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When it comes to the long lineage of snake guns, we all knew there was one at the top we were waiting for. Well folks, the king in the Colt Anaconda is finally here! It was revealed back in March this year that Colt would be bringing back the Anaconda notably chambered in .44 Magnum and the world of wheelguns has been set on fire ever since.
Colt Anaconda @ TFB:
- Wheelgun Wednesday: The Colt Anaconda 44 Magnum has Returned!
- Colt To Bring Back the Anaconda
- Wheelgun Wednesday: (Potentially) NEW Revolvers to Debut in 2021
- Wheelgun Wednesday: Will 2021 be the Rebirth of the Colt Anaconda?
A lot of questions were surrounding if that would ever happen. CZ Group had recently bought Colt so those of us holding out hope were unsure if that could potentially slow down (or hasten) the return of the legendary revolver. It was only a few weeks apart that CZ bought Colt (February 2021) and they soon announced the production of the Colt Anaconda (March 2021) so those phantom worries were dispelled quite quickly.
Colt Anaconda .44 Magnum – what do we have here?
Now, here we are and two TFB writers (Rusty – Managing Editor of OutdoorHub – and myself) have the tremendous fortune to have received Colt Anaconda samples to bring you content in the coming weeks on The Firearm Blog, AllOutdoor, and OutdoorHub. For those who might be unacquainted with the older Colt Anacondas, this is what we are looking at.
- Action: Double-Action/Single-Action
- Caliber: .44 Magnum
- Barrel Length: 6″ | 8″
- Capacity: 6 Round
- Hammer Style: Exposed, Serrated
- Grips: Black Hogue Rubber
- Sights: Red Ramp Front, Adjustable Rear
- Frame, Cylinder, and Barrel Finish: Semi-Bright Stainless Steel
- Overall Length: 13″
On the surface, it looks like it is a normal big-bore revolver with its Red Ramp Front Sight and Semi-Bright Stainless Finish. To truly understand the quality and majesty of the Colt Anaconda though, you have to hold one. I will do my best to try to convey what we are authentically dealing with here. If your interest is already piqued, the current MSRP is $1,499 for either the 6″ or 8″ barrel offerings. The revolver we are observing here today is a 6″ model. Colt goes on to explain their revolver a bit more in this press release statement below:
Colt’s popular Snake Gun revolver series gains a new addition with the updated Anaconda. The 2021 Anaconda has been fully re-designed to utilize an oversized Python action. Bulked-up with a solid stainless steel frame for strength and durability, this DA revolver is worthy of its pedigree.
Experience the Linear Leaf Spring Action for a non-stacking, smooth-as-glass trigger pull. With recoil-absorbing Hogue grips and adjustable, interchangeable sights, this .44 Magnum is cool and comfortable from the range to the woods.
A recessed target crown offers protection and the frame is drilled and tapped for optics mounts, making the Anaconda an unstoppable huntsman’s sidearm.
first impressions – colt anaconda .44 magnum
My first impressions of this revolver are pretty positive out of the gate. You have a revolver that is of substantial weight to mitigate the decent recoil .44 Magnum generates, but this wheelgun is not so heavy that you wouldn’t be willing to take it fishing or hiking with you for protection. Also, the Hogue black rubber grip should do a good job taming the recoil impulse for those more shy of that kickback. The revolver collector in me really wanted to see a fancy set of wood grips be offered with this model, but I entirely understood the direction they went with the rubber grips to make it more shootable.
Next, the barrel appears to be crowned which is a nice touch, but unfortunately, Colt does not speak about that spec openly on their website or in their literature regarding the new Colt Anaconda. A decent guess would lead me to believe it is an 11° Reverse Target Crown like many other premium revolvers on the market today.
Surrounding that barrel crown is a Full Lug, Vent Rib barrel. All of this adds mass, but again, that helps make the .44 Magnum cartridge more shootable; thus, more usable in a wider gamut of situations. Big-bore cartridges are always fun, but only if they are shootable. If you get knocked around like you are getting beat up by a bully in the schoolyard then no one would want to shoot big-bore cartridges.
Another appealing feature is the trigger. You have what I would call a Wide Target Trigger (my words – not Colt’s) which lets your trigger finger get cozy and comfortable for some repeatable accuracy. If you have the opportunity to dry-fire or the pleasure to live-fire one of the new Colt Anacondas, you will be blown away by its Double-Action trigger pull; seriously! This is not hyperbole or empty-handed metaphors to hype up the Colt Anaconda. I have fondled a lot of revolvers over the years and have 20+ in my stable of ‘arms and this revolver’s double-action trigger pull is the cleanest and smoothest I have ever felt in my life. It is appallingly nice. For any Colt doubters in the audience, you will not believe how nice this trigger is until you try one. For all of us who wax fondly about how nice Colts used to be, well, this is even better than I ever remembered those older models being.
Now that we have journeyed to the rear of the revolver we have to talk about the finish. I don’t yet know how the finish will hold up over time, but it is a gorgeous representation of a stainless finish. If you look in the photo below it is a mirror finish and the little Colt pony simply pops out of the frame of the revolver.
final thoughts – colt anaconda .44 magnum
At the moment, I have not fired the Colt Anaconda sample I received (post-COVID ammunition sourcing problems, you understand), but that is something I hope to do in the next week or so. This revolver has been in my hands for only a few days and you can color me impressed. The top strap to the frame is drilled and tapped for a mount from the factory so I might even get squirrelly enough to find the appropriate mount and play with this thing with a red dot on top.
For now, I leave it up to you. Did I overhype this revolver because we have all been waiting so long for it to come out? Or is this the real deal and the wait will have been worth it 6 months from now when a considerable amount of these are out in the marketplace? As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We appreciate your feedback, and will be bringing you more Colt Anaconda content in the weeks to come.
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