Joined
·
3,057 Posts
The Colt 357 is the finest production handgun ever manufactured by Colt, and perhaps the finest production revolver ever manufactured in the world at any time by anybody. (No flaming, please, following this bold statement! It is just my personal opinion.)
The Colt 357, with a 4 inch barrel and the full checkered stocks with silver Colt medallions has become my favorite handgun. [Of course, all of my guns were lost in that terrible boating accident.] It is the most attractive, accurate, and well balanced of any handgun that I have ever handled. Colt's attention to details when constructing this gun is quite impressive. The bluing is magnificent, the weight and balance about perfect for a target revolver, the trigger pull is superb and the accuracy of the handgun far exceeds my abilities with it. The stocks are gorgeous, beautifully checkered and fitted to the revolver, fit my hands perfectly, allow excellent purchase on the handgun, and are arguably the finest production stocks ever manufactured. A Colt 357 is a bit too heavy for me to want to carry it for civilian self defense, and Crimson Trace does not manufacture a Lasergrip to fit the Colt 357. I see no reason why a LEO would not be proud to carry a Colt 357, and a few speed loaders, while feeling adequately well armed.
The Colt 357 is starting to be known as the Pre-Python. Maybe we should instead call the Python the successor to the Colt 357. Obviously, the famous, iconic, much-beloved and significantly overpriced (IMHO) Colt Python is also a magnificent revolver, considered the flagship of Colt's double action line. I am boycotting Pythons, as they are way overpriced and not as fine as Colt 357s. IMHO, the Colt 357 has every bit as great, or better, trigger pull, fit and finish, balance and accuracy as a fine example of the Python revolvers. I prefer the Colt 357 to the Python. I do not like the look or the additional unnecessary weight of the Python's rib on top of the barrel, or the Python's shrouded ejector housing under the barrel, and I do not like the over polished, melted look of some Pythons. The Colt 357 omits those heavy steel design elements, elements that do not contribute to better handgun performance, nor was the Colt 357 over polished to the extent that it looks refinished, even in its original condition.
I shoot the Colt 357 almost exclusively in double action, although I have shot it in single action as well. I shoot the Colt 357 in double action as accurately as I do in single action, out to about 50 feet. At 70 feet, the longest shot one can take at the range near my home, I shoot slightly better in single action than in double action. I need to keep practicing my double action shooting. Obviously, the targets shown depict some of my better shooting results; my lousy targets are discretely discarded at the range.
For many years, the Colt 357 has been underappreciated by Colt aficionados and, consequently, it has been underpriced. Now, many Colt enthusiasts are learning what a great gun this is, and as a consequence, prices of Colt 357s are rising rapidly. It would not surprise me if these guns eventually cost more than Colt Pythons, because Colt 357s are better guns than Colt Pythons, far fewer Colt 357s were manufactured than Colt Pythons, and because most Colt 357s are older than most Colt Pythons. LNIB Colt 357s, with box, papers, and Colt screwdriver, have recently been selling for as much as about $3,500. A high condition set of Colt full checkered stocks recently sold for $780 - just for the stocks! Soon, we will consider those high prices to be bargains!
I predict that the Colt Trooper 357 (NOT the Colt Trooper MK III in .357 magnum - that is a quite different gun) will soon be treasured equally as much as the Colt 357. That trend has already started. The Colt Trooper 357 is pretty much the same gun as the Colt 357, other than the roll marks on the barrel and the type of stocks used on the Colt Trooper 357.
I know we have had some recent threads about the Colt 357, but this thread has targets in addition to handguns.
Let's see those Colt 357s and Colt Trooper 357s!
Show off your shooting skills, and show us your targets, shot double action with Colt 357s and Colt Trooper 357s!
![Gun Revolver Firearm Trigger Starting pistol]()
![Gun Firearm Revolver Trigger Starting pistol]()
![Gun Firearm Revolver Trigger Airsoft gun]()
The Colt 357, with a 4 inch barrel and the full checkered stocks with silver Colt medallions has become my favorite handgun. [Of course, all of my guns were lost in that terrible boating accident.] It is the most attractive, accurate, and well balanced of any handgun that I have ever handled. Colt's attention to details when constructing this gun is quite impressive. The bluing is magnificent, the weight and balance about perfect for a target revolver, the trigger pull is superb and the accuracy of the handgun far exceeds my abilities with it. The stocks are gorgeous, beautifully checkered and fitted to the revolver, fit my hands perfectly, allow excellent purchase on the handgun, and are arguably the finest production stocks ever manufactured. A Colt 357 is a bit too heavy for me to want to carry it for civilian self defense, and Crimson Trace does not manufacture a Lasergrip to fit the Colt 357. I see no reason why a LEO would not be proud to carry a Colt 357, and a few speed loaders, while feeling adequately well armed.
The Colt 357 is starting to be known as the Pre-Python. Maybe we should instead call the Python the successor to the Colt 357. Obviously, the famous, iconic, much-beloved and significantly overpriced (IMHO) Colt Python is also a magnificent revolver, considered the flagship of Colt's double action line. I am boycotting Pythons, as they are way overpriced and not as fine as Colt 357s. IMHO, the Colt 357 has every bit as great, or better, trigger pull, fit and finish, balance and accuracy as a fine example of the Python revolvers. I prefer the Colt 357 to the Python. I do not like the look or the additional unnecessary weight of the Python's rib on top of the barrel, or the Python's shrouded ejector housing under the barrel, and I do not like the over polished, melted look of some Pythons. The Colt 357 omits those heavy steel design elements, elements that do not contribute to better handgun performance, nor was the Colt 357 over polished to the extent that it looks refinished, even in its original condition.
I shoot the Colt 357 almost exclusively in double action, although I have shot it in single action as well. I shoot the Colt 357 in double action as accurately as I do in single action, out to about 50 feet. At 70 feet, the longest shot one can take at the range near my home, I shoot slightly better in single action than in double action. I need to keep practicing my double action shooting. Obviously, the targets shown depict some of my better shooting results; my lousy targets are discretely discarded at the range.
For many years, the Colt 357 has been underappreciated by Colt aficionados and, consequently, it has been underpriced. Now, many Colt enthusiasts are learning what a great gun this is, and as a consequence, prices of Colt 357s are rising rapidly. It would not surprise me if these guns eventually cost more than Colt Pythons, because Colt 357s are better guns than Colt Pythons, far fewer Colt 357s were manufactured than Colt Pythons, and because most Colt 357s are older than most Colt Pythons. LNIB Colt 357s, with box, papers, and Colt screwdriver, have recently been selling for as much as about $3,500. A high condition set of Colt full checkered stocks recently sold for $780 - just for the stocks! Soon, we will consider those high prices to be bargains!
I predict that the Colt Trooper 357 (NOT the Colt Trooper MK III in .357 magnum - that is a quite different gun) will soon be treasured equally as much as the Colt 357. That trend has already started. The Colt Trooper 357 is pretty much the same gun as the Colt 357, other than the roll marks on the barrel and the type of stocks used on the Colt Trooper 357.
I know we have had some recent threads about the Colt 357, but this thread has targets in addition to handguns.
Let's see those Colt 357s and Colt Trooper 357s!
Show off your shooting skills, and show us your targets, shot double action with Colt 357s and Colt Trooper 357s!
