Determining value of a Colt .357

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Forest: thanks for the info. It is stainless with rubber grip and hard case. I probably have the original docs but they would be hard to find. I bought it in 93 or 94.
 
Originally Posted By: drm7
I have a very lightly used Colt King Cobra .357mag with 4" barrel. How would I determine it's value? I'm interested in selling it and maybe replacing it with a Glock for home defense. I need a lighter round for my wife to handle. I'm considering getting her a snub nose .38 and I'll have the Glock.


King Cobra SS is about $425 @ 98%. (BlueBook) If someone wants it at that price! Since you "have it" and likely have had it for some time, keep it. If you buy a new one, unless you have a CC permit and can buy without a NICS check, you enter the Great Hall of Public Records. That way you have one more gun.

If your wife can shake hands firmly, she likely can shoot it with 125 gr magnum loads, the best "dropper" load. The trick is, have her wear ear stopper plugs AND shooting ear muffs to kill the noise. If you want to practice with light loads, use some cheap .38 spec. wadcutter target loads. That pistol weighs 42 ounces, about 3 lbs loaded so with the 125 gr mag in a good hollowpoint it woudn't bounce all that much. She only needs to hold for the first hit with that round. If she carries concealed, she can just use a large purse.

The primary consideration is if she will readily kill someone. If the will is there, training and practice will make her safe, that is she'll actually use it, follow the routine used in practice and not let someone disarm her.

Incidentally, I have found that a snub nosed anything takes a good bit of practice to get proficient. Some folk imagine they can just point and hit, but that ain't necessarily so. Also, they tend to be light, so anything powerful makes them bounce pretty good. I like the Ruger 101s as they can be slicked up a bit and are a bit heavier and accurate.

I had an acquaintance that was robbed by a police impersonator using a .44 magnum, in his own home. The dude got nervous and decided to shoot my friend but jerked the trigger. The muzzle had been pointed center chest (and my friend has a lotta chest) but he was shot in his lower thigh. So, it ain't as easy as it seems. Fortunately for him!

Easiest thing to do is visit a range, rent a variety of pistols and let her shoot.

Since you mention "home defense", you might consider a shotgun for that.You have to be careful with any gun in the home for shooting through walls, so a shotgun with 2s or BBs would be good. A shorter bbl is good (18 1/2 - 22") and pump or auto, but tested to ensure reliability. You can mix loads with a shotgun, slugs, shot, etc. Very versatile.
 
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I know I'm a little late to this thread but since Colts are my passion, I felt compelled to make a few comments:

The KC is an awesome mid frame .357, I have two mint 6 inchers: a blue and an SS. I think that for a relative novice, these revolvers are ideal because you can load them with anything from the softest .38 Spl WCs to 125 gr JHP .357 Mags; it'll maintain its relevance as you gain experience with practice ("it'll grow with you").

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Can't beat a DA revolver IMO. If it does not go off, keep pulling the trigger. No FTF, FTE, Mag problems etc.

Exactly!

Like the earlier post said, the KC and Python are similar in size but that's about it. The Python is basically a hand built piece with Colt's highest level of finish, inside and out whereas the KC was introduced to compete with the less complex, mass produced revolvers that S&W, Ruger, Taurus, etc. came out with at the time and this is reflected in the KC's much lower MSRP. I own both a S&W 586 and a Ruger GP-100 and I still think the KC is a much nicer gun (but that's just my Colt bias speaking).

Now with Colt out of the DA revolver business and not a lot of volume with anything else they make for civilians, Colts of every description are increasing in value; don't believe the blue book values, they rarely correspond to real world prices that Colts bring.

Depending on condition, etc., I would guess that a clean 4" SS KC with box & accessories would go for $600+; blue and bright SS versions will bring more.

Bottom line: Keep the KC
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My 2¢
 
Here comes the low ball'ers. ;-).......I still see the Colts sell very well at the shows as well as the shops. It's the Colt collectors who want them most.
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