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Bryant Ridge's Analysis: The Colt New Frontier first appeared in 1961, beginning with serial number 3000NF, which remained at the Colt factory. Production continued through 1974, ending in the 72XXNF range, resulting in just over 4,000 units produced during this 2nd Generation run. These Flat-Top Target models were offered in four calibers: .45 Colt, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, and .44 Special. According to Colt historian Don Wilkerson, the .38 Special is the rarest among them, followed by the .44 …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: By the early 1980s, the buying public had made it clear that they preferred stainless steel revolvers, so in 1986, Colt upgraded the Trooper Mark V to stainless steel and changed the barrel to a full under-lug-shrouded type. Other than the barrel profile and use of stainless, the gun is the same as the Mark V. Colt named the new model the King Cobra, continuing its use of snake-named revolvers. As a first for Colt, a Cobra head was part of the barrel stamp, breaking with …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: Colt introduced a new series of stainless steel small-frame revolvers in 1995 to replace the last of the old "D" frame models. The first in the new series was the Colt SF-VI, so named to prevent confusion with the last of the "D" frames still in the distributor's pipeline. In 1996, with the last of the old guns out of the way, Colt changed the name of the SF-VI to the Colt DS-II. This is taken to stand for Colt "Detective Special Two", but Colt never used that designatio …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: Colt’s decision to release the M1911A1 as a civilian handgun under the name Colt Government Model marked a significant moment in the evolution of the iconic 1911 platform. While Colt had already been producing the M1911A1 for military use for many years, the transition to civilian sales allowed enthusiasts and collectors to experience the legendary pistol in a new, non-military context. However, Colt sought to improve upon the already proven design, which led to th …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: Smith & Wesson’s dominance in the .357 Mag. market changed forever in 1955; however, when Colt introduced its first revolver chambered in .357 Mag., the Python. By all accounts, Colt executives also considered this to be the finest revolver the company produced at the time. No expense was spared in the manufacturing process, from the revolver’s timing and lock-up to its Royal Blue finish, this would be the pinnacle of Colt’s manufacturing prowess an …