What do the experts here have to say about them. Durability, strengths and weaknesses, price.

Earlier today I was at a LGS and saw a lot of them, they were priced about 300 bucks. Kind of a neat little revolver.

Nice little lightweight carry gun....that retain value.

They are plenty strong and durable for what they were chambered in; not rated for plus P but I've never seen one puke with a handful of them.

If they do shuck out (doubtful), they're aren't too many that work on the old style actions.

Basically an alloy framed Dick Special.

Did they still have those Winchester 1200s for $125? Those were hard to pass.

I didn't notice them. But that would be a hellava deal.

The tags said Portugese (or something like that) police trade ins. They had several, but they were in pretty rough shape.

I still have mine but parts if it breaks are almost impossible to find. I stick with 158 grain LRNFP at 800 fps and am happy and it it a low enough pressure load that I will have no problems.

At $300.00 if I were you, I'd march back in there and buy ever last one they have!!!

The Cobra is an excellent revolver. It uses older aluminum so practice with standard pressure and carry the +P's. The owners manual said they were okay with 1,500 rounds of +P and really that's a whole lot of +P in a small snubbie.

I carry a Colt's Cobra as my BUG, it's my favorite small frame revolver. it's only slightly bigger than the J frame and carries 6 rounds instead of 5. Plus, I can tune a Colt's D frame action FAR better than a J frame. Mine feels like a Python; that's just cool in a small frame revolver.

Fortunately parts rarely break on a Colt DA revolver.

If they're functional it's a deal. A BUG is going to get beat up, so why not start with something that's a little on the ugly side. I purposely sought out a semi-ugly Cobra just so I wouldn't hesitate to carry it. The pretty ones are just too valuable for a daily carry gun, so gimme an ugly one every day of the week.

they also had the agent, along the same idea. They do have that extra round atvantage over a smith. I have never fired +p, but it is rated for it in limited quanities. The only issue is buying a used one and how much it had been shot like that before you got your hands on it. Fairly easy to carry, but i don't think the original idea was for a range gun. There were a couple of versions of them depending on when they were made.
lots of infor here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_Cobra

I always wanted one of those...

In June 2014 I bought one made in 1957 for $425.

I was happy to get it at THAT price.

i was surfing some sites last night and came across some prices for those little guys, shocked i have to tell you, shocked. You flat stole it at 425

I went back to this store today and they still have about three Detective Specials and around a dozen Cobras available, all for around $300-$350.

This is a link to their Georgia location and are representative of the quality of the pistols. A few were a lot better and there's one Cobra that's in really good shape. Serial number comes back to 1973.

And I've got a $100 gift card.......

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=439439059

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=439439263

I would be ALL over that 3 " nickle if I had the bucks, hell, even the blue one, 3" is not common, DAMN!

SN on the blue one puts it in the 1966 vintage and the Nickle one 1971.