What makes Colt Pythons so valuable?

JWC said:
Surprised to see this thread brought back to life. I have to comment on the Korth revolver. I have seen only one, did not try the action and obviously have never shot one. I would love to have one, but dang, they too expensive for me.
There is no question that the Python was a great revolver. I will not even argue that fact at all. However, do not be confused, the rest of the Colt line was not made the way the Python was made. To say the Anaconda is as good as the Python, well, that would not be true. Great model, but not a Python by any means.
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You have so many nice wheel guns. You can get a Korth for about 10k. Surely, you can get rid of some guns if you really wanted to own a Korth. That said, I'd say they're probably more common in their native Germany. I also have a feeling that most people that buy Korth's keep them as heirloom pieces and never shoot them.

Their 1911 is insane...way more complex than a normal 1911. lol.
 
This is not to bash Python owners but my take on it is this. Back in the mid to late 80s I worked at a gun shop as a kid. When I turned 21 I wanted a .357 Magnum for what ever reason. I could have ordered anything made and would have paid probably below wholesale. Considering my pay check went to buy guns and stuff and had no bills. Price wasn't a deciding factor. Everyone seems to believe that Colts quality has always been great. Sorry to say but Colts quality control was horrid during the 80s, the 70s weren't much better. I ordered the new and improved 686 Smith. Why, because a constant firing of the hottest loads of the time, which was Sampson's 158 gr and CCI 140 Gr, would rattle a Python to pieces. Believe me if I had known folks would be paying the prices for Pythons they are now, I would have stocked up on them. Especially since our wholesaler at the time couldn't give them away on close out. If memory serves me right. They may have been a hundred dollars more then a 686 regularly. Ah! the good ol days
 
Gordylew said:
This is not to bash Python owners but my take on it is this. Back in the mid to late 80s I worked at a gun shop as a kid. When I turned 21 I wanted a .357 Magnum for what ever reason. I could have ordered anything made and would have paid probably below wholesale. Considering my pay check went to buy guns and stuff and had no bills. Price wasn't a deciding factor. Everyone seems to believe that Colts quality has always been great. Sorry to say but Colts quality control was horrid during the 80s, the 70s weren't much better. I ordered the new and improved 686 Smith. Why, because a constant firing of the hottest loads of the time, which was Sampson's 158 gr and CCI 140 Gr, would rattle a Python to pieces. Believe me if I had known folks would be paying the prices for Pythons they are now, I would have stocked up on them. Especially since our wholesaler at the time couldn't give them away on close out. If memory serves me right. They may have been a hundred dollars more then a 686 regularly. Ah! the good ol days
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Hot 357 loads rattling a python the pieces, you've got to be crazy. Pythons have a 41 Magnum frame, they're not going to be rattled the pieces by hot loads. Smith & Wesson model 19's, yeah they're a different story, too many hot loads will rattle them, but a python is not in that category. Pythons are the last production revolver to be handfinished. They are the finest production revolver ever made in America and often compared to Korth revolvers, or at least the closest you can get to a Korth without paying the high price. I agree that a lot of the other models of colt revolvers were not made to near the quality, however there's no denying the quality of the pythons. If you've ever shot a python alongside of a 686 there's no comparison.
 
I'll have to cordially disagree. The python was never intended to be a .41 magnum. according to this article it never got past the experimental stage.
"One of the most discussed Pythons are the .41 Magnum guns.

Colt made up three or four prototype .41 Magnum Pythons on the request of a big firearms distributor who wanted to offer something different.

Colt had second thoughts and decided the frame and cylinder simply weren't big enough to provide the strength needed for the .41 Magnum, so they recalled the guns and canceled the idea.

However, several custom gunsmiths decided to offer conversions of .357 Pythons to .41 Magnum.

Some of these guns were very well done conversions right down to factory style and quality roll marks on the barrel. Others are very crudely done"
If memory serves me I believe it may have been in the paper work that a steady diet of magnum loads was not suggested and resulted in having to send the gun to have it's timing adjusted if you did. Again a very nice gun but not meant to stand up to normal abuse. Kind of like marrying the prom queen. high maintenance.
 
tayninh69 said:
As JWC mentioned they are no longer made and required a lot of hand fitting. When new they were more expensive that other competing models. The labor involved with their manufacture means they'll never be produced again. As a young man I wanted one badly but could never afford one. A couple of years ago I finally bought a nice four inch Royal Blue model. Paid a lot for it, but it's worth about twice that now. How long the prices can continue to go up? Who knows.

Maybe three or four places/individuals that can do quality work on them remain. Colt still has parts and will repair Pythons. It's my understanding they don't sell individual parts,they keep them for their repair department. I don't know the latter for a fact, just something I've heard/read.

Many consider the Python the finest revolver ever made. YMMV...
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That is a fact. I sent one of my nickel DS back to be re-nickeled and the detent and spring needed to be replaced. They did it for me because they said they would not sell me the part. They only keeps parts for revolvers sent back in. They tell you to get parts from numerich (gunpartscorp.com) or you have to call Jacks First.
 
Good to know. I sent mine back for a hammer push off problem. Paid the charge yesterday for the repair, quite reasonable, but estimated time for repair is four to five months. Ouch….maybe I'll see it again by Easter of next year.

I've looked at Numerich online….sold out of many parts on their list.
 
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