At 28 ounces unloaded and at an 8-inch length, the King Cobra is big enough and heavy enough to shoot well, but light and compact enough to carry. Photos by Mark FingarĬonveniently, the new King Cobra strikes a balance between a pocket-sized revolver and a full-size six-gun. The groove in the topstrap is channeled and regulated for aligning the front sight. Today, the new King Cobra only offers an integral rear notch. The 3-inch barrel now has fixed sights, said to be ideally suited for defensive use, whereas the original King Cobra models featured an adjustable rear sight. The new King Cobra is lighter and more concealable. Unlike the original King Cobras, which were duty-built guns closer in size and proportion to the Smith & Wesson L-frame. When we designed the Cobra, we knew we wanted to build a. It’s very similar to the Cobra, but with a beefed-up topstrap. “It’s different from the King Cobras of the past, which had a mid-sized frame while this is more of an oversized small-frame gun. 357 in 20 years which makes it pretty exciting.” said Justin Baldini, Colt’s product director. As announced at the 2019 SHOT Show, Colt is now meeting that demand. Following its appearance on G&A’s April 2017 cover, the Cobra was met with great enthusiasm. It’s rated for +P loads and all current offerings wear 2-inch barrels. Even though the King Cobra was never Colt’s premium revolver, the recent demand for Colt’s snake guns means that some can fetch north of $2,000. Fiscally, the decision to kill the King Cobra was easy. When the demand for duty guns shifted to higher-capacity semiautomatics, revolver interest faded among the shooting public and manufacturers learned that revolvers were far less profitable to manufacture than semiautos. Though a 3-inch model was never catalogued, a handful were reportedly made as samples for law enforcement. But does it deserve the reputation possessed by other Colt snake guns?Īt the time, King Cobras were made with barrels anywhere from 2½ to 8 inches in length. Unlike original configurations, the 2019 King Cobra features a 3-inch barrel and several unique features collectors will quickly note. Introduced in 1986 and discontinued in 1992, the King Cobra returned in 1994 until it went dormant again in 1998 where it remained for another 20 years. Depending on configuration, values have settled between $1,800 and $5,000 for clean examples as most of us hope that Colt will eventually reintroduce the ultimate snake gun.Įven through there isn’t a King Cobra that’s the peer to the quality of a Colt Python, it’s still a double-action Colt. Colt’s double-action revolvers reached near-mythical status among collectors when Pythons recently commanded as much as $8,000 during their peak demand.
COLT AGENT 38 SPECIAL REVIEWS SERIES
Hope was revived with the relaunch of the faithful Model 1911 Series 70 in 2011, followed by the surprise reincarnation of the Cobra series in 2017. It’s been nearly 30 years and now’s my chance - the King Cobra is back.ĭespite the ups and downs since the early ’90s, Colt has remained an iconic brand most gun enthusiasts want to see endure. I lusted after that gun, but I’ve never managed to own one. “The All-American Magnum” the blurb read, and inside was a roundup review of. 357 Magnums appeared on the cover including a stainless Ruger GP100, the Colt King Cobra and the Smith & Wesson Model 686. The July 1990 issue of Guns & Ammo was the first that I received as a subscriber. Grips: Slim fit rosewood, Crimson Trace Lasergripsīest Ammo For My Colt New Agent.The New Agent pistol also features an enhanced hammer, a 1918-style safety lock, a standard grip safety, and a 3-hole aluminum trigger. This pistol is designed for a snag-free draw, and the carbon steel slide is fixed with a unique trench style sight. The 3″ stainless steel bushingless barrel and the lowered and flared ejection port provide for excellent accuracy and outstanding reliability. The Colt New Agent 45 ACP is the ideal pistol for concealed carry.
From The Manufacturer/Wikipedia/People Smarter Than Us: