New firearms, often designed and developed under a veil of secrecy, are typically introduced at the National Shooting Sports Foundation SHOT Show. Held each winter in Las Vegas, Nevada, the SHOT Show is a firearms industry event that often sees dozens of new weapon designs released by manufacturers big and small. Here is what you might see:
Colt King Cobra:
For years, Colt’s line of “snake guns”—named after serpents, the Python, Cobra, Anaconda, and so on—were considered some of the finest revolvers ever made. The King Cobra was a medium frame revolver chambered in .357 Magnum. Based on the Colt Trooper, the King Cobra was sold in blued, satin stainless, and bright stainless finishes, and was available in 2.5-inch, three-, four-, six- and eight-inch barrel lengths.
The new Colt King Cobra is essentially the same gun with some updates. The relaunch revolver features a three-inch barrel, with other lengths likely in the near future. It features a brass bead front sight, Hogue Overmolded grips, and a brushed stainless finish. The new King Cobra features a modernized look, with straighter, sharper lines, but it’s still the same gun that was first released in 1986.