Which S & W is comparable to Colt Python?

[cd228]

I inherited my father's pre-s Python. It was the revolver I learned to shoot revolvers on and really love it. It needed to go to a gunsmith in the late 90s, early 2000s because the cylinder wouldn't line up with the forcing cone when cycled. This was very suprising to me as it had been fed mostly .38 SPL and shot slow fire at the target range and not very often. It was fixed and worked fine after that. After that scare I acquired a second hand Smith & Wesson 686-3. As mentioned, both the 686 and Python fit in the same holster and felt like it weighted the same, though the Colt might have a better balance. The Colt trigger definitely felt better. But, as the years went by the 686-trigger got better and I've had other folks tell me that they can't feel a difference (Glock folks mostly). The finish on the Python was magnificent in its day. Interestingly enough I got a 6" model 19 (Pre-lock), that I found to shoot better then both of the larger revolvers I rarely shoot the Python anymore and probably need to pull it out of the safe.

 

[malph]

If you are talking about standard, out of the box revolvers S&W never made one that was even close to the older Python's.

If you are talking fit and finish, I'd agree.

The Smith action though was smoother, more durable and the better mechanism for fast DA shooting.

 

[Shootgood]

If you had to pick a S&W, I'd say a 27-2 or older would be the closest thing Smith had to offer.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Looking for a wheel gun. Which S & W model is comparable to the trigger/quality of older Colt Python? Thanks.

Today for new I would go 686 Plus and either the three or four inch.

Connoisseur [noun] an expert judge of eg art, music, wine etc. Let him choose the revolver – he's the connoisseur. judge [noun] a person who is skilled at deciding how good etc something is.

FYI everyone is not a connoisseur of fine revolvers just as everyone does not know the difference between fine and average. JMHO

 

[rct269]

I don't know beans from apple butter about any current S&W model number guns, and the only Colt (hand ejector) I've ever owned was an Officers Model that'd been in and back out of Roper's shop----NEAT GUN!!!!!

I'm inclined to compare a S&W Combat Magnum to a Python. Better finish on a Python? Yep!---not much, but better. Better anything else? Don't know, somewhat inclined to doubt it; but that doubt is born of ignorance. Would I buy a Python? Probably not, but that has to do with aesthetics more than anything else.

Picking a nit, I have and do own another Colt---have done so for probably going on 30 years. My carry gun during those years (and today) is a Special Combat Government model. And having said that, I thought of another one---a regular Government Model I sent off to Wilson Combat to be transformed into their Master Grade conversion. It came back with a test target. I forget the range, but it was one slightly ragged hole. Just for grins, I did a test with my Special Combat version. The results were virtually identical-----for about half the price!!

Ralph Tremaine

 

[A10]

Opinions are like....elbows. Most folks have two.

Best action on a revolver I have ever felt is on a prewar S&W. That may have been the result of 80 years of cycling....

The old Python royal blue was beautiful. I never really liked my 4 inch much, probably just because the action felt different. That and the fact the cylinder turned the wrong way.

 

[MartinSW41]

Gents, THANKS for all the replies. I already have an older Python. This forum has been invaluable for me. One of my best purchases, a S & W 845, came from the advice here. I found one and LOVE it. It is now my favorite 45 over my Colt National Match. With that thinking, I wondered what was I missing in a wheel gun. Will definitely start researching the 586/686 and 27-2.

 

[lppd4]

IMHO. This 586/686 will have a better action than any Python that has not been professionally tuned. And the S&W action is easy to improve with an aftermarket spring kit. And before I get roasted I am very familiar with both firearms, buying my first Python in 1976 and many S&W’s since then

 

[MartinSW41]

Colt SAA - beautiful collection. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I have never been impressed with the trigger on any older Python I've tried. Smooth, yes. But heavier + stacking.
I have several older Colts of that frame size and lockwork, just not Pythons and I see no reason to spend the money that older Pythons get...I personally think they are an overrated and overhyped gun that is nowhere near being rare or even uncommon.
I think the one area that the Python does better than a 586M, -1, or -2 is the level of polish in the finish. Thats about it.

This man speaks the truth..........30.000 rrds and never out of time?.....I'd have witness that to believe it......If you cock an out of time python fast it will lock up...........Plus the second leg on the hand pushes the cylinder into lock as you pull the trigger........And as the man said above they no better than Smiths or Rugers.

 

[sodacan]

Pictured are the parties to this discussion. The Python is from 1972. The 586 from the early 80's. Different in many ways, but both, IMO, great guns.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

There are no Smith and Wessons that are comparable to the older Pythons

However the Smith and Wesson models 586 and 686 do have a visually similar look to the Python

The trigger pulls feel different on the two firearms because the lock work is of a totally different configuration

Which is the better firearm is a matter of personal opinion. I have been shooting both Company's firearms for over four decades now and I admit I still own several from each manufacturer and I like them for their differences, not that I believe one is better than the other

Many folks prefer the Smith and Wesson post war action because it can be very easily made into a fairly decent double action pull at a moderate cost

Doing a exceptional trigger job on the Python, especially an older one, is a very expensive and tedious process though the Python will yield a far superior double action trigger pull if you can get one of the old masters to work on it. Walter Sherman did an absolutely breathtaking trigger job to the Pythons with his roller bearing action, however this trigger job was about $200 back in 1994

The current Python lockwork is much easier to work on, though truthfully I have not inquired from various gunsmiths what they charge for those jobs since I do all my own work these days

Fresh out of the box the Smith and Wesson does have the edge on the single action trigger pull

As to durability of the lockwork between the two revolvers, I never understood where the legend of the Python being so bad evolved from. None of mine have ever had timing issues and several of them have well over 30,000 rounds through them

I have no doubt that the folks who stepped forward and said that they had problems with their lock work were telling us what they believed to be the truth. Obviously I do not know what their gunsmith told them was wrong with their firearm

I just have not seen these terrible timing issues in my personal shooting experience or the experience of any of my fellow shooters

"telling us what they believed to be the truth"........Bovine fecal material plain and simple.........One states facts and YOU choose not to believe.

 

[colt_saa]

"telling us what they believed to be the truth"........Bovine fecal material plain and simple.........One states facts and YOU choose not to believe.

You are 100% correct, I choose not to believe statements from 1 or 10 or even 100 anonymous internet voices that Colt Python's fall out of timing quickly, because that has not been my experience and I trust my personal experience more

Now when you are talking about shooters who also happen to be gunsmiths I take those reports far more seriously

I am certain that folks who had problems with their pythons were told by their gunsmiths they were out of time. Those people naturally believed what their gunsmith was telling them and that is why they repeat it. But we don't know what actually went wrong nor what the actual fix was

A single person's gun going out of time and a gunsmith telling him it's an epidemic problem does not make it a fact, not even 10 or more reports make it epidemic. Many 100s of thousands of Pythons were produced over the decades. The actual best guesstimate is that the number is somewhere between 500,000 and 750,000. And of course that number grows larger every year

One fact is that the Florida Highway Patrol began issuing nickel plated 4" Pythons back in the 1960s

Another fact is that in the mid 1980s the Florida Highway Patrol began taking deliveries on Pythons finished in ultimate stainless

Another fact is that only 50 of the BSS Pythons were delivered before the switch to the Beretta 92

Unfortunately I do not know the fact as to how many Pythons the Patrol actually had over the years. It was more than a few 100 but less than a 1000

Obviously there are some State Troopers that hardly shoot at all, but it is also a fact that many of the State Troopers used to shoot PPC matches during that time frame and naturally they used their duty Python

The point that is obviously being made here is that I'm not the only person I know of who's put more than 30,000 rounds through a couple of Colt Pythons

I only recall a couple of the Pythons going out of time but as I stated above I am not sure of that total sample size.

We have a choice between Colt, Smith and Wesson, and Ruger for the same reason that we have a choice between GM, Ford and Mopar

Different people will choose to own different things and it does not necessarily have anything to do with one thing being better than another

 

[SWFan27]

The Model 686.

 

[CajunBass]

Off topic. thread drift...... but IMHO the best of both worlds is a Smolt!
a Smith with a Python barrel.

Wish I'd had one built back in the 80s!

I really wanted a Smolt back in the day. Apparently all the "cool kids" had one, at least according to all the magazines. But I was never a "cool kid" (meaning I had no money) and never even saw one.

 

[CH4]

I really wanted a Smolt back in the day. Apparently all the "cool kids" had one, at least according to all the magazines. But I was never a "cool kid" (meaning I had no money) and never even saw one.

I still do. Found the barrel and donor gun; unfortunately, they are incompatible. I either need to screw this barrel on a k frame or find 1991 or later Python barrel. Will probably start looking for a 2.5” 66-2 as a donor.

 

[Hawg Rider]

As far as Python vs. S&W...boy, does that open an interesting and heated debate! The early Pythons were beautifully made, and were lighter than the S&W N-frame .357 Magnums. However, the much more expensive Colt would be less attractive to LEOs back in the day with limited budgets. Probably one of the reasons for the success of the Highway Patrolman. Don't get me wrong, I'm a dyed-in-the-wool S&W guy, but I can certainly appreciate the Python. I know that the S&W revolvers were also beautifully made and finished, and there were lots of choices if the buyer were going with .357 Magnum. The Model 19 is an exceptional K-frame, although I think that the N-frame Model 27 (and earlier .357s, of course) is one of the finest revolvers ever produced. I own all of the aforementioned handguns, and can't really pick one over the other. They are all fantastic revolvers. I just picked up my first L-frame (Model 686), and think that they could also be tossed into the mix.

 

[Yendor357]

A 30 year old Smith is better than a new one.

A new Python is better than the old ones. That’s just a cold hard fact.

As always, buy one of each. I’m a firm believer in covering all the bases.

 

[DWalt]

As to durability of the lockwork between the two revolvers, I never understood where the legend of the Python being so bad evolved from. None of mine have ever had timing issues and several of them have well over 30,000 rounds through them

I have no doubt that the folks who stepped forward and said that they had problems with their lock work were telling us what they believed to be the truth. Obviously I do not know what their gunsmith told them was wrong with their firearm

I just have not seen these terrible timing issues in my personal shooting experience or the experience of any of my fellow shooters

Ditto. I have owned somewhat more than a dozen Colt revolvers over the last 50+ years, and have fired several extensively. I have never had any of mine go out of time. Maybe I used mine too gently. None of mine were Pythons. I have wondered who the guys with all the out-of-time Colts were. I currently have only seven Colts left in my stable.

 

[stanmerrell]

I agree with most of the comments here, especially about the Smith 586, but if you want a less expensive Python, why not look at the old Colt Troopers, the later models are best. I hear the action is very similar to the Python, and the selling prices can be had for about $800. Bottom line is, there's only really one Python. Everything else is not quite.