Colt .357 Magnum King Cobra

t4terrific · January 9, 2019, 07:31 PM

https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/20...-357-revolver/

I am going to have to get one of these 3” .357 Magnums from Colt when they are available.

The article claims it will have the brushed stainless finish instead of the matte finish. It looks awesome in the pictures!

UncleEd · January 9, 2019, 09:11 PM

It'll be interesting to see how it fares and what its actual
selling prices will be.

Wonder if the frame/cylinder will match up to the Ruger/Smith
L-frame size and allow use of already plentiful speed loaders for
those models.

With Ruger 3- inchers, especially the Wiley Clapps, and Smiths
3-incher 686s, one can't help but wonder if Colt, despite its
name heritage, isn't decades late and and not just another
also-ran against the biggies like Ruger and Smith.

t4terrific · January 9, 2019, 09:15 PM

Today’s Smith and Ruger revolvers leave a big gap in the DA revolver market.

Modern Smiths are basically Smiths in name only compared to the classics. Rugers are still just Rugers.

A quality Colt can be a game changer. Maybe a fine new revolver can be had once again.

DPris · January 10, 2019, 01:23 AM

No new Colt DA along the lines of what's coming out will be any kind of game changer.
These are adequate revolvers, but "fine" does not apply.

Largely MIM, no hand fitting, completely outsourced for parts & only assembled by Colt.
Denis

t4terrific · January 10, 2019, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DPris

No new Colt DA along the lines of what's coming out will be any kind of game changer.
These are adequate revolvers, but "fine" does not apply.

Largely MIM, no hand fitting, completely outsourced for parts & only assembled by Colt.
Denis

Compared to S&W and Ruger, you’re not proving a thing.

Compared to Today’s S&W and Ruger, it doesn’t take much to make the best <$900 revolver on the market.

DPris · January 10, 2019, 12:45 PM

I was saying two years before Colt brought out the new Cobra that any new Colt DA revolver would be built to compete with Smith & Ruger, on their level.
That meant no more hand-fitted & highly polished DAs, and it meant cheaper production methods just like Smith & Ruger.

Colt has actually taken that even further with complete parts outsourcing & no hand fitting at all.

Absolutely NO game changer in quality, and certainly not the finest or best revolver in its class.

It is very important to understand that these new revolvers are not meant to compete or compare with older classic Colts.
New ballgame, but a game "changer" only for Colt, not for either the industry or the market.

Buy one or a dozen, I don't care.
Let's just keep the hype realistic.
Denis

reddog81 · January 10, 2019, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UncleEd

It'll be interesting to see how it fares and what its actual
selling prices will be.

Wonder if the frame/cylinder will match up to the Ruger/Smith
L-frame size and allow use of already plentiful speed loaders for
those models.

With Ruger 3- inchers, especially the Wiley Clapps, and Smiths
3-incher 686s, one can't help but wonder if Colt, despite its
name heritage, isn't decades late and and not just another
also-ran against the biggies like Ruger and Smith.

It’s a small frame revolver. I’m guessing there are a number of speedloaders out there that will work, however I’d guess that L-frame sized speedloaders would not. It appears to be the same size frame as the Cobra currently on the market

FWIW most people that own the new cobra tend to give favorable reviews and it’s at least on par with if not slightly better than comparable S&W and Ruger’s. The MSRP for the King Cobra is $899 and the street price will probably be pretty close to that for the first number of months while buyers grab up the early production guns. I’d bet after a year or so the price will drop at least $100.

UncleEd · January 10, 2019, 02:01 PM

Reddog81,

My fault for jumping to the conclusion that "King" Cobra meant
a return to at least the frame size of the 1980s/90s King Cobra.
Seeing the fixed sights made me think of the Ruger Wiley Clapp.

reddog81 · January 10, 2019, 02:24 PM

I had assumed/hoped it was a larger frame when I first saw the pictures also. A 3” .357 Magnum would be a nice gun, but for me it’s a little too much gun for carrying and kind of small for a gun you’d want to shoot a bunch.

arquebus357 · January 10, 2019, 02:58 PM

Don't forget Kimber.

jwise · January 10, 2019, 05:34 PM

I’ll check it out, but I really like L frame smiths.

TimW77 · January 11, 2019, 12:20 AM

Don't care what anyone else says...

I have extensive, ACTUAL EXPERIENCE with Colts...

My current King Cobra is wonderful and one of my favorites (along with Gold Cups in both .45 and 10mm)...

Have no need for a 3" .357 with fixed sights but if they come out with a 6" King Cobra I'm buying one!

Don't know what all the complaining is on the new Cobra. No experience yet with this new model but all of those I have handled had very good fit and finish and great triggers.

Again, I have no need for another gun of this type but if/when they come out with a "new model" Diamondback, I'll be buying one of them also...

Tim

**4V50 Gary** · January 11, 2019, 01:43 PM

FYI: same old Trooper lockwork.

rodfac · January 12, 2019, 07:59 AM

Quote:

No new Colt DA along the lines of what's coming out will be any kind of game changer. These are adequate revolvers, but "fine" does not apply.

Agree...looks to me to be Colt, trading on its name, and what about a decent set of sights on it? You better pray that they're regulated properly or, short of trip back to the factory, it's damned near impossible to get the POI where you want it.

Rod

KyJim · January 12, 2019, 07:20 PM

I was never interested enough to seriously look at the new Cobra since it was in .38 spl with a two inch barrel. I am interested in the King Cobra since it is a medium weight .357 magnum with a three inch barrel. For some reason, I have a thing for three inch barreled revolvers --- I currently have five.

rock185 · January 29, 2019, 05:46 PM

DPris, The new Cobra and "King Cobra" don't look like guns actually manufactured by Colt to me. Perhaps just the frames, or? Are they actually manufactured by Colt, or are they manufactured by another company, say like the 1903 semi-autos?

I realize that it doesn't really matter to Colt fans who makes them. I'm just curious. I've only owned three Colt DA revolvers, but these new revolvers just don't look like something Colt would actually manufacture. Put their name on yes, like the Chinese knives, but actually manufacture, I don't know......

DPris · January 29, 2019, 06:46 PM

The 1903/8 is manufactured by a totally separate company that LICENSES the Colt name for it, no part of those guns come from Colt.
No parts or service available from Colt.

The Cobra & King are entirely outsourced for ALL parts, but ASSEMBLED in-house by and at Colt.
Colt does service those.
Denis

T. O'Heir · January 30, 2019, 02:42 PM

A grand plus(Gunbroker. MSRP is $899 on Colt's site.) is a great deal of money for a .357 revolver. Most of the price is for the name. Colt, like many manufacturers, has been marketing based on the name for eons.

gnystrom · January 31, 2019, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reddog81

I had assumed/hoped it was a larger frame when I first saw the pictures also. A 3” .357 Magnum would be a nice gun, but for me it’s a little too much gun for carrying and kind of small for a gun you’d want to shoot a bunch.

Kimber beat Colt to the market with their new DA/SA K6s. The perfect size for a .357 carry gun and a butter smooth action to boot.

labnoti · February 2, 2019, 12:55 AM

I saw one under the glass counter today. Was marked $999. The store was a little higher on everything, but probably only by two or three percent. It was also a big sporting-good type store that doesn't negotiate. I wasn't shopping for a King Cobra at any price, but at that price, it's hard to see the value.

silvermane_1 · February 2, 2019, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DPris

No new Colt DA along the lines of what's coming out will be any kind of game changer.
These are adequate revolvers, but "fine" does not apply.

Largely MIM, no hand fitting, completely outsourced for parts & only assembled by Colt.
Denis

Exactly, they're not anywhere near the quality of King Cobras of yesteryear.

223 shooter · February 2, 2019, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Exactly, they're not anywhere near the quality of King Cobras of yesteryear.

The original King Cobra was almost my first handgun back in the late 1980s and at the time I thought it was one of the nicest looking revolvers available.

Colt is trying to cash in on the King Cobra name with the current version which appears like some kind of castrated version of a once fine looking gun. They could have come up with another name.

dgludwig · February 2, 2019, 05:23 PM

My wife and I are looking for a relatively compact, s/s, six-shot, da revolver, chambered in either .327 Magnum or .357 Magnum. A 3" long barrel and adjustable sights are preferable but not mandatory. A smooth, light da trigger pull is important and we'll spend extra money to get it if necessary. The "best" trigger pull is a somewhat subjective thing but size and weight can be measured objectively.

We're considering getting one of these revolvers: the topic of this thread being discussed, the Colt .357 Magnum King Cobra , a Kimber K6 or a Ruger Model 101 (chambered in .327 Federal Magnum). The revolver will be mostly for self-defense and will spend much of its time in a locked safe in her vehicle.

There is no store near us that have all three examples in stock so it's hard to compare them without being able to handle them all at the same time. Accordingly, we have two questions at the moment that I'm hoping someone here can address:

How do these revolvers compare in size and how do their da trigger pulls compare? Thanks for all opinions and inputs.

silvermane_1 · February 4, 2019, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 223 shooter

The original King Cobra was almost my first handgun back in the late 1980s and at the time I thought it was one of the nicest looking revolvers available.

Colt is trying to cash in on the King Cobra name with the current version which appears like some kind of castrated version of a once fine looking gun. They could have come up with another name.

Exactly there 223 shooter, the King Cobra in the pic was the "real deal", the new "King Cobra" is nothing more than a mass production MIM wheelgun that you are paying for the privilege of having the letters C-O-L-T on the side of it.

labnoti · February 5, 2019, 02:52 PM

Dgludwig,

In the small size, also consider the LCR. I've heard the trigger is one of the best. It's now available in 3" .357. To be clear, I'm not recommending it, just that you consider it.

If I were to recommend something, it would be to size-up, and have her carry the revolver on her rather than locking it in the car.

A little bit larger revolver is not more difficult to carry and it's much easier to shoot well. If it were to be kept in the car, then there's really no reason for a small revolver at all. A little bit larger is a S&W Model 19 Carry Comp. They don't offer all those features in a SS gun, but the Model 66 is the same size and stainless.

All of these guns I would recommend using with .38 Special unless you're handloading to the level she can control best. I wouldn't recommend factory 357 unless the gun has at least as much mass as a 686. But good .38 ammo can be very effective even from a short barrel, and it's safer to carry that than it is to have a hand-canon locked in the car. These aren't just my suggestions for a "woman," but from my personal experience.

The Colt doesn't seem like a good value. At actual gun-store prices, I'm seeing Model 19 Carry Comp's for $100 less, and to me, there's no comparison. I'm not just a S&W fan boy. I have Rugers too. But look at what you're getting for the money and how it suits your purpose.

But carry is so much more valuable than locking it in the car, so if it would get her to carry it more, then I'd say get the Kimber with the short barrel or a Model 640 Pro Series, but that's getting off this topic. My on-topic point was to point out some alternatives that are better than the Colt in every way.

January 9, 2019, 07:31 PM	#1
t4terrific Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 2009 Posts: 307	Colt .357 Magnum King Cobra https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/20...-357-revolver/ I am going to have to get one of these 3” .357 Magnums from Colt when they are available. The article claims it will have the brushed stainless finish instead of the matte finish. It looks awesome in the pictures!

January 11, 2019, 12:20 AM	#12
TimW77 Senior Member Join Date: September 21, 2008 Posts: 485	Colts Don't care what anyone else says... I have extensive, ACTUAL EXPERIENCE with Colts... My current King Cobra is wonderful and one of my favorites (along with Gold Cups in both .45 and 10mm)... Have no need for a 3" .357 with fixed sights but if they come out with a 6" King Cobra I'm buying one! Don't know what all the complaining is on the new Cobra. No experience yet with this new model but all of those I have handled had very good fit and finish and great triggers. Again, I have no need for another gun of this type but if/when they come out with a "new model" Diamondback, I'll be buying one of them also... Tim

January 11, 2019, 01:43 PM	#13
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,832	FYI: same old Trooper lockwork. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

January 29, 2019, 05:46 PM	#16
rock185 Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2001 Location: Out West in Rim Country Posts: 1,091	DPris, The new Cobra and "King Cobra" don't look like guns actually manufactured by Colt to me. Perhaps just the frames, or? Are they actually manufactured by Colt, or are they manufactured by another company, say like the 1903 semi-autos? I realize that it doesn't really matter to Colt fans who makes them. I'm just curious. I've only owned three Colt DA revolvers, but these new revolvers just don't look like something Colt would actually manufacture. Put their name on yes, like the Chinese knives, but actually manufacture, I don't know...... __________________ COTEP 640, NRA Life

January 30, 2019, 02:42 PM	#18
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	A grand plus(Gunbroker. MSRP is $899 on Colt's site.) is a great deal of money for a .357 revolver. Most of the price is for the name. Colt, like many manufacturers, has been marketing based on the name for eons. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

January 9, 2019, 09:11 PM	#2
UncleEd Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2013 Location: N. Georgia Posts: 1,150	It'll be interesting to see how it fares and what its actual selling prices will be. Wonder if the frame/cylinder will match up to the Ruger/Smith L-frame size and allow use of already plentiful speed loaders for those models. With Ruger 3- inchers, especially the Wiley Clapps, and Smiths 3-incher 686s, one can't help but wonder if Colt, despite its name heritage, isn't decades late and and not just another also-ran against the biggies like Ruger and Smith.

January 9, 2019, 09:15 PM	#3
t4terrific Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 2009 Posts: 307	Today’s Smith and Ruger revolvers leave a big gap in the DA revolver market. Modern Smiths are basically Smiths in name only compared to the classics. Rugers are still just Rugers. A quality Colt can be a game changer. Maybe a fine new revolver can be had once again.

January 10, 2019, 01:23 AM	#4
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	No new Colt DA along the lines of what's coming out will be any kind of game changer. These are adequate revolvers, but "fine" does not apply. Largely MIM, no hand fitting, completely outsourced for parts & only assembled by Colt. Denis

January 10, 2019, 12:45 PM	#6
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	I was saying two years before Colt brought out the new Cobra that any new Colt DA revolver would be built to compete with Smith & Ruger, on their level. That meant no more hand-fitted & highly polished DAs, and it meant cheaper production methods just like Smith & Ruger. Colt has actually taken that even further with complete parts outsourcing & no hand fitting at all. Absolutely NO game changer in quality, and certainly not the finest or best revolver in its class. It is very important to understand that these new revolvers are not meant to compete or compare with older classic Colts. New ballgame, but a game "changer" only for Colt, not for either the industry or the market. Buy one or a dozen, I don't care. Let's just keep the hype realistic. Denis

January 10, 2019, 02:01 PM	#8
UncleEd Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2013 Location: N. Georgia Posts: 1,150	Reddog81, My fault for jumping to the conclusion that "King" Cobra meant a return to at least the frame size of the 1980s/90s King Cobra. Seeing the fixed sights made me think of the Ruger Wiley Clapp.

January 10, 2019, 02:24 PM	#9
reddog81 Senior Member Join Date: October 16, 2014 Location: Iowa Posts: 1,634	I had assumed/hoped it was a larger frame when I first saw the pictures also. A 3” .357 Magnum would be a nice gun, but for me it’s a little too much gun for carrying and kind of small for a gun you’d want to shoot a bunch.

January 10, 2019, 02:58 PM	#10
arquebus357 Senior Member Join Date: December 19, 2016 Location: Atlanta, Georgia area Posts: 455	Don't forget Kimber.

January 10, 2019, 05:34 PM	#11
jwise Senior Member Join Date: January 18, 2001 Location: Texas Posts: 677	I’ll check it out, but I really like L frame smiths.

January 12, 2019, 07:20 PM	#15
KyJim Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2005 Location: The Bluegrass Posts: 9,142	I was never interested enough to seriously look at the new Cobra since it was in .38 spl with a two inch barrel. I am interested in the King Cobra since it is a medium weight .357 magnum with a three inch barrel. For some reason, I have a thing for three inch barreled revolvers --- I currently have five.

January 29, 2019, 06:46 PM	#17
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	The 1903/8 is manufactured by a totally separate company that LICENSES the Colt name for it, no part of those guns come from Colt. No parts or service available from Colt. The Cobra & King are entirely outsourced for ALL parts, but ASSEMBLED in-house by and at Colt. Colt does service those. Denis

February 2, 2019, 12:55 AM	#20
labnoti Senior Member Join Date: April 2, 2018 Posts: 252	I saw one under the glass counter today. Was marked $999. The store was a little higher on everything, but probably only by two or three percent. It was also a big sporting-good type store that doesn't negotiate. I wasn't shopping for a King Cobra at any price, but at that price, it's hard to see the value.

February 2, 2019, 05:23 PM	#23
dgludwig Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2005 Location: North central Ohio Posts: 7,486	My wife and I are looking for a relatively compact, s/s, six-shot, da revolver, chambered in either .327 Magnum or .357 Magnum. A 3" long barrel and adjustable sights are preferable but not mandatory. A smooth, light da trigger pull is important and we'll spend extra money to get it if necessary. The "best" trigger pull is a somewhat subjective thing but size and weight can be measured objectively. We're considering getting one of these revolvers: the topic of this thread being discussed, the Colt .357 Magnum King Cobra , a Kimber K6 or a Ruger Model 101 (chambered in .327 Federal Magnum). The revolver will be mostly for self-defense and will spend much of its time in a locked safe in her vehicle. There is no store near us that have all three examples in stock so it's hard to compare them without being able to handle them all at the same time. Accordingly, we have two questions at the moment that I'm hoping someone here can address: How do these revolvers compare in size and how do their da trigger pulls compare? Thanks for all opinions and inputs. __________________ ONLY AN ARMED PEOPLE CAN BE TRULY FREE ; ONLY AN UNARMED PEOPLE CAN EVER BE ENSLAVED ...Aristotle NRA Benefactor Life Member

February 5, 2019, 02:52 PM	#25
labnoti Senior Member Join Date: April 2, 2018 Posts: 252	Dgludwig, In the small size, also consider the LCR. I've heard the trigger is one of the best. It's now available in 3" .357. To be clear, I'm not recommending it, just that you consider it. If I were to recommend something, it would be to size-up, and have her carry the revolver on her rather than locking it in the car. A little bit larger revolver is not more difficult to carry and it's much easier to shoot well. If it were to be kept in the car, then there's really no reason for a small revolver at all. A little bit larger is a S&W Model 19 Carry Comp. They don't offer all those features in a SS gun, but the Model 66 is the same size and stainless. All of these guns I would recommend using with .38 Special unless you're handloading to the level she can control best. I wouldn't recommend factory 357 unless the gun has at least as much mass as a 686. But good .38 ammo can be very effective even from a short barrel, and it's safer to carry that than it is to have a hand-canon locked in the car. These aren't just my suggestions for a "woman," but from my personal experience. The Colt doesn't seem like a good value. At actual gun-store prices, I'm seeing Model 19 Carry Comp's for $100 less, and to me, there's no comparison. I'm not just a S&W fan boy. I have Rugers too. But look at what you're getting for the money and how it suits your purpose. But carry is so much more valuable than locking it in the car, so if it would get her to carry it more, then I'd say get the Kimber with the short barrel or a Model 640 Pro Series, but that's getting off this topic. My on-topic point was to point out some alternatives that are better than the Colt in every way. Last edited by labnoti; February 5, 2019 at 03:00 PM.