The finest revolver ever produced...

...and I now own one. :mrgreen:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ftr/python.jpg

My best friends mom's boyfriend was getting rid of some of his collection and he gave it to me for one hell of a deal! For being a 45 year old gun, its in great condition. Just a little bit of holster wear on the end of the barrel, and a light scratch under the cylinder release.

I know why the Python is regarded as such a fine firearm. The trigger, the finish, the cylinder lockup, just everything....you can tell this is high quality.

I cant WAIT to get this thing to the range!

Time to order some Houge grips and a holster. :smt041

That's a great gun alright ... congratulations.

:smt1099

What a beautiful piece! Good for you. But it almost seems a sin to strip those factory grips! ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GySgt1811

What a beautiful piece! Good for you. But it almost seems a sin to strip those factory grips! ;)

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If it was gonna be a safe queen, then Id leave'em, but I plan on carrying this, and the stock grips are really big and bulky. Plus I think the rubber grips will give me a better handle on the .357

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...tr/python1.jpg

:mrgreen:

wow, what a hottie:smt023

Great gun, yes, but the best ever produced? Not certain about that. Maybe the best ever mass produced, at least until the tooling degraded.

Although I love my Colt 1911 Gov't Model and Series 70 Combat Commander which I carry.....IMO, the Greatest revolver would have to be the original S&W Model 29 without a doubt.

The snubby Pythons (in good shape) have a tremendous collector value. I personally wouldn't carry one.

But .... it's your gun - your money.

And that whole "finest" thing .... I don't know about that either. But it's definitely in the top 100! :smt033

Pythons are the finest American made revolvers...There are the German made (I think) Korth.
I only saw one once..amazing

My dad just gave me his 6" blued Python. It is a great gun and shoots very well. I don't know if it's the best gun ever made, but I certainly wouldn't kick it out of my safe!


Pat

Nice find hope you enjoy it.

You have a very fine revolver there. They shoot great!

My Grandpa gave me this Python. He bought it about 30 years ago used. I only carry it to the range, aobut twice a year.


http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/4945/pistols008.jpg


http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/9370/pistols009.jpg


http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/115/pistols010.jpg

The "Greatest" is the Dan Wesson revolvers.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...3/DW-15357.jpg
Model 15 357 Magnum with 4" barrel installed and with VH6" barrel.


http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...93/DW74401.jpg
Model 744 44 Magnum with VH8 barrel. Better & stronger built then any S&W or Ruger 44 magnum.


http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...93/DW71501.jpg
Model 715 357 Magnum V8" barrel.

All their guns were built massive and with triggers out the box that S&W could only dream of, cylinders were massive and I have never seen or heard of anyone blowing one up. I have heard and seen pictures of these guns with multi bullets stuck in the barrel. There was a 22 model with 8" barrel with 3 bullets in the barrel and barrel and shroud removed and barrel replaced and shroud reused. The blued gun pictured was a victim of a squib followed by normal round. Barrel was just slightly bulged and replaced ($75) and shroud reinstalled. It is the most accurate 357 revolver I have ever owned and caused me to eventually turn loose all my S&W 357 wheel guns. I even got rid of my S&W M-48 for a 722 DW and it out shot the 48 my a wide margine.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...24xLeupold.jpg

Model 722 22 LR/WMR with VH8 barrel installed.

I have owned 2 colt pythons since the mid 1970's. One has a 4" barrel & the other is a 6" from the old colt custom shop. They are both finished in the original royal blue. I had the 4" barrel mag-na-ported in 1977 & jerry kraft did the action polish. I gave it to my wife for a wedding present in 1980---she gave me a rolex submariner watch---we still have each other, the python, & the watch after 30 years. My father-in-law has the 6" on loan from me. They have had the snot shot out of them with thousands of trouble free handloaded rounds loaded by me & the wife. They will always be in my opinion the "rolls-royce of double action revolvers"----the only other one that comes even close is my 1976 s&w model 29-2 with a 6.5" mag-na-ported barrel, millet rear sight, hogue grips, & a smoooooth action tune-up done in the mid 1980's by mr. Andy cannon of polson, montana. Oooo-rah !!!!!!

Well the Python is nothing but a fancied up Trooper, and as GURU1911 say the S&W just has never quite measured up to a Colt. I know that from owning 3 Colt's now and having let a couple get away from me over the years. These 1975 Colt Trooper and S&W 15-3 of same year are no comparison to each other for quality, smoothness and accuracy. I will admit the Trooper is a Colt Custom Shop model and it is not a true comparison, but I have a 610 no dash that is a S&W PC gun and it's still not the equal to the Trooper.


My S&W 610, 610-3 and my DE, love the 10mm guns. (The two 610's are long gone as is the Colt Trooper)

Mr. Pepper: Need to gently correct something you said in your forum comments. The python is not a "fancied up trooper"----the internal parts are entirely different as the frames are not the same. Parts are not interchangeable. Having detailed stripped & cleaned both models frequently for the past 20 years i can personally attest to this.

The trooper was always referred to as the "chevrolet", but the python was the "cadillac". Enjoy & shoot often!!!!!!!

Keep em in the 10-ring

Everything I have ever read or been told about the two says that they were same basic frame fancied up and that the clock work was slightly different and of same quality. Some of that info came from Colt years ago and some from Colt freaks that were also gun smiths and one a personal friend. So forgive if I choose to not believe you, I just don't know you or how well informed you are. So don't take offence, none is meant.

Now all that said, I am like most others here and really could care less one way or the other on difference between Trooper & Python. These guns so outshine S&W I wonder sometimes why Colt went belly up back in the day, but I'm sure there were several reasons. I own 4 Dan Wesson revolvers, and consider them superior to my Trooper, My Colt 22 Pistol (aka Cadet) is far simpler then my very accurate S&W 2206 and if truth were known probably as accurate. Being so simple to completely disassemble make it a breeze clean and that's a must for a gun you going to shoot a lot, or it is in my opinion.

Don't get me wrong I like my Smith's and own 8 of them currently and hope to trade the like a 15-3 38 Sp off this week for a used Browning 22 automatic rifle that has the most beautiful stock I have ever seen on a 22 rifle.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by xXxplosive

Although I love my Colt 1911 Gov't Model and Series 70 Combat Commander which I carry.....IMO, the Greatest revolver would have to be the original S&W Model 29 without a doubt.

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you meant the original S&W Model 27 ...right ?

The finest mass production revolver ever.....Dan Wesson Model 15 (VH6) a vented heavy 6" barrel installed with Leupold M8 2x on top.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...3/DW-15-L2.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...3/DW-15-L3.jpg

Double posted, sorry.

I'm liking that Model 715 357 Magnum V8" barrel !

Colt Diamondback.......

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PAWPAUL

I'm liking that Model 715 357 Magnum V8" barrel !

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That WD VH8 shoots with my Marlin lever 1894 at 50 yards, never tried it at 100 yards however. Maybe this spring.

Although the Dan Wesson .357 may be the best , with the Colt python in second , the S&W Pre model 27 is a very close third