You Walk Into A Gun Store in 1978...

[les.b]

Absolutely correct. Many get their jollies badmouthing Colts because of the alleged "timing problems" - but without having a shred of personal experience to substantiate that. And History has clearly shown that the Python has become a far better investment vehicle than the S&W.

DWalt:

That was exactly the point that I was making in an earlier post, which I copy here:

"I have an awful lot of Smith and Wessons, and I love them all. But I also have an awful lot of Colts, including double action revolvers, going all the way back to my 1877 "Lightning", (which may be the, or at least one of the first) D.A. Colts, and all the way up to some "modern" Detective Specials and Diamondbacks, and Agents, Official Police, and a lot of others as well. I must be special, because none of those has developed any timing issues. I shoot all of my guns. Not all of the time, of course, there are too many of them for that, but they always come around in rotation,depending on my mood. And of course, I have a lot of autos as well, so I get a lot of shooting in. I think that this Colt timing thing reminds me of Mark Twain's response when he read his own obituary in a newspaper (which thought he had died): "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated!"."

Best Regards, Les

 

[Gary1911A1]

If I only had enough cash for one I'd buy the one I wanted right then, ask about lay-a-way and/or whip out a credit card for the rest and just ate cheap for a few months. That's what I would of done.

 

[DWalt]

DWalt:

That was exactly the point that I was making in an earlier post, which I copy here:

"I have an awful lot of Smith and Wessons, and I love them all. But I also have an awful lot of Colts, including double action revolvers, going all the way back to my 1877 "Lightning", (which may be the, or at least one of the first) D.A. Colts, and all the way up to some "modern" Detective Specials and Diamondbacks, and Agents, Official Police, and a lot of others as well. I must be special, because none of those has developed any timing issues. I shoot all of my guns. Not all of the time, of course, there are too many of them for that, but they always come around in rotation,depending on my mood. And of course, I have a lot of autos as well, so I get a lot of shooting in. I think that this Colt timing thing reminds me of Mark Twain's response when he read his own obituary in a newspaper (which thought he had died): "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated!"."

Best Regards, Les

I could tell almost the exact same story. My DA Colt revolvers (nine of them) go back to 1910, with the latest being from 1960, in four different calibers. I've fired several of them a lot over the last 30 years (not all of them). And of course I have no idea how much they may have been fired by previous owners/users. In any event, all of them remain in perfect time. Now if I were a shooter who goes out and burns up 500 rounds every weekend, I might have a different story to tell. But for the average use a Colt experiences over its lifespan, one should easily outlast its owner and still remain in time, and I am sure that most (if not all) of mine already have outlived their former owners in fine form.

 

[Club Gun Fan]

Neither....on a police officer's salary in those days (1974), and a family to feed, I couldn't take any of them home. While on probation (first nine months) I made 688.00 a month. After taxes...... $ 563.98. My OT rate was $ 4.30/hr.

Although not pictured above.....the 2.5" model 66 is still on my grail list. According to one researcher, $ 1.00 in 1975 had the same buying power as $ 4.56 does now. The reason why I still can't afford one.

I was a LEO at the same time. I bought a C--T Python from a Police Distributor for less than $200.00 brand new. Worst decision I ever made. I traded it for a AR 15. I traded that for a Model 19 to the Mass State Police Swat Team.

 

[Club Gun Fan]

I've loved the discussion so far... BTW, in 1978, I was fairly young, but coveting a 4" model 66

Side by side photo comparison of the S&W and Snakes (no box/case distraction):

With all due respect, the C--T looks like a girly gun. The N Frame has attitude! Like, you want to mess with me?

 

[-db-]

I understand Don's making a wisecrack above, but I do agree- the N-Frame just looks meaner to me, more business-like.

Note the cylinder appears to be quite a bit larger, too.

 

[triaxle]

Smith 27 in the wood box were 300 bucks and Colt 45 autos that I got in my moms name were 200 or 225 I think . New Colt 2 gen Det Spl 38 150 the gun shop guy said Jim I thought I would never sell that no one wanted it . Western Auto had 8/38 model 29s in wood box 450

 

[JK-linux]

Neither. I'd like to have snagged the full auto M-16/AR-15 or as many DIAS's as I could find!

 

[sureshotbob]

I've owned a blued 6"Python ,4" blued Python and a 4"stainless Python but had a lot of S&W's model's 13,28,27's,65,and 686's .
I do love the actions on the S&W's better than the Colt's.

 

[les.b]

Well, I'm just a rookie here on the forum, and I respect my elders on the forum, even if they are younger in years. I certainly respect Don's opinion, after all, he started in police work a year ahead of me! Just kidding. I've listened to guys make the same arguments for hours over Ford vs. Chevy.

As far as handguns go, I love my Smiths AND my Colts. But in fairness, I've never owned a Python. Only the older styles of double action revolvers and a few SAAs as well. And I've never owned a Smith and Wesson semi automatic newer than a 39 and a 59. Never really interested me.

Best Regards, Les

 

[Smith61]

1978 Enlisted in the Navy for what would be nine years in submarines chasing Rooskies........

The 27 3.5" all day, any day!

 

[bulletslap]

In 1978 in the way of handguns I owned a standard 4" barrel Model 64, a Colt Gold Cup, and a 5 1/2 inch Colt SAA 3rd gen in 44 spcl.

The Gold Cup was stolen, and I sold the SAA 15 years later to fund a kid's braces.

I still have the Model 64.

 

[Steely85]

I probably would have went for bubble gum and baseball cards isle, since I was far from old enough to buy a handgun in 78

 

[Laketime]

The Colt Python is one of my favorite guns I haven't owned yet.Should of bought one when they were less than $200.00 over a new S&W. The Python's timing issue with a steady diet of magnum rounds is old news.Regardless ,it is still one of the sexiest guns ever made.

 

[Derosa]

In 1978 I was working the afternoon shift in a machine shop. Running a horizontal milling machine. I was making $2.85 per hour and loving life, making chips and the smell of cool tool. My guiding light was my plant manager. He pulled me out of the gutter and gave me a chance to go to college, learn a skill, accept the grail of responsibility and marriage and fatherhood. He believed in S&W. Model 29 & 19 & 17. I could do no less. To this day, when I am I trouble, I ask myself, what would he do? I associate my love of firearms and life with his lessons. Are they not connected?

 

[SmithNut]

I suppose it depended on where you lived....

In late 1978 I moved to Alaska from California. I was used to grey market prices of nice Smiths by that time. Anything of interest went well above retail, when my shop got an early M66 6" I was extremely lucky to get it for retail, but that was because I bought all my leather, ammo and cleaning supplies there.
In Alaska, anything with a "4" in the first digit of the caliber was in hot supply, you couldn't pick up a 44 mag for anything near retail, sometimes double. 357 Mag revolvers didn't move fast, sometimes sitting on shelves for months. 38 specials?, couldn't give them away, I had a friend in So. Cal that wanted a M60, found one at a local Anchorage sporting goods store for retail that had sat there for months, they were happy to ship it to him.
In 1981, moved to Salt Lake City for a year, M27's of all barrel lengths were sitting on shelves collecting dust in several stores. At that time the M629 was new and some carried a premium, albeit slow movers they were (there), I remembered my Alaska days, so after my year there we were headed back, so bought a 6" M629 for a slight premium to retail and took it with me.
Upon my return to Alaska I remember buying a Colt Gold Cup, a S&W M41 and a S&W M52 on the shelf at a local Fred Meyer store for retail, it took me a bit of time to get the dust off these guns... they sat there for a long time before I bought them. I did manage to trade into a 6" nickel Python, it made a great wall-hanger but never warmed to it, just seemed too pretty/delicate. Man, would I love to have that gun these days, they have definitely gained in value.

 

[model70hunter]

I did walk into a gun shop 2 years later and walked out with a nice nickel 4" Python NIB.

I guess the next question on this pop quiz is; were you smart enough to not sell it......

 

[acl864]

In 1980 I was 16 and with my Dad. We pooled our money together and bought a 19-4 6" Blued with a 6" Barrel, Target hammer, trigger and stocks. Out the door with a Bianchi Leather Holster, 200 CCI Small Pistol Primers and a box of 100 Lead Bullets was $239 and change, the receipt is still in the bottom of the original box. We headed home dead broke but happy. I've put 10,000 + rounds through her since then but other than the turn line she still looks like the day we brought her home. If I could go back in time I wouldn't change a thing. I own another 19 in 2 1/2", four 27-2's- one 3 1/2" Nickel, a 4" Nickel, two 6"- one blue one nickel and even a 642. But my first S&W is still and will always be my favorite.

 

[AZretired]

I did walk into that gunshop in 1978 and I bought a M-65-1. But of your choices I would pick the 3.5" M-27. A classic!

 

[JSR III]

Actually you have the year wrong. It is really 10/30/1971 and I walk into Lew Horton's Sports Shop in downtown Framingham, Massachusetts (before he went commercial) and purchase a 6" blue model 27-2, my first S&W.

According to my receipt, I paid $129.95 for the gun, $6.35 for a box of Remington ammo, and what looks like some 9 1/2 Remington primers for .80. According to the hang tag, they were asking $139.95 so must have taken $10 off.

I was working for US Steel, Cyclone fence division installing industrial chain link fence for $6.35 an hour.

That was 45 years ago and seems like it was just yesterday.