Early on Monday I got a chance to put some rounds through the new Colt Cobra before it apparently seized up for the rest of SHOT Show’s Range Day. In the video above, Mark Redl, Colt Product Manager and pro shooter, walks us through the features of their new snake gun, then I put six rounds of DoubleTap .38 Special +P through it. On the range, I thought…
It shot great. The fiber optic front sight is highly visible, and the trigger is very smooth and consistent. The single action is super crisp with zero creep or overtravel, and there’s no stacking in double action. Straightening out the trigger bow feels better for me than one with a sharper curve.
The cushy grips were comfortable and the Cobra was very easy to shoot, even with the stout rounds. Lockup seemed very tight but also smooth. In fact, considering there’s no hand finishing in this gun I’d say I’m quite impressed with the quality of the trigger pull and the really smooth and precise feel of the action in general.
An easily-swappable front sight is a nice touch. If the Cobra falls short anywhere in particular — aside from, of course, the fact that it mechanically broke during Range Day — I’d say it’s the finish. Bead blast stainless is perfectly serviceable and makes more sense for a carry gun than polished stainless or even high gloss bluing, but it just doesn’t scream “Colt snake gun” to me.