[Rich Z]

Has anyone ever seen loadings that were specific for brands and models of guns? Would a loading for a .357 in a S&W model 686 with a 6 inch barrel be sufficient for a Colt Python with a 6 inch barrel?

Even more to the point, if I have 6 Colt Pythons with 6 inch barrels, will a single loading be the best for ALL of them? Or are they all going to be different enough that they would have their own unique BEST loading?

For the record, I did some informal testing with some reloads and found HS-6 to be the most versatile with different length barrels in my Pythons. It was never the BEST in any of them, but it consistently produced excellent results with everything I tried. BTW, I was using CCI magnum primers, and I believe using a magnum primer may be necessary with this powder to get consistent results.

Be interested to hear of anyone else loading specifically for the Colt Python and results they have gotten.

Thanks!

 

[J. David]

357 Python

What you have with the Python, is a different rate of barrel twist than what S&W puts into them. Therefore, it will 'like' a heavier bullet than the Smith, as I believe it is a 1X14-15 twist. The S&W is a 1X16---- I think.
Anyway, another thing about the Python, is that it has a one thousandth taper toward the muzzle, unlike any other handgun I've ever seen. The original reason the Python was made, was for regulation Police Pistol Combat ( PPC). Since this was once "my" game, that is the only reason I know anything about it at all.
Officers quit using the Python when the rules were changed that made using double action trigger pulls, except at the 50 yard line, mandatory. The Python trigger 'stacks', unlike the Smith. Now we all know that the trigger on the Python can be made to 'not' stack, but costs a LOT of bucks, and then it would not qualify for the regulation competition.
I always used 38 special brass for my shooting in competition, simply because I could never get the consistency I needed with 357 cases. It would have been better to use the 357 cases, as in a hurry, it is easier to load longer cases with a speedloader--- but, since the volume of the case was larger than the 38 special, it just didn't translate into consistency. I don't know if anyone is even using 357 brass yet today in competition. Would be interesting to find out, as there has been a lot of progress in powder development since I was doing my thing ten years ago.
Unless you are just totally adverse to using 38 cases, I'd load up a full wadcutter with 3.3 grains of Winchester 231, with the bullet seated out to the crimping groove, with either the hollowpoint bullet, or double ender. I had to go to the 50 yard line before I could ever see any difference in the flying of the hollowbase bullet and the double ender bullet. That was back when I had 'eyes'. Now, I couldn't tell the difference between a 44 and a 357.
The barrel length won't affect much at all , except velocity, at least in my experience. I mostly shot 6 in barrels, but the same load always worked great in my four incher as well. I used the same load in my Python, before I was stupid enough to sell it. As I remember, it worked ok, but by then the eyes were starting to go, so cannot say precisely.