Colt’s revitalized Snake Gun lineup continues to evolve as American shooters rediscover the venerable revolver as a viable and fun handgun platform. The Colt Anaconda is among those revitalized designs, offering a big, beefy wheel gun chambered in .44 Magnum/.44 Special and .45 Colt. The stainless steel Anaconda comes with a 4.25,6,or 8-inch barrel. Colt also offers a blued steel variant in .44 Magnum/.44 Special only. That one comes with walnut grips.
I’ve fully embraced the revolver resurgence, which comes as my interest in revolvers is ramping up after literally decades of not caring. As I’ve noted elsewhere, I find it ever more difficult to sustain my enthusiasm for new polymer-framed, striker-fired pistols. I like them fine, but I really need a change of pace. Wheel guns, here I come.
Colt kindly offered a test run of the Anaconda, for which I chose the 4.25-inch variant chambered in .45 Colt. My review will focus on that particular gun from here on. Let’s begin with basic specifications.
Colt Anaconda Specifications (4.25-inch Barrel)
- Available Calibers: .44 Magnum/.44 Special and .45 Colt
- Capacity: 6 Rounds
- Action: Single/Double
- Barrel Length: 4.25 inches
- Overall Length: 9.75 inches
- Width: 1.75 inches
- Weight: 42 Ounces
- All Stainless Steel Construction
- Fully-Adjustable Rear Sights
- Tapped for Optic Plate or Rail Section
Colt Anaconda Features
The Anaconda’s large frame feels solid, with a very satisfying weight. New to revolvers though I am, I definitely prefer a heavier gun, especially for larger calibers. You’ll never catch me with a 3-inch barreled .44 Magnum. You do you, but that’s not my thing. The full underlug and vented top rib add to that feel and help reduce the felt recoil and muzzle flip further. The Anaconda reminds me of a beefier Python.
The cylinder and crane are equally solid and release smoothly from the traditional Colt catch. The shrouded ejector rod features a knurled and textured knob. The ejector star is very responsive, though I experienced a couple small hangups which I’ll address below. A recessed target crown protects the barrel’s rifling.
The front sight blade features a highly-visible orange insert to aid target acquisition, and the rear sights are fully-adjustable. You can even swap them out for different sights if you like. Colt tapped the top strap for an optical plate, which you can purchase separately. I didn’t have the plate, so I did not run an optic during this test. Nice to have the option though, since optic-equipped revolvers are becoming more popular.
The rubberized, Colt-branded Hogue grip feels good in the hand and offers a very positive purchase. I’m ambivalent on finger grooves, but I like these. Anaconda grips are, however, compatible with Python grips, so you have lots of options if you want to change them out.
We all know the trigger can make or break any gun. The Anaconda’s trigger is quite nice, breaking at 5 lbs. in single action mode, and just under 12 in double action. The wide, textured trigger and hammer make for solid, easy purchase. The hammer is surprisingly light and smooth.
Shooting the Colt Anaconda
Some 400 rounds of ammunition over several range trips have given me definite opinions about the Anaconda. It got a wipe down about halfway through, but not a detailed cleaning. The gun’s size, weight, and the nice Hogue grips made for easy recoil control and aided my being able to get back on target quickly. The sights help too, with the rear notch framing the high-visibility orange front sight nicely.
The trigger met the expectations I formed in my initial inspection. The single action is light and crisp, while the double action is smooth and consistent, especially once I learned to stage it properly. That didn’t take long, and shooting the Anaconda was a real pleasure. Most of my shots were double action since I think that more accurately reflects real world use in the field.
The cylinder isn’t just smooth. It’s slick. I showed the gun to my brother, and he marveled at how effortlessly the crane swings out and the cylinder spins. The lockup is precise and tight.
I’ve had one issue, however, over my 400 rounds of shooting the Anaconda. On two different occasions, the cylinder star failed to eject a spent case because the rim somehow got underneath the star itself. I easily removed the cases by hand. I believe the problem lies in a tolerance problem at one particular spot on the star since it happened in the same relative position each time. Each incident happened with a different ammo brand. The Anaconda was perfectly reliable otherwise.
Anaconda Accuracy
My revolver accuracy is quickly improving thanks to a new grip my friend Mike Searson taught me. Effectively staging the double action trigger helps too, and I’m really trying to drill that skill into myself. That said, the Anaconda was very accurate, and almost certainly more accurate than I am at this stage.
I consistently held 2-inch groups at 10 yards firing double action, with a flyer every now and again that was almost certainly my fault. 25 yards yielded 4-to-5-inch groups. Not stellar, but I’m getting there. I shot the following loads, generously provided by Ammo-to-Go:
- 225-grain Federal American Eagle JSP
- 255-grain Fiocchi Range Dynamics CMJ
- 200-grain Magtech Cowboy Action Lead Flat Nose
- 250-grain Winchester Super X Cowboy Action Lead Flat Nose
None of these loads was noticeably more or less accurate than the others. But I seemed to like the Winchester Cowboy Action loads the best. I can’t really articulate why. My co-tester felt the same way. We just noticed that we liked them better.
The Anaconda was 100 percent reliable through all our tests. The timing was dialed in, and everything went bang when it was supposed to. The two incidents with the ejector star were the only problems.
Parting Shots
The Anaconda feels like a quality revolver. If you’ve handled cheap wheel guns, you know what I mean by that. Everything is smooth and slick, with a satisfying operation. I operate the hammer and swing out the cylinder while sitting at my desk just because I want to. I also like the Anaconda’s heft, and not just because it helps mitigate recoil. The semi-bright finish gleams, making the Anaconda’s already pleasing lines even more visually attractive.
But aesthetics only get you so far and are completely useless if the gun doesn’t perform. 400 rounds cannot speak to long-term durability, but I only have the Anaconda for so long. I can, however, say that the gun was fantastic through those 400 rounds, allowing for the two issues with the ejector star. That really isn’t a huge deal for me, personally, but I’m not you, so it bears repeating. I can’t say whether it’s only this gun, but I haven’t seen anyone else complain about it.
The Anaconda deserves a long, serious look. Colt is bringing the Snake Guns back with a bang. I, for one, am glad to see it. The Anaconda is a fine addition to the series. Check it out for yourself.
