Posted: 7/6/2006 7:49:20 PM EDT
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I've got the opportunity to purchase an older Colt Cobra in great shape. It has the old style barrel without the shrouded ejector rod. If I can find a newer style Cobra barrel with the shrouded ejector rod slot, will it fit. A gunsmith will install it of course. Just like the shrouded look and better for carry. |
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The newer shrouded barrel will fit the older models, but here's some "watch-outs". First, be very careful WHERE you buy the barrel. Many if not MOST used barrels at gun shows and on Ebay are defective, which is why their being sold to the next sucker. Often the defects are not apparent until you attempt to install the barrel. Gun Parts Corporation carry good barrels, and these MAY be new: www.e-gunparts.com/productschem.asp?chrMasterModel=0660zCOBRA Second, be VERY careful WHO does the work. Virtually NO local gunsmiths have the Colt "D" frame specific action wrench and barrel blocks needed to remove and install a Colt barrel without damaging the frame. Even Colt is sometimes "hinky" about doing barrel work on aluminum framed guns due to the risks involved. Trust the wrong local, and he just might hand you back a sprung or cracked frame. In order to properly fit a revolver barrel also requires special tooling that works down the bore to set the correct barrel/cylinder gap, and to re-cut the forcing cone. Again, very few local gunsmiths have these needed tools, NO MATTER WHAT THEY MAY SAY. I can recommend Colt and Cylinder & Slide for this, and I used to recommend Pittsburgh Handgun Headquarters, but I've heard they're no longer able to do the Colt "D" frames. |
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Years ago I inherited a Colt Cobra (w/barrel shroud) from my grandfather. Over the years I've had numerous people offer to buy it (I won't sell it - family heriloom). It is a great little gun, which I dont shoot very much. Grandfather purchased it from an East Coast gun store in 1973, according to Colt records and what grandma told me. The gun has awesome workmanship and everytime I get it out ,I wonder why Colt is not making them now (I think Colt made the Det. Special recently which is similar but w/a steel frame). If Colt updated the design and used some lightweight materials like titanium/scandium, I think they would steal S&W J-frame sales (6 shot vs. 5 shot). It's not +P rated and the few times I carried it I used Fed Nyclad HP's. |
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Colt is out of the DA revolver business, apparently forever. (never say never). The last in the Colt "snubby" line was the Colt SF-VI/DS-II/Magnum Carry. This was a replacement for the older Colt snubby revolvers, and was made of stainless steel, with a transfer-bar action. They were made from 1996 to 2000 before being discontinued. |
The problem with Colt DA revolver designs is they required much more hand fitting in the manufacturing process than Smith or Ruger. Hence, Colts were always at a price disadvantage, often as much as a third. The market place decided they just weren't that much nicer. Colt tried to cure this problem with the Trooper Mk III design and the Colt Magnum Carry but it was to little, to late. And of course the Colt snobs looked down on these modern designs as somehow un-colt like. Bottom line is Colt has probably been the most poorly managed gun company in the last fifty years. Only thing that kept them afloat is M-16 contracts. They've missed or just plain ignored ever market development since Smith went to stainless steel with the model 60. And yes, I do own a Colt. Two of them actually. Dec Special from the early 90's and a Colteer 22 rifle, my first gun. |
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You might want to actually talk to a gunsmith before you spring this on him. hers As a Colt specialist, I see quite a few rebarreling jobs, but even I generally won't change a barrel on aluminum gun (Cobra, Agent, or Viper.) The risks when dealing with the soft metal are just too great and, as dfariswheel correctly pointed out, even Colt doesn't like to do them. (Last time I checked, a couple of years ago, they simply wouldn't.) You can just about count the number of people with serious Colt experience on less than 2 hands, and now know that at least 3 probably would not (or could not) accept the job - this should give you serious pause. If after all this you're still set on doing the deed, take this advice: the ONLY person I'd trust who MIGHT do it is Bill Laughridge at Cylinder & Slide, and a phone call to him would be highly recommended. -=[ Grant ]=- "The earth isn't flat, your gun shouldn't be either!" www.grantcunningham.com |
