Python Problems

[Ingomike]

The new Python is NOT a $1500 Revolver. The only reason is marketing of the little prancing horse. Any S&W 686 will outlast and be more reliable than the new Python any day of the week. There is another company with a prancing horse on its trademark but, did I say but, it symbolizes something truly special. LOL

I can’t understand why a TV show made the snake guns prices triple.

It is not marketing, it is the TV show. TV has the power to make things appear way cooler than marketing ever could. Do you think all the marketing Ford could possibly do would make a 50 year old car worth $3.4 million like the Bullitt movie did? I do not.

 

[Ingomike]

Good thing Rick Grimes wasn't stuck with a Hi Point

Actually, those that watch the show know the Python has become a little girls gun. Will that hurt or help popularity? LOL

 

[Hookeye]

Those that paid attention might have noticed his Python was two.........double pin front sight and single pin front sight.

Did he grab a diff one on the show or the prop guy just not paying attention?

.357 ..............it is a girls gun LOL

 

[Indynic]

Who’s this Rick guy, anyway?

 

[asevans]

They must be a real piece of junk. You can’t find one anywhere. They are selling for $500-$1000 on gunbroker. Waiting lists at gun shops. People are crazy. I can’t wait to get one.
AA

 

[Ingomike]

Who’s this Rick guy, anyway? 路

The guy that made the Python popular beyond belief...

 

[Clay Pigeon]

The guy that made the Python popular beyond belief...

Hahahahha, Pythons were very popular and expensive long before Rick Grimes.

Heres a good post from long ago.


The gun is essentially a custom, hand built revolver.
Other revolvers are designed in such a way as the parts are "drop-in" as much as possible and require little hand fitting.

The Python, and all the older Colt's are "old school" designs dating back to the 1890's.
The guns MUST be totally hand assembled and fitted since all parts are made over-sized, and are filed and stoned to fit.
This requires extensive hand labor by Master fitters with many years of experience.
The Python then gets MORE custom hand fitting and polishing to give a even more refined action.

The old Colt action is an extraordinarily intricate, complicated design, that cost much more simply to build, much less finish to Python levels.
Other brands can be assembled by much less experienced people, and there isn't much fitting and tuning needed.

Next, is the exterior finish.
When a S&W or Ruger is being boxed for shipment, the Python is still being hand polished by highly trained polishers with many years of hands-on experience.

The Python is polished on custom Colt-made leather covered polishing wheels by people who were started out on Colt's cheaper guns.
After years of experience, only the very BEST of them were allowed to polish the Python.
The final polish on the Python used a media the consistency of flour.
This lengthy polishing process was used on all Python's including the nickel and bright stainless guns.

Reasons for Colt's reputation for being the most accurate
brand, and the Python's reputation for being the most accurate of all revolvers, involve the old-style Colt "Bank Vault" lockup, Colt's superior quality barrels, and their faster rifling twist.

The Python went even farther with an expensive tapered-bore barrel, which was finished with Colt's mysterious "Silver Ball" treatment.

In short, The Python is very much like ordering a true custom 1911 from a maker like Wilson, Brown, or one of the other top custom builders.

What you're getting is a revolver on which expensive hand labor is lavished, and on which everything possible is done to insure it's the finest quality and most accurate production revolver possible.

Hand labor, especially highly experienced labor is NOT cheap.
The kind of people capable of fitting and tuning the action or polishing the finish to the level the Python is, have many years on the job, and they don't work for minimum wage.

The difference is like buying a Seiko watch or buying a Rolex.
One is a common, mass produced, unrefined watch, and the other is a hand made labor of love that takes a year to build.

Hand made is higher quality and more expensive than mass produced.

Why does a Rolls Royce cost more than a Chevy?
They're both pretty much the same mechanically, and are made of the same steel and rubber.

 

[t-squared]

Found a pretty cool article about them with a lot of firsthand info from someone who worked at Colt.....https://www.handgunsmag.com/editorial/colt_python_complete_history/138916

 

[bgcatty]

I think I saw a new python bid up to $2500 on Gunbroker. Seriously? Are people losing their minds???

 

[Robert Richardson]

I had a few Pythons back in the day, still have one. Yep, older ones had some problems, if you shot them a bunch. Most people bought them and shot them very little if, at all. They thought them too pretty to shoot. They are very nice revolvers. I was impressed more with the fit and finish than anything.

 

[drillsgt]

I think I saw a new python bid up to $2500 on Gunbroker. Seriously? Are people losing their minds???

There's one right now with a buy it now of $3K, i'm shocked it hasn't been snatched up lol. The Pythons on GB do tend to get some bids except for the ones that open bidding at say 2500.00. I saw one that was a standard 4 or 6 inch and they tried to describe it as 'ultra rare' when there's 19 pages of Pythons lol.

 

[spec4]

Colt website says sold out.

 

[Ingomike]

Hahahahha, Pythons were very popular and expensive long before Rick Grimes.

Heres a good post from long ago.


The gun is essentially a custom, hand built revolver.
Other revolvers are designed in such a way as the parts are "drop-in" as much as possible and require little hand fitting.

The Python, and all the older Colt's are "old school" designs dating back to the 1890's.
The guns MUST be totally hand assembled and fitted since all parts are made over-sized, and are filed and stoned to fit.
This requires extensive hand labor by Master fitters with many years of experience.
The Python then gets MORE custom hand fitting and polishing to give a even more refined action.

The old Colt action is an extraordinarily intricate, complicated design, that cost much more simply to build, much less finish to Python levels.
Other brands can be assembled by much less experienced people, and there isn't much fitting and tuning needed.

Next, is the exterior finish.
When a S&W or Ruger is being boxed for shipment, the Python is still being hand polished by highly trained polishers with many years of hands-on experience.

The Python is polished on custom Colt-made leather covered polishing wheels by people who were started out on Colt's cheaper guns.
After years of experience, only the very BEST of them were allowed to polish the Python.
The final polish on the Python used a media the consistency of flour.
This lengthy polishing process was used on all Python's including the nickel and bright stainless guns.

Reasons for Colt's reputation for being the most accurate
brand, and the Python's reputation for being the most accurate of all revolvers, involve the old-style Colt "Bank Vault" lockup, Colt's superior quality barrels, and their faster rifling twist.

The Python went even farther with an expensive tapered-bore barrel, which was finished with Colt's mysterious "Silver Ball" treatment.

In short, The Python is very much like ordering a true custom 1911 from a maker like Wilson, Brown, or one of the other top custom builders.

What you're getting is a revolver on which expensive hand labor is lavished, and on which everything possible is done to insure it's the finest quality and most accurate production revolver possible.

Hand labor, especially highly experienced labor is NOT cheap.
The kind of people capable of fitting and tuning the action or polishing the finish to the level the Python is, have many years on the job, and they don't work for minimum wage.

The difference is like buying a Seiko watch or buying a Rolex.
One is a common, mass produced, unrefined watch, and the other is a hand made labor of love that takes a year to build.

Hand made is higher quality and more expensive than mass produced.

Why does a Rolls Royce cost more than a Chevy?
They're both pretty much the same mechanically, and are made of the same steel and rubber.

I do not believe $3-$4K popular. But I get the post, however that tends to excite enthusiasts. The WD popularity causes younger buyers that never would have thought of a revolver as cool to want to play with one. I know many young professionals that make great money that can drive up prices on expensive things boomers wouldn't at the same age. Look at what they did to my bourbon market. LOL

 

[Hookeye]

And I think 35K or more for a friggin Jeep Wrangler to be insane.
I just need 4x4 to haul my deer out of the woods.
Of course it's perfectly fine to shoot deer with expensive guns that get used 3 days a yr.

 

[drillsgt]

And I think 35K or more for a friggin Jeep Wrangler to be insane.
I just need 4x4 to haul my deer out of the woods.
Of course it's perfectly fine to shoot deer with expensive guns that get used 3 days a yr.

Yeah, and 35K's probably on the low side.

 

[asevans]

Yeah. I’ll wait for mark or less. Probably at least a year out.

 

[TonyN]

I would like to have a python but I keep hearing about all the problems they are having..

 

[rugertoter]

I said this when they 1st put these out there.
Overpriced paper weights.

I owned a few in the day and they needed repaired multiple times. I just can not see what the big freaking deal is.

Me either. But, I am a S&W guy anyways. I have nothing against Colt revolvers, but I could never get used to the "pull" instead of the "push", to release the cylinder. JMHO.

 

[braydenw]

Honestly never understood the appeal of the prancing horse guns

 

[drillsgt]

I would like to have a python but I keep hearing about all the problems they are having..

There are a lot of them that aren't having any problems too.