I can't speak for the .357's and .44's, but the Colt King Cobra .22 Target I bought six months ago has been a great revolver for me...

Accuracy has been outstanding, every bit as good as my Smith M-18, and very near to my M-41 Smith as well. I attribute that to the really good DA and SA trigger on it. In DA, it's at least as good as my Smiths. In SA, it's a bit heavier by a pound or so, but with a clean let-off. The exterior finish is outstanding as well.

All of that said, I have a cpl suggestions for Colt.

1. Why in heck did they flatten out the bottom of the trigger guard? It looks like it was inadvertently dropped at some point.

2. Why curse it with that skinny, narrow hammer. In SA, you have to consciously work to prevent your thumb from slipping off while cocking. They should have used the same one as on the new Python, or the old Diamondback.

3. Sights: It's a .22 LR for gosh sakes, it doesn't need a cheap looking "Tactical" fiber optic front that does nothing to enhance accuracy. I know they're all the current rage in plastic fantastic, but on a $1100 .22, gimme a break! And the rear sight...it wobbles!!!!, has a jury rigged set screw to 'lock' it in place....why not put the old Eliason on it...or better yet, contract with Wilson Combat and get REAL sights that measure up to the overall quality of the gun?

4. Stocks: Rubber on a .22...again, gimme a break. Put some good wood on it...solid walnut in the old pattern...like those on the Pythons and Diamondback of the distant past fit nearly everybody, shot well, and looked classy. Altamont offers replacements that work, look OK, but I wish they'd offer the "Roper Targets" that are available on their S&W replacement line.

All bitching aside...I really, REALLY, do like the gun. I have over 1500 rounds through it now and find it a great side-arm for woods walking. For sheer enjoyment while shooting, (and this is from a dyed in the wool S&W fan), the King Cobra .22 Target is right up there with the best of my Smiths. It handles well, feels like slightly smaller than "K" frame Smith and is light enough for all day carry in the woods.

Pic below of my KC .22 ...with Altamont stocks replacing the factory rubbers & my late 60's Diamondback. The KC is by far the better shooter. Best regards, Rod

"Rick" is my 2nd Python. I got my first as a wedding gift from my wife in 1981; an 8" blue that I used for years as a comp gun for metallic silhouette shooting.

I now have more fun with "Rick".

quote:

Originally posted by Rodfac:

Rod, glad you're enjoying your King Cobra. My buddy picked up a Python and a 3" .357 King c
cobra last year and let me shoot them both. Honestly the Python really didn't do much for me, but that Kong Cobra was a sweetheart. Better trigger, better balance, and I really liked the gold-bead front sight that his came with. I'm with you on the fiber optics...kinda fragile and they tend to glare.

Those Altmonts look good. I've always found Altmont to make a nice looking grip, but they leave a lot of sharp edges that hurt under recoil. That won't be an issue with a .22, though!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 92fstech,

I really enjoy my 6" 2020 (stainless, of course), even though I don't shoot it well. I sent it back to Colt after I got it due to a super duper minor cosmetic issue--they 'fixed' the problem by sending me a brand new gun.

I vividly recall the first and only original Python I ever shot (a friend's gun), which [1] was blued and [2] had a simply gorgeous blued finish. It also had a different trigger than my 2020: the DA was smoother, but I prefer the staging of my 2020; the SA of the original was no better/no worse than the new, but the old was definitively lighter. I haven't seen one of the new blued ones, but I, too, am interested what others might think of its appearance.

quote:

Originally posted by Z06:

Those grips look stained black (at least on my screen). Are the black? Did the gun come with them?

92fstech....Here's a look at my King Cobra .22 Target with Wilson Combat sights installed. I used the ones they've come up for the new Pythons and with a bit of file work on the under side of the rear sight leaf assembly, they work just fine and with more surety than the supplied Colt items.

I also changed out the miserable fiber optic front sight blade at the same time...a two minute operation once I found the right allen wrench. Here's the pic. Best regards, Rod....can't praise the Wilson sights enough...truly a quality product. R

That's much better! Glad you found a way to get the wiggle out of the sights, and that design looks like it probably provides a much more precise sight picture as well.

Jumping on the Python bandwagon here...

I got an email from an online retailer that's trustworthy a couple of weeks ago with a 3" Python on sale for $999. I almost got one a few months back (for a good bit more) and knew not to hesitate.

It got to my local FFL pretty quickly and had the service grips and Wilson rear sight installed shortly after getting it home. I got to the range yesterday and with one click up and one click left, the rear sight was on. This is an absolute riot to shoot. I'm already on the lookout for a blued 6" to go with it.

neex, this is a B&W photo with only the front sight in color. The grips are the normal shades of dark brown.

I wish Colt CZ Group all the luck of cashing in on the mystique of snakes and the magic Connecticut Colt craftsmen produced in the past. These new Pythons -- I think I would take out a home-equity loan and look for vintage. It's the same for a Smith and Wesson .357.