Colt turned heads and was met with applause when the company revived its legendary .357 Mag. chambered Python revolver line in 2020. The new Python was only offered in two barrel length however, 4.25″ and 6″, leading to customer requests for Colt to reintroduce the shorter 3″ barreled model as well. Now more than a year down the line, Colt has announced the re-release of the 3″ barreled Python for 2022, after a two decade long production hiatus.
Like the two other versions with longer barrels, the 3″ barreled version of the Colt Python is chambered for .357 Mag., with a 6-round cylinder. Its 3″ barrel has six grooves with a twist rate of 1:14″ left hand. The shorter barrel also gives this Python a smaller overall length of 8.5″, while it otherwise remains similar to the others with a width of 1.55″ and height of 5.5″. The barrel, frame and cylinder are made of stainless steel, with extra steel added to the frame design in order to better handle more powerful .357 Mag. loads, resulting in an overall weight of 40 ozs., unloaded.
Aesthetically stylized off of the original Colt Pythons, the new 3″ version has a double- and single-action trigger with an exposed spurred hammer, as well as a classically shaped cylinder release tap on the left side of the frame. The trigger pull has a double-action pull weight ranging between 7 to 9.5 lbs. The majority of the metal components, including the barrel, frame and cylinder, are finished with a semi bright polish. This is in contrast with the walnut stocks, which are also stylized after the original Pythons with deep checkering and embedded Colt logo medallions.
On top of the frame and barrel, the 3″ Python also comes with black iron sights. The front sight is interchangeable and has a Red-Ramp face on the visible side, which allows the revolver to be zeroed with both full power .357 Mag. loads or softer .38 Spl. loads. The rear sight is match grade and can be fully adjusted for windage and elevation. For more information on the revived Colt 3″ Python as well as the other revived Colt wheelguns, visit colt.com.
