The New Colt Python will be revealed at SHOT Show 2020! Old vs. New

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  • Vanguard.45

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    Apparently, rumor is that Colt will be coming out with the new PYTHON, and it will be revealed at SHOT Show in January 2020!

    One would guess that the price for the Python will be somewhat reasonable since, unlike the older ones for so many years, there will now be a new supply of them coming on the market. (This will most likely have a pretty significant impact on the prices of the older ones as well. Glad I sold mine several years ago!)

    An issue that is bound to come up is that of whether or not the "NEW" Python will be as good as the "OLD" Python. Here is my take on the matter:

    Back when the Pythons were produced by Colt in the "good old days," technology was expensive and labor was cheap. Today, the opposite is true.

    Back then, the machines and tooling were able to produce parts to general specifications, but there was no real reason to invest huge dollars in more advanced machinery since you had trained (and, relatively speaking, cheap) craftsmen to hand fit the machined parts and make sure the tolerances were "up to spec" for a particular firearm. Plus, the technology was not advanced enough to automate the process of complex parts manufacturing and to significantly improve the tolerances over what you already had.

    Today, we have machines that can create parts with tolerances that will fit, pretty much right off the assembly line, as good or better than many of the hand crafted parts of yesteryear. There may be some polishing to be done on a revolver like the Python, even after the parts come off the line, but it will take NOWHERE NEAR as much hand fitting as it once did.

    Again, technology is cheap and labor is expensive these days! It isn't that craftsmen couldn't be trained these days. Rather, it is that our technology has made such labor and training obsolete!

    So, when you hear someone tell you that the NEW Python won't be nearly as good because there was much less hand fitting involved in the new one, just remember that the older Pythons were made at a time when labor was cheap and the industry couldn't afford and didn't have the computerized machinery capable of what we can do today!

    Just my $.02 worth!

    Looking forward to seeing the new Pythons!

    Vanguard.45
     
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    Route 45

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    I doubt that original Pythons will take much of a hit in value, because the people who value them are not the same people who have any use for a new one. What's the original S&W Model 29 going for vs. the new "Model 29 Classic?"
     

    churchmouse

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    This is not a knock on the Snake gun series as I owned several when they were reasonable to purchase new. I enjoyed them until I had issues with them. Every one of the 4 I owned spent time in the revolver hospital. Timing issues.

    Then I discovered the sweetness of a hand tooled S&W and all bets were off. The Colts found new homes.
    Do I regret selling them before they were seriously over valued.....you bet I do. Wow who knew.
    Do I see them worth the price point they are at today...……..No. JMHO. And again no knock on Colt.

    It will be fun to watch what the market does with the release of the new models. Also to see how they compare.
     

    Dean C.

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    I second the opinion this won't alter the "old school" pythons value much, that being said I am interested to see what Colt does with this. I think the King Cobra Target was their warm up, that being said they need to work on their triggers quite a bit before they are worthy of the python name.
     

    teddy12b

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    I think the old existing pythons will always have a cult like following. The S&W classics vs the originals form back in the, the marlins before they were bought out etc. I think the serious collectors will know what they're buying. New shooters, will look at what Colt is likely to price them at and then go buy a S&W or a GP100 or something else. Colt just isn't what it used to be, and these new revolvers will be nice, but I bet they're going to cost twice as much as a S&W and unless people have money to burn, I doubt they sell a lot of these.
     

    HCALREF

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    Interesting thing. I worked in a small gun shop in the early 1980s. We sold a customer a new 6" blue Python. He brought it back a few weeks later. The factory had released it completely out of time on several cylinder holes.
     

    churchmouse

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    Interesting thing. I worked in a small gun shop in the early 1980s. We sold a customer a new 6" blue Python. He brought it back a few weeks later. The factory had released it completely out of time on several cylinder holes.

    All of mine were Anacondas. 1 Real Tree. All of them fell out of time.
    I was never impressed with the mechanics of the gun. Clunky by S&W standards.
    The ergonomics and manly attitude were selling points.
     

    drillsgt

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    All of mine were Anacondas. 1 Real Tree. All of them fell out of time.
    I was never impressed with the mechanics of the gun. Clunky by S&W standards.
    The ergonomics and manly attitude were selling points.

    Back when they were new we couldn't give away King Cobras or Anacondas, I can't believe what they go for now. I do love the looks of the Python and the mystique but that's pretty much all it is. I owned a 4 inch blued before and never owned another after that. They are known for lacking in durability/timing issues, the trigger was not that awesome I think that comes more from people that have not actually owned one. Plus the grips/grip shape while they look nice are not that comfortable for actual shooting. If one popped up for a crazy low price I'd probably buy it though lol.
     

    WhitleyStu

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    I remember back in the '60s to early '80s S&W revolvers had inspection covers that fit so perfect that is was hard to see the mating surfaces. Now the covers fit poorly compared to the old ones. CNC is only good as the programmer and machine operator. I recently spoke to a distributor rep and he said currently S&W revolvers have better fit and finish than Colt does from the many guns he sees.
     
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