(Updated Jan 2025)

Over ten years ago, we asked why is the Colt Python so popular? The answers vary depending on the gun enthusiast, but many collectors agree that Pythons and other snake guns are gorgeous, fun to shoot, finely crafted, and have received a boost from popular media in recent years. Now the questions are, why are Colt Pythons so expensive, and does their popularity show any sign of decline?

Manufactured in 1982, this Colt Python revolver and the Diamondback cased with it were both part of a certificate of deposit promotion run by The Bank of Findlay, located in the small village of Findlay, Illinois, in 1983. Available this May.

Colt introduced the Python in 1955 as a premium revolver designed to compete with the finest double actions around. The Python’s balance, weight, precision craftsmanship, and great trigger pull gave the gun an accuracy and reliability that almost every shooter longs for, a big iron with an attitude.

With a nickname like “The Rolls-Royce of Colt revolvers,” there’s a reason the Colt Python continues to trend upward in the world of gun collecting. Pythons are some of the finest looking revolvers out there, with a unique aesthetic thanks to their vented rib and distinct full-length underlug. Vintage Colts hold their value and tend to increase over time, and Python prices realized at Rock Island Auction Company shatter expectations year after year.

Elvis Presley's Colt Python revolver sold for $172,500 at RIAC in May 2017, the most expensive Python to ever sell at auction.

Colt Python Value by Year

Why are Colt Pythons so expensive? Gun prices are going up for most genres, but saying that the Colt Python is experiencing a rapid upswing is a gross understatement. The Python’s Hollywood coverage has certainly helped, from the 1970s ‘Starsky & Hutch’ to Rick Grimes' sidearm of choice on ‘The Walking Dead', and recently the Python was featured in Stranger Things Season 4 as the gun Jason Carver buys from War Zone Army Navy Surplus, referring to the revolver as a ‘pretty .357.’

More importantly, Colt Python prices reflect the value of a popular vintage gun that had been out of production for years and the simple fact that it’s an old-school handmade Colt revolver.

An icon of the 70s and 80s, a new generation of arms enthusiasts have been introduced to the Python through more recent media like The Walking Dead, True Detective, Stranger Things, and video games like Call of Duty: Black Ops.

When considering the Colt Python value by year at Rock Island Auction Company, we’ve assembled the last twelve years of Colt Python sales prices to help collectors and gun consigners better gauge the current market and compare it against Colt Python Blue Book value. Our first dataset represents what a gun collector would consider a typical Colt Python. The data was gathered from every gun auction category Rock Island Auction Company offers: Premier, Sporting & Collector, and Arms & Accessory Day events.

All Pythons included in the dataset have a grade of “very good” to “excellent,” and all barrel lengths have been included. The buyer’s premium is included in the sales price (15% through June of 2022 and 17.5% thereafter), as this accurately reflects what a gun collector paid to own their Python.

To avoid skewing the data, all super collectible Pythons have been excluded, including Combat Pythons, Elite models, first and second year production Pythons, collector’s editions, and engraved Pythons. Multi-gun lots were also excluded. Avoiding these examples with especially high collectability, and thus prices, should help give a more accurate values on Pythons more likely to be found and owned by collectors.

The average Colt Python price at Rock Island Auction Company since 2013.

Between the 2013/2014 period and the 2015/2016 period, the average Colt Python price at Rock Island Auction Company climbed more than $321. Over the next two years Python values trended further upward, then suffered a slight decline between 2019 and 2020 before continuing their forward momentum and shattering the $3,000 barrier in 2021. Over the last four years, the Colt Python has maintained an average price of more than $3,300 at Rock Island Auction Company.

Even though they were removed from the primary dataset and the graph above, similar trends are also observed when looking at high value Pythons such as Elite models, first year production examples, and even the rare Colt Boa (an improved Colt Trooper Mk V with a Python barrel).

This 1986 manufactured Colt Python with a 2 1/2 inch barrel sold for $8,225 in RIAC's December 2024 Premier Auction.

Colt Python Second Year Production Model

The list of top 10 Pythons revolvers sold by Rock Island Auction Company demonstrates the immense variety of finishes, history, and embellishments present within this popular revolver genre. Over the years, older Python models were phased out for various improvements. These changes have made the first run of Pythons even more valuable with collectors, particularly early production Colt Pythons.

The average second year production Colt Python price at Rock Island Auction Company since 2016.

Second year production Colt Python values have experienced a dramatic upswing at Rock Island Auction Company, nearly doubling their average prices since 2016. Whether or not early production Pythons can continue their blistering performance long-term, it’s clear that demand for scarce snake guns is hotter than ever in the current market.

Produced in 1956, this superb second year production Colt Python attained $10,575 at Rock Island Auction in December 2021.

Colt Python First Year Production Model

Which Colt Pythons are the most valuable? Considering that only 299 Pythons were manufactured in 1955, their first year of production, one would expect these extraordinarily scarce revolvers to outperform their second year production siblings. The price difference turns out to be substantial.

The average first year production Colt Python price at Rock Island Auction Company since 2017.

Averaging $25,875 in 2020, then climbing to an astounding $29,950 in 2021, first year production Colt Pythons have seen an outstanding investment-worthy performance at Rock Island Auction Company. For comparison, the Python originally retailed for a not-inexpensive $125 ($1,471 in 2025 dollars), demonstrating the remarkable success a limited production firearm can experience in today’s collecting market.

While no first year production Pythons have been offered at RIAC over the last three years, we anticipate the value for these rare collectibles will continue to hold their own and them some.

A documented first year 1955 production, Colt Python serial number 69 achieved $34,500 in Rock Island Auction Company’s December 2021 Premier Firearms Auction.

The Colt Boa

The snake gun feeding frenzy the Python is experiencing has also impacted Colt’s entire roster of deadly serpents. The Diamondback, Cobra, Anaconda, King Cobra, and Viper have all seen a rise in value, but the mighty Boa has truly bared its teeth in recent years. Only 1,200 Colt Boa revolvers were made: 600 with 4 inch barrels, and 600 in 6 inch. That limited production run has not gone unnoticed by gun collectors.

The average price of Colt Boa revolvers at Rock Island Auction Company since 2015.

Following the same trend in price as their Python siblings, the Colt Boa surged in value in 2021 and rocketed to new heights over the next three years, reaching $29,178 in the 2023/2024 period, a 236% increase from its average value in 2015/2016. The Boa was manufactured by Colt under contract for Lew Horton Distributors in 1985 as a special edition revolver, and despite their relatively youthful age Colt Boa revolvers in great condition are bought and sold as vintage collector guns.

A rare one of one hundred made consecutively pair of Colt Boa DA revolvers with boxes sold for $52,875 at RIAC in December 2024. Though consecutive pairs are not included in our Colt Boa dataset graph pictured above, their rising prices are still a testament to the popularity of the model.

Since most of Colt’s snake gun family are no longer made, these deadly ophidians have joined the Colt collectibles club and become objects of investment speculation. Most vintage Colts are viewed as a great store of value in the firearms community, and the current snake gun marketplace continues to uptrend.

Colt Python Old vs New

The announcement of the new production Colt Python in 2020 was a surprise for many firearms fans, as the famous snake gun had been out of production since 2005. The enthusiasm was so high that eager buyers joined a Colt Python waiting list or even paid a premium to get the desirable revolver early.

For gun collectors worried if the Colt Python 2020 model would impact vintage Python values, the data provided throughout this article demonstrates quite the opposite, and this isn’t an anomalous example. For instance, when the Hi Power pistol returned in 2021, prices for the original models did not suffer in the least.

The average vintage Hi Power pistol value continued to trend upward in 2020 and 2021 at Rock Island Auction Company despite the release of the SA-35.

This isn’t a surprise when you look at other genres of collecting. New Ferraris don’t decrease the value of classic Ferraris, and the same holds true with Rolex watches. In the case of the Colt Python, the two models are completely distinct, with different geometry, internals, and handling. A vintage item, whether a car, a firearm, or a classic timepiece will always hold value with collectors, a model from an era that will never return.

Subtle differences between the Colt 2020 Pythons and their classic cousins are evident to both shooters and collectors alike. Some new Colt Python problems have been widely discussed online, including heavy single action triggers and a cylinder issue covered by Youtubers like Hickok45, but Colt quickly took steps to address these concerns. In either case, our data indicates that the new Python hasn’t impacted the demand for the original.

Why are Colt Pythons so Expensive?

Colt Python prices broke new boundaries in 2023 and 2024, and that trend is still going strong. Today’s hungry buyers are devouring snake guns, and the appeal of Colt’s classic .357 revolver spans multiple generations of shooters and gun collectors who grew up desiring a Python of their own. The Python’s price is reflective of not just rarity but manufacturing quality, the perfect combination of history, mechanics, and beauty in the function.

With an estimated 200 manufactured, the California Combat Python is one of the rarest snake gun models. This example achieved a mindblowing $70,500 with Rock Island Auction Company in May, 2022.

With a surge of new gun buyers, as well as Rock Island Auction’s growing client list and a record number of new bidders, the demand for firearms has never been higher. Gun prices have risen in numerous genres, including many collector-grade arms, and gun sellers are more willing to consign their firearms to take advantage of the booming market. In the end, determining the true gun value of a Python is a matter of asking what the marketplace is willing to pay, and the current market is running hot.

The first production Colt Python Elite, serial number "PE00001", a rare series with a limited production run, sold for at RIAC for $15,275 om December 2024.

Buying and Selling a Colt Python

Estimating just how high the average Colt Python 2025 price will climb is hard to predict, but given the upward trend in Colt Python value by year, the future looks bright. Whether you’re looking to sell your gun or own one of Colt’s finest production revolvers, the data demonstrates that Colt Pythons bring in a worthy price at Rock Island Auction and present buyers with a classic revolver that has investment potential.

A Colt Python Target revolver with a factory box, one of only 1,962 Python Target models finished in nickel, sold with RIAC in December 2024 for $7,050.

The Colt Python revolver can be frequently found in Rock Island Auction Company's Sporting & Collection Auctions, with RIAC's Premier Firearms Auctions featuring fine and exceptional Colt Python examples with unique engraving, early year production models, and Colt Python revolvers with scarce features like the electroless nickel finish. Premier Auctions often includes other rarities of the genre like Colt Boas and original Colt Viper revolvers.

The Colt Viper, another popular revolver in the snake gun family that has seen impressive prices in recent years. The example above earned $6,463 in RIAC's December Premier Auction.

It’s an exciting time for the world of fine arms collecting, so subscribe to the weekly Rock Island Auction newsletter to receive new gun blogs on the latest prices and trends. Using the extensive data from our past auction catalogs, we look at the values of popular guns like the 1911 pistol, the Browning Hi Power, the M1 Garand, the Mosin Nagant, the SKS, and more. When it comes to estimating gun value by year and predicting forthcoming sales trends, Rock Island Auction’s online catalogs are one of the best tools in the industry.

Colt Pythons of all price points and rarities are found at Rock Island Auction Company, like this cased match set of Colt Python “Snake Eyes” revolvers that sold for $32,313 in December 2024.