# The finest revolver ever produced...



## Mdnitedrftr

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










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


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## dondavis3

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

:smt1099


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## GySgt1811

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


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## Mdnitedrftr

GySgt1811 said:


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


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


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## Mdnitedrftr

:mrgreen:


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## spongebobmac

wow, what a hottie:smt023


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## ampgoesto11

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


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## 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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## James NM

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


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## ZENFLY

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


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## Pate

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


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## righttoown

Nice find hope you enjoy it.


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## dosborn

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.


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## Waldo Pepper

The "Greatest" is the Dan Wesson revolvers.









Model 15 357 Magnum with 4" barrel installed and with VH6" barrel.









Model 744 44 Magnum with VH8 barrel. Better & stronger built then any S&W or Ruger 44 magnum.









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.










Model 722 22 LR/WMR with VH8 barrel installed.


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## GURU1911

*King of da revolvers*

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 !!!!!!


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## Waldo Pepper

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)


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## GURU1911

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


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## Waldo Pepper

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.


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## PAWPAUL

xXxplosive said:


> 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.


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


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## Waldo Pepper

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


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## Waldo Pepper

Double posted, sorry.


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## PAWPAUL

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


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## berettabone

Colt Diamondback.......


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## Waldo Pepper

PAWPAUL said:


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


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


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## PAWPAUL

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


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## VAMarine

The finest revolver ever produced...


*Korth*


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## Waldo Pepper

Dan Wesson 5" Custom RZ10 Bobtail 10mm & 744 2.5" 44 magnum.


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## Bob Wright

Well, if I may add my two cent's worth, I'm of the opinion that the S&W Model 586 is probably the best DA .357 Magnum to come out yet. It will handle my handloads that neither the Python nor the Model 27 will handle due to their rather short cylinders. Both of those revolvers let my bullets poke their noses out the front.

In DA use, I prefer the S&W trigger over any Colt or Dan Weaaon. And, the case hardened action of my 586 has stayed the same over the years. Both my Python and other Colt DA revolvers have had wear on the trigger sear that altered SA trigger pull. I had to replace the trigger on my Python and New Service after about 6,000 rounds. Once the trigger gets this much wear, lock-up becomes iffy. My New Service got to the point I had to finish rotating the cylinder by hand to get it to lock.

But for me, the finest smallbore revolver would be a Colt New Frontier in .357 Magnum.

Bob Wright

P.S. The Python descended from the Colt Officers Model Match, another rather fne target revolver. Like this:


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## Waldo Pepper

Having started out on S&W and Colt in the mid '60's and have owned shot all above mentioned I find the stronger built DW more accurate, better triggers out the box, a will shoot with no problem what would self destruct a S&W for sure. I load the 357 mostly at rifle spec's, and have the 8" scoped barrel assembly that I put on the gun on the right and shoot with my Marlin 94C and it has a 2-7x33 Redfield vs the M8 2X on the Dan. Oh, the gun on the left is a 22 LR that I do 1" to 1.5" group at 25 yards depending on weather, ammo, arthritis and eyes when at the range.










My favorite set of S&W Auto's are the 2206 and 22A above the Ruger's, I still have 4.5" Ruger Standard I got in '59 and a twin in Mk-II that I bought to save wear and tear on the old gun. I guess the grandkids will get them all, if we stop the Progressives in grovernment.










2206










But my favorite 22 auto plinker is my Colt 22 Auto aka Cadet.


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## Bob Wright

Waldo Pepper said:


> Having started out on S&W and Colt in the mid '60's and have owned shot all above mentioned I find the stronger built DW more accurate, better triggers out the box, a will shoot with no problem what would self destruct a S&W for sure.
> 
> I'll disagree with you on that. The L-Framed S&W is as rugged as they come. I've never owned a Dan Wesson, but have shot many rounds with them by virtue of the fact that both of my sons-in-law have owned them.
> 
> One unique problem we did encounter with the DW is having the barrel shroud freeze to the barrel, necessitating sawing off both shroud and barrel. But both of them did have more barrels to crack than I did with my S&W. Any gun is going to have problems in time, especially the magnums. But I don't buy the statement that one is so much more ruggedly built than the other.
> 
> Bob Wright


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## Waldo Pepper

Bob Wright said:


> I'll disagree with you on that. The L-Framed S&W is as rugged as they come. I've never owned a Dan Wesson, but have shot many rounds with them by virtue of the fact that both of my sons-in-law have owned them.
> 
> One unique problem we did encounter with the DW is having the barrel shroud freeze to the barrel, necessitating sawing off both shroud and barrel. But both of them did have more barrels to crack than I did with my S&W. Any gun is going to have problems in time, especially the magnums. But I don't buy the statement that one is so much more ruggedly built than the other.
> 
> Bob Wright


These two statemates we often see from newbee's, amature's or people that don't know about proper care of guns on the DW forum. Failure to proper lube the threads, cross threading, or over torque on barrel nut is only cause of barrel nut to "freeze" in place.

As for the "great L frame" it actually measures out smaller in all area's then the DW which uses same steel as S&W. This was all hashed over the measured when some guys on the S&W forum got in tussel over who had stronger gun, the Ruger or Smith and then they were put down by a guy from DW forum (I was a member there also) was a machinest and owned all guns in question and listed the measurements for L & N frame, the M-15 and M-44 DW, along with the Rugers and the small frame (357) DW had beat out N-frame exept for barrel thickness and width of top strap. The DW 357 cylinder had more metal (thicker cylinder walls) then the S&W 29/629, there has never be a documated case of a cylinder or top strap blown out, S&W and Ruger can't make that claim. I shoot heavier (300 gr very hot SD loads) then I would ever attempted in my 3" 629 that I recently sold. Notice the size of the DW 744 (44 mag) next to full sized 5" 1911 RZ10, the 744 carry load is a 300gr JHP running about 1600fps. The recoil kick ain't bad, but muzzle blast from that 2.5" barrel is kind of heavy. The 744 is by bedroom gun by the way, used to be my car gun but I decided the Colt DE was a better choice just in case a grandson found it between the grip safety and thumb safety.


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