Colt Python vs S&W 686: Is the Snake Worth the Premium?

The gun that cost more in 1955, too

The Colt Python has always been the expensive one. When Colt introduced it in 1955, it sat at the top of the catalog, born from a project to strengthen a .38 Special target revolver for .357 Magnum. Its early guns were fitted by a tiny group of craftsmen, gunsmith Al De John and Don Bedford among them, and each took noticeably more bench time than other Colt revolvers.

Then, in 1999, Colt announced it would stop making them. The custom shop trickled out special orders until 2005. Prices on used originals did what scarce, beloved things do.

In January 2020, the Python came back, redesigned for modern manufacturing. That is the gun this article compares to the Smith & Wesson 686, the stainless L-frame that has been in continuous production since 1981 and that more people actually shoot.

So: is the snake worth it?

The modern Python, in brief

The 2020 Python is not a reproduction. According to its published history, Colt:

• Strengthened the frame, top strap and backstrap, with roughly 30% more steel above the cylinder, helped by a redesigned rear sight.
• Switched to a stronger, more corrosion-resistant stainless alloy.
• Simplified the lockwork with fewer parts, and changed the V-spring to a U shape to eliminate the "stacking" that made old Python triggers rise sharply near the end of the pull.
• Reduced hand fitting through better machining.

Current models listed on Colt's site come in polished stainless, high-gloss blued and matte blued finishes, with barrels from 2.5 inches to 8 inches. All are six-shot .357 Magnums with the signature full-length ventilated rib and full underlug, a transfer bar and a firing pin block, and walnut grips.

The 686, in brief

The 686 is Smith & Wesson's stainless medium-magnum on the L-frame, designed to take a steady diet of .357 that its slimmer K-frame predecessors didn't enjoy. The standard gun holds six; the 686 Plus (1996) holds seven. It has been refined through many dash-number revisions, and current production carries S&W's internal key lock in the frame.

It is offered in more barrel lengths and configurations than almost any revolver in production, from short carry guns to Performance Center competition models.

Head to head

The cylinder rotation and latch direction matter more than they look. If you already own Smiths, your thumb will push forward on the Python and do nothing. If you shoot both, practice reloads on each.

Where the Python earns its money

Feel and finish

The single biggest reason people buy a Python is that it is a Python. The vent rib, the underlug, the walnut grips and, on the blued guns, the high-gloss finish give it a presence a production stainless Smith simply doesn't have. If that matters to you, no spec sheet can talk you out of it, and it shouldn't.

No internal lock

Many revolver buyers dislike S&W's frame-mounted key lock on principle. The Python doesn't have one. For some buyers, that alone tips the decision.

A modernized trigger without the old quirks

The original Python's trigger was famous for a smooth start and a sharp stack at the end. The U-shaped spring in the new gun was designed specifically to get rid of that. Whether the result beats a good 686 is subjective; the point is that the new Python's trigger is a different animal from the one in vintage reviews.

It is the snake

A long line of reptile-named Colts runs back to the 1950 Cobra; the Python was the second. If you like the idea of owning a gun with that lineage, the new Python is the straightforward way in without paying collector money for an original.

Where the 686 wins

Value

This is the headline. A 686 costs substantially less than a Python and gives you a stainless .357 that is equally at home with full-power magnums. Spend the difference on ammunition and training, and you'll likely shoot better for it.

The seventh round

The 686 Plus fits seven rounds in an L-frame cylinder. The Python stays at six.

The ecosystem

L-frame 686s share the K/L round-butt grip pattern, so stocks from Hogue, VZ, Altamont and many others fit. Holsters, speedloaders, moon-clip conversions and competition parts are abundant. Python accessories are good and growing, but the 686's bench is deeper because of four decades of production.

Familiarity

Most gunsmiths and armorers have worked on more S&W revolvers than anything else. That counts when something eventually needs attention.

Barrel lengths and configurations

Colt's current Python catalog runs from a 2.5-inch Classic up through 3, 4.25, 5, 6 and 8 inches, depending on finish. The 2.5- and 3-inch guns are the closest a Python gets to a carry revolver; the 4.25-inch is the do-everything length; the 6- and 8-inch guns are range and hunting pieces. Our Python barrel-length guide goes through the choice in detail.

The 686 family is broader still. Standard models have been offered from 2.5 inches to a little over 8 inches, and Smith & Wesson's Performance Center adds competition and specialty versions, including the factory race gun we covered in our 686 Plus Spec Series review and the lighter-barreled 686 Plus Mountain Gun.

If you want a specific length, check that it is in current production before you fall in love with it. Both makers rotate configurations.

Handling: two different manuals of arms

Shooters who move between brands notice three things immediately.

1. The latch. A Python's cylinder release is pulled rearward. A 686's thumbpiece is pushed forward. Muscle memory built on one will fumble the other for a while.
2. The rotation. Colt cylinders turn clockwise as seen from behind; Smith & Wesson cylinders turn counterclockwise. It matters if you ever load a partial cylinder or index a specific chamber.
3. The sights and rib. The Python's full vent rib gives a long, flat sighting plane. The 686's solid rib is less ornate but works the same way.

None of this makes one better. It does mean you should practice reloads and unloading with whichever gun you buy until the motions are automatic, using dummy rounds and never live ammunition in your practice space.

Buying notes

Both are happy on .38 Special practice ammo; save .357 Magnum for when you want the full experience. If the Python's barrel length is your next question, our Python barrel-length guide breaks down 3, 4.25 and 6 inches.

A word about "investment"

Original Pythons rose in value because production stopped and demand did not. The new Python is a current-production gun, and no one can tell you what it will be worth in twenty years. Buy one because you want to own and shoot it. Treat any future value as a pleasant possibility, not a plan. Our collecting guide covers what actually drives collector interest.

The verdict

Measured as a tool, the 686 matches the Python's job, adds a round in Plus form, and leaves money in your pocket for ammunition. Measured as an object, the Python is the more special gun to own.

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.