Colt King Cobra
- Thread starter deadman
- Start date
Great pistol just don't dry fire it often as the firing pin must be pressed in by a spescial frame jig (or you will bend the frame)! Other than that it is rock solid! The funny thing is that the Python just needs the rear sight removed,and then the firing pin can be replaced,but the Python cannot handle the constant hot loads the Cobra can!
Bob
Bob
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
I prefer S&W revolvers to Colt, but that is simply personal preference and has nothing to do with the reliability, accuracy, or durability of the Colt guns. I don't own one, but the King Cobra I shot was an accurate, well made gun, but I'm not crazy about stainless revolvers, and I wouldn't consider trading my M-27 for one. Don't worry about the firing pin on the Colt, you can't change the firing pin yourself on a Smith or a Ruger either. I actually like the frame size of the Colt guns, being midway between Smith's K frame, which is a bit small, and the N frame, which for a .357 is a bit large, and Colt seems to have improved the shape of the grip frame which I recall curved too far forward on my Colt Trooper. Most folks won't run into this, but I load heavy 195 gr SWCs in my M-27, and unless I trimmed the cases, and worked up another load, these were too long for the cylinder length of the King Cobra.
I have one. They are a well made gun and if you buy one it should serve you well.The only thing that concerns me is a lack of qualified Colt gunsmiths in Canada.If it breaks finding replacement parts and a gunsmith to do repair work is going to be difficult if not impossible.Sending a Colt to the factory in the USA for repairs is a huge problem and one I wouldn't want to deal with.You might be better off buying a S&W.
It sounds as if the firing pin doesn't break all that easily or often. Does anyone know a gunsmith in Canada who has the jig to replace the firing pin? Or does it actually need to go back to the factory?
Maybe a Canadian gunsmith will recognize the opportunity to fix this and similar models of Colts and buy the tool.
lazy_snake
New member
- Location
- Vancouver, BC.
Dlasksarm in BC was a Colt Firearms Authorized Repair Service Station back in the old day, but I am not sure they still do it or not.
Beautiful revolver! A friend has one. Trigger pull is a lot heavier than a Model 27's but it is equally accurate, reliable and durable. One caveat.....be very careful who you bring it to if you want work done on it. My friend's King Cobra has been rendered into 'Bits of Pieces' by a hack gunsmith who claimed he knew how to work on Colt revolvers...
- Location
- Calgary AB
I have a couple of the Colt Snake revolvers (Python & King Cobra) also a S&W Mod 19. I like wheel guns from both companies.
The Colt revolvers feel quite comfortable when you hold them and the recoil with full .357's isn't harsh to deal with. I can't shoot the Colt's as fast as the S&W Mod 19 though and keep a consistent grouping, but this is dependent on the shooter, other users will experience something different. Trigger feel/pull on the Colt's is very smooth and consistent, I love it, and it doesn't feel like your trigger finger is fighting to pull on a 10lb weight. Target acquisition is excellent with the factory sights, no complaints.
The S&W Model 19's grips are a bit smaller (on mine anyways) and shaped a little different than the Cobra or Python, but it feels good when you hold it, like it belongs in your hand. Shooting it, the trigger has a good, consistent pull (not too light or too heavy...just right), its got a crisp feel to it when the hammer drops. Sights are good, and keeping them on target isn't hard. Follow up shots are quick.
Durability wise for the Colt's, I'm not worried about them breaking, as long as you perform the usual maintenance on them, they'll last.
That's my 2 cents worth...
I guess in the end it all boils down to what Boomer said... It's all personal preference...
The Colt revolvers feel quite comfortable when you hold them and the recoil with full .357's isn't harsh to deal with. I can't shoot the Colt's as fast as the S&W Mod 19 though and keep a consistent grouping, but this is dependent on the shooter, other users will experience something different. Trigger feel/pull on the Colt's is very smooth and consistent, I love it, and it doesn't feel like your trigger finger is fighting to pull on a 10lb weight. Target acquisition is excellent with the factory sights, no complaints.
The S&W Model 19's grips are a bit smaller (on mine anyways) and shaped a little different than the Cobra or Python, but it feels good when you hold it, like it belongs in your hand. Shooting it, the trigger has a good, consistent pull (not too light or too heavy...just right), its got a crisp feel to it when the hammer drops. Sights are good, and keeping them on target isn't hard. Follow up shots are quick.
Durability wise for the Colt's, I'm not worried about them breaking, as long as you perform the usual maintenance on them, they'll last.
That's my 2 cents worth...
I guess in the end it all boils down to what Boomer said... It's all personal preference...
I have had 4 pythons (two left), as well as an Anaconda and a Cobra. Of them all I like the python best - it seems to have a better trigger break.
That said, the Cobra was the most fun to shoot - the grips are bigger and rubbery. Mine has a dot sight on it and is quite accurate.
It's for sale in the EE (shameless plug) not because I want to but because I have to.
I have heard lots of comments about durability but I never had issues with the Cobra, Python or Anaconda.
That said, the Cobra was the most fun to shoot - the grips are bigger and rubbery. Mine has a dot sight on it and is quite accurate.
It's for sale in the EE (shameless plug) not because I want to but because I have to.
I have heard lots of comments about durability but I never had issues with the Cobra, Python or Anaconda.
Pythons have completely different lockworks then KC's (or any of the modern Colt revolvers from the Mk III on, for that matter). Leaf springs and handfitting was the norm for the Python, modern manufacture and coil springs were the design criteria for the newer Colts. Nice revolvers (I own three), but not the equal of the older Colts at all. - dan
Kuhnhausen opined that the King Cobra was the strongest mid-size .357.
I used to have a blued 6" one that I held onto just in case I'd ever get invited to a match up in Canada.
Never did, so I eventually traded it off. It was a nice and accurate revolver, but the 6" barrel wasn't really for me as I hike a lot in the mountains down here in New Mexico and prefer something a little easier to carry.
I used to have a blued 6" one that I held onto just in case I'd ever get invited to a match up in Canada.
Never did, so I eventually traded it off. It was a nice and accurate revolver, but the 6" barrel wasn't really for me as I hike a lot in the mountains down here in New Mexico and prefer something a little easier to carry.
I'll grant the KC is stronger then the Python from a utilitarian point of view (as the L frame S&W is stronger then the K frame, and it was done for the same reasons), but I think the strongest mid sized revolver would be the Ruger GP100. Just an opinion though. - dan
Someone must have read this thread and gotten the wrong impression as to the quality of these guns. It is not a hand fitted gun like the Python. Colt introduced them to be a cheaper gun to the Python.
There is a 2" King Cobra for sale in the EE. It is going to sit there for a LONG time as it is priced well above the price of a mint prohib Python.
