Colt Python

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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 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. 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. When the revolver is at full cock, just as the trigger is pressed, the cylinder locks up for the duration of the hammer strike. The gap between the cylinder and forcing cone is very tight, further aiding accuracy and velocity. 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. The Python was the first time Colt used the Royal Blue finish. Initially, only Colt gunsmiths Al De John and Don Bedford were allowed to work on the Pythons. Each revolver would take about 20 minutes of labor, compared to 15 minutes 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 by the end of 1956, and more than 100,000 by 1969. From the 1970s each Python was boresighted at the factory with a laser; the first mass-produced revolver for which this was done. In October 1999, Colt announced it would cease production. The Colt C

In Their Own Story

The Colt Python has been extremely popular with both target shooters and law enforcement. It 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. The Python has since fallen out of common use, along with all revolvers, due to changing law enforcement needs that favor semi-automatic pistols. A Python, loaded with semiwadcutter bullets, was used to murder Irish crime reporter Veronica Guerin in 1996, an act which resulted in the creation of the Criminal Assets Bureau.

Reader's Guide

The Python has been extremely popular with both target shooters and law enforcement. The 6-inch barrel was popular with uniformed officers and the 4-inch barrel considered optimal for plainclothes use. The Colorado State Patrol issued 4-inch blue Pythons. Georgia State Patrol issued Pythons in the 1980s. Florida Highway Patrol issued Pythons to their officers in the 1980s. The Python has since fallen out of common use due to changing law enforcement needs that favor semi-automatic pistols.

Did You Know?

• A Python, loaded with semiwadcutter bullets, was used to murder Irish crime reporter Veronica Guerin in 1996.
• The Colt Python was prominently featured in AMC's The Walking Dead, carried by protagonist Rick Grimes throughout nine of the series' 11 seasons.
• According to Colt historian R. L. Wilson, Colt Pythons have been collected by Elvis Presley and various kings, including King Hussein I of Jordan, King Juan Carlos of Spain, King Khalid, and Prince Fahd of Saudi Arabia.