Colt Python Look Alike Full D Coverage

In our initial testing of the new gun, the excessive pressure from the.357 Magnum kept hammering the recoil plate, which was a separate piece set into the frame (and necessitating frequent replacement).

It was also the year Bill Haley and His Comets recorded Rock Around the Clock, Quaker Oats invented instant oatmeal and Gunsmoke and Davy Crockett debuted on TV.

But equally as important to a kid who liked to shoot and would eventually become a gunwriter, I also remember 1955 as the year three legendary handguns made their appearances to rave reviews in the firearms press.

That same year, Smith Wessons Model 29--basically a beefed-up.44 Hand Ejector Fourth Model--was teamed with the equally new.44 Magnum cartridge.

And finally, what undoubtedly became the most elegant double-action.357 Magnum of the 20th century, the Colt Python, was unveiled.

Of these three, only the Colt Python was a radically new design, even though it could trace its ancestry back to the Army Special, a popular.38-caliber double action that had been in the line since 1908 and was rechristened the Colt Official Police in 1927.

But the Python was a dramatic change from anything Colt had done before.

In essence, it was a window into the future, encapsulated in a hand-honed steel sculpture that depicted a revolvers ultimate destiny.

But while the.44 Magnum was the strongest kid in the neighborhood, the.357 had been around since 1935 and during the ensuing years had built up legions of followers, primarily among hunters and lawmen.

Besides, the Colt Python could also chamber the more moderate.38 Special.

Colt Python Look Alike Full D Coverage

Left) A rare factory-engraved 6-inch nickel-plated Python with full D coverage and aftermarket ivory grips.

Unfortunately, many of these ivory grips ended up cracking at the junction where they joined the frame, due to recoil of the.357 magnum.

Right) The Python Hunter, first brought out in 1981, featured an 8-inch barrel, 2X Leupold scope, Pachmayr grips and stainless steel cleaning rod and accessories, all packed in an aluminum Halburton case.

Courtesy: Little Johns Antique Arms Yet until World War II, the only.357 Magnum offered by Colt was in the Single Action Army, of which only 525 guns were made in that caliber.

It wasnt until 1953 that Colt brought out its first modern double action in this caliber, a relatively scarce model named simply the Colt.357 Magnum, which stayed in the line until 1961 with a total of only 15,000 guns manufactured.

In addition, in 1954--just one year before the Pythons appearance--Colt introduced the.357 Magnum Trooper, which was discontinued in 1969.

Thus, by 1954, with only two revolvers for what was then the most popular cartridge in the country, Colt clearly knew it had to do something dramatic to capture the attention of the shooting public.

I was working on revolvers, so I made the suggestion that we take the Officers Model Match and strengthen it.

The author takes aim with his Python, a gun known for its smooth double-action--as well as single-action--trigger pull.

In addition, the 38-ounce weight of this 4-inch-barrel version makes it extremely well balanced.

Al could not have picked a better gun on which to base the.357 Mag.

The Officers Model Match was still relatively new, having been introduced in 1952 as a target version of the Official Police, the most popular.38 Special in the Colt stable.

In fact, recalls Al, most of the police guns in use at that time were Official Police revolvers.

That had been true for decades, as the January 1, 1934, Colt catalog confirmed: The Colt Official Police Revolver is without any question the worlds outstanding police arm.

This popular service revolver is famous for its ruggedness and its ability to stand up under the severe abuse it receives at the sides of police officers the world over.

And even though it was chambered in both.22 rimfire and.38 Special, the Official Police and Officers Model Match were built on larger.41-caliber frames to better absorb recoil.

So I started to tinker around with the.38 Special Officers Model Match, says Al.

That meant beefing up the cylinder and frame, including the topstrap.