First Look: Colt Cobra Revolver

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Fans of Colt's earlier double-action revolvers should rejoice, as news of the American manufacturer's jump back into the double-action revolver game has been breaking over the last couple days. It's official folks; in what may be one of the more exciting new releases of the year, Colt is bringing out a new double-action revolver for 2017.

In a nod back to its well known and well respected “snake” line of revolvers, Colt is calling this new offering the Cobra. Chambered in .38 Special +P and sporting a 2-inch barrel, the new Colt Cobra is a six-shot revolver that looks perfectly situated to shine in the concealed carry market this year.

As someone who attended Colt's Media Day event at Gunsite this past fall, I've been holding onto this exciting news for a couple months now. And while at the event, I was able to get a first hand look at, as well as some trigger time with, the new Colt Cobra.

Now, I'm admittedly not an expert when it comes revolvers. I don't shoot them all that often, nor have I carried one concealed. However, I can still offer some general opinions on the new Cobra and how it felt to shoot, as well as some basic information on this new offering from Colt.

The new Colt Cobra features a hardy stainless steel frame that features a matte finish and a Hogue Overmolded grip. Hogue is well known in the industry for its quality revolver grips, and this one did not disappoint. The grip felt adequate and pleasant in my hand, and although recoil felt a little sharp from the 2-inch barrel, I never became uncomfortable while shooting the Cobra. The revolver seemed to point quite naturally in hand, and I never felt that I had to search for the trigger.

Speaking of the trigger, Colt has spent some considerable time improving the ergonomics of where the trigger is positioned and how the trigger guard is shaped, which definitely helps give it that natural feel in the hand. The trigger guard is enlarged and features somewhat of a bump at the bottom. This permits even gloved shooters, or shooters with larger hands, to have that same comfortable feel when shooting.

Colt did not have figures for trigger pull weight during the Media Day event or in the specifications provided, but it generally seemed pleasant in both single and double action. Obviously, the double-action pull was nowhere near as clean as the single-action pull, which felt silky smooth in comparison.

One of the additional new features Colt has brought out on the Cobra is what it refers to as its LL² (Linear Leaf) Mainspring design. According to the company, this design change helps to ensure a consistently smooth trigger pull. Like I said earlier, I'm no revolver expert, but the trigger, particularly in single action, felt smoother than some of the other revolvers I've shot.

The front sight on the Cobra used at the Gunsite event was a red fiber optic, which offered plenty of visibility and felt quite familiar. The rear was a standard groove type sight built into the frame. This combination seemed to serve just fine, and I didn't have too much trouble putting rounds on target.

In terms of dimensions, the Colt Cobra looks poised to strike out at the concealed carry market. With an overall length of 7.2 inches, a height of 4.9 inches, a width of 1.4 inches and an unloaded weight of 25 ounces, I'm sure it'll be a popular option for those who prefer to carry revolvers. Capacity is six rounds, and given the .38 Special +P chambering, it should be able to pack some hot defensive loads.

The estimated MSRP that was provided to members of the media at the Media Day event for the new Colt Cobra is listed as $699. For those wondering about other potential double-action revolver models down the road, I would say to be patient. During the event at Gunsite the general attitude seemed to be that this was a first step in the category, with more introductions looming on the horizon.

For more information about the new Colt Cobra, check out the full specifications below and visit the Colt website.

Specifications:

Colt Cobra
Type: Double-action revolver
Caliber: .38 Special +P
Barrel: 2 in.
Overall Length: 7.2 in.
Height: 4.9 in.
Width: 1.4 in.
Weight: 25 oz. (unloaded)
Sights: Front fiber optic, rear groove/trench
Grip: Hogue Overmolded
Estimated MSRP: $699
Manufacturer: Colt

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