My mom and grandmother purchased a Colt Cobra in .38 spl. for my uncle for his graduation from the police academy in 1954. My uncle gave me the gun in 1994 when I graduated the police academy. I carried the gun on & off for over 25 yrs. I’m now retired and I still have it. I don’t carry it as much but it sure means a lot to me and it’s safely tucked away in my safe.
I traded my Ruger bearcat for one in '84. Traded it for a Honda 500 from my dad who later gave the Cobra to my wife who I later traded for freedom and sanity.
I have my late dad's Cobra that has a build date of 1972. He carried it normally in an ankle holster as a backup to his S&W Mdl. 59. He was an investigator for my home county prosecutor's office. He passed in 1986. I later carried it as a road deputy in the same holster as a backup to our issue at the time P89 Rugers and then later Glock 21's. It is a great little revolver. I would run the annual qualification tables and was able to shoot normally around 195/198 out of a possible 200 score. This being done with wad cutters and not round nose ammo.
I carried a Colt Agent as a backup when I worked for the local sheriff's department in the 1980s. It was easily as dependable and accurate as my S&W model 66.
Great bit! Thank you! Never hear about these little guys. I stumbled across a '58 Like New about 15 years ago. Snapped it up for a song. It had been sitting in the case apparently for almost a month. What?!? Yep.
They also made a version with a shorter ejector rod. I used to own one of them, but never understood the reason for the extra short rod. Maybe they thought it was less likely to snag on something.
As an owner of a 1953 original Colt Cobra, I could listen to you talk about this gun all day, and feel this video is a little short. Thanks for the video though! Can you make another one? Perhaps a shooter vid? Thanks again!
Monika Ertl, she was the daughter of a former Nazi who lived in Bolivia. She later became mixed up with communist revolutionaries in Bolivia, and although it was never "officially" confirmed, used one to assassinate the Colonel that was visiting Germany after ordering that Che's hands be cut off and sent to process his fingerprints.
I am fortunate to have a nice collection of these old Colt snubbies . pre and post 1972 production. they were all bought used , most show that. but they really fit nice in my pockets. very nice usable guns. NC ORDINANCE still made correct grips for these. if you see one, even one not so shiny . buy it. you won't be disappointed.
Newer carry guns are often 15 or more rounds capacity, and guys I know insist that's the minimum. Some even carry a backup magazine. So, to be minimally, adequately armed, today one would have to carry three Colt Cobras. Hard to believe that 25 years ago guys would feel comfortable leaving the house with just one Colt Cobra.
@@hrfardan66 Too true. Take your Colt Cobra and make sure you have a dime in your pocket in case you need to make a call on a pay phone. Showing my age here. OK Boomer!
@@alswann2702 Gronk carry sharp stick. Gronk say sharp stick all you need. Gronk carries Dad's sharp stick for hunting mastadons like dad did when he died.
I have a 69 colt cobra/agent in 38 sp also, but mine is 3 in barrel and slightly longer grip. Serious question, is the firing pin that is attached to the hammer supposed to have some play in it? Mine seems to wiggle a little, not a ton but enough I was initially worried I needed to fix something but my research seemed to say that was as intended but I couldn't find a definite answer. Thanks.
Back in 1972 just got back from Vietnam...a friend told me about a gunshope going out of business He had a Colt square but "Little Dicky"...and a colt series 70 45acp... I could only afford one...I still have it...70 series colt45 acp blue...🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸💯❤️💥
Interestingly, from what I understand, the Cobra used to shoot Lee Harvey Oswald was sold at auction for $220,000 in 1991 through Earl Ruby, Jack Ruby's brother. There was a lengthy court battle over it by Earl over Jack Ruby's former lawyer for his estate. During that time, it was kept by Earl in a safe.
My granny has one of these from 1990 with receipt an looks new , so sweet ! Hasn't been shot in yrs but I oil an whipe it down once in a while .. cylinder seems a lil stiff!!!!
You can shoot +P ammo in those. Cobra. Agent. S&W "Airweight" etc. SAAMI changed pressure specs for .38SPL in 1972. What we call "+P" now is only at what .38SPL was back in pre-72 days. The reason the myth of "+P blowing up aluminum guns" came about is because sometimes a .38-44 "Heavy Duty" load accidentally got loaded into an aluminum revolver. Also, Winchester made an extremely hot .38SPL 150gr "Metal Piercing" load that was only meant for steel N-Frames and Colt Official Police revolvers. +P is fine in old guns and even aluminum revolvers. Your wrist might disagree but it won't blow up your gun.
dude, listen to the experts. Yea you can do it, but it's going to mess up your timing over time, and the gun will start to malfunction. Better safe than sorry.
@@nnm7761 all the above information I stated I learned from the "experts". .38SPL was loaded hotter BEFORE the 1972 "+P" designation so revolvers in all the many decades before the early 70s would have developed just as many timing issues then.
Factory. 38 special from the 50s 60s would be considered plus p now. For some unspoken reasons the .38 has been loaded to lower pressure than what it was originally intended.
Had the shrouded version. Great everyday carry BUT it developed a problem, have always used standard .38 special ammo in it. One day at the range after firing two rounds the pistol locked up. Cylinder would not advance, there was no bulging primer visible either. Off to the Gunsmith. After two weeks came the call to pick it up. His comment was "it was a timing issue" ,nothing more. After the second incident I figured it was time to trade it off.
Great short but sweet video!! Ill take a Colt revolver over any S&W !! I own a new Colt 38 Cobra in polished finish. Bet trigger out of the Box!! Did he fire 5 or did he fire 6!! 😒🤔
I got a strange one for you guys,my Colt "Agent" was a steel frame snub!The polish on that little pistol was nothing less than show quality and my question is,How many Agents had steel frames and/or why was it called an Agent when the frame was not aluminum?
My vintage Agent, like the Cobra, has an alloy frame. Yours is unusual because I think only the Detective Special has the steel frame. I didn't know they made the Agent with a steel frame also.
It's either an Agent marked barrel that was accidentally installed on a Detective Special frame or a deliberate replacement. No difference in them other than the markings. Either way, there were never any steel frame Agents made. It's just a Detective Special with a mismatched barrel unintentionally or intentionally installed.
Ok now I know what I’m getting from the pawn shop come next pay day😂 got a nice little colt cobra for $500 sitting amongst a bunch of other vintage colt revolvers that came in from a colt collector looking to liquidate part of the collection.
@ Unfortunatley no. By the time I got there. Someone else had it. But it worked out, I recently got a colt police positive special for a good deal on a count of a bad cylinder hand. Now I just gotta learn how to fit a cylinder hand 😄
My mom and grandmother purchased a Colt Cobra in .38 spl. for my uncle for his graduation from the police academy in 1954. My uncle gave me the gun in 1994 when I graduated the police academy. I carried the gun on & off for over 25 yrs. I’m now retired and I still have it. I don’t carry it as much but it sure means a lot to me and it’s safely tucked away in my safe.
I traded my Ruger bearcat for one in '84. Traded it for a Honda 500 from my dad who later gave the Cobra to my wife who I later traded for freedom and sanity.
Took a while to understand that, lol
Going through the big D'and I don't mean Dallas 😒
Free at last,free at last...
Bet you was toxic too
I have a dream !
I have my late dad's Cobra that has a build date of 1972. He carried it normally in an ankle holster as a backup to his S&W Mdl. 59. He was an investigator for my home county prosecutor's office. He passed in 1986. I later carried it as a road deputy in the same holster as a backup to our issue at the time P89 Rugers and then later Glock 21's. It is a great little revolver. I would run the annual qualification tables and was able to shoot normally around 195/198 out of a possible 200 score. This being done with wad cutters and not round nose ammo.
In case anyone's wondering, the difference between the Cobra / Agent and the Detective Special is the latter is all steel.
I carried a Colt Agent as a backup when I worked for the local sheriff's department in the 1980s. It was easily as dependable and accurate as my S&W model 66.
please show the later 1970's Cobra/Agent to compare along with the modern era version side by side
Sounds like that would be more along the lines of a Hickok45 video.
Great video! Please do a background video on the Colt Detective Special.
Detective Special is basically the same gun with a steel frame.
I got a 1973 Cobra. It was my dads back up gun when he was a State Trooper
What was his primary?
Colt Python?
@@natwolf687 smith model 14, 6”
@@Gunsforfreedom Nice.
Beautiful sights on that.
I love my 60-year old Colt Agent. Great carry gun!
Great bit! Thank you! Never hear about these little guys. I stumbled across a '58 Like New about 15 years ago. Snapped it up for a song. It had been sitting in the case apparently for almost a month. What?!? Yep.
I love my 1967 Cobra and 1986 Agent. Great snubbies, the best in my opinion.
Love seeing the old revolvers 👍👍
They also made a version with a shorter ejector rod. I used to own one of them, but never understood the reason for the extra short rod. Maybe they thought it was less likely to snag on something.
I sure do love Brownells' videos ... so wholesome.
Very classic looking gun, gives you that L.A. confidential vibes
As an owner of a 1953 original Colt Cobra, I could listen to you talk about this gun all day, and feel this video is a little short.
Thanks for the video though!
Can you make another one? Perhaps a shooter vid?
Thanks again!
You guys make some great videos, thank you for all the work you do.
Could you please expound on who exactly used one to kill whoever cut off Che's hands? Couldn't find anything on that
Monika Ertl, she was the daughter of a former Nazi who lived in Bolivia. She later became mixed up with communist revolutionaries in Bolivia, and although it was never "officially" confirmed, used one to assassinate the Colonel that was visiting Germany after ordering that Che's hands be cut off and sent to process his fingerprints.
Nothing like a Colt ... great vid guys
I have an Agent with factory matt parkerized finish I purchased in 1982 for my then girlfriend (now wife).
I am fortunate to have a nice collection of these old Colt snubbies . pre and post 1972 production. they were all bought used , most show that. but they really fit nice in my pockets. very nice usable guns. NC ORDINANCE still made correct grips for these. if you see one, even one not so shiny . buy it. you won't be disappointed.
Newer carry guns are often 15 or more rounds capacity, and guys I know insist that's the minimum. Some even carry a backup magazine. So, to be minimally, adequately armed, today one would have to carry three Colt Cobras. Hard to believe that 25 years ago guys would feel comfortable leaving the house with just one Colt Cobra.
@@hrfardan66 Too true. Take your Colt Cobra and make sure you have a dime in your pocket in case you need to make a call on a pay phone. Showing my age here. OK Boomer!
Still beats the hell out of a sharp stick.
@@alswann2702 Gronk carry sharp stick.
Gronk say sharp stick all you need.
Gronk carries Dad's sharp stick for hunting mastadons like dad did when he died.
I have a 69 colt cobra/agent in 38 sp also, but mine is 3 in barrel and slightly longer grip. Serious question, is the firing pin that is attached to the hammer supposed to have some play in it? Mine seems to wiggle a little, not a ton but enough I was initially worried I needed to fix something but my research seemed to say that was as intended but I couldn't find a definite answer. Thanks.
Yes, Geo13 there is supposed to be a little wiggle room In the firing pin of these old revolvers .
@@jasoncastle4818 Thank you!
Back in 1972 just got back from Vietnam...a friend told me about a gunshope going out of business
He had a Colt square but "Little Dicky"...and a colt series 70 45acp...
I could only afford one...I still have it...70 series colt45 acp blue...🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸💯❤️💥
Such a beautiful revolver
Did not know about the +p ammo on the cobra thank u 4 sharing
I am the proud owner of this exact gun. Having a difficult time in finding grips for it. Hoping you can offer any suggestions.
the best grips you can get for this gun is the Pachmayr grips, makes it feel like a dream. Highly recommended.
Interestingly, from what I understand, the Cobra used to shoot Lee Harvey Oswald was sold at auction for $220,000 in 1991 through Earl Ruby, Jack Ruby's brother. There was a lengthy court battle over it by Earl over Jack Ruby's former lawyer for his estate. During that time, it was kept by Earl in a safe.
My 32 NP has a horse sign on it and how can I find its made
I have learned the Colt 38 New Police was very similar to the 38/200 Smith and Wesson round more common in England. No?
My granny has one of these from 1990 with receipt an looks new , so sweet ! Hasn't been shot in yrs but I oil an whipe it down once in a while .. cylinder seems a lil stiff!!!!
I inherited a colt cobra detective special, from my grandfather and I haven’t been able to find much about them
Hard to beat a good revolver. I still wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of a 38 special +p with a 158 grain slug.
Just like I'd rather not be shot at all than shot with a .22.
You can shoot +P ammo in those. Cobra. Agent. S&W "Airweight" etc. SAAMI changed pressure specs for .38SPL in 1972. What we call "+P" now is only at what .38SPL was back in pre-72 days. The reason the myth of "+P blowing up aluminum guns" came about is because sometimes a .38-44 "Heavy Duty" load accidentally got loaded into an aluminum revolver. Also, Winchester made an extremely hot .38SPL 150gr "Metal Piercing" load that was only meant for steel N-Frames and Colt Official Police revolvers. +P is fine in old guns and even aluminum revolvers. Your wrist might disagree but it won't blow up your gun.
dude, listen to the experts. Yea you can do it, but it's going to mess up your timing over time, and the gun will start to malfunction.
Better safe than sorry.
@@nnm7761 all the above information I stated I learned from the "experts". .38SPL was loaded hotter BEFORE the 1972 "+P" designation so revolvers in all the many decades before the early 70s would have developed just as many timing issues then.
@@craigdamage I wouldn’t try it on my gun.
These weapons have been used by both heros and villains and are often seen featured in B&W film noirs 👍
Factory. 38 special from the 50s 60s would be considered plus p now. For some unspoken reasons the .38 has been loaded to lower pressure than what it was originally intended.
Had the shrouded version. Great everyday carry BUT it developed a problem, have always used standard .38 special ammo in it. One day at the range after firing two rounds the pistol locked up. Cylinder would not advance, there was no bulging primer visible either. Off to the Gunsmith. After two weeks came the call to pick it up. His comment was "it was a timing issue" ,nothing more. After the second incident I figured it was time to trade it off.
I have two nickel plated Cobras, one is from 1968 and the other has a ejector rod shroud and bigger grips
I have a cobra from 66. The year I was born
Thank you for your information .
Thanks for the look see and history.
Hope I can get one of these someday
Great short but sweet video!! Ill take a Colt revolver over any S&W !! I own a new Colt 38 Cobra in polished finish. Bet trigger out of the Box!! Did he fire 5 or did he fire 6!! 😒🤔
Gorgeous revolver; I never cared for the looks of the post-71 redesign.
me neither, I have a 1st gen built in 1953. Would definitely not trade it for a later model, despite it's wear.
Good video and interesting 👍🏻
Looks great!
Only thing I don’t like about these colts an others like it is the exposed ejection rod. I would absolutely love to own it though.
If you actually owned one, you'd realize that it really doesn't matter, and actually adds charm to the gun.
Very cool
Mr. Ford is an excellent presenter and I would recommend his future presentations 'from the vault' to be a little more in depth.
I got a strange one for you guys,my Colt "Agent" was a steel frame snub!The polish on that little pistol was nothing less than show quality and my question is,How many Agents had steel frames and/or why was it called an Agent when the frame was not aluminum?
My vintage Agent, like the Cobra, has an alloy frame. Yours is unusual because I think only the Detective Special has the steel frame. I didn't know they made the Agent with a steel frame also.
It's either an Agent marked barrel that was accidentally installed on a Detective Special frame or a deliberate replacement. No difference in them other than the markings. Either way, there were never any steel frame Agents made. It's just a Detective Special with a mismatched barrel unintentionally or intentionally installed.
May I have one, please.
Ok now I know what I’m getting from the pawn shop come next pay day😂 got a nice little colt cobra for $500 sitting amongst a bunch of other vintage colt revolvers that came in from a colt collector looking to liquidate part of the collection.
did you get it?
@ Unfortunatley no. By the time I got there. Someone else had it. But it worked out, I recently got a colt police positive special for a good deal on a count of a bad cylinder hand. Now I just gotta learn how to fit a cylinder hand 😄
@@Ben_not_10 nice, basically the same thing with a longer barrel.
@ pretty much. And it’s still a pretty concealable package with a 4” barrel. At 19 ounces is stupid small for a 6 shot 38
@@Ben_not_10 yes those ones spin easier too ;)
I have a 1975 agent that looks new, I traded a Glock 23 for it- I would have traded 2 glocks for it!
I’m liking it
Can you make episode with the Smith and Wesson Bodeguard?
Awesome!
Lol carry that and that HK P7
but there is no debate
steel beats aluminum
Still a good gun for a night dog walker. Not heavy and stone axe reliable.
Dis assumble