python without rifleing

James,
I wasn't saying to sell it.
Notify police, dump in a deep lake, etc.
Divest, in other words, and LEGALLY.
Denis
 
I did talk to colt and I did send it to them they need to see it before they can tell me what they are going to do hopefully it will be painless thanks again for your guys help AJ
 
I remember a post a year ago or so, someone bought a revolver or semi I forget which... But the lead build up was so bad the rifling was hardly visible.
 
My .02 cents. You've got a Python somebody was shooting soft lead bullets in, and never really took the time to get it clean.

Holy cow. All the theories. ("Contact the ATF! You might have a top secret weapon!!!!!)

You gots a barrel full of lead.
 
I thought it would be 50 cal max for no rifle, but I have since seen a cheap 25acp with straight rifling. No twist.

Why else would they do that, unless it was a state law or import restriction?
 
Factories do make mistakes. I once took a Colt Official Police out of the box, brand new, that had no rifling. The reason I know it didn't have rifling was that there was no hole in the barrel. But it had the test target with the serial number and the tester's initials. Go figure that one out. I wanted to keep it, but the boss sent it back. We got a replacement, and never heard a peep from Colt about it.

Jim
 
My .02 cents. You've got a Python somebody was shooting soft lead bullets in, and never really took the time to get it clean.

Holy cow. All the theories. ("Contact the ATF! You might have a top secret weapon!!!!!)

You gots a barrel full of lead.
Click to expand...

This.

Many years ago I purchased some .357 lead bullets from a gun show. Loaded them up with a moderate velocity load and proceeded to shoot them up. After about two cylinders the accuracy went away to the point where they were keyholeing all over the target. When I looked down the barrel, there was virtually no rifling to be seen.

When I checked the the bullets I found that whoever had cast them had used pure lead and they were so soft that they filled the groves up. I cannot even begin to tell you what a total pain in the rear it was to remove that lead fouling. It took hours to get it out, and that was soft lead. I would imagine that had it been a harder alloy, it would have been even harder to remove.
 
I'll toss in my two cents worth. I'm in the camp of "badly leaded"...REALLY badly leaded. I would think if it had truely been shipped with a smoothbore barrel, someone would have noticed by now. The amount of shooting it would take to wear out a Python barrel, would leave the rest of the gun totally worn out too.

We bought some cheap 22 ammo once that almot totally plugged the barrel on my wife's Bersa 22. I got a cleaning brush so hung up I had to take a hammer to the cleaning rod. I got enough lead out to melt down and load another bullet.
 
Just as a sidebar in this minor circus...

Has anyone ever seen or had a hand in ANY handgun that was shot so many times that it wore the rifling out of the barrel?

What kind of round count with typical factory ammo (and not slugs made of carbide steel or diamonds) would smooth out a rifled handgun barrel?!

I'm in the camp that it's probably leaded to all holy hell.
I also agree it's possible that the factory made an error and skipped a step.

I think it's just short of ludicrous that even a team of crazy, hardcore, high-round-count gun guys could simply over-use a Colt Python such that they "shot the rifling clean out of the barrel."

Maybe we should ask Jerry Miculek if he's ever worn the rifling out of one of his handguns? Now there is a gentleman that has a high round count.

I just don't see it. Now, a centerfire rifle with some scorching fast loads and high pressures, and a high round count, and maybe there.

A Colt Python?
 
I have seen guns with rifling nearly worn away from extensive "use". But not from shooting, from cleaning, using the wrong stuff.

On a guess, I would say really badly leaded is much more likely than anything else, but a factory goof is possible.

As to the legal issue, mere possession is a crime. Generally, if there is nothing else suggesting you are responsible for removing the rifling, prosecution is rare. But it is legally possible. Its kind of in the class of a malfunctioning semi auto. Something that is a technical crime, but circumstances play a big part in the decision to prosecute, or not.

Your gun goes full auto (maybe only doubles, or even runs away), you send it to get fixed right away. If the BATF hears of it, they note your response, and usually don't bother with prosecution. They could, but they usually don't.

However, if you keep the gun, because you now have a cool machine gun, and they find out, your not even trying to get it fixed means you are willfully flaunting the law, and they do like to punish people who do that.

Am eagerly waiting to hear what Colt says / does with your Python.
 
well i finally got the gun back from colt it came in about 2 weeks ago and they did a great job not only did they put a 4 inch barrel on it they refinnished the whole gun its like brand new
 
I am glad they took care of you.
I don't know why they dinked around for a year on the job; it doesn't take long for a knowledgeable worker with the right tools and parts to change a barrel. Maybe they just have one employee they trust to work on a DA Colt and he is overworked.
 
Colt stopped making all revolvers except the SAA over a decade ago. Even the machinery on which they used to make them is long-gone from the factory floor -- I've stood in the empty space that the DA revolver production machines used to occupy. More than likely they had to free up an old hand to start with a SAA barrel and then customize it into a Python barrel. I very much doubt they had any replacement Python barrels in stock.
 
they said they used a python barrel seems they still have some however they said that 2 polishers retired or something and they got really backed up in the polishing dept. thats there story on why it took so long either way i am glad to have it back going to go shoot it this afternoon
 
Colt is notoriously slow in returning items, they refinished a SAA of mine in about three months at a reasonable price. Shortly after the trigger guard turned bright plum color, not nice on a single action. Colt had me send the part for correction, eight months later and after several inquiries it was returned. Must have been at the same polishing station as your Python. They do exceptional work most of the time.
 
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More than likely they had to free up an old hand to start with a SAA barrel and then customize it into a Python barrel.
Click to expand...

I don't know what diameter blank they make a SAA barrel out of but if there is enough metal in it to turn into a Python ribbed and underlugged barrel, then there is a lot of waste in it for the SAA.
 
good to hear that you got it back.

Nearly a full year to get it back is a little ridiculous, but at least you got it back.
 
Colt must keep some repair parts on hand? I returned my Delta Elite for a problem with the slide, years after it had been out of production, and they replaced the slide with a new one.
 
No Rifling Ruger SR9

Had a Colt Trooper barrel where the rifling stoped, turned, started again. Ruger no rifling >
ruger.jpg
 
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