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The .357 Magnum Colt King Cobra Makes Its Return

Elwood Shelton

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Thanks to the Colt King Cobra, the gunmaker will once again have a .357 Magnum double-action revolver in its catalog.

How the King Cobra is geared toward carry:

Alas, it’s not the rebirth of the iconic Python. Nevertheless, Colt will once again have a .357 Magnum double-action revolver in its catalog.

New Colt King Cobra with 3-inch barrel.

Bone Up On Legendary Colt Firearms

With a planned unveiling at the upcoming 2019 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, the Colt King Cobra marks the fifth gun in the company’s rebooted revolver line and the first DA .357 Magnum it’s produced in a spell. Up to this point, the Cobra line, introduced in 2017, has focused on snubbie .38 Special revolvers. Though, since its inception, the guns have sparked hope a magnum chambering would someday be in the works.

Released in 1986, the original King Cobra had a fitful production run that came to an end in 1998. While it looked and was named like it was spawn of the mighty Python, in actuality, it was based off an older revolver design – the Trooper Mark V. In essence, the medium-sized “V” frame King Cobra was the same gun as its parent, except made from stainless steel and boasting an upgraded barrel; this included a thicker solid rib on top and a full-length ejector rod housing below. Despite a relatively short run, the 6-round revolver made a name for itself as extremely strong, with a fast and short hammer drop. Recently, like most Colt revolvers, the original King Cobra has enjoyed a price spike as collector’s interest in anything snake gun has peaked.

Original Colt King Cobra with 6-inch barrel. Photo: Wikipedia — Picanox

Staying fairly true to its namesake, the new Colt King Cobra has many of the appealing points of its predecessor, yet is updated to appeal to modern revolver enthusiasts. Where this is especially evident is it's exclusively a 3-inch barrel gun and has what appears to be an integral rear sight (the original had an adjustable white outline rear). Most definitely, its terse size is meant to increase the 28-ounce .357’s appeal with the concealed carry crowd, which the rest of the Cobra line is also geared. Other notables of the King Cobra include Hogue Overmolded grips, brass bead front sight (user replaceable), 6-round capacity and the Cobra line's Linear Leaf spring trigger.

The Colt King Cobra leans to the more expensive side of the market, though not drastically so, with an MSRP of $899. However, it's hard to believe price will prove much of hurdle for shooter’s looking to drop the hammer on a Colt .357 Magnum. Except, maybe, souls hopefully holding out for the re-release of the Python.

Colt's press release:

WEST HARTFORD, CONN – Following Colt’s successful re-entry into the Double-Action

Revolver market in 2017, Colt introduces the all-new King Cobra in .357 Magnum. The King Cobra will be available in January 2019 through Colt stocking dealers.

The all-new King Cobra features American Stainless Steel construction, a heavy duty frame with a full lug 3 in. barrel, and the 6-round capacity that differentiates Colt small frame revolvers from the competition. The King Cobra also features the same user-replaceable front sight and Linear Leaf spring trigger (LL2™) as the rest of the Cobra family. MSRP for the all-new King Cobra is $899.

“Our customers started asking for a .357 version of our Cobra immediately after the release, and at that moment we knew we had to prioritize this great addition to the Cobra family” said Justin Baldini, Product Director at Colt. “We couldn’t be more excited to add the power of .357 Magnum back into Colt’s Double Action Revolver lineup.”

Colt King Cobra Specs:
Barrel Length: 3 in.
Capacity: 6 rounds
Sights: Brass Bead Front
Frame Material: Stainless Steel
Frame Finish: Brushed Stainless
Grips: Hogue Overmolded
Action: Double-Action
Weight: 28 oz.

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