I just put 'colt serial numbers' in the search box and this was the first hit. Hmm, entering a Python Serial it comes up with ' 1975 PYTHON MODEL. The 8 inch vent ribbed barrel is marked 'PYTHON 22/.22 MAGNUM R.F.' on the left side. The left side plate has the Rampant Colt. The serial number 'V90964,' which places the manufacture date at 1980, is stamped on the inside of the crane and frame. Except for the polished hammer sides, the revolver has a blue finish.
- Colt Python Serial Numbers For The Years Made
- Colt Python Serial Numbers Dates
- Colt Python Serial Lookup
Colt Python | |
---|---|
A Colt Python with a 4-inch (10 cm) barrel and blued finish | |
Type | Revolver |
Place of origin | United States |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | Colt's Manufacturing Company |
Produced | 1955–2005 2020–present |
Variants | 2.5-inch (6.4 cm), 3-inch (7.6 cm), 4-inch (10 cm), 6-inch (15 cm) and 8-inch (20 cm) barrel |
Specifications | |
Mass | 38 ounces (1.1 kg) to 48 ounces (1.4 kg) |
Cartridge | .357 Magnum |
Action | Double-action |
Maximum firing range | 200+ yards |
Feed system | Six-roundcylinder |
Sights | Rear adj.; front ramp |
The Colt Python is a .357 Magnum caliber revolver manufactured by Colt's Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut.[1] It was first introduced in 1955, the same year as Smith & Wesson's M29 .44 Magnum. The Colt Python is intended for the premium revolver market segment. Some firearm collectors and writers such as Jeff Cooper, Ian V. Hogg, Chuck Hawks, Leroy Thompson, Scott Wolber, Renee Smeets and Martin Dougherty have described the Python as 'the finest production revolver ever made'.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
In 2020, Colt announced it would be reintroducing the Python in the 4.25' and 6' barrel configurations.[8] The reintroduced Python has been technically revised and reinforced compared to the original revolver.[9]
Description[edit]
The Colt Python is a double action handgun chambered for the .357 Magnum cartridge, built on Colt's large I-frame. Pythons have a reputation for accuracy, smooth trigger pull, and a tight cylinder lock-up.[2] They are similar in size and function to the Colt Trooper and Colt Lawman revolvers.[10]
History[edit]
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.[3] 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.[3] Colt originally manufactured Pythons with hollow underlugs but left them solid to work as a stabilizing barrel weight. When the revolver is at full cock, just as the trigger is pressed, the cylinder locks up for the duration of the hammer strike. Other revolvers have a hint of looseness even at full-cock. The gap between the cylinder and forcing cone is very tight, further aiding accuracy and velocity.[2] From the 1970s each Python revolver was boresighted at the factory with a laser; the first mass-produced revolver for which this was done.[3]
End of production[edit]
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.[11] The Colt Custom Gun Shop continued making a limited number of Pythons on special order until 2005, when this limited production ceased.[2][12]
Production return[edit]
Colt Python, 2020 production
The Colt Python was officially re-released by Colt in January 2020, following months of circulating rumors. The new Python is built out of stronger stainless steel than the originals, and is available in 4.25' or 6' barrels with wood grips.[8]
Models and variants[edit]
Colt Python rollmark on the barrel
Colt Python target, 8-inch barrel .38 Special
The Python was originally available in two finishes: royal blue and bright nickel. The bright nickel model was discontinued with the introduction of the more durable satin stainless and mirror-polished Ultimate Stainless models.[2] The stainless steel and royal blue finishes were offered until 2003 by Colt on the Python 'Elite' model.[10]
Pythons were available with 2.5-inch (6.4 cm), 3-inch (7.6 cm), 4-inch (10 cm), 6-inch (15 cm) and 8-inch (20 cm) barrels.[2] The six-inch model was the most popular generally, and the eight-inch model was intended for hunting. A three-inch barrel version is very collectible, although not rare.[3]
The Python Hunter model, with eight-inch barrel and factory-installed 2X Leupold scope, was made in 1980.[13] The Python Hunter was the first field-ready handgun hunting package made by a major handgun manufacturer.[13] The scope was mounted on the barrel using Redfield mounts and the gun was packaged in a Haliburton case.[13] It was discontinued by 1990 and briefly offered as a 'Custom Shop' model afterward.[13] A Python Target model was made for several years in .38 Special only, in blue and nickel finishes.[10]
Two variants of the Python were made in small numbers by Colt. The first was the Colt Boa of 1985, a limited production .357 Magnum revolver, made for the Lew Horton Distributing Company in Massachusetts. It uses a Python barrel mated to a Trooper Mk V frame. Six-hundred 6-inch revolvers and 600 four-inch revolvers were made, of which 100 were matched sets. Though it resembles a Python visually, it is substantially different internally. The second was the stainless steel Colt Grizzly of 1994, another limited production .357 Magnum revolver. It uses a Python barrel mated to a Colt King Cobra frame. Five-hundred of these revolvers were manufactured, with six-inch Magna-ported barrels and smooth, unfluted cylinders. The ported barrel includes a bear footprint. Similar to the Grizzly was the Colt Kodiak, which was a Colt Anaconda with a Magna-ported barrel and an unfluted cylinder. Approximately 2000 Kodiaks were manufactured.[10]
According to Colt historian, R. L. Wilson, Colt Pythons have been collected by Elvis Presley and various kings in the traditional sense: 'H.M. (His Majesty) Hussein I of Jordan ordered a limited number of Pythons with 4-inch and 6-inch barrels, as gifts to his selected friends. Casing and barrel were embossed with His Majesty's crest. The Python for King Juan Carlos of Spain bore his name in flush gold on the sideplate. Among other celebrated recipients: King Khalid and Prince Fahd (Saudi Arabia), King Hassan (Morocco), Sheik Zayed (United Arab Emirates), President Anwar Sadat (Egypt) and President Hafez Assad (Syria).'[4]
Usage[edit]
Colt Pythons with 8-inch and 6-inch barrels and royal blue finish
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 optimum for plainclothes use.[3] However, it has since fallen out of common use (along with all other revolvers) due to changing law enforcement needs that favor semi-automatic pistols. When law-enforcement agencies realized that the 9 mm 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.[14][15] 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).
The Colorado State Patrol issued 4-inch blue Pythons until their switch to the S&W .40 caliber autoloader.[16]Georgia State Patrol and Florida Highway Patrol issued Pythons to their officers.[16]
A Python, loaded with .357 Magnumsemiwadcutter bullets, was used to murder Irish crime reporter Veronica Guerin in 1996, an act which resulted in the creation of the Criminal Assets Bureau.[17][18]
Colt's Python revolvers are still popular on the used market and command high prices.[19]
Criticisms[edit]
Colt Python with open cylinder.
Official Colt historian R.L. Wilson described the Colt Python as 'the Rolls-Royce of Colt revolvers',[4] and firearms historian Ian V. Hogg referred to it as the 'best revolver in the world'.[7] However, the revolver is not without its detractors. The downside to the Colt Python's precision is its tendency to go 'out of time' with continued heavy shooting.[20] This is a condition in which the cylinder does not turn in exact alignment with the forcing cone, so a shooter may be sprayed with burning propellant when the gun is fired, or the gun may not fire when used as a double-action.[20] When this happens, the lockwork needs to be re-timed.[20]
Author Martin Dougherty notes the weight of the Python as a drawback, as it is quite heavy for a handgun of its caliber, ranging from 2.4 lbs (1.1 kg) to 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg). This makes the Python comparable to Smith and Wesson's premier .357, the M27, which weighs 2.6 lbs (42 ounces) with a 4-inch barrel. Both revolvers are 6 to 9 ounces lighter than Smith & Wesson's more powerful M29 .44 Magnum, which weighs 3.0 lbs in 6½-inch barrel configuration (1.36 kg).[1]
In popular culture[edit]
In the light novel series Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest, the protagonist Hajime Nagumo, who became an alchemical gunsmith, designed his masterpiece Donner and Schlag after Colt Python revolvers.
In the manga series City Hunter, the main protagonist Ryo Saeba's preferred weapon is a Colt Python which he uses with exceptional accuracy, even so far as being able to perform a 'one-hole shot', a series of shots that land in the exact same spot on a target.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Colt Python Serial Numbers For The Years Made
- ^ abcDougherty, Martin Small Arms: From the Civil War to the Present Day, New York City: Fall River Press, 2005, page 48. ISBN978-0-7607-6329-2
- ^ abcdefThe Colt Python .357 Magnum Revolver by Chuck Hawks at chuckhawks.com accessed April 27, 2009
- ^ abcdefThompson, Leroy; Rene Smeets (October 1, 1993). Great Combat Handguns: A Guide to Using, Collecting and Training With Handguns. London: Arms & Armour Publication. p. 256. ISBN978-1-85409-168-0.
- ^ abcWilson, R.L., The Colt Heritage, New York City: Simon & Schuster, 1987, P. 272.
- ^Wilson, R.L., Colt: An American Legend, New York City: Abbeville Press, 1985, P 272.
- ^Cooper, Jeff, 'Cooper on Handguns,' Los Angeles, Petersen Publishing Co., 1974, P. 189.
- ^ abHogg, Ian V. (1994)Military Small Arms: 300 Years of Soldiers' Firearms, Salamander Publishing
- ^ abIt's back Python 2020
- ^New for 2020: The Upgraded Colt Python
- ^ abcdTarr, James (November 18, 2013). Standard Catalog of Colt Firearms. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. pp. 120–121. ISBN978-1-4402-3747-8.
- ^For several years before that, however, the mighty Python's days were numbered, and some collectors believe the sterling quality of these guns were not the same during the 'strike years,' which began on January 24, 1986, when more than 1,000 workers struck the Colt Firearms division of Colt Industries and Colt hired replacement workers. Update from Colt's Manufacturing Company, Inc.Archived February 20, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^The New York Times, October 22, 1986, 'After 8 Months, U.A.W. Sees Shift in Colt Strike.'
- ^ abcdMetcalf, Dick (1994). 'Top 10 Hunt Guns'. HandGunning. PJS Publications. 8 (5): 52–58.
- ^Bailey, William G (1995). The Encyclopedia of Police Science. Taylor & Francis. p. 309. ISBN0-8153-1331-4.
- ^New York City Police to Replace Revolvers With Semiautomatics The New York Times, By CRAIG WOLFF, Saturday, August 21, 1993, Accessed April 27, 2009.
- ^ abAyoob, Massad(2003)The Colt Python, The Accurate Rifle Magazine, November 2003
- ^Corcoran, Jody (March 2, 2014). 'Veronica led virtual one-woman crusade to bring down gangs'. Independent.ie. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
- ^Cusack, Jim (October 13, 2013). 'Gilligan returns, now just a trivial figure in a very changed landscape'. Independent.ie. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
- ^Fjestad, S.P. (August 18, 2015). 'Colt's Snake Guns'. American Rifleman.
- ^ abcRich Grassi (May 2005). 'C&S Python .357MAG'. Combat Handguns. Retrieved April 27, 2009.
Further reading[edit]
- Ayoob, Massad F. (1977). 'The Mighty Colt Python'(PDF). American Handgunner. pp. 36–49. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: |
![Numbers Numbers](https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3709/12241751543_946db27c1b_c.jpg)
- Official Safety and Instruction Manual (.pdf)
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Colt_Python&oldid=976957139'
Reading colt serial numbers can be hard for people who are not experienced. These codes have a slight impact on the firearms, but they are the best way to trace down the origin of guns.
Colt serial numbers contain the history of every gun, but detecting them accurately is a bit hard.
If you are looking forward to learn reading colt serial numbers for the first time, then this article may have something beneficial to offer you. Read below to know more!
Reading Colt Serial Numbers – Here’s How!
Colt Python Serial Numbers Dates
There are many techniques that you can follow to find the meaning of a colt serial number. However, some are damn easy and quick, and some are freaking hard. In this written piece, we talk about the comparatively easier ones, okay?
The Quick Method
This one is the easiest way to read colt serial numbers, and all the credits go to the advanced technology. Just head over to the “Colt” homepage and click on the “Customer Service”.
Right after clicking, you will see an option appearing as “Serial Number Lookup”. Click it, and enter your serial numbers. Wait for it, and Bingo!
It is the easiest and quickest possible way you can read a serial number.
![Numbers Numbers](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6UvVGRm7d7U/maxresdefault.jpg)
However, I don’t prefer this way; the best way is learning to read the numbers manually. Because this easiest way often doesn’t show the accurate result.
The Reliable Method
This method will cost you few dollars, but guess what? It’s the most trusted one – the reliable method. Colt offers a research service to their customers which provides the brand’s official archive letter as a proof of the gun's history.
The letter will have all details of the firearms including genuine features, and specs along with delivery address as well.
Mainly, the archive letter carries essential historical information which can enhance the collective value of that firearm.
Though some custom modifications like the barrel, changed caliber, aftermarket engravings, and finish would not come included in the letter.
As I said earlier, to get this service, you will need to spend few bucks. For your information, the fee is around a hundred dollars in most cases, but again, it depends on the guns.
For example; stuff like the 1851 Navy, you may need to spend couple hundred dollars but it will worth the greens.
Prefix & Suffix
Gta san andreas spray paint. Don't run for a grammar book.! This method has nothing to deal with your Oxford's Dictionary. Mostly, colt numbers contain abbreviations of the firearms’ name. Therefore, you may find some of them are easy to understand.
For example;
- NF means New Frontier.
- MT means Match Target.
- SA means Single Action.
- SP means Sporter.
Capital “C” prefix or suffix on the gun means that is for commercial use, but sometimes these characters indicate the manufacturing year. Confusing, isn’t it?
Colt Python Serial Lookup
Model Codes
Checking colt model code is worth the time and effort as they hold lots of information about a particular gun’s history.
The ability to understand these codes will let you know some important features of your gun inside the holster.
Like, the Single Action model of a colt usually has one prefix character and four digits, where prefix shows the frame type and digit indicates the barrel, stock, version, caliber, etc.
The first digit of your gun’s model code “1” means, a basic frame with the first model, and “2” “3” “4” are the later versions of the gun.
The second digit of the model code refers to the weapon’s caliber, like;
- 4 means 32 to 20
- 6 means .357
- 7 means .44
- 8 means .45
- 9 means .44 to 40
The third digit shows the caliber of the gun, such as; Microsoft powerpoint 2007 torrent tpb pirate.
- 1 means 12 inches
- 3 mean 3 or 4 inches
- 4 mean 4.75 or 5 inches
- 5 mean 5.5 inches
- 7 mean 7.5 inches
The fourth and last digit shows information about the weapon’s finish or stock. For nickel and blue finish, “1” and “2” means nickel or blue casehardened finish and 6 specifies nickel finish.
To conclude, reading colt serial number can seem tricky and little tough. This article will give you a basic sense of reading colt serial numbers. And, let’s face it, wordy articles won’t help much than any visuals in learning to read colt serial number.
Consider watching at least a couple of videos on YouTube, or meet your fellow gun geek friend or neighbor next door. This way, you will have lessons that are prone to engrave in your brain easily.
Last Updated on