My new Colt Cobra just broke AGAIN!!!

KarateHottie93 said:
Well I just got a definitive answer that there won't be a charge for a trigger return spring so I'm happy with that.

Still at this point, I can't imagine trusting this gun again. Not just that I don't trust it with my life but I don't necessarily trust that it will even survive the next 50 trigger pulls. It's been completely random with this thing.

I don't even know if I could morally sell it when I get it back at this point.
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You can sell it with full disclosure. No problem with that. Someone else may not care, and may not want to carry it.
 
1KPerDay said:
You can sell it with full disclosure. No problem with that. Someone else may not care, and may not want to carry it.
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Yeah may do that. Either that or make it a safe queen. I was a homeless 23 year old when the gun got announced and a still homeless 24 year old when it came out. It was a legitimate reason behind working hard to make something of myself.

Now I'm doing really good in life and don't need the money. It's just the principal behind keeping something that can't even surve it's intended function at the most basic of levels. It is super sentimental though so who knows.

Mark_Mark said:
well you know what that means!!! Buy a Old Colt! about to go pick up my pristine condition Officer Match in about 3 hours! I’ll post a photo for ya!
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Nice I look forward to seeing it
 
No doubt the pressure is on Colt executives, engineers, production people, parts suppliers, etc., etc. to crank out more at less cost. I get it. But it is disheartening to hear of the quality issues with new Colts. I can't recall having a spring or part break that would cause the couple of well used old V-Spring type Colts I've owned to be taken out of service. The 1959 3-5-7 model I currently own was obviously used heavily before I acquired it a few years ago when an old lawman was selling his guns. Never a failure to fire with any brand or type of .38 or .357 ammo, still times up, easy extraction with the heaviest .357 ammo, etc. Lots of MIM parts now days, but FWIW I've had a number of guns from different manufacturers with MIM parts. Never a MIM related issue or breakage with any of them. I realize it depends on the quality of the MIM, but it would seem that Colt might spend a few cents more per part to utilize the good stuff. But perhaps not...
 
A case in point about Colt. It comes out with the new
Python and receives good reviews EXCEPT for its
cheesy adjustable sight.

Enter Bill Wilson of Wilson Combat and others who
saw an immediate opportunity and now seemingly can't
keep up with the demand for a new sight for the 2020 Python.
 
I don't own any Colt products right now, but my Colt CS ecperiences in the past make it unlikely I will bite on one again.

My first Colt was a Combat Commander in SS. To say it was pitiful was being too nice. Chatter marks all over it inside the slide and frame rails. Jammed constantly. Sent it back to Colt, who scratched it all up, and didn't seem to fix anything. I went to a local gunsmith who said, "It never should have gotten out the door!". I contacted Colt again, who had me send it back. It appeared someone polished it up a little, but it still jammed up a lot. I took it to the local gunsmith again, and he messed with it, and it was better, as long as it was run really wet. I got tired of being splattered with oil, so off it went to a Colt fanatic who was told of it's problems, but wanted it anyway.

About a year after the above gun was gone, I found a really nice 4" blued Python at a Vegas pawn shop. I got it for a good price. It wasn't perfect, finish wise, but it still looked great. The only real wear, other than a couple of slight scratches on the barrel, were some nicks on the grip. A friend and I did a little sanding on them and refinished it. A week later, he and I went with my gun and his, a 6" Python in near mint condition, and about maybe 50 rounds along, the hand broke. I called Colt to see what it would cost, and the amount it would have cost me was about double what the local guy wanted, so I had the gun back very quickly, and it functioned fine for the year or so I still had it. I was at the range near my house, and a guy made an offer for it I couldn't refuse, as I really liked my Dan Wesson 15-2's and S&W 28-2 better to shoot than the Python, so away it went. I havent bit on any Colt product since. I was hoping that CZ taking them over would make them a better company, but it appears that it didn't. At this point in time, Colt, Ruger, and S&W don't have revolvers or anything else I'm interested in buying. My 3 DW's, 5 N-Frame S&W's, 686, and Sar sr38 will hold me for as long as I'm walking above ground, as far as revolvers are concerned. S&W probably could get me back as a customer with one simple change.
 
I find it interesting that a few respondents in the thread say they won't even consider buying a new Colt revolver after reading one man's account of problems with a sample of one. Another helpful chap chimes in with his internet "research" of problems with Colt products and customer service since 2010 and then the 1980s (three or four ownership and probably more management changes ago). Oh, then someone talks about issues with an older Colt 1911 he once bought.

To the OP, I'd say I understand the frustration and have sympathy for him.

Yet if I gave up on every company whose guns I bought and then experienced parts breakage, I'd own no Springfield Armory pistols, S&W revolvers and semiautomatics, Ruger pistols, Remington rifles, KelTec pistols, Beretta pistols, Dan Wesson pistols.

I've got three flawless new Pythons, a new Cobra and a superb new King Cobra. Lotsa older Colt revolvers as well. I don't think I'm just lucky or my experience is rare.

Firearms are mechanical devices and mechanical devices break.
 
Old Dog said:
I find it interesting that a few respondents in the thread say they won't even consider buying a new Colt revolver after reading one man's account of problems with a sample of one. Another helpful chap chimes in with his internet "research" of problems with Colt products and customer service since 2010 and then the 1980s (three or four ownership and probably more management changes ago). Oh, then someone talks about issues with an older Colt 1911 he once bought.

To the OP, I'd say I understand the frustration and have sympathy for him.

Yet if I gave up on every company whose guns I bought and then experienced parts breakage, I'd own no Springfield Armory pistols, S&W revolvers and semiautomatics, Ruger pistols, Remington rifles, KelTec pistols, Beretta pistols, Dan Wesson pistols.

I've got three flawless new Pythons, a new Cobra and a superb new King Cobra. Lotsa older Colt revolvers as well. I don't think I'm just lucky or my experience is rare.

Firearms are mechanical devices and mechanical devices break.
Click to expand...

.....some break more than others.
 
I think the biggest peeve here is that Colt won't send out a simple spring that doesn't require fitting. Straight drop in.

Quality parts from the beginning is a whole other issue. I've never broken a hammer before. Springs? Yes. Never a hammer.

Right now my new Taurus 856 is more reliable than my Colt KC. About the same number of rounds.

Taurus - 0 failures
Colt KC - 3 failures

OTH, the Colt is nicer and shoots slightly better.

I guess the bad guy will appreciate the superior quality of the Colt as he's beating me to death with my broken gun. :cuss:
 
Not a fan of the Colt one year warranty either. My last two new 1911s from them were lemons that went back numerous times each, for months at a shot, and still weren't right. By that time the warranty was over.

Just bought a S&W EZ Shield for my wife, it has a lifetime warranty for the original owner.
 
I am sure some of you will find me to be unscientific and hateful but:

I also have had the impression since I first was aware of firearms in enough detail to care about brands (early 1980s) that Colt revolvers were — by and large — fragile, and unreliable. I knew any number of folks in the 90s who finally saved up for their coveted Python (et al) and then... didn't carry it. Often not reputation but they found it was too tightly locked to work once dirty, or they brought it to a class and it broke on day 1, took 6 months to get back from Colt when repaired, or so on.

I am not at all sure current Colts are less reliable or a bigger PITA to get repair work / parts from than 80s/90s/00s Colt.


Now to spring failures: Does anyone know /for sure/ Colt has a spring shop? Springs are very unlike anything else made, so like almost all gunmakers buy screws, plastic parts, etc. they buy springs and always have. Anyone know the function of all these, can tell if it's bad springs or bad /design/ of springs, so they are more likely to fail or really just bad temper (bad QC)?
 
shoobe01 said:
I am sure some of you will find me to be unscientific and hateful but:

I also have had the impression since I first was aware of firearms in enough detail to care about brands (early 1980s) that Colt revolvers were — by and large — fragile, and unreliable. I knew any number of folks in the 90s who finally saved up for their coveted Python (et al) and then... didn't carry it. Often not reputation but they found it was too tightly locked to work once dirty, or they brought it to a class and it broke on day 1, took 6 months to get back from Colt when repaired, or so on.
Click to expand...

To be fair to Colt, the pre-'80s revolvers are ususally good, the pre-war Colt's are really good. There are enough lightly used older models around that I have no interest in the new stuff. Most shooters won't wear one out, relatively few shoot high volume rounds competitively.

I am not at all sure current Colts are less reliable or a bigger PITA to get repair work / parts from than 80s/90s/00s Colt.


Now to spring failures: Does anyone know /for sure/ Colt has a spring shop? Springs are very unlike anything else made, so like almost all gunmakers buy screws, plastic parts, etc. they buy springs and always have. Anyone know the function of all these, can tell if it's bad springs or bad /design/ of springs, so they are more likely to fail or really just bad temper (bad QC)?
Click to expand...

FYI, S&W has also said they don't have parts for all of their older models.
 
I did mean to mention this, that I know some real old timers who had no qualms at all of carrying their Colts for work, much less scary stories of failures in gunfights, in the 70s and earlier. I have MUCH less direct knowledge of these guns, as they never seem to come to the range for some reason, but anecdotally I entirely believe something happened in "the 80s" that changed design or QA.
 
Unless someone has knowledge they would like to share, I think what concerns me the most is not having access to spare parts. Things break, that’s the way it is, but parts need to be available to replace what broke/malfunctioned. I have extra parts for my S&W’s, Ruger’s, BFR’s, Rossi etc..etc. for that inevitable repair/replacement.
 
Paul7 said:
To be fair to Colt, the pre-'80s revolvers are ususally good, the pre-war Colt's are really good. There are enough lightly used older models around that I have no interest in the new stuff. Most shooters won't wear one out, relatively few shoot high volume rounds competitively.



FYI, S&W has also said they don't have parts for all of their older models.
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I have a 27-2 with a bulged barrel and can't get a replacement..
 
Things happen, I get that and every once in a while a bad product gets out. But with the problems you have had I no longer trust that revolver and I have no need for something I cannot trust. They need to just replace it and call it a lemon.
 
shoobe01 said:
I did mean to mention this, that I know some real old timers who had no qualms at all of carrying their Colts for work, much less scary stories of failures in gunfights, in the 70s and earlier.
Click to expand...

Colt was the dominant police sidearm from the '20s through the '50s, and when S&W took over in the '60s it was mainly due to price.

I have MUCH less direct knowledge of these guns, as they never seem to come to the range for some reason, but anecdotally I entirely believe something happened in "the 80s" that changed design or QA.
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Agreed, bad QC, by then revolvers were a thing of the past for most anyway. But their 1911s then weren't much better.
 
Paul7 said:
.....some break more than others.
Click to expand...
Yes, that would be true. I've had far more issues with my S&W revolvers.

(Of course, to be fair, I've owned probably five times as many Smith revolvers than Colts.)

But we are talking about the "new" Colt production revolvers anyway, and there seem to be few reports coming out regarding parts breakage on the new Cobras, King Cobras and Pythons. Perhaps some here have better internet research skills than me and can come up with a few more anecdotal posts on Colt revolver problems from the internet. According to Colt, they have very few of the new models being returned for parts breakage.

Most "experts" -- those who actually publish under their real names -- are claiming that the new production Colts are, or will prove to be, more reliable and durable than the older production models. Some here are viewing the topic of this thread through the prism of known problems with the previous production models. Oh, and even bashing the previous production models of Colt's 1911s.

Guess everyone's forgotten about S&W's Bangor Punta and Safe-T-Lok eras (and forgiven S&W for MIM and The Lock).
 
Old Dog said:
Yes, that would be true. I've had far more issues with my S&W revolvers.
Click to expand...

My S&W sample of one, a 19-4, had to go to my local smith to be retimed after my first range trip. The seller paid for the work and it is very nice now, but S&W fanboys pretend Colts are the only ones with issues. The 19 was a very borderline strong enough frame for .357 from the get go.

(Of course, to be fair, I've owned probably five times as many Smith revolvers than Colts.)

But we are talking about the "new" Colt production revolvers anyway, and there seem to be few reports coming out regarding parts breakage on the new Cobras, King Cobras and Pythons. Perhaps some here have better internet research skills than me and can come up with a few more anecdotal posts on Colt revolver problems from the internet. According to Colt, they have very few of the new models being returned for parts breakage.

Most "experts" -- those who actually publish under their real names -- are claiming that the new production Colts are, or will prove to be, more reliable and durable than the older production models. Some here are viewing the topic of this thread through the prism of known problems with the previous production models. Oh, and even bashing the previous production models of Colt's 1911s.

Guess everyone's forgotten about S&W's Bangor Punta and Safe-T-Lok eras (and forgiven S&W for MIM and The Lock).
Click to expand...

I haven't. ;)
 
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