERE IS A DEGREE OF BASHING BETWEEN SOME PEOPLE, WHEN THEIR CHOICES DO NOT COINCIDE.......

 

[Bobby B.]

For those who care. Take a look at what Standard is doing. http://www.stdgun.com/single-action-revolver-1/

 

[one eye joe]

WELCOME TO THE FORUM, AND THANKS FOR THE LINK....

BASED UPON WHAT I SAW--I WOULD NOT HESITATE TO PURCHASE ONE OF STANDARD'S OFFERINGS......

 

[MygunisaS&Wrevolver]

I doubt if some other company could actually recreate the Colt Python with the same finish and lock work. They are amazingly complicated compared to a Smith & Wesson. I recall an article a while back about an employee in the Colt Custom shop who found all of the parts to build like the last one. This was at least twenty years after they quit production. He was a gunsmith and did repairs on Pythons, yet he was unable to correctly fit all the parts together to make it run without the help of one of the retired Colt master gunsmiths. Because of the time lapse since Colt produced Pythons these master gunsmiths are getting to the point that they have passed away and this knowledge base is no longer availabe.

 

[one eye joe]

I doubt if some other company could actually recreate the Colt Python with the same finish and lock work. They are amazingly complicated compared to a Smith & Wesson. I recall an article a while back about an employee in the Colt Custom shop who found all of the parts to build like the last one. This was at least twenty years after they quit production. He was a gunsmith and did repairs on Pythons, yet he was unable to correctly fit all the parts together to make it run without the help of one of the retired Colt master gunsmiths. Because of the time lapse since Colt produced Pythons these master gunsmiths are getting to the point that they have passed away and this knowledge base is no longer availabe.

VERY SAD, BUT TRUE. THE PARTS WERE ALL HANDFITTED TO THE INDIVIDUAL REVOLVER, BY MASTER GUNSMITHS....

THE LAST COLT THAT I PURCHASED NEW, WAS A 4" STAINLESS PYTHON ELITE. THEY ARE PRODUCTS OF THE COLT CUSTOM SHOP. WISHING NOT TO EXTEND THE ALREADY LENGTH WAITING PERIOD, I ORDERED THE STANDARD REVOLVER.....

UPON RECEIPT, I PROMPTLY SENT IT BACK FOR A HIGH POLSHED FINISH, AND A COMBAT TUNED ACTION. THE COMBAT TUNE GUARANTEES RELIABLE IGNITION, WITH ANY BRAND OF FACTORY AMMO......

I HAVE NO CONCERN THAT THE GUN DEVIATES FROM THE LABEL ON THE CASE. THE PAPERWORK DOCUMENTS THAT THE WORK WAS PERFORMED BY THE COLT CUSTOM SHOP, AND I HAVE NO INTENTION OF SELLING THE GUN. IT WILL BE PASSED ON TO MY DAUGHTER, WHEN THE TIME COMES.....

 

[stansdds]

I'm sure a good manufacturer could produce MIM and CNC machined parts that a Colt assembler could put together and it would look like a Python, but just like the new King Cobra is not the same as the original King Cobra, it will be a Python in name only.

 

[Bobby B.]

I doubt if some other company could actually recreate the Colt Python with the same finish and lock work. They are amazingly complicated compared to a Smith & Wesson. I recall an article a while back about an employee in the Colt Custom shop who found all of the parts to build like the last one. This was at least twenty years after they quit production. He was a gunsmith and did repairs on Pythons, yet he was unable to correctly fit all the parts together to make it run without the help of one of the retired Colt master gunsmiths. Because of the time lapse since Colt produced Pythons these master gunsmiths are getting to the point that they have passed away and this knowledge base is no longer availabe.

Again, all you have to do is look at what Tony Galazan’s companies already produce to understand that if they wanted to they could produce any firearm of the past. They make Best guns, guns that compare to the best built at any time or place in the world.

Would they or would Colt work with them to produce the Python again? Who knows but it is fun to wonder what if.....

 

[chief38]

The Colt Python is a fine Revolver but dollar for dollar the S&W (Vintage of course) M586 is just better IMHO. Yea, the Python is "sexy looking" with its ventilated rib, deep Royal Blue finish, fitting and attention to detail, but the M586 is just as smooth, more robust, is more easily tuned and over all will stand up better to Magnums.

There will always be the Python mystique and collectibility but again, IMO holds nothing over the function and shoot-ability of a vintage M586.

There have been at least a half dozen times I've considered buying a Python and at the end of the day have always come back to the M586 I already own.

 

[dandyrandy]

To me, part of the "mystique" if you will, of the old Colts and many other production revolvers and pistols is the fact that they are from a by gone era, with the emphasis on "gone".

Just me I guess, but the fascination surrounding the timeless look and feel of an original hand fit 'factory' made revolver cannot be re-created on a CNC machine.

If Colt makes another Python it will be a totally different gun than the old one. It will more than likely be so different they might as well put another name on it. I say out with the old and in with the new! I dont agree with the Pythons being this "God like Hercules" gun because they were hand fitted and the new guns being no good. I dont agree with that at all! I would take a brand new production Dan Wesson 715 over any old clunky Colt Python any day of the year! I especially the 715 with the three interchangeable barrels. A Python cant change barrels your stuck with those same length fangs. Also Pythons tend to go out of timing a lot. If that happens to your old Python "in the now" what are you supposed to do than?? Will Colt even fix those old guns???