OK, I think we about got it. When Shiro posted the pic with the agent hit with the ugly stick, I remembered the commando (steel frame ) and agent ( aluminum alloy ). The idea at the time ( given the dated and expensive to produce lockwork ) was to make the guns the same quality inside while cutting the expensive polishing on the outside - and at a cost that could compete with the Smiths. Everytime I see one, I start out wanting to cry and end up wanting to do cosmetic surgery on them, and send them away for polishing and fitting and some kind of plating.
Then when Colt reintroduced the the old Police Postive Special with ejector shroud they called it just the Police Positive. The Viper was identical except aluminum alloy ( like the 4" Cobra earlier ). Like the 4" S&W model 12 airweight the four inch Cobra and Viper were less a status symbol than a mark of the wearers savvy. Lightweight so it didn't sag, long barrel so it pushed the butt up against you to conceal better, and above all a full length sight radius to better place your shots.
Twenty years ago at the gun shows you could pick up PPS, DS, Cobra, and Agent barrels ( even Marshall barrels and maybe a few others I can't remember ). If I had bought 3" DS, 3" Cobra, and four inch Cobra barrels back then and put them away for now... gotta stop now, starting to imagine a 6" Diamondback 32 NP/S&W Long or H&R Mag.
( Did you know that George Nonte took some of the early Troopers on the I frame and welded up the top front and milled out the rear top for adjustables and slapped in one of the take off Python barrels / oh never mind.
Then when Colt reintroduced the the old Police Postive Special with ejector shroud they called it just the Police Positive. The Viper was identical except aluminum alloy ( like the 4" Cobra earlier ). Like the 4" S&W model 12 airweight the four inch Cobra and Viper were less a status symbol than a mark of the wearers savvy. Lightweight so it didn't sag, long barrel so it pushed the butt up against you to conceal better, and above all a full length sight radius to better place your shots.
Twenty years ago at the gun shows you could pick up PPS, DS, Cobra, and Agent barrels ( even Marshall barrels and maybe a few others I can't remember ). If I had bought 3" DS, 3" Cobra, and four inch Cobra barrels back then and put them away for now... gotta stop now, starting to imagine a 6" Diamondback 32 NP/S&W Long or H&R Mag.
( Did you know that George Nonte took some of the early Troopers on the I frame and welded up the top front and milled out the rear top for adjustables and slapped in one of the take off Python barrels / oh never mind.