Best Collectible Revolvers: Six Models Collectors Keep Chasing

A word before the list

This is not an investment guide. Collector prices move with fashion, reissues, nostalgia and the economy, and nobody can promise any revolver will be worth more later. Plenty of "sure thing" collectibles have gone flat.

What does hold up over time is interest: models that collectors have sought out for decades because of their history, their design or their scarcity. Those are the guns below. Our collecting guide already decodes model numbers, dash variants and the lock question. This page adds the picks.

The three rules that matter more than any model

1. Condition and originality first. A refinished or modified example of a famous model can be worth far less than a clean, original example of a lesser one.
2. Documentation helps. Boxes, papers, factory letters and a careful condition record make a gun easier to value and sell. Our condition notes guide shows how to document a gun honestly.
3. Buy what you would be happy to own anyway. If the market never moves, you should still enjoy it.

1. Original Colt Python (1955 to 1999)

Best for: the collector who wants the most iconic American revolver of the postwar era.

Skip if: you want a gun to shoot heavily. Wear costs value on originals.

Colt introduced the Python in 1955 on its large I-frame, with a ventilated rib, a full-length underlug and adjustable target sights. Royal Blue was its first finish, with nickel following soon after. It earned a following among target shooters and police, and it became a pop-culture fixture. Colt announced the end of production in October 1999, and limited special-order guns continued into 2005.

Short-barreled Pythons, the 2.5-inch and 3-inch guns, are rare and sought after. Original finish, tight timing and the original box add a great deal. Our Python buying guide covers barrel lengths.

The shooter's alternative

Colt reintroduced the Python in 2020 with stronger stainless steel, about 30 percent more steel above the cylinder, a redesigned rear sight and simplified lockwork that removed the old trigger "stacking." It is a new gun to shoot, not a substitute for an original in a collection.

2. Original Colt Anaconda (1990 to 2003)

Best for: big-bore fans who want Colt's answer to the .44 Magnum.

Skip if: you only want a hunting gun; the reissue does that job.

The Anaconda arrived in 1990 on a new, heavier frame, chambered in .44 Magnum and .44 Special, with .45 Colt added in 1993. Factory production ended in 2003. Some configurations, including 4-inch .45 Colt guns and a 1990s special run of about 2,000 Kodiaks, were made in very small numbers and draw particular interest.

Colt brought the Anaconda back in 2021 on a stronger frame with an oversized Python-style action. Our blued Anaconda piece covers one of the newer finishes.

3. S&W Registered Magnum and Model 27

Best for: collectors who love the birth of the magnum era.

Skip if: you are not prepared to research. Variations are many.

When the .357 Magnum cartridge arrived in 1935, Smith & Wesson launched it in the Registered Magnum, a custom-order N-frame revolver that came with a certificate of authenticity. A standardized version followed in 1939, and in 1957 the gun became the Model 27. It was discontinued in 1994.

The Registered Magnum's history is a big part of the appeal. The Kansas City Police Department issued it, FBI agents popularized the 3.5-inch barrel, and General George Patton carried an ivory-handled one. Smith & Wesson also offered the Model 28 Highway Patrolman from 1954 as a plainer, lower-cost version, which is a more approachable entry into the same family.

4. Early Ruger Blackhawks: Flattops and Three Screws

Best for: single-action collectors and anyone who likes Ruger history.

Skip if: you plan to carry it loaded on all six. Early guns predate the transfer bar.

Ruger introduced the Blackhawk in 1955 in .357 Magnum. The earliest guns, made from 1955 to 1962, are called Flattops because their adjustable rear sights were not protected by ears on the frame. The Three Screw guns from 1962 to 1972 are named for the visible screws on the frame side. In 1973 the New Model added a transfer bar, and Ruger has offered free transfer-bar conversions for earlier guns.

For a new gun with the same lines, the current Blackhawk and Super Blackhawk are still in production:

5. S&W Victory Model

Best for: military-history collectors on a moderate budget.

Skip if: you are not willing to confirm chambering and condition before shooting.

The Victory Model is the World War II version of the Smith & Wesson Military & Police, made from 1942 to 1944 with a "V" serial prefix, a parkerized finish, smooth walnut grips and a lanyard loop. Hundreds of thousands went to Commonwealth forces in .38/200 and hundreds of thousands more in .38 Special served US forces. Our serial-number guide explains what the tables can tell you.

Because it is more than 50 years old, it is the kind of gun that federal regulations can treat as a curio or relic, which matters to holders of a federal C&R license. Because .38/200 and .38 Special guns look alike, and old guns can have been altered, confirm the chambering with a gunsmith before you shoot one.

6. Colt snake hybrids and specials

Best for: advanced collectors who enjoy research.

Skip if: you are new to collecting. Fakes and parts guns exist.

Colt's reptile names did not stop at the Python. Hybrid guns that paired Python barrels with other Colt frames, such as the Boa, Grizzly and Kodiak, were made in small numbers and are highly collectible, though purists may not count them as true Pythons. These are guns where a factory letter and a knowledgeable second opinion are worth paying for.

Buying and caring for collectible revolvers

1. Verify the gun is unloaded before you inspect it, and keep the muzzle safe.
2. Check the basics: timing, lock-up, end shake, crown and bore. Our used-revolver inspection guide walks through it.
3. Look for refinishing: rounded edges, washed-out roll marks and dished screw holes.
4. Match serial numbers where the maker stamped them on multiple parts.
5. Do not clean aggressively or refinish. On a collectible, the wrong cleaning can cost more than a little dirt.
6. Store it properly: locked up, with humidity control, and handle with clean, dry hands.

Shooting collectibles is a personal choice. If you do, use ammunition appropriate to the gun's age; standard .38 Special is a gentle choice for .357 revolvers.

The quick table

Editorial note: This is an independent editorial overview built from manufacturer specifications, retailer listings and published sources. We have not performed hands-on testing of the products discussed, and nothing here is a performance guarantee. Verify specifications, compatibility and the law where you live.

Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links to Ammunition Depot. We may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial choices are not influenced by commissions. Check current price, stock and specifications directly with the retailer.