Colt’s D-frame snub-nosed revolvers are the stuff of legend — both among cops and civilians of my generation. What baby boomer gun enthusiast isn’t familiar with NYPD detective Robert Thorn (Charlton Heston) wearing a D-frame Colt in an upside-down shoulder holster in the film Soylent Green (1973) or the detectives on Dragnet or other 60s cop shows who packed the same firearm?

Since I’ve carried all three of Colt’s original D-frame variants — the Detective Special, Cobra and Agent — during my 40-year law enforcement career, I was thrilled when the company started manufacturing a 21st century version of the D-frame revolver series after a 22-year hiatus. I reviewed the Colt Night Cobra a couple years back for the blog. This revolver is an updated all-steel six-shot D-frame revolver finished in matte-black DLC. It is also equipped with a spurless double-action-only hammer and trigger.

While the Colt Night Cobra is an outstanding combat handgun, it lacks the original walnut service grips with the gold Rampant Colt medallions. Instead, it sports practical G10 grips that don’t harken back to the original D-frames that suit my taste. Then one day a new Cobra variant caught my eye while I was browsing the Vance Outdoors website: the Colt Cobra Special.

Limited Issue

The Colt Cobra Special is the model I’d been waiting for! It is a matte-black DLC-finished Cobra with a hammer spur and brass-bead front sight. The revolver is equipped with the classic Colt D-frame checkered walnut service grips and gold Rampant Colt medallions. It is priced at $799.99.

Adding the service grips to my Night Cobra would give me a feel for a Cobra Special without having to request one for testing. But the Cobra Special wasn’t available on Colt’s website; neither were the replacement service grips. A call to my contact at Colt revealed two things. The Cobra Special was a limited-production run sent out to various distributors and not featured on Colt’s website. Also, the retro walnut grips were not available for sale — but my contact was able to snag me a set.

I received the service grips in short order. The grips looked spectacular and changed the dynamic of the Night Cobra. The Colt service grips are mated to the outline of the grip frame, leaving the front and rear straps exposed. Younger shooters might find that service grips take a little getting used to since there is more of a gap between the rear of the trigger guard, front strap and lower frame. That gap is normally filled by modern oversize grips.

Advantages

Are there any practical advantages to the Cobra Special’s retro grips compared to the standard G10 grips? Of course there are. Service grips are less bulky than the G10 grips and don’t extend below the frame. This reduces printing against outer clothing. The base of the service grips are rounded, further softening the outline. The smoothness of wood prevents fabric from clinging to it. The gap left between the rear of the trigger guard and the front strap of the service grips allows the shooter to grasp the gun more efficiently when drawing from the holster. This gap permits the shooter to wrap all four fingers around the grip quickly, enhancing overall control. The tips of the shooting hand’s middle and ring fingers will lock against the base of the thumb, helping to keep control in a gun-grab attempt. The Cobra Special also sits lower in the hand for better control of recoil and more natural pointing.

Wrap Up

If you’re interested in a Colt Cobra as a defensive revolver, see if you can locate a Cobra Special. It is the model most like the original D-frames. But don’t wait too long to try to get one! They’re becoming more challenging to find. I would like to see Colt offer the service grips for sale as an accessory for other current Cobra owners who want to go “back to the future.” Are you reading this, Colt?

Sources

Colt: Colt.com

About Scott W. Wagner

Scott W. Wagner has been a law enforcement officer since 1980, working undercover in liquor and narcotics investigations and as a member, sniper and assistant team leader of a SWAT team. He currently works as a patrol sergeant. He is a police firearms instructor, certified to train revolver, semi-automatic pistol, shotgun, semi- and fully automatic patrol rifle, and submachine gun. Scott also works as a criminal justice professor and police academy commander.