Colt Cobra .38

A

Adventurer_96

New member
This past weekend I bought a Colt Cobra .38 for the wife and I. It was one of the few that she was able to fire double action, and we decided on it over a (used) S&W Model 36. A nice bonus was that we were able to get the six shots with the Colt versus the Smith. The day before we stopped into one of the shops in town here and the manager went ahead and comped us a rental Model 60 stainless and a box of Winchester .38's, the 158 grain I believe. She was able to handle it well, and even though she's petite she had no trouble with the factory loads. Unfortunately we didn't buy the revolver through this shop, but they have my business from now on.

The Colt seemed to fit the bill well because not only can she operate it single and double action, but she liked the grips. There's something wonderful about your wife saying, "I think we should buy this gun..." I have to admit it is in nice condition, the cylinder is extremely tight and the bluing is 95% plus. I'm thinking it may become my CCW if I ever get around to getting my permit.

Has anyone had any experience with this model? I think it's the right choice for us because she will be able to fire it comfortably with the wadcutter rounds I have for practice, and it can be a dual purpose weapon and serve as a CCW. I'd love to hear your opinions/experiences.
 
the corbra is the alloy framed detective special and is an excellent weapon.

the colt d-frame family is usually considered easier to shoot and more accurrate than the j-frames due to the longer trigger pull and different rifling twist rate. it is also stronger due to the bolt cuts being off-set from the chambers.

your cobra uses the same size speedloaders as the k-frame (i recommend the safariland). back when we carried wheelguns on duty, we carried smith m-15's in the duty holsters backed up by cobras and agents (same gun,different name) in an ankle holster.

my personal favorite d-frame is the diamondback.

enjoy your new "pet snake"
 
Questions on the Diamondback...

If it's the same basic frame as a Dick Special but with a longer tube(?) it sounds quite interesting. Questions:

1) What barrel lengths were the Diamondbacks done in?

2) Is the grip frame and grip selection the same between the Diamondback and Detective Special?

3) Can the steel-frame Dick Special and Diamondback handle modest diets of .38+P?

4) How does a Diamondback compare to a Smith model 10, assuming the 10 is a later one that can handle +P? Would the Colt be lighter, more accurate, etc, assuming they're the same tube length (4" or so)?

I've always noticed that the Dick Specials had very good triggers and tight lockup. Since I already have a .38 J-class snubbie that I like a lot, I don't want to get a "functionally near-equal" 2" Colt...hence the Diamondback starts to sound pretty good :).

Jim
 
diamondback

the "baby pythons" were available in .22lr and .38spl as well as blue (not "royal blue" but very nice) and nickle (shiney not satin)

1. they were produced in 2.5", 4" and 6" barrel lenghts

2. the grips from my d'back fit a friend's cobra so i would think they all interchange. they were never "issued" with the same grips...d'back grips are the larger "presentation" style while d/s came with smaller "compact" grips. the 2.5" .38 models i saw were always wearing walnut "service" grips like colt used in the 50's.

3. i never had one that was specifically marked (+p) but i would think that with their off-set cylinder bolts they would be plenty strong. i shot +p's in mine and had no problems with extraction.

4.
A) even though their cylinders' use the same speedloaders i believe the colt's is a stronger design.
B) the frame is smaller than the k-frame, the square-butt is shorter (d'backs' never came in roundbutts) and the hammer spur is lower and swept back.
C) all d'backs came with colt's "accro" adjustable sights.
D) with a 4" barrel the d'back would be more muzzle heavy due to the full underlugged barrel and the vent rib.
E) the d'back should be more accurate with it's 1-14" rate of twist rifling.
F) i prefer the longer trigger pull of the d-frame to the shorter k-frame because i think i gives me a better DA pull...but then, i always prefered a python to the l-frame for PPC "leg" matches too

hope this helps
 
Very fond of my Cobra as well. Its the piece I carry 95% of the time. The weight is right and its easy to conceal.
Did not care for the heavy DA trigger so I had the gunsmith do an action job on it. Really made a big difference. Also added a set of Eagle Secret Service grips.
I'm sure you'll enjoy that Cobra, excellent choice.
Take Care
 
Thanks for the replies

Although I'm not a slave to popular opinion, it is nice to hear that others have made the same choice before me.

Also, it's good to hear that you can get a trigger job on them. My limited info to date has told me that Colts are harder to work on than Smiths due to the trigger spring design. Fortunately there are some very knowledgable folks around the gun club...

I'll be shooting it tomorrow morning for the first time with the wife, wadcutter rounds, nice and light. At the same show we saw a Colt Agent I think it was called, similar gun with the parkerized finish. If I'd had my druthers I would have bought that one simply because the finish would be more conducive to carry I would think. However, the wife didn't care for the trigger pull and when my friend held the trigger down and tried the cylinder tightness, the trigger stuck back and could not be freed! The cylinder was stuck and the trigger wouldn't budge, and the hammer just sprung forward when it was held back. Glad I didn't get that one, even though the dealer said it was only due to the fact that it was "dry." Imagine that, dry in Arizona... In a few years I may have to track down one of them since I love a parkerized-style finish on a gun, and I would much prefer it to a blued gun for carry.

I'll give a full report tomorrow as to how we both like the Cobra, although I have to admit I'm in love already.
 
I've got an AGENT. It's a nice little pistol, not heavy and I think the colt triggers are very nice. Mine also has a colt hammer shroud I had installed after I bought it. They are nice and shoot well too though it's difficult to shoot them as well as an auto (my favorite type).

I bought mine because when I was younger every gun writer out there seemed to reccomend it as the ultimate hidout snubbie. ( I read a lot of magazines) I think they were right.

I didn't like the grips that came with it (designed to mimic the full length grip frame and cut my original grips down to match the frame. Makes the pistol much smaller. I then found that the AGENT is hard to hang onto with that little sliver of wood so I bought a pachmer rubber grip which made it much easier to shoot. Finally I bought a T-grip (wrong sized, but I cut it down) and put the originals back on. Now it doesn't shift so much that I need to regrip after two shots like it did origonally and still is very hideable.

All in all a nice revolver. I on the other hand wish I'd found one that was blued or chromed as the parkerizing starts to look like crud after a while.

shiro
 
Colt Cobra

CONGRATULATIONS!
Congratulations on buying a 13 ounce 6 shot 38 Speciaal revolver that, in my openion is far superior to the model 36 Smith & Wesson.
 
I have a Cobra. Pachmayer grips, Breakfree for lube. That's about all you need. I have 158 +P LSWCHP's in the gun. It resides on my mother's bedside table. She shoots it very well.

I can't give any higher recommendation than that.

Giz
 
This is my third and last try to post on this. If you read this, I finally got it done.

1) 9mmepiphany nailed it.

2) The Police Positive Special and Detective Special originally had a full length grip frame. I'm not sure if the Cobra had the long one or not. Regardless, the Cobra's grips gave a full length hold like the PPS & DS, where the Agent's were cut down even with the short grip frame's squared butt. Colt later went to the short grip frame on all it's D frames, even the heavier squared topstrap and adjustable sighted Diamondback. The 4" and 6" Diamondbacks had Mini-Python style grips. The 2 1/2" Diamondback grips were diferent but I can remember just how.

3) If it's got the short grip frame, then it is +P rated. Colt does not limit it other than to say if it is steel, it should be checked every 3,000 rounds to see that the frame has not lengthened or lost it's timing. If it is aluminum, it should be checked every 1,000 rounds. While the Diamondbacks have the heavier topstrap, the same ( 3,000 rounds ) limits still apply.

4 ) The Diamondback is probably heavier, but smaller framed.
Gunsmiths used to ream out the later model 10 2"ers to take 357's just before the SP 101's were chambered by Ruger for use with 125 grain 357. They later lengthened the SP 101 so it could use all 357 ammo including 158 grain cartridges.

What I wanted to bring to Jim March's attention is all fixed sight D frames are serial numbered on the frame, but the model is designated on the barrel. There are probably some old style Cobra barrels in 38 spl. laying around new in 3" and 4" ( maybe 5" - not sure if they made 5" in the Cobra ) and in 3" ( Detective Special ) and 4" Police Positive Special, maybe even 5" or 6". When they brought the DS & Cobra back with shrouds around the ejector rod they later made a 4" barrel with ejector shroud in steel frame ( PPS ) and aluminum frame ( Viper - different name but still same idea as the Cobra ). Anyway, get a Cobra or Agent and you can replace the 2" barrel with a 3" or 4" Cobra barrel. A three or four inch Cobra or a 3" Dick Special is sensuous, and whispers in your ear. If you are at a gun show and see one of these barrels, hock the family jewels, but get it.

edit

Oh, forgot this, it was in the two posts I couldn't get to take. For hammer shrouds for D frame Colt or J frame S&W go to:

http://www.wallerandson.com


[Edited by Rusty S on 04-13-2001 at 01:12 AM]
 
shiroikuma Where did you find your hammer shround for your Colt Agent, I'm looking for a hammer shround for mine Agent.
 
I had mine put on by a gunsmith and he found it somewhere. I do know that someone? Waller and sons? makes a alluminum hammer shroud for the colts still. I think they are $50. Sorry I don't remember exactly where I saw it on the web.

shiro
 
Here are some pics of mine before Photopoint throws me out as i'm not going to pay for online storage of my photos.

View


View


shiro
 
Late report

The wife and I went down to the range last week and got to shoot the Cobra. At 10 yards she was able to keep them all in the black once she got the sight picture. I only fired five rounds through it but it was just as accurate if not more so than the Model 65 4"bbl S&W I was shooting next to her! I'll be shooting the Smith for my weekly 50-100, but the Colt is loaded in a safe place with the same wadcutters that she shot, heaven forbid we should need it...

The cylinder release is a bit sticky and I'm debating if I want to get the DA pull worked on, but all in all I'm very excited at this latest addition to the collection.
 
Long-Winded Historical Comment:

Genesis of the D-Frame Colt Revolvers - - -

In the beginning was the Colt Army Special. The bore was .38, and the cylinder was swing-out, and it was good. But clunky. Very clunky and large, and not particularly effective against the Moro tribesmen in the Philippine Insurrection, but that is another story - - -

Working off the top of my head---I don't have the reference material with me---

Colt introduced the Pocket Positive, a smaller-framed revolver, and, I think, most were in .32 Colt New Police caliber. Soon came the Police Positive, in .38 Colt NP. And, soon thereafter was introduced the Police Positive special, which would take the longer cartridge, the .38 Special. These were offered in several barrel lengths, and even in a target model, with better sights.

Sometime in the 1920s, Colt brought out the Detective Special, which was the Police Positive Special with two-inch barrel. Very early DS had square butt grip frame. Later had round butt and stocks.

MUCH later, I believe during the mid-1970s, they began using shorter grip frame, with filler stocks which met under bottom of frame, and added barrel which shrouded ejector rod.

The Cobra was introduced in, I believe, 1951, and was simply the DS with alloy frame. Intro with 2" bbl, and later with 3, 4 and 5" bbls. I've heard of a six-inch, but never seem one. The idea seems to have been to provide what looked like a full duty gun, mostly as a status symbol, but was very light to carry. I recall seeing a LOT of 5", square butt, Cobras listed as re-imports from South or Central America.

The 3" RB Cobra was one of the most graceful (okay, sexy) revolvers ever!

In the mid-sixties, came the Diamondback. It was a mini-Python, built on the Police Positive frame, all steel, adjustable sights, vent rib barrel, full barrel lug. Calibers .22 and .38 Special. 2.5, 4 and 6 inch barrels. Beautiful little piece.

The Agent: Introduced in 1968, in two inch only. same as Cobra, alloy frame and all, but with short stocks, only reaching to bottom of the new model, short, frame. Nice blue, beautifully fitted, good action, pretty walnut stocks with full checking.

When the DS shrouded barrel was introduced, Colt brought out a greatly "detuned" Agent. It had shrouded barrel, poor Parkerized finish, and a very rough action. Also, they made little or no attempt to fit the sideplate to the frame. Even this model can be smoothed out in the action, into a good shooter.

In sticking with the "snake names," Colt produced one called the Viper for a short time--4" with ejector shroud, filler stocks, fixed sights, and I really can't recall if it was a steel or alloy framed revolver. Looked a lot like the Police Positive.

Almost forgot the super-light Colt Aircrewman. It was a 2" Cobra with an alloy cylinder, and was submitted for testing as an Air Force sidearm. It also had special checked walnut stocks, with looked something like the S&W "Magna" design, but instead of the Colt medallion, had the USAF seal. It worked okay with the M41, 130 gr. FMJ loads, but did not fare well when used with 158 RNL ammo. All were withdrawn and almost all were destroyed.

Any of these are good guns, and I wish I had one of each. If you come across an Aircrewman, DON'T SHOOT IT. Lot of collector value, though.

Best,
Johnny
 
wow...johnny

very nice johnny guest...just a couple of small additions

they stopped production of the police positive special sometime in the sixties, but reintroduced it when the introduced the viper. they both had 4" barrel w/shouds just covering the ejector rod and came with grips that looked like those on the D/S but were acutally longer and skinnier. the P/S was in steel, the viper was in alloy.

i've never seen the "detuned" agent, but they did have a model named the "commando" that had the parkerization and ill-fitting side-plate

i think the 2-2.5" d-frame is the easiest shooting back-up revolver ever made. when we were required to carry the department's smith k-frame, we used to carry the colt d-frame as a back-up because they took the same speedloader.
 
Colt DA Revolver History, addendum

9mmepiphany--

Thanks for clearing that up in my mind. Colt got real confusing with some of us ol' timers there for a while.

I recall a friend told me he got a later-model Police Positive for his mom, one of those with the shrouded ejector rod. This makes sense. What does not is that they took what used to be called the 4" Cobra, added shrouded bbl, and called it a Viper. Didn't recall if Viper was alloy or not, but now this makes sense, as much sense as a lot of merchandising makes.

Now that you mention it, I do recall the detuned Agent being called the Commando. Which makes no sense to me, because the Commando had previously been applied to a detuned, rough-finished Colt Official Police during WW-II. It was produced for issue to civilian defense plant guards and so forth. The OP was the .41-frame .38 Special, from which the Officers Model Special, the Officers Model Match, the Trooper, the Three-Fifty-Seven, and the Python were developed.

Best,
Johnny
 
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