Pythons will be back in 2006

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Doug.38PR

Moderator
Yesterday I went to the NRA convention in Houston and found out from one of Colt's representatives there (straight from the horses mouth so to speak) that the Colt Python will be put back into production in 2006. It was taken off the line this year because of too many back orders for the 1911 autos and had to catch up.
 
With the amazingly low price of just $3,999.95! J/K :D I really hope Colt will get their head out of their behind and price the Python where it should be, around $700.00 mark.
 
With S&W's knocking down the $700 pricetag why would you think the Python, which is more labor intensive to build, be dropped to that price?
 
I also think that it should be around $700. Colt has been consistantly (before they started with the 1911s again) putting out flops. They need to get back into the game and proove that they can provide the american shooting public with a high quality gun for a reasonable price, before they can start commanding premium prices just because of a name. I don't really think that the python at over 1000 will sell very well without first earning the reputation of a +$1000 gun. Sure, maybe their 1st run will be worthy, but who will ever know if people are hesitant to purchase one because they don't want to risk the money on a not so well known gun (even though it may be a "python"). Colt needs to win back the hearts of gun buyers before it can start acting like nothing ever happened and start charging premium prices for guns that aren't prooven to perform like their price suggests. Doesn't anyone else think that this may be a winning strategy? Change their tune, which everyone is sick of, and just provide a revolver that gives a good "bang" for the buck, instead of putting all their eggs in one basket, hoping that people will swoon over an overpriced, unprooven, problematic (in the later years) revolver that will probably not be as good as it was in it's hayday.
 
My prediction:

It'll be stainless, have a lock, have a clunky action and cost $1200.
IF they make a blue model, it'll look like black paint, like a Ruger, and be $1400 for the "premium finish".
 
It'll be stainless, have a lock, have a clunky action and cost $1200.
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I don't know about a lock (I sure hope not) but the Representative said it will be available in both Blue ( :cool: ) and stainless and either 4 or 6 inch barrel.

I understand Colt revolvers are a little higher than S&W or Ruger because theirs is hand fitted with labor but $1200 is a little high I think. $700....I'd like that, but the Smith and Wesson magnums are right about that same price so I don't know if you could expect the Colts to be that low.

I should have ask the guy if there was any chance of colt coming out with some of their other old revolvers like the Det. Special or Off. Police or Trooper. Colt, I think, always made the coolest looking revolvers even if they were complicated and pricy.

Like you , I SURE HOPE they don't follow S&W and install a "child safety" lock. I just bought a S&W 431 PD .32 mag with one of those lock deals on it. I cast the key away, will never touch it, and it will probably be lost within a year. The little gun works fine for my summer conceal needs but, as a gun dealer correctly said to me the other day, "It's simply offensive to have it on there."
 
Let's see... My guess is that Colt's Python Stainless will be showing up at retailers for $1049 (MSRP) but dealers will adamantly claim they are "allocated" and thus rare, jacking up the price another $150. Just a guess.

A new, blued Python? My guess is add $125 for the blue model as it requires more polishing and care to get the gun to the dealer's shelf looking nice enough to sell.

Colts have always been a quality firearm. Unfortunately they've stuck with the older action designs that are harder to build and maintain. This makes it harder for them to compete against S&W and Taurus, of couse, but also means that they can't grow enough to bring back the older guns we all love and cherish. Or build new designs that we'd be proud to own.

Think about this: If you were in charge at Colt, what changes would you make to keep them competitive?

My first challenge to their people would be to redesign the internals to make the gun less labor intensive to build & maintain. The second would be to bring out three "new" guns in the next year - a budget model Colt .38 special +P with either a 2" or 4" barrel (home defense, CCW and Security markets), a new "big bore" DA revolver such as a .44/.45 caliber offered in 3" and 5" barrels, and ... drum roll please... a new compact 9mm and/or .380 pistol aimed at the CCW market.

Let's not hijack the thread -- if there's interest in this latter discussion, we can start a new one.
 
Bringing back the Python would be the best thing I've noticed Colt do in over a decade... Course how they execute it will be relevant. If the thing costs much over 700 bucks I'll never own one; and I'll bet many others won't too.
 
I'm a Smith fan with a secret Colt fetish. With so many revolvers they can resurrect at price points most of us can swing, why would Colt go to the premier line right away? Smith has the light revolver CCW market almost all to itself I'm sure because Ruger does not offer an alloy wheelie. Colt should perhaps give us their old alloy line. For the bread and butter medium frames they can always bring back the King Cobra or maybe the old Trooper. Anacondas in 45LC? Where do I sign up???

If they insist on the Python then they should at least slightly undersell or match the used market (something Smith needs to do too).

But I wouldn't mind getting a nickel 6" Python in lieu of an L frame!
 
I'm a Colt fan for the period of manufacture 1980 and before, but you'd have to be very careful of whatever rolls out of their shop in 2006. I wouldn't want to buy the first year's production, thats when the bugs get worked out. By the way, I thought the halt of production in 2005 was due to retooling? The internet is such a good place for rumors, who knows whats true on here? :eek: I'll sell you a never fired model from 1977 for half of your speculated price, WillBray.
 
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Retooling is what a Colt rep told me also.
I doubt that the Python is more labor intensive to build.
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Study the old Colt action. See how the parts must be fitted and not just drop-ins. Then consider that each one is hand tuned (like other makers custom shop models). It is a semi-custom target revolver, but people want it sold as a service revolver.
 
I do love revolvers, they are fun to shoot, accurate, and no sweeping the cases up at the range after firing. :D I have 6 autos and 8 revolvers now so its a nice mix, although 3 of my revolvers have not been fired and are for collecting purposes. Shooting .38 specials in my .357 revo's I find I am much more accurate then shooting my 1911's in .45 acp, all things being equal. Nothing beats a revolver for an afternoon of fun shooting, its a blast.
 
I hear ya Will,

Not all revo's or auto's feel right to me, so I either change grips, or don't shoot the gun. Thats why I favor Colt revolvers, they fit my hand really well and feel like an extension of my hand. Some S&W's with the right grip do too, there, I admitted it. :(
 
My concern is that Colt may have lost the portion of their workforce that actually knew how to handfit the Pythons.
 
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