How is the best way to tell if a Colt Python is bright stainless steel or nickel? Thanks,

Well, the best way is to see a nickel gun and then look at a stainless gun. Nickel is very mirror bright if in original condition. If there are a lot of scratches in the nickel, I guess it could begin to look like stainless to someone. On the stainless gun, you will see a �grain� to the metal from polishing. So the stainless will have less of a mirror finish unless someone has bright polished the stainless. If you can�t tell the difference, then you really need to think twice about laying down big coin on a Python. For some reason, the Nickel guns are the least valuable of all the Pythons. And depending on what mood the market is in, Stainless is either worth a little more, or about the same as a very nice condition blued gun.

Notice the mirror like finish of the nickel gun.




Notice the frosty, more subdued look of the stainless gun. Also, you�ll see a LOT of stainless Pythons with Pacymayr grips.

Yup, Nickel is like a mirror, stainless is like a matte finish

Remember, there is also electroless nickel which looks rather like the stainless.

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The Colt is Nickel...the S&W is Stainless in this pic. In person...the difference is easy to distinguish...

Colt made the Python in both a satin stainless as well as "Ultimate Stainless" which was a mirror polish that looks a lot like nickel.

I understand the difference between stainless and nickel, but I'm specifically asking about the Colt "ultimate" or "Bright" stainless vs. Nickel. Broker or googling images of Colt Bright Stainless will bring up a lot of pictures of Colt's that are stainless but hard to say they aren't nickel.

Wasn't sure if there were a known marking or other distinguishing identifier. Thanks,

I believe they discontinued nickel in 1985 and that is when stainless, both satin and Ultimate wer introduced so date is a good indicator but unfortunately published serialization ends at 1978. They made some of the later Python Elites in Ultimate Stainless as well and never made the Elite in nickel so if it is an Elite or was made after 1985 it will be stainless. The Ultimate Stainless Pythons I have seen could pass for nickel they are so highly polished. There is no marking or identifier that I am aware of. You might pose the question to DFariswheel over on the Colt forum, if anyone would know it would be him.

Thank you ColKlink.

You beat me to it.

Bright stainless looks about like nickel, which is why nickel is so seldom seen on a new gun. An unpolished nickel gun appears matte. The difference akin to polished blue as opposed to Parkerization.

I had a Royal Blue 4" Python I paid $190 for brand new many years ago. Wish I still had it....

I remember just two or three years ago seeing pristine, Royal Blue, four inch Pythons for sale for about a thousand dollars and passing on them because the price was too high, in my estimation. Now that price is considered a give away.

I also passed on LNIB royal blue Python just over a couple years ago because I thought the $1000 range was too high. Seeing what they are selling for now is amazing.

If only we had a time machine, eh?

I agree I bought quite a few Pythons, but wish I would have bought more. I am not sure if the bright stainless do, but the standard stainless have an "S" stamped in the ejector rod housing. Also if you should be able to tell from the date.

Good thread. thanks.

Colt's Bright Stainless finish shines just as much as the best polished nickel finish does. The Bright Stainless has a mirror polish. I have a Gold Cup National Match with a Bright Stainless finish, and that finish is simply awesome.

The bright stainless it THE way to go. It�s a little �whiter� than the Nickel but not so much it looks out of place. The nice thing about the bright stainless is how easy scratches are dealt with. 600 wet and dry to remove the scratch, then a few swipes with 800, and finish off with some Semichrome polish and a rag. All but the deepest scratches are completely gone in under 10 minutes, and your gun is back to looking factory new. When I bought my .38 Super, I SO wanted a bright stainless one, but Colt�s doesn�t make them very often and they�re really hard to find.