Kokusai Colt Python 4 inch Metal gold finish - becomes Silver

Hello my friends,

I'm back since a while to do a review of beautiful (but expansive !) model gun : Kokusai Colt python 357 mag with 4 inch barrel, full metal and gold finish.
I must say I am a big fan of Colt python, maybe if I found money, I will buy a 6 inch version...

Anyway, like you see in the tittle, I don't want and I don't like gold finish. So, I knew when I buy it that I must remove this awful (it's personal) gold finish. Let's start by some photos of the original version (not mine for the first ones).






I 'm going to begin by a little part for describe the sanding operation, a little review will follow.



1 / Introduction :


For the beginning, I have to disassemble it. It seems to be difficult but when you know how to proceed, it's really easy. I add you have a manual with exploded diagram which helps you well. In my case, I have another Kokusai python but in ABS, I trained on it
Then, I must know how sand it and, especially, with what. For this, thanks to Jeppo who help me to find a very very good item : The 3M sanding pads.

Look :




You can see several colour for pads, it's just the different size of grain (I hope it's the good word) : The red is super fine, the blue is ultra fine and the green is micro fine. The advantage of these items it's you can cut them like you want to go where you want, really useful.

When you have disassemble it, here is what you obtain :









2 / After some hours of work...


Ok, then the sanding is finish, now, you can see what you have before the polishing:



I polish the gun with a very good product called "autosol" and after some hours of hard work, let's see the result.....




Not bad isn't it??? Let's go to the review now.



3 / In the box


Ok, here is the box and that you have :





We have :

- The full metal model gun
- 6 cartridges (There are smaller than the cartridges for Kokusai ABS python)
- A metal loading tool
- The smaller user's manual that I have seen! 1 sheet !


4 / Open yours eyes !

Now, in silver, we can say this model gun is really beautiful, It's so nicer than the gold finish !!











I have to say I took 2 parts from my ABS python : the grey part which eject the carts in the cylinder ( which is black at origin) and the ejector rod (Black too when I receive the gun).

The grip is quite good but unfortunately it's not real wood, it's "woody" and shiny ABS.




I have to speak about a real important thing, the weight. Yes, it's a metal model gun and it's important for the realism. Just look !




And with carts!!



WHAAAAOUUUHHH!!! It's heavy!!



5 / The carts

Not much to say for the carts.




Just like I have already say, there are smaller than the ones in the Kokusai ABS, so, you can use them in the ABS but not the reverse.
Why the carts are smaller? Just because the part which show the cylinder is a model gun is thicker than in the ABS .
This part :





6 / To conclude,


Ok, it's not a really good review but I wanted to show you the result of the sanding !! Believe me, now this model gun is amazing!! When you take it....pffff just great. The ABS heavy weight is good but no compare is possible, it's another world.
I think you understand I love this gun, I did my best to do good job for sanding and it's a good job! (I'm not afraid to say ) Like I said in the beginning of this post, if I can find money, I will buy the 6 inch version, until this purchase, I give you some last photos to appreciate.....

Nice Job on getting the gold off looks great good pics to. The python is a top favourite of mine it never ages

Without the gold it looks... naked... ;-)

Nice job there, I'm glad you changed model to look just as you like!
Thanks for pictures, too, there is never enough pictures of models

Mon Dieu! You have been working hard. Sanding takes such a lot of care and patience!Very hard work on the small bits sometimes!
The metal versions have so much more real feel; but as you say cost much more $$$.
So w a job well done and great photos!

Merci, mon ami !

Kiwigunner

Wonderful job there Momocampo Really nice

Your post and superb photos have inspired me to attempt removing a very dull gold plate from a full metal Marushin 44 Automag I have. If it turns out as nice as your Python I'll be very happy

Thank you very much friends, this is really good to hear !!!

It's true I'm happy for the result, in fact, I have already ordered another metal model gun but chuuutt! it's a secret and you will have the surprise........

Thanks again friends and Cerwyn, good luck for your marushin, the important thing is : don't be hurry, do it slowly and carefully.

see you

I bet it will be gold - you already have experience changing colour ;-D

good work..
in cromo silver finish is better...
do you can mount a original set of colt grips..?
if you need some real but dummy spare 357 rounds ask me..

Nice work!!!!!

luchs wrote:

good work..
in cromo silver finish is better...
do you can mount a original set of colt grips..?
if you need some real but dummy spare 357 rounds ask me..

Hello Luchs,

Yes a set of wood grip will be here soon
But what do you mean about "dummy 357 rouds"? You mean dummy cartriges?

thanks

Hi,
beautiful work !
I don't understand this gold finish on model gun ? real models are not like this ? or exceptionnally.

Congratulation, between before and after "il n'y a pas photo" comme on dit en français !

Do you know store in France where we can find model gun ? where do you buy your model gun ? in France ?
I have only 2 models, i ve find one on ebay and the other in a "bourse aux armes" in France (but they are not new).

Philippe

Momocampo wrote:

luchs wrote:

good work..
in cromo silver finish is better...
do you can mount a original set of colt grips..?
if you need some real but dummy spare 357 rounds ask me..

Hello Luchs,

Yes a set of wood grip will be here soon
But what do you mean about "dummy 357 rouds"? You mean dummy cartriges?

thanks

yes i mean dummy catridge..
i have some real 357 revolver in my collection .also a python 6 inch barrell, and reload my own ammo..

my ruger sp101 ( my daily carry gun) and some 357 rounds..
i can assemble some dummy catdrige for you if you wants..

Peticopo wrote:

Hi,
beautiful work !
I don't understand this gold finish on model gun ? real models are not like this ? or exceptionnally.

Congratulation, between before and after "il n'y a pas photo" comme on dit en français !

Do you know store in France where we can find model gun ? where do you buy your model gun ? in France ?
I have only 2 models, i ve find one on ebay and the other in a "bourse aux armes" in France (but they are not new).

Philippe

I send you a pm for explain where you can find some models gun.

For Luchs, thanks for the dummy carts but your carts will not good for this model gun. Like I try to explain, the cylinder has protection for model gun(to show it's not a real gun). This protection is really thick more than the ABS kokusai python that's why your cart seems to be too long.
To understand, look at this photo : the left one is a cart for Kokusai ABS python, the right for the metal Kokusai.



This carts are differents and the metal ones are smaller than the real one (I believe).

Peticopo wrote:

I don't understand this gold finish on model gun ? real models are not like this ? or exceptionnally.

After new law in 1971 Japanese metal models of handguns (pistols and revolvers) must be either gold, or white. They cannot be silver or black like real guns. That's why most of the original metal modelguns that you see are golden. Those that were exported to Europe/USA for sale by RMI were originally painted black though. Some of golden ones have also been converted to silver by owners, just like Momocampo did.

This restriction does not apply to long arms (rifles), which can be black.

For more information see history of modelguns:
https://mp40modelguns.forumotion.net/t1949-history-of-modelgun-industry

Peticopo wrote:

Do you know store in France where we can find model gun ?

There used to be a company called "Modelguns-Worldwide" based in France, but it was unexpectedly closed two years ago. The only real European (shipping internationally) modelgun shop that I know of is PlugFireCapGuns based in UK. Another UK-based shop (MGCUK) no longer ships outside UK. Other than that it's private sales (ebay, forum and others).
If there is any hidden modelguns shop in France maybe Momocampo will share :-)

Sorry Smootik, no model gun shops in France, impossible to find model gun.
All my models come from Hong Kong, Japan via someone in this forum or England via John from pluginfireUK.

That's all !!

[quote="Momocampo"]

Peticopo wrote:

For Luchs, thanks for the dummy carts but your carts will not good for this model gun. Like I try to explain, the cylinder has protection for model gun(to show it's not a real gun). This protection is really thick more than the ABS kokusai python that's why your cart seems to be too long.
To understand, look at this photo : the left one is a cart for Kokusai ABS python, the right for the metal Kokusai.



This carts are differents and the metal ones are smaller than the real one (I believe).

send me the misure..lenght and diameter..

Thank you Smootik,

I don't like it but now i understand this gold finish.
pistol/revolvers but not rifles, it's a fine distinction...but it's the law.

For the shops in France, you confirm what i thought.

Philippe

[quote="luchs"]

Momocampo wrote:

Peticopo wrote:

For Luchs, thanks for the dummy carts but your carts will not good for this model gun. Like I try to explain, the cylinder has protection for model gun(to show it's not a real gun). This protection is really thick more than the ABS kokusai python that's why your cart seems to be too long.
To understand, look at this photo : the left one is a cart for Kokusai ABS python, the right for the metal Kokusai.



This carts are differents and the metal ones are smaller than the real one (I believe).

send me the misure..lenght and diameter..

Hello Luchs,

Here is the mesure :

lenght : 32.30 mm
diameter : 9.45 mm at center and 10,70 mm at bottom (so It's 9.45mm whiwh interested you).

uhm..
the real 357 cadridge have a overall all lenght (oal) of 40,39 mm (with the ball)
the brass is 32,50 long, the bottom of the brass have a diameter of 11,18 mm and the upper of the brass have a diameter of 9,62 mm ..
so i thing that real 357 cadrige can fit in the chambe in any case if you sent me for pm yuor address i sent you a couple of dummy cadritge to try..

Really an amazing job polishing the metal that perfectly! How long did it approximately take you until it was finished? (You just said "some hours", is that around 3 - 4 or more in the realm of 20 - 25? )

Would you mind if I ask what you paid for your Python? I just bought the 6" version of this gun and would like to know if I paid a fair price...

Is the gold finish real leaf gold? Would it pay off to scrape it off, melt it down and sell it?

It's not real gold Or the price is really nice

No, I don't know what material is but not gold.

About hours of work, it's about 5 hours. I must say the gold finish is really easy to remove. You have easy parts (the flat parts) where the gold is removed quickly and the others....
But it's not so difficult and the secret is : the remover ! Yes, that's mean the 3M sanding sponge.

if you have others questions, I'm here

Thanks for the info Momocampo!

Ah well, I don't know, how much this modelgun costs in shops, so I wasn't sure about the gold

So, finally got mine today. As I told Momocampo via pm, I bought this used, not new from Asia like he did.

Now while I certainly am impressed with the quality of this replica, I'm also pretty confused, as there are obvious differences between mine and yours, Momocampo

The package is exactly the same, same design, same text, same styrofoam. The package of the shells and the manual differ, though.


I'd say, the gun itself is exactly the same, too. My grips are dull though, yours are "shinier". Also, the extractor rod on mine is dark silver, not black like it originally was on yours. The extractor itself is black. I also think, the hammer and the trigger are bit darker than on your gun.


Mine is bit heavier than yours, due to the longer barrel. This shows, however, that obviously both revolvers are made out of the same metal (steel, if you want to believe the package ) Also, we both have the same scale, how funny is that?


Now for the main difference: The cartridges. What the hell?!
Mine look totally different and disappointingly quite a bit worse than yours. The system differs greatly, I can't even unscrew the top on mine. The inner rod can be pushed forward. Looks like the cap goes into the front.
These actually look like pistol-cartridges that are meant to blow back a slide, still they have exactly the right diameter and length for the Python.
I'm very confused


I bought the gun used (but in "as new" condition). It might be possible, that these are not the cartridges meant to come with the gun.
Still, due to the different cartridges, the different manual and the other, minor differences, is it possible, that this Python was built by another manufacturer than Kokusai?

Can anyone help here?

Hello,
I think it is an old version of Python metal by Kokusai. There are several versions and your cartridges system is an old one.
To confirm, show me the cylinder and give me the lenght of a cartridge.
I think maybe you can change the cylinder by a new one with 6 new carts.

give me all of this and we will see.

Don't cry, your model is very beautiful and I know the price you pay .... Lucky man