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I agree 100 per cent. I've always thought most Colt revolvers are beautiful but fragile. I'd rather buy a handful of used K-Frame Smiths than one Colt Python.Ready to accept the hate but the fact is the timing goes to shit in 1000-1500rd. They are fragile little babies and after the first time the timing goes to shit, it gets REAL expensive to fix it. They just weren't built to last, don't ask me why but they used cheap metal and poor designs for a long time. There are fan boys and that's cool, I'm not knocking them, but those are the facts.
"OK but it's a multi-thousand dollar wallhanger novelty" - sure that's a mindset to take, but that's not the measure of a pistol. By that logic one of those slapfire Nambus is a great gun. This isn't just a safe queen that you have to be afraid to drop, it's a safe queen you need to be afraid to shoot. Pythons are expensive because they're out of production, they're iconic in appearance, have an iconic name (MFG and model) and they're OK pistols to shoot because the DA pull from the factory was very smooth. That's about it.
As for investment purposes, well, the Cobra came back last year. First snake gun in many years. Will the Python come back (or some Cobra-based gun like the Anaconda bearing the Python name?) it's possible and while it might not totally tank the market on original Pythons it will certainly put a dent in it. It's not like SAA variants where there's history buffs after them, or historical context to how/where they were built that makes them more desirable.
I inherited two Pythons and I own zero Pythons now - one didn't make it 500rd without falling out of timing and the other was valuable so I sold it, too. I also inherited several original Dan Wessons, and I own all three of them because they are FANTASTIC pistols that live up to every ounce of hype they receive (and deserve the reputation given to Colt). Frankly my 80s and 90s and even current production S&W are nicer than those Pythons were in almost every respect, except maybe the quality of the bluing.
*edit:
Can't believe I left this out, but you know the lockup on Colts is the most assbackward design under the sun. If you're a lefty forget it, but even right handed it's absurd. S&W is just a more logical, natural motion (and thus so are Taurus, Charters, Eibars, other clones). Ruger is a more simple, natural motion. Even the goofy crane-mounted release on the Dan Wesson and certain Taurus models is much easier/more natural to operate.
Ready to accept the hate but......
I hear you all..... how about as a investment point of view????
I have a couple of snake revolvers that I keep for investment purposes. I don't dare shoot them.
I hear you all..... how about as a investment point of view????
If they start making Pythons again would that hurt the value? If the new Cobra sells well they might make a Python.
Whatever "python" colt puts out today will NEVER come close to the original 1950s vintage guns. So in my opinion a "new" python offering will not effect the originals value.
I hear you all..... how about as a investment point of view????
If you COULD go out and buy one, and you could shoot the hell out of it to boot, that's gonna remove a good portion of the market for original Pythons. So there might be a few "I want a vintage, rare, barely shootable pistol" folks but I'd guess they're outnumbered by the "I want a Python" guys who'd be happy with an internally updated pistol that looks the same and says "Python" on the side. Why a Python, and not an Anaconda or Diamondback or Cobra? Because of media. Who cares if it's original - it's just like the show/movie/game!
if there were new Pythons produced that had better internals and the same look at less $.....I'd be looking at a newer one rather than a 3k one.
Ready to accept the hate but the fact is the timing goes to shit in 1000-1500rd. They are fragile little babies and after the first time the timing goes to shit, it gets REAL expensive to fix it. They just weren't built to last, don't ask me why but they used cheap metal and poor designs for a long time. There are fan boys and that's cool, I'm not knocking them, but those are the facts.
"OK but it's a multi-thousand dollar wallhanger novelty" - sure that's a mindset to take, but that's not the measure of a pistol. By that logic one of those slapfire Nambus is a great gun. This isn't just a safe queen that you have to be afraid to drop, it's a safe queen you need to be afraid to shoot. Pythons are expensive because they're out of production, they're iconic in appearance, have an iconic name (MFG and model) and they're OK pistols to shoot because the DA pull from the factory was very smooth. That's about it.
As for investment purposes, well, the Cobra came back last year. First snake gun in many years. Will the Python come back (or some Cobra-based gun like the Anaconda bearing the Python name?) it's possible and while it might not totally tank the market on original Pythons it will certainly put a dent in it. It's not like SAA variants where there's history buffs after them, or historical context to how/where they were built that makes them more desirable.
I inherited two Pythons and I own zero Pythons now - one didn't make it 500rd without falling out of timing and the other was valuable so I sold it, too. I also inherited several original Dan Wessons, and I own all three of them because they are FANTASTIC pistols that live up to every ounce of hype they receive (and deserve the reputation given to Colt). Frankly my 80s and 90s and even current production S&W are nicer than those Pythons were in almost every respect, except maybe the quality of the bluing.
*edit:
Can't believe I left this out, but you know the lockup on Colts is the most assbackward design under the sun. If you're a lefty forget it, but even right handed it's absurd. S&W is just a more logical, natural motion (and thus so are Taurus, Charters, Eibars, other clones). Ruger is a more simple, natural motion. Even the goofy crane-mounted release on the Dan Wesson and certain Taurus models is much easier/more natural to operate.