Confessions of a SHOT Show Newbie
Coldhearted Snake
No, this not an examination of Paula Abdul’s musical catalogue. This is a
review of Colt’s re-issue of the iconic Python from a non-revolver shooter
point of view, to be precise. I’ve never been a fan of revolvers for some
reason despite the revolver’s archetypal position in the fabric of American
culture. The Wild West, Bogart’s black and white tough guy, and gritty Dirty
Harry didn’t resonate with me. Not until Lena Olin in Romeo is Bleeding did
revolvers even break through the teenage know-it-all I was. It wouldn’t be
for another Two decades that I would shoot a revolver.
Fast forward to October 2018 at She Never Quit where the sensational
Sheila Hoekstra taught me the basics of revolvers. The simplicity of a
revolver is its elegance. Double and single action, slow is smooth, smooth
is fast or so I was instructed. I won’t bore you with my greenhorn
nonperformance. In December 2019 my husband mentioned, as I was
agonizing over my pack list for SHOT and the menu for Christmas dinner
simultaneously, Colt was going to reissue the Python. And was I possibly
going to try it out. I mumbled something in the affirmative.

Fast forward to industry day, January 20, 2020, at 10:56 a.m., to be
precise, and there I stood at the Colt booth. The stainless steel shimmered
in the watery winter sun. I ran 18 rounds out of the 4.25-inch barrel. With
expert coaching from the Colt team, its reputation for high quality and acute
accuracy is apparent from start to finish. Don’t be fooled by the Python’s
sleekness which belies the stability of each round fired. The fluid trigger
pull in both double and single action, the ring of the hammer striking home
never deviates from its exemplary reputation. No jams; no misfires; no
nonsense. The pistol itself looks like a handful, but it isn’t. With all six .357
rounds, the overall comfort in my hands felt balanced. The walnut grips are
ergonomically easy to clasp and just plain beautiful to see.

As one who never had the privilege of shooting the original version of the
Colt Python, I understood the enthusiasm surrounding its reissue. The
simplicity of the Colt Python is the excitement. Slow is smooth and smooth
is fast. The pistol is evocative of another time. I could picture myself
sporting white Sassoon’s tossing my bag in the back of a Coupe de Ville.
Have I turned into a wheel gun type? Only time will tell, but to firearm
enthusiasts this piece of history is a welcomed repeat.