#wheelgunwednesday
If you look at the selection of 22 LR double action revolvers, you’ll see that we’ve gone from few available – the S&W M617 and 317/63 models and a few Rugers (LCR, SP101 and, until recently, the GP100-22). More makers have been stepping forward and now Colt has returned to the game.
My friend Bill Bell, in a piece he did for Lipsey’s blog, found the new King Cobra Target reminiscent of the 22 Colt Diamondback. He’s not far off; smaller than the M617 and GP100 guns, it’s larger than the J-frame 22s from S&W and the Ruger LCR. It fits a bit loosely in a Galco belt holster and the Simply Rugged Sourdough made for my GP100.
Like the Colt Diamondback, the King Cobra Target has a vent rib over the barrel, has adjustable sights and is finely finished. Unlike the older gun, the KCT has a 10-round cylinder. Being a Colt, the cylinder locks up at the rear and turns clockwise. The case heads aren’t recessed like on the Ruger and S&W offerings.
According to my scale, the gun – empty – weighed 30.4 ounces. Bill’s scale told him 34 ounces; doesn’t matter, it’s a hefty gun. While the barrel has the Diamondback-esque underlug, the gun doesn’t feel particularly front-heavy. The single action trigger press is light and crisp. The DA is appropriately long – it doesn’t take much ‘throw’ for a 10-shot cylinder – but is a bit stagey thus far.
It is supplied in a nice blue plastic box/carry case with the manual, lock and a rubbery “wafer” that fits over the extractor star and covers the chambers. Looking from the side, you can see the red wafer, a safety thing I suppose.
The gun supplied has the 4 ¼” barrel. I’ve seen specifications for a six-inch version on the internet but don’t know if they’re in production.
The front sight is a red fiber optic, the rear is adjustable for windage and elevation. There’s the Colt windage locking screw on the left top side of the sight blade slide. The windage screw and elevation screws are slotted for a flat headed screwdriver – of different sizes.
The stocks are rubber, have the Colt emblem and the Hogue “pebble” texture. In William Bell’s report, he mentioned trying D-frame stocks on his sample; it worked.
I had to wait longer than I wanted to get to the range. The gun – unmeasured but handled – felt slimmer than the other 22 DA revolvers pictured but, even with the barrel underlug, balanced well. The test isn’t how it “feels,” but how it fits. That’s when shooting comes in handy.
It was a nice fall morning on the rimfire range. Short of time and more interested in how the gun handled variously available ammo, I shot the Colt from the bench first to check zero. I used a Birchwood Casey EZ Scorer BC IPSC Practice Target 12” x 18”.
With a six o’clock hold on the head box of the target, from a Caldwell Pistolero Handgun Rest, I started with CCI Standard Velocity 40 gr. ammo. The first five shots produced a 4” group, with the best three in 2 ½”, just right of the headbox. I marked the holes and went back to adjust the sights. Using the small Allen Wrench from a pair of Crimson Trace LaserGrips, I loosened the windage lock screw before turning the windage screw to the left. After tightening, I shot a second group. This one put five hits into 3 3/8” with the best 3 of the five into 1 3/8”. The group had moved to the center and hit just under the sights.
A faster load would be lower still. I used the center of the silhouette for an aiming point and fired a five-shot group of CCI MiniMag 40 grain solids. The five shots clustered into 1 ¼” with three going into 7/8” – and they were low. Knowing I should quit after a group like that, I dutifully marked the holes then went back and adjusted the sights. The next attempt was a respectable 2 7/8” effort, with the best three going into 1 3/8”.
The Aguila 22 Super Extra HP 38 grain load put five hits into 2 ½”, with three hits in 1 ¼”. The group was centered.
I fired standing pairs double action from the same distance with Blazer 38 grain LRN bulk ammo. All of the hits were in the A- and C-zones of the reduced size silhouette. Four hits were in the C-zone left and 6 were in the center and left A-zone.
That’s not at all bad shooting. And that answers how the King Cobra Target fits me.
— Rich Grassi