The Colt Night Cobra Special brings us back to the days when hard-boiled private detectives walked rain-slick streets, and it always seemed to be midnight. They pulled their fedoras low, and their hands were jammed in their trench coat pockets. One of which, inevitably, also held a snub-nosed Colt Detective Special revolver.
The Night Cobra Special pays homage to that classic wheel gun with its 2-inch barrel and checkered walnut grips, but on a modern Cobra frame. A matte black DLC finish replaces the old bluing, but this gun just screams “classic.”
Revolvers are enjoying something of a Renaissance lately, especially with Colt bringing back and expanding its Snake Gun lineup. The company was kind enough to send me a Cobra for testing and evaluation, and I was quick to ask specifically for this nostalgic variant. I’ve been running it for almost three months now. Here’s what I found. Let’s begin with basic specifications.
Colt Night Cobra Special Specifications
- Cartridge: .38 Special (+P Rated)
- Capacity: 6 rounds
- Action: Single/Double
- Barrel Length: 2.1 inches
- Weight: 24.8 ounces
- Transfer Bar Safety
- Stainless Steel Frame, Cylinder, and Barrel (Diamond-Like Carbon Coating)
- Sights: Rear Groove; Brass Front Bead
- Square, Checkered Walnut Grip
Colt Night Cobra Special Features
The Night Cobra Special looks like a Detective Special at first glance, though the older gun went through several iterations. This new Colt only offers a 2.1-inch barrel, while the old Detective also had an available 3-inch variant.
The shrouded ejector rod emulates later Detective Special “Issues,” as Colt called them, while the square butt goes all the way back to the 1927 original. The checkered walnut grips evoke that classic vibe. Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate the advantages of fuller, softer synthetic grips as much as anyone. But they don’t grab me like the walnut. Just a personal preference.
Colt’s Cobra line is chambered for the .38 Special cartridge and is +P rated. The modern Cobra frame is a bit longer and heavier than the older Detective Special, but it provides superior ergonomics, like the enlarged trigger guard and better recoil control.
The frame, cylinder, and barrel are stainless steel with an ultra-durable, matte black Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating. The deep rear sight groove is well-defined, making the low-profile brass front sight bead easy to acquire.
The crane and cylinder are slick, meaning there is no drag or resistance like I’ve experienced on some revolvers. The ejector rod is solid, with a small checkered knob on the end if you need it. The star kicks out the spent casings reliably, and the cylinder locks up tight when I close it. The serrated hammer spur is positive, while the hammer action itself is crisp.
General Handling
I thought I would like the Night Cobra Special. Handling it reinforced that notion. Shooting it confirmed my suspicions, and carrying it made me decide to buy it. That’s the bottom line, but let’s talk about those last two steps.
I have several range trips under my belt now, with over 400 rounds fired. I gave it a quick, nominal cleaning after 180 rounds, and a deep cleaning after 370. The only issues I had were early, when I was still learning the trigger. I short-stroked the reset a couple of times on some faster shot strings. But I cleaned it up, and the gun has been flawless ever since. So, I was the problem, not the gun.
The SA/DA trigger itself is quite good. My Lyman trigger gauge averaged the DA pull at 5 lbs. 8 oz, while SA is a light and crisp 2 lbs. 6 ounces. I fired it a few times in single action, but DA performance is where it’s at with a carry revolver. So probably 98 percent of my shots have been in that mode.
I quickly learned to stage the trigger effectively, though doing it 100 percent of the time will require further and consistent practice. I’m probably around 90 percent right now. Not good enough, but getting close.
I decided to carry the gun as a backup to get a feel for how it will do in that role. Safariland kindly sent me a Model 25 Pocket Holster, so I started slipping the gun in my front pants pocket when I left the house. I was amazed at how easily this steel-framed revolver seemingly disappeared. I hardly knew it was there, and the holster made sure it didn’t print. The hammer didn’t snag on practice draws either. Color me impressed.
Shooting the Night Cobra Special
I’m still learning proper wheel gun habits, but I’ve adjusted my grip from the more familiar semiauto handguns, and I’m pleased with how well I shoot the Night Cobra Special so far. My work has all been at 10 yards or closer, but I can now consistently hold 2-to-3-inch groups at 10 yards and dial it in to 1-to-2-inch groups as I get closer, all in DA mode.
Hornady generously sent me 50 rounds of 110-grain Critical Defense FTX, while Ammunition Depot stepped up with the following:
- 158-grain Federal American Eagle LRN
- 130-grain Winchester FMJ
- 125-grain Remington Golden Saber Defense BJHP +P
- 125-grain Remington UMC SJHP +P
I shot all those loads fairly well, but my best performance has been with the 158-grain Federal American Eagle LRN and, especially, the 125-grain Remington UMC SJHP +P. Those two loads group consistently well, while the others yielded a few more flyers.
The lighter, faster 110-grain Hornady and the 125-grain Remington Golden Saber were the least consistent, though I always scored with them. We’re talking differences of perhaps an extra inch on average. So, it’s not like those rounds were inaccurate. But the others were just a little better, especially at 10 yards. That pattern would obviously become more of an issue at longer distances.
The Night Cobra Special’s recoil is very manageable with all those loads. I had no trouble getting back on target for follow-ups, especially as my trigger control improved. The new grip that I recently learned from wheel gun maestro Mike Searson has also helped me shoot revolvers more consistently.
I’m Buying It
Time was that I ignored revolvers. They were so 1970s in my mind. Why fool with those old-fashioned things when I can carry my modern Sig or Walther? But my son, of all people, staged an intervention, and I’m glad he did. He’s been preaching the wheelgun gospel at me for years, while carrying a .357 Magnum revolver by choice.
I eventually began to see revolvers differently, appreciating their personality and history. That change coincided with my inability to maintain my enthusiasm for yet more polymer-framed, striker-fired semiauto pistols.
Don’t get me wrong here. I like those guns as much as anyone. My Sig P365XL is, and will be, my EDC gun. I also enjoy my Walthers and a couple of others. But I was jonesing for something different. Shedding my resistance to revolvers gave me that. Along the way, I’ve come to love them, and I now own several.
I like the Night Cobra Special so much that I’ve decided to buy it instead of returning it to Colt. I like it every bit as much as I thought I would, but the ability to carry it so easily sealed the deal. I’ve never been a pocket pistol guy, and I really didn’t think a steel-framed wheel gun with a hammer would bring me around. But it did. I love that I can just slip it in my pocket whenever I choose, and it doesn’t bug me.
Finally, I love the Night Cobra Special’s nostalgia. The old Detective Special is, to me, the classic snubbie. This gun isn’t a Detective Special, but it’s pretty close, and it certainly looks the part. Now all I need are a trench coat, a fedora, and a seedy office with my name painted on the door.
