Snake Skin

[MLB]

A quick question on Colt Python finishes:

Aside from aftermarket refinishing, did Colt offer two different "blue" finishes, regular and Royal?

I've got my preference down to a 4" in either nickel or Royal Blue, but looking at several on Gunbroker, some blue finishes look quite dull. Not the deep bluing I've seen on others. Perhaps it's just poor photography.

["DoubleAction"]

MLB; We have seen the finish on the same gun change when posting my own photos of the same blued revolver. Remember the S&W 29 Classic I posted, where the bluing had seemed to change ? It is very difficult to reproduce the high luster royal blue finsh on the Python, or any high polished blue, without the right light source and equiptment. I have taken well over fifty different images of one particular handgun in order to capture a true depiction of it's image, and I was not thoroughly satisfied with the one I chose to post out of the fifty.

[5ontarget]

I checked the semi-hidden webpage for Colt non military/non LEO consumers, and it seems they don't offer a nickel finish any longer. I have seen just a couple of the polished stainless, and it looks pretty good. But, according to their webpage, they only offer the royal blue, and a brushed stainless.

www.coltsmfg.com/cmci/Python_C.asp

The few blued pythons I've seen in person, have been beautiful. They all seemed to be the same luster, shade, and depth...except for one that wasn't cared for properly.

[MLB]

Thanks for the info guys. I had to poke around the site to figure out where they hid that Python info. In doing, I noticed that there really is a Colt 1991. I figured it to be a typo.

["DoubleAction"]

mlb said:

Thanks for the info guys. I had to poke around the site to figure out where they hid that Python info. In doing, I noticed that there really is a Colt 1991. I figured it to be a typo.

ML; If your referring the The Colt 1991 as a typo, t might not be a typo. Colt introduced the Model 1991 in 1992 as a resemblance to the original GI service issue Government Model. The 1991 model came in the 1991 A1, the 1991 Commander, and the 1991 A1 Compact. It had the parkerized finish and the black plastic grips. Lew Horton has a custom version of the pistol.

www.lewhorton.com/cltm1991.html

[TMan]

Although they have been listed on the Colt's website, the last I heard the line was shut down. When I ordered one last year, my dealer couldn't find one with the distributors so she called Colt. She was told that the line was shut down, and there currently weren't any plans to restart it.

So, I bought a used one, in Royal Blue. Recently, I bought another used one in nickle. It cost me a little more, but it was unique with an 8" barrel and was chambered in .38 Special vs. .357. I think it says "Target" on it too. Not sure, I'm not in the mood to dig it out. I haven't shot it yet, but I have shot the Royal Blue one.

I think the real appeal of the Python is to people that want to shoot in double-action mode, which I don't do. Maybe I will when I grow up. ;D

FYI, in the October/November issue of Guns^&Ammo Handguns magazine they mention that a special 50 year anniversary model may be made. My dealer was told the same thing.

[MLB]

A 50 yr anniversary model would be nice, but I'd be a poor choice for an owner. I plan on "warming the barrel" a bit.

[TMan]

That's the problem with special editions. My H&K P7M8 is in storage. Has been since I bought it. It is the final 1 of 500 edition. I have the P7 PSP, which is basically the same pistol, and I shoot it. The P7M8 has violated my rule that I don't buy guns unless I'm going to shoot them.

About my "SA" Python - it isn't as good as my "SA" S&W 460 XVR. The trigger on the 460 is so sweet. Accuracy? Neither my shooting buddy nor I shot as well with the Python as we did with the 460. I just could not believe how accurate we shot it. He told me he expected me to be all over the place with it, and was amazed at my group, as was I with his.

I payed less than $100 more for the 460 new than I did for the used Python. It was money well spent. I just can't believe what a wonderful revolver it is right out of the box. I have no plans for working on the action. This is NOT even a Performance Center product. It ranks right up there with the Honda Element as one of the best purchases I've ever made.

The Python is a beautiful gun. It definitely wins the beauty contest. However, on my Python, I had to change the grips. The original ones were really uncomfortable. I didn't have to do a thing with the 460. The 460 also came with a gold dot sight as well as the fiber optic, and it comes in a nice plastic box, not the crappy cardboard one the Python came in.

The Python does shoot less expensive ammo. You can shoot .38 Special as well as .357 Magnum. The cheapest ammo for the 460 is .45 Long Colt, which is more expensive than .357 Magnum.

I've become a real S&W fan - well, let's make that a S&W revolver fan. I shot a couple of magazines through a S&W 908S this week. My first 3 shots didn't even hit the target. Yuk!!! Another one of those guns I'm glad I didn't buy. I felt sorry for the owner.

Actually, I don't think a manufacturer can really screw up a revolver the way that they can a semi-auto.

[MLB]

TMan, you almost had me sold on the 460 until the Element reference. ;D A terrific mode of transportation I'm sure, but it looks like someone forgot to paint the fenders.

Ah well, maybe the 460 will come later as a hunting handgun. I'm still stuck on the snake.

[TMan]

I hope you deal well with disappointment. ;D

My reference to the Element was on great buy, not on looks. ;D Incidentally, my car is black, and it is ugly. In any other color it is hideous. However, another Element owner told me his teenage daughter had an accident and broke the front fender. The replacement was $90. Plastic is a lot less expensive than metal for fenders.

[5ontarget]

And, I think this year they will have those plastic fenders body colored now. I think that will make it look quite a bit better. It will be a one colored toaster on wheels then.

I really don't have a lot of room to poke fun. There is a Pontiac Aztek in my driveway.

I have some friends that give me a hard time about driving an "import", and I should buy USA. As I've said some time ago, I drive a Honda Civic. It, and the Element are built about 40mins from my house (they're built on the same line in East Liberty, Ohio). Accords, some Accuras, most of the engines for their American market cars, and a motorcycle plant are also built nearby. (Honda is pretty important around here) So, I tell them I did buy USA, and it really helps my local economy too. Then I tell them we also have an Pontiac Aztek....built in MEXICO. Which one is USA? I can't remember anymore, but the Honda may actually have more USA made parts in it than the Aztek too.

[TMan]

According to the label: 70% made in USA.

The colored panels look worse because they don't match the paint and stand out like a sore thumb.

;D My wife still bitches about the looks of the Element. (On the phone from the other side of the world). She hasn't seen the Aztek. I'll have to point one out to her.

As much as I loved my 87 Jetta, built in Germany, I bought a 97 Jetta and didn't like it at all. I only kept it for 2 years; I kept the 87 for 18 years. I was very surprised to find out that the 97 was made in Mexico.

I don't have a problem with things being built in Mexico. My major problem with the 97 was that it was way overpowered and had bad torque-steer. I was afraid to let my wife drive it. (At Z8 driving school one instructor said my wife weighted 100 pounds and 98 of it was in her right foot. )

This is going way, way, way of topic, but for the last two years I've had a lot of Mexicans working here at the house. They were the hardest working, sincere, and nicest people I've ever met in all my life. I have a problem with President Bush's immigration policies, but they have nothing to do with the Mexicans. I feel he has a lot of favoritism toward the Mexicans, but it is probably because he has gotten to know a lot of them.

One of the stone masons that was building my pool (I have over 20 tons of stone and they worked on the stone for 6 days) spoke good English. He had a wife and two kids in Mexico. He worked here for 9 months out of the year and then rode a bus for 24 hours to get home to spend 3 months with his family. He had a work permit, but couldn't bring his family here.

I have some very large stones out here, they built the pool in August, and it is all in full sun. Texas in August is hot. They were talented, hard working, and did a beautiful job.

Before starting the pool the A/C lines had to be moved. They had to dig down 3 feet for the buried A/C. All they had was shovels and there was a lot of sandstone. Fortunately, I had a 6' steel chisel and sledgehammer that I let them use. Tough work for minimum wage.

Okay, I'll get off my soap-box, but I have so much respect for the way these people work. They don't expect the government to take care of them like some people do.

TMan aka Thread-Stealer

["DoubleAction"]

A few years ago, Colt came out with the Python "Elite". I did not see much difference in it and the Python, and really do not know if there is a difference other than the roll stamping. I do know I prefer the carbon steel over the stainless in the Python.

[MLB]

The stainless dosen't do it for me either. Stainless is practical, but not as nice looking as nickel (or chrome for that matter. )

TMan, I'll be the last one to harass anyone about thread drift. I've done too much of it myself to say anything... ;D )

["DoubleAction"]

My Brother had an Ultra Bright Stainless "Ultimate Python"; It was the most beautiful Python I had ever seen in a stainless revolver. Colt can polished a gun to a degree which will boggle your mind into thinking your looking at a bright nickel mirror like finish. He once brought me a high polished Ultra Bright Stainless Gold Cup Trophy to add an extended thumb safety to. I spent hours trying to get the thumb safety to the same matching finish. Although Colt does an excellent job of polishing stainless, it just doesn't have the same smooth feel as the carbon steel Python.

[5ontarget]

Well if this thread drift continues, I'll lock this thread and ban the offending members. Oops, that means me too.

I like the blued version the best. It stands out more to me. I have not seen lots of Pythons, but it seems that I have seen more silver variety (steel/nickel). I'd hat to use the word common for such a fine gun, and one that I don't see all that often, but my brain is working slower than usual. The Blue seems more uncommon and unique, and just adds that extra cool factor. Besides, you can nickel plate, and polish nearly any gun. A blue like the Python has is much harder to come by.