I did and it's fine. I would have been gravely disappointed had it not. Mistakes happen, but quality control is supposed to keep them from getting out the door.
2020 3 inch python off center bores
I was going to buy a new 3 inch python and have examined two at two different gun stores. in Both examples the bore was significantly off center when viewed as the gun is pointing at you! My 4 and 6 inch are fine. Anybody else notice this on their gun Or one they examined. What the hell is going on?
dogdoc
dogdoc
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He’s rightGood god, I can’t do any better than a picture. The gun store clerks were amazed when I pointed it out. I give up but I damn sure would look at end of the barrel before purchase. The concept that I would make this up is ridiculous and photoshop the picture somehow to mislead is unbelievable. Do members on this forum routinely attack the messenger with implied dishonesty ? I simply ask if anyone had seen it. Trying to be helpful for other potential buyers. These are massed produced and it does not surprise me too much. I will continue my search for one with a well centered bore.
Here for the nay sayers. Not good enough for me on a 1500 dollar gun. My 2020 4 and 6 inch pythons are concentric
View attachment 842765
My guess would be that the bore was cut concentric... but the crown was not.
A scratch is a long way from an offset barrel.My 3" Python looks fine....no wait, I think I see a scratch on the crown...OH NO! What am I going to do? I guess I'll have to tape over all the bulls-eyes i shot with that gun. That scratch ruins everything.
U
You ever see a truck that "dogwalks" in front of you? Back wheels offset to the left or right of the front wheels? Technically, they get you where you are going and drive well enough that most people won't feel it when they go down the road. Well, dealers will try to tell you that they are within spec and there is nothing they can do for you. I say screw that. No way I'm driving a truck that rolls down the road like that. There are unseen, slow acting repercussions. Things like tires and parts have to absorb the deformity. My guess is there are similar impacts on a gun like this one. In building, concentricity means more than how something looks. Things that are level, plumb and true resist the world's forces to a much higher degree, and will remain standing or in action for much longer. This is likely not just a visual disappointment.Colt manufactures these differently than decades ago. The bore axis isn't a concern, nor is the crush fit barrel gap. It's not a hand made gun anymore, it's hands-off. Will the gun fire right? Yes. Does Colt QA get out calipers and make sure the bore is exact dead center? No, why would they? It's not a specification for THEM.
Reminds me of my new Ford Bronco which I love. Many critiques on forums because sometimes the inner hinges are painted lightly. "I would take it back on a $45,000 vehicle!" comments. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people are out enjoying their Colts and Broncos that aren't so particular.
With these off-center barrels showing up more or less at the same time I would think maybe a batch of bad barrels was mistakenly installed (not a first for Colt) rather than scrapped...or even worse...someone intentionally had them installed so as not to interrupt the production line. It might be interesting to see whether the guns involved were within the same serial number range rather than scattered.
One is a mistake...the other deliberate. I could well be way off base...but someone had to pass these in the inspection process.
One is a mistake...the other deliberate. I could well be way off base...but someone had to pass these in the inspection process.
I just checked in on this thread after a blissful period of ignoring it. I've shown many links that explain this is a common, almost expected situation. Briefly, NO bores are perfectly aligned in a gun barrel. Depending on where it is "cut off" or how it is machined AFTER boring, determines where the bore is centered at the muzzle.
If people want to keep wringing their hands and saying words like "bad barrel" "poor quality" and hilariously "I'd make Colt FIX it..." (um...how? But filing down the outside? Or by replacing a barrel that is in spec because of a cosmetic concern?) they can keep worrying about it. Or what I feel is more likely, anti-colt "influencers" that join this forum just to whip up posts like this by piling on with "yeah...I'd never buy one". Most of the time people under 10 posts.
If people want to keep wringing their hands and saying words like "bad barrel" "poor quality" and hilariously "I'd make Colt FIX it..." (um...how? But filing down the outside? Or by replacing a barrel that is in spec because of a cosmetic concern?) they can keep worrying about it. Or what I feel is more likely, anti-colt "influencers" that join this forum just to whip up posts like this by piling on with "yeah...I'd never buy one". Most of the time people under 10 posts.
Gentlemen (and any ladies), my 2¢: Sorry for the length, I'm bored.
First: I worked at an LGS (for fun) back when Remmy went south (double entendre intended). We all know the story; in a nutshell, they left all (or most) of their gunsmiths in Ilion and hired local folks with little or no machinist training because they a) wanted to save $ and b) they didn't need machinists because they had stocked their new factory with whiz-bang CNC machines. Clamp in some stock, press a button and bingo (theoretically). Well, shortly after their move, we got a shipment of Remmy rifles and several had the CHAMBERS cut so badly off center, not only was it visible to the naked and untrained eye, but rounds could NOT be chambered, singly or from the mag. Obviously QC was not involved, nor was testing. So sometimes modern manufacturing techniques are a boon, sometimes they are a curse, and it still takes dedicated and knowledgable folks to produce quality products.
Second: a slightly off-center bore in a hunting/work gun is one thing - several posters have mentioned rifles with bores visibly off center that still shot incredibly. But a "FLAGSHIP" model is another thing. They are meant to be the ultimate and in being so, foment desire and project exclusivity, and are priced accordingly. They are also usually an object of pride for the owners. A Corvette with one fender so poorly fitted that the uneven or large gaps were visible from 20' would and should be unacceptable (to an owner AND Chevy brass), even if performance was unaffected. So, I can see how a buyer of a NEW Python could be incensed at an off-center bore, and I would think Colt should be, too.
ME? I'm a shooter. I would never buy a new Python because I'm just going to drag it through the woods in all kinds of weather and shoot it a lot and basically uglify it. I have pre-owned .357s that fit the bill at half or 1/4 of the price of a new Python.
But I have no problem with anyone who buys a flagship anything at a high price and demands perfection. Because that's what a flagship model should be: the BEST a manufacturer can make.
(Of course, I would only be able to listen to them complain for about 10 minutes before I said, "Just send it back.")
First: I worked at an LGS (for fun) back when Remmy went south (double entendre intended). We all know the story; in a nutshell, they left all (or most) of their gunsmiths in Ilion and hired local folks with little or no machinist training because they a) wanted to save $ and b) they didn't need machinists because they had stocked their new factory with whiz-bang CNC machines. Clamp in some stock, press a button and bingo (theoretically). Well, shortly after their move, we got a shipment of Remmy rifles and several had the CHAMBERS cut so badly off center, not only was it visible to the naked and untrained eye, but rounds could NOT be chambered, singly or from the mag. Obviously QC was not involved, nor was testing. So sometimes modern manufacturing techniques are a boon, sometimes they are a curse, and it still takes dedicated and knowledgable folks to produce quality products.
Second: a slightly off-center bore in a hunting/work gun is one thing - several posters have mentioned rifles with bores visibly off center that still shot incredibly. But a "FLAGSHIP" model is another thing. They are meant to be the ultimate and in being so, foment desire and project exclusivity, and are priced accordingly. They are also usually an object of pride for the owners. A Corvette with one fender so poorly fitted that the uneven or large gaps were visible from 20' would and should be unacceptable (to an owner AND Chevy brass), even if performance was unaffected. So, I can see how a buyer of a NEW Python could be incensed at an off-center bore, and I would think Colt should be, too.
ME? I'm a shooter. I would never buy a new Python because I'm just going to drag it through the woods in all kinds of weather and shoot it a lot and basically uglify it. I have pre-owned .357s that fit the bill at half or 1/4 of the price of a new Python.
But I have no problem with anyone who buys a flagship anything at a high price and demands perfection. Because that's what a flagship model should be: the BEST a manufacturer can make.
(Of course, I would only be able to listen to them complain for about 10 minutes before I said, "Just send it back.")
That's the first I have heard of this issue. I own all 3 new Python lengths as well a the current 2 Anacondas and a couple of the King Cobra target models. All of the barrels appear to be fine. Exactly what do you mean by "off-center"? Off center to what? The OD of the barrel? The frame? The chamber of the cylinder?There is a pattern of defending issues with the new Python that starts with attacking the messenger. Yes, I would like to see photos, but I also realize it may not have been possible for a variety of reasons. The OP observed this phenomenon and was simply looking for inputs. I am now curious if others who have a new Python 3” noted the bore off center. This also begs the question, if the bore is off center, will Colt see this as an issue and replace the barrel? Or will they take the position it does not effect the functionality.
Looks fine to me. The picture is not centered. Can you measure it with calipers from the ID of the barrel to the OD of the barrel? (Inside the rifling)
I just checked every one of my revolvers spanning 114 years from oldest to newest, colt, s&w, cimarron, and my one Taurus, including a new python, and none of them remotely look like that.
I really don't understand the pushback. Your eyes are keen. It's pretty obvious what your trepidation is. You have me leaning towards a S&W 686 delux. I've been wrestling with it, but I think you made it pretty easy for me.I was going to buy a new 3 inch python and have examined two at two different gun stores. in Both examples the bore was significantly off center when viewed as the gun is pointing at you! My 4 and 6 inch are fine. Anybody else notice this on their gun Or one they examined. What the hell is going on?
dogdoc
Exactly what I was thinking.Looks fine to me. The picture is not centered. Can you measure it with calipers from the ID of the barrel to the OD of the barrel? (Inside the rifling)
Well if you read through the thread (just saw it and read it all), there are more photos from another poster who showed it quite clearly, it is a condition that exists on some.Exactly what I was thinking.
That said, I did just check mine (yes, unloaded it first), and mine is fine. And yes it would have bothered me if it weren't. Even if it is purely cosmetic as some have stated.
I kinda doubt it to be purely cosmetic. The forces involved in a firearm are significant. Things that are out of true don't handle those forces as well. It may never lead to issues, but it certainly could, given enough time and use.Well if you read through the thread (just saw it and read it all), there are more photos from another poster who showed it quite clearly, it is a condition that exists on some.
That said, I did just check mine (yes, unloaded it first), and mine is fine. And yes it would have bothered me if it weren't. Even if it is purely cosmetic as some have stated.
My comments were made before the OP posted his pictures. I couldn't visualize the "defect" he was describing. Since all my new Colts (seven of them) don't have that particular "feature" i felt he must be exaggerating the situation. It may not affect the accuracy or function of the gun, but even i would not be happy with that condition.Wow! A guy asks a question and some people get offended so easily. It's almost funny but I don’t think a proper response is to give the guy he** just for asking a simple question. I have a Pietta pocket Remington with the bore off center. What's the big deal about pointing out a defect like that?
61 - 77 of 77 Posts
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