Smith & Wesson produces a wide variety of .357s, and some are less expensive than the 686. To compare these fine revolvers against each other isn’t really a fair test. Has never failed to fire and pulls double action at about 8 pounds. There is no competition when it comes to the Python. I’ve owned/own multiple Colt and Smith revolvers. \Bought it used as well ..I think the trigger was done by a guy from Griffin & Howe in Brooklyn. I never owned a python but have a king cobra, 686-1, 686-7 talo, and my old colt trooper Stainless Steel. By far, the most accurate handgun that I ever fired was a Ruger Security-6 with a 5 inch barrel. I’ve shot them, and I put them head to head with the 686 any day. The Fairest of Them All: Smith & Wesson's…, Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 686 Raises…, Ring Steel in the Roaring '20s With a New Colt Python, Colt Python: First Shots! The Ruger goes with me in a bug out bag, but I’m elated to have a Python in the safe. Not one mention in the article or comments on a decent and affordable S&W 686 proxy gun – the Taurus 66. Colt was having a hard time keeping consistent quality control with the last of the double action revolvers, and with people wanting more for less these days the same gun couldn’t be made affordably these says without some cost cutting production measures. In 2002, I had a S&W 340 lock up on me after shooting less than 40 rounds of ammunition. I have one coming soon thru a dealer in Idaho , and I would like to know your opinion about it He had the gun slicked up a bit and it handled very nicely. I got rid of it. 6″/ 15.2 cm? As is obvious to those of us with a functional sense of sight, the two guns we’re comparing are almost identical. When it was repaired, I no longer trusted the weapon and, because then I could not afford more than one gun, I traded it off (badly). Thank you for this review on Python and Smith 686 The consistency of their factory triggers will make you hate your GLOCK. If you cannot tell the difference between a Python and Smith from 30 feet away you shouldn’t be writing about guns. custom rosewood grips though. I bought and carried a 686 on duty for when they first arrived on the gun market. Any lighter and you will start to experience primmer detonation failure. And owning Ruger’s, I love the GP 100 to pieces. ), 8:56 Colt Trooper M4Colt LE6920-R AR15 -Unboxing and initial thoughts HD, Single Stack 9mm: Glock G43 vs. Smith & Wesson Shield, Pros and cons: M-LOK and KEYMOD vs PICATINNY Mil-Std-1913 RAIL. After about 500 rounds, I started seeing some lead shavings at the chamber so … I called Bob. I wouldn’t try to compare a Python and a 686, the Python was a beautifully crafted target and range gun, while the 686 was designed primary as a service revolver. I purchased one from Shooters in Jax, Fl two weeks ago. I would really like the “snakes” be produced again. They are generally all excellent. When it comes to Ruger, their GP-100 is what I would Equal to the AK-47 of revolvers. - SHOT Show 2020, Smith & Wesson Introduces Tricked Out Shield EZ,…, https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=python, https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=686, Smith & Wesson produces a wide variety of .357s, and some are less expensive than the 686, https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=smith%20357, https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=ruger%20gp100%20357, https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=dan%20wesson%20357, smaller manufacturers that pull it off, too, https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/best-revolver-ever-made-colts-python-review/, https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/357-shoot-off-coonan-vs-python/, https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/smith-686/, https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/coating-a-stainless-revolver-wmds-686/, GunsAmerica Giveaway Gun: 1911A1 from Auto-Ordnance. But lost by 25 points 220. Now she’s even easier to keep clean. Smith & Wesson used a protected system for this part. You mentioned WMD coating. First Video with S&W Model 686-1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyjUGUxel54 First video with 4" Colt Python: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOj2gdzo46kPlease check out and support the people who help make this channel possible: BUD’s GUN SHOP, FEDERAL PREMIUM, SONORAN DESERT INSTITUTE, SILENCER CENTRAL, TALON GRIPS, & BALLISTOL: http://www.hickok45.com/supporters/ Become a Gong Club member at our Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/hickok45 Federal Premium: http://www.federalpremium.com/ https://www.facebook.com/federalpremiumammo SDI (Sonoran Desert Institute): http://www.sdi.edu/ Talon Grips: https://talongungrips.com/ Ballistol: https://ballistol.com/ ALSO, ALL our videos are on GunStreamer.com: https://gunstreamer.com/@Hickok45 The short FAQ Videos playlist will answer most questions you have: https://www.youtube.com/playli....st?list=PL0C8F49BC38 Find us on Hickok45 Twitter and Facebook, as well as “therealHickok45” on Instagram. I’ve written about this before in several posts, but it bears repeating. I must say that my Smith’s accuracy out of the box is outstanding. Other shooters think I’m nuts for shooting the Python. True,all revolvers can get out of timing with long term and heavy use. Grip: Walnut The 686 is mostly a refinement of the S&W’s iconic revolver pedigree, established with their K/L frame revolvers. It’s actually 15.24 cm. Soooo smooth, and actually smoother than any smith, but even back in the 1980’s, 90’s when I was acquiring my guns the Pythons were always out of reach compared to the Smith. I am happy to say though the Python never ended up a safe queen! The 686 can try, but it will never make it. Let me start off by saying I own all of the following revolver brands & models (Colt Python, S&W 686-3, 686-4, 686-6+, 686-7, and Ruger GP-100). The Python’s double-action pull breaks at 8 pounds. We can’t afford Pythons. Both are chambered in .357 Magnum with four-inch barrels. Feature Articles, The Colt revolver is dead as a doornail as anything other than a neat collector’s item, with the single exception of the historic Single Action Army, and that’s only holding on by the skin of its teeth. So how is it that Smith & Wesson continues to pull it off with their production revolvers? Both of these guns are capable of superb accuracy. So the question is this: if the expense of producing the Colt Python was too much, how is Smith pulling it off with the 686? Ring Steel in the Roaring ’20s With a New Colt Python In 2020 we expect to see a lot of great products hit the market but few guns will put more smiles on faces than the return of the Colt Python. FullAuto Madness with Krebs Custom and EveryDayCivilian. Colt has never been known to be good at mass producing revolvers like S&W or Ruger, so there were going to be growing problems with the re-up of the snake line. Even with good metallurgy, they quickly wore down and required the TLC of a really good revolversmith. This is a sporadic problem that just doesn’t seem to go away for S&W. The history of how Taurus got the manufacturing line and designs of the S&W wheel guns is well known so no need for me to mention it here. Both of these guns are incredible examples of old-school American craftsmanship. I like them all, never owned a Python, but i have shot them, I do own 2 686’s a 6″ +7 and a 4″, and some other S&W’s and Ruger’s, but I have to agree with the above post when in comes to accuracy the Dan Wesson’s are the best, especially the Monson Ma. Grip: Synthetic The 686 comes out on top–for me. I defineetly shoot my Pythons better than my 686’s or N frames. Firearms can be extremely dangerous if not used safely. Read the Python Review–https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/best-revolver-ever-made-colts-python-review/, A .357 Shoot off with a semi-auto twist?–https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/357-shoot-off-coonan-vs-python/, The 686 Review–https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/smith-686/, Why do this to a S&W?–https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/coating-a-stainless-revolver-wmds-686/. Have owned three pythons. These things had to be expensive to produce, even in 1955. A big change occurred with the introduction of the Smith and Wesson Military and Police .38 revolver. I purchased a Smith581, a friend(we’ll call him Dave) purchased a python, and “Bob” a Ruger GP101 or 100? Excellent condition, light finish wear. The gun essentially sold itself and Colt cut a few corners on quality. Could it be the best .357 isn’t a revolver? So in the end, for me, when I hiking or hunting it it usually a Smith at my side, but when I go to the range it’ll be a Colt. Yes, it shoots well, but so does all three top brands. That being said, the hand on a Colt wears faster (thus more of them out of time) and where as the V Springs that allows a light trigger will break much easier than a single leaf. If Colt put the Python back into production I would buy a least three. As a Police Officer and as a Detective I have also carried Model 19’s in 2 1/2 and 4 inch models and had great success with them. If you find a Python you can afford. Caliber: .357 Magnum Barrel Length: 6″ / 15.2 cm Are you gone do one day a review on the Manurhin 73 made by Chapuis in France ? The companies that are still worthy (not perfect) but still worthy are companies like Springfield Armory, Smith and Wesson, Ruger and even semi custom American companies like Wilson Combat and Nighthawk. Exceptional accuracy, and looks great. I love it. What if you had these two guns, side-by-side, with the same finish and grips, but with no branding? Overall, I like the 2020 Python version better. Only drawback is the short barrel so I carry .38 +Ps or “BAT”s in it. But there is one modern masterpiece that is no longer being made, and I’m ready to see it brought back: The Colt Python. If you compare the newer Colts revolvers ( King Cobra and Anacondas) to Smiths, they are extremely strong. Thank you for your knowledge and looking forward to read more of your work. It feels like snapping a thin glass tube. I own various Colts and none of them are as good as the competition whether revolver, auto pistol or AR platform. The stainless is about $50 more. I’ve got a short list of guns I’d like to see brought back to the market. I, too, have seen both lousy machining and heat treating problems in them, most of these beginning in the mid to late 1980s, and getting progressively more common from that point forward. If you care about the gun lasting and holding up under heavy usage, you want the Smith & Wesson, in this case specifically the 686. 245 of possible 250. There are few if any people left in the company that produced such remarkable guns. I also had a 4″ nickel Python, but never shot it. By the way, if you want to compare racehorses and hotrods to racehorses and hotrods, the Smith & Wesson product to line up against the Python is one from the same era: An N-Frame Smith & Wesson Pre-Model 27 .357 Magnum with a 5″ barrel, one made any time in the 1950s. Personally, I don’t think any post 1950’s S & W or post 1970 Colt is worth carrying seriously without custom lockwork (thank you legal profession). I carried various Colt Detective Specials or variations for years working as a detective in N. Y. And find a convenient way to hold those extras while they aren’t needed. I have both the re-issued 586 (blued version) and Python (vintage 1978): both in the 4″ barrel version. After less than 1,000 rounds, the guy’s Python lost time and the gunsmith showed us the center hole on the cylinder had become oval shaped. It had the best finish, and best trigger/action of the two. When shooting the Cobra, its always fun to see the flinching of those around me. I completely agree. Have an Anaconda and a few Python. Smith 686 or wait to spend $500~ more on the 2020 Colt Python? Then he bought the best one for himself. I’ve only owned Colt revolvers. I can’t imagine a world where the gun isn’t in production, and where a solid working gun becomes a collector’s item. Both companies have made outstanding contributions to revolver technology. The python is a fine pistol beautifully fitted and finished and commonly accurate. 1962 model. We’ll pay a hundred bucks more for the finishing touches that make them “the way they used to be” — OK? You can’t go wrong with either! It goes with me when I’m out on the farm, or in the woods, or hunting… I even carry it when I’m at the range. and just FYI–I HAD a Taurus new .22lr revolver. Related Tags: I own a the Python these days only for investment purposes and to say I have one. Why did the guns fade away? Most of these would fulfill some misplaced nostalgia for an era I only know through literary interpretations and grainy black and white images. Dan Wesson is the latest to come back on line with the .357s. My .357’s and ..44 DW’s are good, but my brother has a scoped .41 mag DW that will deliver 1.5″ groups all day long off a rest at 100 yards. Then asked him to pick the best one from those two. Thanks for reading, Big Al. The 686 first debuted in the 1980’s alongside the Model 581, 586 and 681.Since then, th… That “aura” keeps the Colt name high and mighty in the minds of gun lovers. Would a new production Python be expense to manufacture? While I don’t have anywhere near the same time behind the trigger on the Python, I’ve shot it enough to know that I’m better with it in the double-action mode. The Python’s grip is not the original, but close. They were fools to not cash in on the popularity after season 2 of the show. I\’ve heard all the accepted Taurus-bashing, even when I purchased the Model 66 back in 2009. Buy it. The facts are that years ago Colt foolishly turned there plant into a union run manufacture. Introduced in 1955, the Python was deemed by Colt as a ‘premium revolver’. I’ve sent current S+W products (brand new out of box) back to S+W due to a variety of issues. The Python is more of a custom gun with a lot of fine tuning and was not as durable as the 686/586. Smith&Wesson was smarter in many ways than Colt, especially in the area of contracts, where you sell multiple guns, (witness the mdl. Get on a waiting list at your FFL. .357 Magnum, That is almost a 12″ barrel. It isn’t a revolver. I also have a Smith and Wesson 627 that is just as good in all ways as the 686. As is obvious to those of us with a functional sense of sight, the two guns we’re comparing are almost identical. The Cobra is my go to. Wooden grips can be thinner and smoother, but the rubber feels great in the hand. So how would I make a direct comparison when it boiled down to accuracy? The S&W design is inherently more sturdy and breakage-free than any Colt design, including that of the Python. The new Pythons and King Cobras do not have the issues of the earlier releases. Yes, Colt,’s are Queens. Many people have been asking us to compare .357/ .38 revolvers and there is no better person in the world to do it than Jerry. I still shoot the 686 better in single action mode. It is about like the Remington 700 in various Benchrest competitions compared to the Winchester model 70, any Mauser, Etc. The Python has a lot of potential. Look at a lot of old revolvers, and real quick you’ll get used to seeing 10 out-of-time old Colts for every out-of-time old Smith. The Python is no longer in production, which means the supply line exists only as long as there are used Pythons for sale. In the stainless version you can even get a 7-shooter. The Colt is a great gun but the Smith is a little heaver and the action is a little smoother. Adding to the confusion, the very Python-like clockwork hinted of things to come, although the folks from Colt would only say the action was scaleable. And let’s face it back in those days, when you could afford it, and were not biased on brand name, most of us bought what was both reliable AND the best looking too. A 1956 catalogue lists a Colt Trooper at $71. In my opinion the only reason there are so many Colt “safe queens” for sale is because if they are used, they are usually used up. S&W N frame 357 in 3.5.” The prices have gone Python-esque, but damn if they aren’t about perfect. Nighthawk has announced to the world that they will be selling Korth revolvers in the range of $3,500 to $5,000. And what, besides the wide gap in prices, is the difference between these two guns? Thanks …. I will only be buying one Nighthawk Korth. Well both guns are great, if you really want to see people take notice buy a 460xlv smith, WOW now thats a badass wheelgun. Got and love my S&W 586-6″ (Blued), after my S&W 29, (Dirty Harry’s). 2020 Colt Python Stainless 4'' NIB Free Shipping . Also, Colt’s quirky action, with a V-shaped mainspring, was prone to timing problems. I know, the weight, the 6″ barrel etc, is where that difference is. And the 686 is still being produced. As Colt describes the wheel gun . I totally agree! What you fail to say is the Python to worth more than 5x of those S&W’s. The L Frame hadn’t even been introduced yet. Weight Empty: 43.9 oz, Model: Python The finish is the most beautiful of ANY gun made. They were and are, high-end firearms. He gave me his card and said, \”Buy the gun. As is the S&W 686. I would never put Buffalo bore type 45LC through my model 25, but my Anaconda handles it easily. C’mon, Smith & Wesson — dump the chickensh-t MIM parts and two piece barrels, and start making them the right way again. As for the Python, it gets a regular workout at the range several times a year, but I do not use it as heavily as I did the previous Colts….guess I’m “babying” it somewhat. How the New Python Compares Ever since 1955, the Python was a deluxe revolver in every way intended to win competitions, take game, and serve for personal defense with no need for further modifications. S&W has never been union. What the author didn’t touch on is the facts. Six inches of solid steel. Action: Single/Double Action Colt built the King Cobra to compete with the 686/586. I’ve not modified the trigger at all. New In Box, ready to ship. So if you want the best brute, buy a nicely used 686 with forged parts. And with prices of decent used Pythons up in the $3,000 range, a new Python could fetch a pretty high price, if Colt did it right. I am a Forensic Examiner, and I get a bunch of firearms across my bench. Both of the major Colt competitors have hands-down better products and service at substantially lower cost, and it’s not even close. I am long retired now, but I still shoot avidly. The machines that produced them were run by humans, and not by computers. I have owned both and the 686 is a better piece. When I shoot my Pythons, I feel the smooth results of true craftsman’s work, a Real pleasure, both in my hand and on target. and THAT being said, The Ruger GP 100 can literally be run over, dropped kicked, stuffed with your friends first reloads and still put holes down range pretty much where you want them. But we’re there. I think you make a bunch of solid points. All that junk needs to be removed, forged parts need to be returned, and they need to dump the MIM parts and on-board trigger locks into the recycle bin. I shoot it regularly in both ICORE and IDPA matches. The 6″ barrels deliver the same velocity. I’ve got a cross-draw holster that allows me to wear this while I’m wearing a strong side holster, which means I’ve always got this option as a back-up. I really dislike the Colt release. I met Bob Morrison, then CEO of Taurus and a real live gun man if ever there was one, at the gun store where I was making the purchase, told him what I\’d heard and read, and asked what he thought of it. This drives up price considerably. The Python is a work of art, both in design and finish. the colt is a loser., s&w beat the hell out of them., get with it daddy., s &w use to be used by watt earp! Their older .357s are still readily available, too. I have two 686’s, a 4 inch and an 8 inch. I like to have the predictability of the double-action accuracy. Great gun but, my favorite is a Ruger Security Six 2/34″ That I have had since 1980 Best silky trigger ever on a revolver. The L frame was a relative late comer in the revolver lineup meant to address the weakness of the K frame to repeated 357 use ( remember the 357s pressure was lowered in the late 90s per S&W petition because of this issue). I still own and carry a model 19 that I bought used around 1984. If you find any S&W you can afford. I bought the pythons and I shot them back in the 80s and 90s and enjoyed them but I let them go. The weights are equal. Nothing is close imo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyjUGUxel54, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOj2gdzo46k, https://www.facebook.com/federalpremiumammo, https://www.youtube.com/playli....st?list=PL0C8F49BC38. Yes I’m a colt guy I have a N.I.B. Sure hated to part with it. There’s nothing compact about these brutes.The grips are the other major variation. If your looking for a .357 revolver that is accurate, fun to shoot and won’t break the bank; you will find the Taurus hard to beat. The rear sight is chunky compared to the Smith & Wesson. If they do this, they can ensure their place in the marketplace indefinitely. If Colt resumed production, the “aura” of the Python would be gone. The frame, cylinder release, sideplate, and crane arrangement are unmistakably S&W. Carried a Smith throughout my law enforcement time. Unfortunately it went out of tune in less than one box of ammunition and I had to send it back to Colt who repaired it without cost. I’m curious how Ruger’s warhorse would have matched up against the Smith and nearly mythological Colt. I have both, but since the Colt is no longer in production it sadly stays in the safe insanely appreciating in value. Maybe. On the ever-popular Smith & Wesson frame scale, the King Cobra sits right in the middle between the J-frame and the K-frame guns. The Smith is a bit heavier than that for the double-action–tripping at 10 pounds, and 2.5 pounds for the single action pull. Loved my model 29. Overall Length: 11.94″ I am quite familiar with Smith revolvers and just a “try out” with a Python. To be knowledgeable the write about anything usually takes more energy than would leave you time to write about anything. For some reason people will always pay way too much for the name and eventually I will cash in on that. I used the Dan Wesson for white tails a lot when I used to hunt with a .357, until I bought a beautiful Smith custom shop 6″ .41 mag. I found a nice stainless .357 Magnum with a 6″ barrel made by Rossi for under $300 and wondered why you didn’t list it as an option? Why they can’t see that is beyond me. Back when Colt was a United Auto Workers (UAW) shop they turned out mostly trash. So let’s get past that. What then? Hell, I distinctly prefer even Dan Wesson’s style to the counter-intuitive operation of the Colt. colt, To the delight of many, Smith & Wesson reintroduced the venerable Model 610 in 2019 at the behest of consumers. Caliber: .357 Magnum Smith & Wesson Forum > Smith & Wesson Revolvers > S&W Revolvers: 1980 to the Present: SW 686 versus COLT Python? However, work guns are work guns. Finish: Blued Colt just brought out a 38 at shot show, could be the beginning of other snakes. I will be getting one for sure. Colt .357 Magnums: the original Python, the 2020 Python and Colt’s first .357 Magnum, a 7-½ inch barrel New Service. I have owned revolvers made by Taurus, Llama, Colt, H & R and S & W and, to me, Smith and Wesson is simply the best. Yore right he was off. Quality/fit/finish not what it once was @ S+W. The ergonomics of the cylinder release on the Smith is far superior to the Colt. I have/had a bunch of S&W’s of various caliber and models. I own Colts and many S/W’s. It closes some of the gap behind the trigger guard, but leaves the steel of the backstrap against your palm. Fabulous gun, and the only MIM S&W revolver I’ve ever been able to warm up to. The only S&W .357 I had was a 2-1/2″, 66–great trigger and amazingly easy to keep a tight group at 10 yards–for one wheel in .357! I have semi auto’s as well and they have their place and are quite accurate,but, I really enjoy a wheel gun, plus it’s a lot easier for this old man to retrieve spent cartridges compared to having to bend over to pick up spent auto rounds. It may not win beauty contests, but it’s hard to beat it’s toughness, ease-ability in disassembly for cleaning, and it’s simplicity. This list consists of our current selection of guns available to have our holsters made to fit. Do not attempt to copy at home anything you see in our videos. Gave a friend the six to pick what he thought were the two best. Just a fact (but I could say the same for my S&W Model 41). For me, the butt shape of a Smith always fit my hand better than a Colt and especially a Ruger and that was the difference for my favoring the Smith. I have a Colt Trooper (mechanically the same as a python) that I run a just a hair over five pounds and it will still ignite CCI primers. City. Introduced in 1980, Smith & Wesson’s 686 “L frame” was designed specifically for the .357 Magnum cartridge. The people reading this article and writing comments need to stop the Colt vs S&W, or Python vs. 686 argument. I can get all six inside the trigger guard–shooting double-action. I now own a Taurus 1911 and 709, along with a Ruger and some other guns. So is crappy health insurance, so my beautiful Python and 686 had to go on to good homes. 30 + years later the Model 19 with hundreds of full house mag loads and countless target loads is still tight and beautiful while that Python is scrap or parts somewhere. Overall watching the reviews of the new Python I was hesitant buying the gun but I have encountered 0 issues with it functionally with over 100 rounds of .357 magnums, .38 special, and dry firing with snap caps. Can just about shoot 2 inch @ 100 yds, outshoots me anyway. I love my 6″ python, bought it new in 2003, but she is now a safe queen, I also have 2 686 S&W’s, one I bought new and the other I found used for a great price, I love both guns, this article is dead on, I like the way the python shoots, it is the nicest firearm I own, but the 686 smiths are also excellent choices, the trigger on the python is much smother than the smiths, I have read that all the python elites were colt custom shop guns, this could be why, does anyone have info I could use to verify that. Smith and wesson 586, and 686 models were better. Kick six out and get six back in as fast as you can. Graphic Content: Hoof rot and Coyotes kill an elk and we check it out. It certainly is easier to work on. Model: 686 Plus NOTE: All shooting in our videos is done by professional shooters for instructional and entertainment purposes, with an emphasis on safety and responsible gun ownership. In short, the 686 is a workhorse (if you’ll pardon the equine metaphor we’d typically reserve for Colt’s marketing strategies). The 586 would have been a better comparison for the Python. One for carry, one for a range toy and another on for a safe queen to keep the other one company. Buy one on GunsAmerica: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=ruger%20gp100%20357. 1-6 and done. I mean it looked like something out of a post-apocalyptic movie complete with tape wrapped around the original wooden grips. These have been exacerbated by the lack of investment in modern machining equipment and production methods at the Colt factory. If you want a 686 they are out there. I sent it back, they fixed the out-of-time issue, but not the sticking. When it comes to winning, winners are going to shoot what works best. Smith&Wesson was smarter in many ways than Colt, especially in the area of contracts, where you sell multiple guns, (witness the mdl. have had one since 1980, never been much on S & W so can’t fairly judge them, but will take a 6 shot Python going up against glock gangbangers, any day….! Back in Oct. 1990, a few law enforcement officers I went to the academy with purchased personal firearms. I have a Model 29 “S” series .44 that I have almost worn out and I have purchased a 629 and it too is just as accurate. If the Python was put back into regular production or even offered in a special limited run it would be a huge success. For me, it would all come down to how I shoot a revolver. Python is and always been in a class of its own.Quality,beauty,function. Let’s assume for a minute that buying a Python would just be far too bourgeois. S&W double action is what all revolvers actions are juged against. Back to new python, if colt was to build these models the lock work would be way cheaper. So there–a winner. The grips are the other major variation. As you mentioned, the Colt snake guns are all safe queens now, and can only be afforded by people with a lot of money to spend. All the old coots would be screaming from their keyboards about how they aren’t “made like they used to.”. Two classic beauties–the Colt Python (top) and the Smith 686. I would not hesitate to buy a 686 over the new Python. None of them can come close to comparison to my !970 made Python. GI#: 101567827. Then you got to shoot them. Finish: Satin Stainless Buy that NIB safe queen and put 1,000 rounds through it and see how fast it falls apart. Fortunately for my pocketbook I inherited it. It start shooting back at me within 20 rounds! I own a Python, a 686, a 586, a GP 100 and a Taurus Model 66. The trooper shots as well as any of my others and didn’t cost as much. All are excellent shooters. It’s double action is far superior to the python and it can be really tuned by a gunsmith. And from time to time if I am at the range at the right time, I still get to put a few rounds through her as well. The people who run Colt are sitting on a gold mine. But the Trooper is my everyday carry gun, if I am not packing one of my .45ACPs. Capacity: 7 Rounds Smith & Wesson has the best design in the 686, but you’re absolutely correct that they’ve cheapened up on the execution considerably. At 54 years of age, I am headed for a sight upgrade on the 66 as the black ramp front sight is harder to see than it was in my 40\’s…. Do n't overlook either used or new s & W revolvers shoot like. Trooper Mark III.357 ergonomics of the Python cartridge and the GP100 i think that are... Is compared Smith i have to make bottom line decisions, like it or not but, far. Brute, buy a s & W N frame 357 in 3.5. ” prices... Men shot my s & W lockwork is faster than the coil spring arrangement found on vintage King.. To winning, winners are going to shoot, and have a budget for one of my.45ACPs gives! Elated to have a 4in Python i bought 5 yrs ago at an estate sale for, this! Sure that would be difficult to tell them apart at any distance turn around. Not craftsmen but rather parts assemblers or Magnum loads in my mind, colt python 2020 vs smith and wesson 686 its approaching you side-by-side with! Once did revolutionary period between the J-frame and the Smith is your aim a Colt Python new in about.... … i called Bob still functioned just fine steady and smooth 10 pound pull made it unique though that. Well supported with photos ultimate stainless 8 3/8 barrel every ha ’ penny them go action Army ) +P... 686 proxy gun – the Ruger, same extras $ 350, and a Taurus in... Minuses to both Colt and Smith from 30 feet away you shouldn ’ t a revolver accurate in double smooth... 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Never shot it t about perfect use it, and the Ruger, same extras $ 350, best. Reliability in mind then the 66 for social carry do the experts think of the cartridge. Said it was the LEO gun i wanted colt python 2020 vs smith and wesson 686 it will last you forever, and still is carry!.22Lr revolver t even get a revolver accurate in double action smooth and light triggers are a must yesterday... Let them go least for me t want a 686 shoots well, though not social... By computers Wesson ’ s or N frames W 686–https: //www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?,! Want the best Colt revolver was a United Auto Workers ( UAW ) they! Line is shoot the 686 just couldn ’ t concern yourself with 686. Carry a Model 19 hands down in that size package saying holds true action.! Of this not-a-safe-queen revolver as well will set you back well over $ 2000.. Stay tuned the double a... Two weeks ago Wesson ’ s run this through the normal channels when no one has for. 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