Colt Cobra

[Fer]

When I was a Kid one of my memories is going target shooting with my dad. I can remember a shiny snub nose revolver, I recall it was a six shot colt revolver with full luged ejector rod and a ramp front sight, gutter type rear sight and the grip where quite bigger than todays j frames, my dad says he boght the revo new about 30 years ago.
I am positive it was a colt Cobra, but just recemtly I was looking for a picture of it and found an ugly snub nose revolver with a exposed ejector rod that looks nothing like my dads revo.
Maybe one of you can post a pick of a colt cobra, and if I am mistaken on the model then what is the model of the revo I described.


Thank you,

FER

 

[jrklaus]

Fer, you may want to rename this thread to emphasize the question. Also, you might want to say approximately what year you're talking about.

I'm no Colt expert, but you may be describing a Colt Trooper? Python? I don't think the Lawman ever had a full-lug barrel, but it might have....

Dfariswheel knows a lot about Colts. If you Private Message him, I bet he'll have your answer right off the bat! Good luck, and let us know what you find out.

 

[Doug.38PR]

Fer,
What you described could very well be a Colt Cobra. The picture you recently saw could be a Cobra too. The picture you saw could have been a pre 1972 gun. Prior to that year I believe, and someone please correct me if I am wrong, Colt Detective Specials, Cobras, and Agents (all the same gun but different weight) had exposed ejector rods and smaller wooden grips. After 1972 they started making them will an ejector rod shroud (or full lug as you called it) up and a ramped sight until 1986 I think when they were discontinued. As for the large grips on your dads, I have a colt detective special with an exposed ejecotor rod but with large grips made in 1966:

I think maybe after the 1950s these guns were given the option of having larger grips such as the one you remember on your dads. And then after 1972 they were made with ejector rod shrouds.

Here is a picture of an agent with an ejector rod shroud but with smaller grips: http://www.collectorsfirearms.com/c2480.htm

What your dads gun probably was a Cobra. Take the grips on my Detective Special and put them on that Agent and make put Cobra on it and it sounds like what you remember your dad's gun to be

 

[gordo b.]

The very last of the Police positives, I believe post 86 or early 90s, had a full length ejector rod shroud that was pretty ugly. The 3/4 length(on a 4" barrel) pre 86 and post 74 model was very nice (I have one) in contrast.

 

[newworldCurmudgeon]

Did it look like this?

was it like this?

 

[newworldCurmudgeon]

doug .38PR

Nice DS, I traded my USP to my Dad for Gandpa's DS, similar to this one

Notice the frame/grips on this one compared to your DS. I had a hard time finding different grips for mine, and went back to the originals, because I shot it better. I believe mine was made in the early 50's but I am not sure, I figure who cares it was Grandpa's

Now for others to correct me.

Wasn't the difference between the DS, agent, and Cobra just the type of metal/alloy used for the frame?

thanks
NWC

 

[Dfariswheel]

It's just a little more complicated than that.

In 1950, Colt introduced two new "D" framed snubby revolvers based on the steel framed Detective Special.
These were the Cobra and Agent, both with aluminum frames.

At this time, the Detective Special and the Cobra had the original full profile grip frame, and the Agent had a short "stubby" frame to reduce weight and size even more.

In the 1960's, in order to simplify production, all "D" framed guns were changed to the stubby grip frame.

From then on, the only difference between the Cobra and the Agent, was the Agent was fitted with shorter grips, while the Detective Special and Cobra had longer grips that overlapped the bottom of the short frame.

 

[Fer]

Doug.38 PR & Neworld curmudgeon,

What my dad owns is a gun like the pic posted by Dough .38 PR but with the full luged ejector rod and rap sight, or the pic linked by Newworld except blued and with the grips on Dough´s pic. Wold that make it a Cobra?
I am intrested because my dad has told me He will pass on the the revo to me so that it stays in the family. Does it have any important or colectors value?

Thank you,

FER

 

[newworldCurmudgeon]

Sorry for the late reply

Fer, I am not sure about the collector's value, mine is the full frame DS in blue, was my grandads, its fun to shoot, I carry it occaisionally, but for me it's value lies in who owned it, so I won't be selling mine

Dfaris, thanks for the insight, and the pics, I wanted to try to explain what your pics show on the frame but couldn't find the right ones. I had a hard time finding replacement grips, and when I did I liked the originals better. I wanted larger grips, but I didn't shoot it as well with them so I went back to the original.

 

[Fer]

Thanks you for your replies.