Gunsmith's Custom Revolver

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The Colt Python did not have an intensive development program; it was essentially gunsmiths on the production floor trying to come up with a match revolver using mostly existing pieces and parts. Al De John, who started with Colt in 1946 as a gunsmith, worked with factory superintendent Al Gunther. De John started to tinker with the .38 Special Officer's Model Match, beefing up the cylinder, frame, and top-strap due to problems with blowback and firing pins from the excessive pressure from the .357 Magnum hammering the recoil plate. The recoil plate, a separate piece set into the frame, was eliminated by putting the firing-pin hole directly into the frame and making the top strap and crane more robust. Al Gunther first suggested having the iconic vent rib across the barrel. The Python snake name came from Colt sticking to their reptilian revolver naming, following the 1950 .38 Special "Cobra". The Colt Python was first introduced in 1955 as Colt's top-of-the-line model and was originally intended to be a large-frame .38 Special target revolver. As a result, it features precision adjustable sights, a smooth trigger, solid construction, and extra metal. Pythons have a distinct appearance due to a full barrel underlug, ventilated rib and adjustable sights. Colt revolver cylinders rotate clockwise compared to counter-clockwise of other revolvers (like Smith & Wesson or Ruger). When the revolver is at full cock, just as the trigger is pressed, the cylinder locks up for the duration of the hammer strike. As the trigger is pressed, the cylinder moves into lockup by the hand, and it is locked tightly. The Colt is locked up tight when the hammer falls. Colt claims that since the cylinder rotates to the right, this forces the cylinder into the frame, opposite of the Smith & Wesson. The gap between the cylinder and forcing cone is very tight, further aiding accuracy and velocity.

In Their Own Story

Colt originally manufactured Pythons with hollow underlugs but left them solid to work as a stabilizing barrel weight. It was initially released with a 6" barrel, then a 4" barrel, and finally a 2.5" barrel which was the shortest barrel that could accommodate the vent on the rib. The Python was the first time Colt used the Royal Blue finish, coming from a very high polish on the gun and then bluing. Initially, only Colt gunsmiths Al De John and Don Bedford were allowed to work on the Pythons. This gunsmithing included intricate hand fitting and polishing and each revolver would take Colt gunsmiths a little longer; about 20 minutes of labor, compared to the 15 minutes (4 guns per hour) of other Colt revolvers. The Python was initially priced at $125, the same as the reintroduced Single Action Army. Only one Python was built in 1955, a little over 300 Pythons were built by the end of 1956, and more than 100,000 Pythons were built by 1969. From the 1970s each Python revolver was boresighted at the factory with a laser; the first mass-produced revolver for which this was done. In October 1999, Colt announced that it would cease production of Python revolvers. In a 2000 follow-up letter to distributors, the company cited changing market conditions and the costs of defending lawsuits as the reasons to discontinue the Python line, as well as a number of other models. The Colt Custom Gun Shop continued making a limited number of Pythons on special order until 2005, when this limited production ceased. The 2020 reintroduction of the Colt Python was partially made possible with the increased precision of machining and improvements of tolerances and strength of metal injection molding, negating the need for "hand fitting" by expensive specialists.

Reader's Guide

The second generation Colt Python was officially released by Colt in January 2020. The new second generation Pythons were strengthened and made to be more robust by being built out of stronger stainless steel than the first generation, increasing the steel mass of the backstrap, and thirty percent more steel beneath the rear adjustable sight. When Colts were first introduced, they were initially designed to shoot bullseye matches, and during the 1950s and 60's most shooters were using light .38 Specials for their matches. But as the Pythons became more widely adopted with law enforcement and shooters who ran their guns with higher powered .357 Magnum rounds, Pythons gained a reputation for being fragile when subjected to hard use with magnum loads. So for the second generation Colts, engineers redesigned the rear sight which allowed them to add 30 percent more steel above the cylinder in the top strap. Furthermore, the steel used in the second generation benefits of stronger modern metallurgy. The 410-series stainless steel Colt has used in Pythons since 1983 has been replaced with a stronger more corrosion resistant alloy. It is available with a 3 in (7.6 cm), 4.25 in (10.8 cm) or 6 in (15 cm) barrel. The Colt Python is powered by a V-spring versus the Smith & Wesson’s leaf spring. Since the 2020-update, the V-spring has been redesigned into a "U" shape, in addition to simplifying and subtracting parts from the lockwork, to prevent "stacking", a phenomenon where the weight of pull sharply increases at the end of the trigger's travel. All new production Pythons are shipped with Altamont wood grips. The Python has been extremely popular with both target shooters and law enforcement. The Python immediately made inroads into the law enforcement market when introduced, with the 6-inch barrel being popular with uniformed officers and the 4-inch barrel considered optimal for plainclothes use. The Colorado State Patrol issued 4-inch blue Pythons until their switch to the S&W .40 caliber autoloader. Georgia State Patrol issued Pythons in the 1980s until their transition to Glock semiautomatic pistols in the 1990s. Florida Highway Patrol issued Pythons to their officers in the 1980s until their transition to the Beretta 92FS in the late 1980s. Python has since fallen out of common use, along with all revolvers, due to changing law enforcement needs that favor semi-automatic pistols. When law-enforcement agencies realized that the 9mm semi-automatic pistols fire a round with similar characteristics to the .38 Special with higher capacity, they began a migration to these, and other, semi-automatic pistol cartridges. The move away from the Python is also being driven by the increasing number of law enforcement agencies which require officers to carry department-issue weapons (as a way to reduce liability).

Did You Know?

• The Colt Python was the first time Colt used the Royal Blue finish, coming from a very high polish on the gun and then bluing.
• From the 1970s each Python revolver was boresighted at the factory with a laser; the first mass-produced revolver for which this was done.
• Only one Python was built in 1955, a little over 300 Pythons were built by the end of 1956, and more than 100,000 Pythons were built by 1969.
• The Python was initially priced at $125, the same as the reintroduced Single Action Army.
• Colt revolver cylinders rotate clockwise compared to counter-clockwise of other revolvers (like Smith & Wesson or Ruger).