In the seventies, I had one that I used for police carry and for police combat. I liked the single-action, but the double-action is not as good as the S&W because it's a single-lever system and tends to get heavier through the pull. The Smith has a gear-effect that maintains nearly the same DA pull throughout and releases smoothly. The Python trigger tends to move rearward after the DA releases. I slicked mine up and it shot well, but best of all was the way it pointed for me. I could hit pretty well from the hip.
Since the introduction of the L-Frame S&W, it's no-contest as far as shooting goes. Unfortunately, Pythons are a collector's item, not as much a shooter's gun these days.
I have two K-Frame Model 19s that I even like to shoot better than I did my Python, but the L-Frame guns are better shooters that either.
BTW, I found my papers for the Python that was purchased about 1972 and I paid $275 for it. I wouldn't pay $900 for one today...but that's me.
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