Started in 1912, the M1911 Commercial and its A1 variant got normal serial numbers with a simple prefix and suffix. But by the mid-1970s, the serial numbers stopped continuing from the numbers of the previous ones.
A Colt single action model usually has 1 character prefix and 4 numbers. The prefix tells you the type of frame, while the colt serial number combination indicates the weapon version, caliber, barrel length, and model variation.
Colt New Agent Talo Serial Numbers
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THE COLT PYTHON"I" FRAMEIn the history of modern double action American handguns, the Colt Python revolver stands above all others.It was born in the mid-1950's in a post-war era in which quality was already starting to fall from the heights that American gun making had attained in the 1930's and 40's.Going against the grain of fast, mass production firearms made of stamped and fabricated parts and "Space Age" plastics and aluminum, the Python was intended to be the finest revolver ever made in America, and it met that goal.At the time, the finest double action revolvers made were the Colt Officer's Model Match target revolver and the Smith & Wesson Model 27 Magnum. Each was the top quality revolver made by the respective companies.In the mid-1950's the Colt Officer's Model Match was the latest in a long series of Colt Officer's Model target revolvers. These were intended to be the most accurate and high quality double action revolver made and in the day when the double action revolver was King of the pistol matches, the Colt held all the records.Colt's top West Coast salesman at that time was Bill Henry. In 1953 he was convinced that Colt should make a new "Super target revolver" that would outclass anything ever conceived before in both quality and accuracy.For years, top shooters had been modifying the Officer's Model revolvers with custom vented ribs on the barrel to add more forward weight to the barrel, and having custom altered hammers that were longer and wider for easier cocking. Many of these customized guns were altered by top custom shops like King's of California, who specialized in target pistol alterations.Henry thought that if Colt would make a target revolver with all the custom features on a factory gun, it would sell in good numbers. An added selling point would be that the pistol would be the most accurate double action revolver ever made in keeping with it's intended audience, target shooters.Henry convinced Colt management that he could sell this new revolver, even though it would cost significantly more then any other revolver and would demand far more of the companies resources in time and higher skilled personnel than any other pistol ever made.Colt assigned the development of this new revolver to the famed Colt Pattern Room, where Colt Master gunsmith Adalbert "Al" Gunther built the first prototype using a Colt Officer's Model frame and a Targetmaster rear sight of the type that had been used on the Colt Officer's Model Special of 1949 to 1952.The prototype had a 4 5/8" heavy ribbed and under-lugged barrel and Colt's new Target hammer and grips.The gunsmiths thought the prototype was too muzzle heavy, weighing a then unheard of 60 ounces. Gunther and his crew decided to hollow out the solid under-lug and cut vents in the heavy top rib.With the vents and hollow under-lug they decided the gun felt "right".The Python barrel was so "right" in feel and appearance, virtually every revolver designed since has a barrel that looks as much like the Python barrel as the makers dare.In the post-war days, the .357 Magnum was becoming more and more popular. Colt had made a marketing mistake in deciding that the gun buyer would buy the same .38 Special revolver he'd bought before the war, and was seeing sales drop. They decided that the new "super revolver" should be chambered in .357 Magnum instead of .38 Special, figuring that since both cartridges could be fired in the same gun, this would make the gun more popular with a wider number of customers.Colt Master gunsmith Al DeJohn built the first pre-production model, serial number One. By this time, the new gun had Colt's new "I" frame action in which the firing pin was mounted inside the frame instead of on the hammer and the barrel was six inches.The rear sight was now the new Colt Accro adjustable version that was to be used on virtually all adjustable sighted Colt pistols and revolvers from then on.Needing a name for the new revolver, Colt had an internal contest to name it, and Colt legend has it that the name "Python" was submitted by Colt Vice President Phillip Schwartz.Colt had started the use of snake named pistols in 1950 with the aluminum framed version of the Colt Detective Special, the Cobra. Since the python is a bigger snake than a cobra, and the Python was a bigger gun, the name was well suited.As introduced in 1955 the Python was available with a six inch barrel with three vents on the rib, a hollow under-lug, and Colt's fully checkered Target grips. The rear sight was the early version of the Colt Accro rear sight, and the finish was a brilliant, mirror-like blue unlike anything seen before,The Python bluing was the first time a super polished blued finish had ever been used on a production gun and it became known as Colt Royal Blue. Inside the Colt factory, it was known as "the Python blue".The only real difference between the Python's deep mirror blue and normal guns more satin blue was the amount of polishing given to the Python.It was said that while competitors guns were in trucks being shipped to the distributors, the Python was still in the factory being polished.Colt had always been known for their fine blue jobs, and the reason why was that Colt was running a metal polishers school for Colt employees.A new polisher was sent to school where master polishers taught how to polish metal to a perfect finish with no rounded off edges or ripples in the flats. After training, the new polisher was started out on the lower cost guns like the Official Police, with one of the master polishers literally looking over his shoulder and correcting his technique.Colt made their own special polishing wheels from large wooden disks covered with walrus hide leather.These wheels were used for only one grit of polish, and as the gun was polished, a different wheel was used for the next finer grit.The Python polish went farther down in grit until the final polish was done with media the consistency of flour.Since even a slight slip would ruin the Python's finish, only master polishers with many years of experience were ever allowed to work on the Python.COLT MADE WALRUS HIDE LEATHER COVERED WOODEN POLISHING WHEELS
The old Colt action design was a product of the late 1890's. It was complex, and required that the action be literally hand fitted. The action was built using over-sized forged parts in which a fitter would assemble the action by filing, stoning, and even bending parts to get a working revolver.In line with the desire to make the Python the finest revolver ever made, Colt had the action even further polished and tuned to give the best possible trigger pull.So concerned was Colt that the Python would be the best ever made, for the first two years only Al DeJohn and one other man built every Python produced by Colt.After they burned out from the demand for new Pythons, Colt put the Python into standard production using their best people.Colt was almost immediately flooded with demands that they offer the Python in a 4" barrel for police use, and the first 4" barreled Pythons were advertised as the Colt New Police Python, although that name was never stamped on the gun.Soon, Colt began to offer the Python with a 2 1/2" barrel. Colt legend says that the 2 1/2" Python started off as a joke by two Colt managers who wanted to play a practical joke on a senior manager.They had a Python shortened to 2 1/2" and showed it to the intended victim. At the time, the idea of a short barreled revolver with the powerful, heavy muzzle blast of the .357 Magnum was considered to be ridiculous.Instead of laughing, the manager handled the snubby Python and liked the feel so well, he ordered it into production.In time the Python would also be offered in an 8" barrel and in a short run of extremely rare 3" barreled versions.Demands were made for other finishes beside Royal Blue, so over the years Colt offered the Python in Bright Nickel, satin electroless nickel known as "Royal Coltguard", and in the early 1980's in satin stainless steel and in bright mirror polished stainless steel, variously known as Bright Polish or Ultimate Polish.The Python was only sold in two calibers: the standard .357 Magnum and the Colt Python Target in .38 Special with an 8" barrel.Colt did make experimental Pythons in other calibers, including .22LR, .22 Magnum, a .256, and in .41 Magnum.None of these guns were ever made in more than a very few experimental examples, and none were sold as production guns.From time to time Pythons in calibers other than .357 and .38 turn up, but these are invariably not factory guns but conversions done by gunsmiths.In the mid-1980's Colt issued a catalog featuring a pair or .22LR Pythons on the cover.Colt announced that they'd intended to produce .22LR Pythons but after the catalog was already printed they'd changed their minds and no production .22 models were made.One knowledgeable collector says that Colt definitely made prototype Pythons in .22LR and in .22 Magnum, but thinks that they were not functioning revolvers.One of the most discussed Pythons are the .41 Magnum guns.Colt made up three or four prototype .41 Magnum Pythons on the request of a big firearms distributor who wanted to offer something different.Colt had second thoughts and decided the frame and cylinder simply weren't big enough to provide the strength needed for the .41 Magnum, so they recalled the guns and canceled the idea.However, several custom gunsmiths decided to offer conversions of .357 Pythons to .41 Magnum.Some of these guns were very well done conversions right down to factory style and quality roll marks on the barrel. Others are very crudely done and are easy to identify as not factory quality.Even though Colt adamantly states that no factory production .41 Magnum Pythons were ever made or sold, people still insist that their .41 Magnum Python is a real factory gun.A telling point is, if a Colt Historical Archive search is done on the serial number, these invariably show as having left the factory as .357 Magnum Pythons.Production of the Python continued as a production line gun until the late 1990's.With the Colt company in financial difficulties and having lost some of their best craftsmen, Colt moved production into the Colt Custom Shop in 1997 and made it a custom order only revolver. To highlight this move, the Python had the name "Elite" added to the barrel and it became the Colt Python Elite.The Elite was exactly the same gun as the standard Python with only the barrel stamp being different.Production of the Python finally ended in 2003-04.The last manufacturer's list price for the Python was $1,150.The last Python made was an ornate, heavily engraved and inlaid 6" gun made in 2005 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of it's introduction in 1955.With that one-of-a-kind show model, the Python passed into history.PYTHON 2 1/2 INCH
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