Colt Python is Back!!!

[forepaw]

3 minutes ago, Outdoor Writer said:

Circa 1967, I was working at the Jewel Box on 1st. Ave in downtown Phoenix. We sold a lot of Pythons, but we also sold lots of altered Colt Diamondbacks after they were introduced. We had them reamed to accept the .357 mag cartridge, and the barrel was restamped to reflect that. 

Later into the early 1970s, I went to work for American Wholesale Harware out of Long Beach, CA as a road rep selling firearms and fishing gear to retailers here in AZ. S&W, Colt & Ruger were just three of the lines we sold. I wish I knew then what I knew now and had the money to stash a few dozen S&W M29s and Colt Pythons. Likewise for Belgium-made Brownings. 🤬

As an aside, the owner of American Wholesale Hardware, Judge Anderson, provided a goodly portion of the financial backing for Ruger & Sturm to start their company. Thus, even when firearms were being meted out, we never lacked having plenty of whatever Ruger made at the time. 

 

Ah, the Jewel Box.  I'll bet you remember Del Beavers and Shooter's Haven too.  And Larada Gun Shop at Extension and Main (owned by Del's son, Larry)  - both excellent gunsmiths by the way.  

forepaw

[Outdoor Writer]

1 hour ago, forepaw said:

Ah, the Jewel Box.  I'll bet you remember Del Beavers and Shooter's Haven too.  And Larada Gun Shop at Extension and Main (owned by Del's son, Larry)  - both excellent gunsmiths by the way.  

forepaw

Indeed. Also remember Camelback Guns, Wade's, Bellow's Sporting Goods, Bob's Sporting Goods, DelRe's Sporting Goods in Phx and Don's Sporting Goods in Scottsdale to name a few. All out of business now except for Al DelRe on S. Central. 

When I worked at the Jewel Box, it was touted as the largest firearms seller in the West. We not only sold in the store, but did oodles of business through ads in the Shotgun News. The Jewel Box opened in May 1949 at 41 South First Ave. To make room for Patriot's Park in 1976, the business moved to 601 North Central where it remained until the doors closed in May 2006. 

[Delw]

16 hours ago, knothead said:

I had a 6" blue python that I bought in 1983 at Smitty's for $305 or something near there.  When I was in college I needed money for rent and I sold it for $450.  Listed it in az republic classifieds for Saturday and Sunday and the phone started ringing at 5:00 am.  First guy bought it and I have always regretted selling it and that is why I'm happy to see they are making it again.   Besides looking bad butt they were always the smoothest action revolver made straight from factory.  I got my name on the wait list this time.  

I'm guessing since Colt stopped making the AR's they are bringing back something they never should have stopped making to begin with.  

Would it have been the smittys on Grand? I bought a ton of guns from there since 1982 till they shut it down. they would order anything you wanted also.

[AZ8]

Out of curiosity, I searched current prices on a mint 60’s Python. 😮  Yeah, I won’t be buying a vintage Python anytime soon! Lol

[Ed67]

1 hour ago, Outdoor Writer said:

Indeed. Also remember Camelback Guns, Wade's, Bellow's Sporting Goods, Bob's Sporting Goods, DelRe's Sporting Goods in Phx and Don's Sporting Goods in Scottsdale to name a few. All out of business now except for Al DelRe on S. Central. 

When I worked at the Jewel Box, it was touted as the largest firearms seller in the West. We not only sold in the store, but did oodles of business through ads in the Shotgun News. The Jewel Box opened in May 1949 at 41 South First Ave. To make room for Patriot's Park in 1976, the business moved to 601 North Central where it remained until the doors closed in May 2006. 

Unfortunately Del Re’s closed a couple years ago 

[Outdoor Writer]

1 hour ago, Ed67 said:

Unfortunately Del Re’s closed a couple years ago 

Hmmm. Didn't realize that. Last time I visited there was 2006 to buy a few dozen waterdogs. I was good friends with all of the DelRe's, especially Mickey. He and Chester Hanson (Hanson's Mortuary) often came to fish for pike with me at Vallecito Lake in Colorado when I owned a resort there in the mid-1970s. Both passed a way quite a few years ago.

Here's Mickey with a 29 lb. northern.

[Outdoor Writer]

1 hour ago, Ed67 said:

Unfortunately Del Re’s closed a couple years ago 

A couple other jogged memories.

Before I got into the gun selling part of my life, I bought my first two handguns from Bob's Sporting Goods, owned by Bob Nasar. One was a Ruger Single-Six combo and the other was a Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 mag. I also played AAA softball for Bob' Sporting Goods for several years.

The original owner of Bellows Sporting Goods at 27th Ave. & Camelback was Ed Bellows. He later sold it to one of his employees named Chuck, but I can't remember his last name. Anyway, Chuck organized a 5-man trap shooting team, and we competed at a venue on the westside somewhere. I'm pretty sure it was on Indian School Rd. out near Litchfield. It's no longer there, however. 

After Mickey & his brother Ed closed down the store on Northern & 16 St., Mickey opened up a small shop on 16 St. but much farther south. He sold some new stuff, but it was mostly a reel and Coleman repair shop. 

[10Turkeys]

There was a place on Washington St. I think it was Bohms, and The Phoenix Shooters Supply on 16th. Was Wades owned by Lucky Wade who stretched the chambers on a 94 to get more velocity til one blew up and Wade wasn't so Lucky anymore and skipped town?

[roninflag]

I have had three colt pythons. and they are awesome. this is great news! the ones I had harvested a lot of game. including deer. 

[HuntHarder]

Yup, Still remember my days working at Arizona Sportsman when I was in College.  Then Came the big box stores like Sportsmans warehouse, Cabelas and BPS and that was the last bullet in that business.  It really was a shame to watch, what could have been, a great store get ran so bad.  Ole Mr. Links was not a good owner and it really showed itself when new competition came to town.  When used Pythons would come into the store I would drool and now wish I would have bought one when I had many chances to.

[Outdoor Writer]

45 minutes ago, 10Turkeys said:

There was a place on Washington St. I think it was Bohms, and The Phoenix Shooters Supply on 16th. Was Wades owned by Lucky Wade who stretched the chambers on a 94 to get more velocity til one blew up and Wade wasn't so Lucky anymore and skipped town?

Yup! Sold stuff to them all. Lucky Wade did all the metal work on a 7X57 Argentine Mauser I sporterized. Paid $16.95 for the military version.

[Hoss50]

9 minutes ago, HuntHarder said:

Yup, Still remember my days working at Arizona Sportsman when I was in College.  Then Came the big box stores like Sportsmans warehouse, Cabelas and BPS and that was the last bullet in that business.  It really was a shame to watch, what could have been, a great store get ran so bad.  Ole Mr. Links was not a good owner and it really showed itself when new competition came to town.  When used Pythons would come into the store I would drool and now wish I would have bought one when I had many chances to.

Which az sportsmans and when? I worked for them too back in the day. 

[HuntHarder]

Cave Creek and Bell, the last 2 years they were open.

[Outdoor Writer]

23 minutes ago, HuntHarder said:

Yup, Still remember my days working at Arizona Sportsman when I was in College.  Then Came the big box stores like Sportsmans warehouse, Cabelas and BPS and that was the last bullet in that business.  It really was a shame to watch, what could have been, a great store get ran so bad.  Ole Mr. Links was not a good owner and it really showed itself when new competition came to town.  When used Pythons would come into the store I would drool and now wish I would have bought one when I had many chances to.

Arizona Sportsman wasn't even around when I was in the gun business. 😉

[10Turkeys]

26 minutes ago, Outdoor Writer said:

Yup! Sold stuff to them all. Lucky Wade did all the metal work on a 7X57 Argentine Mauser I sporterized. Paid $16.95 for the military version.

I bet it's been 25 years or more so I don't remember where I was at or who I was with, but somebody was asking about Lucky Wade and someone else said that he was working for Ruger up in Prescott.