Why use a snub-nosed revolver if you don’t need one? With a 3- or 4.25-inch barrel, the Colt Viper .357 Magnum is based on the same frame and improved action used in their Cobra and King Cobra guns. As a result, it is a modern-day service revolver masterpiece.
The Colt Viper .357 Magnum
The heyday of the service revolver is now a distant memory, and I don’t see law enforcement re-adopting it. However, the wheel gun remains relevant for personal defense on the street, in the home, and in the wilderness. Wherever simplicity and powerful chamberings are desirable.
Since 2019, Colt’s new revolvers, with smooth double-action trigger pulls under 10 pounds, durable stainless-steel construction, excellent quality control, and reasonable prices, have elevated consumer expectations of what a quality production revolver could be.
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Just short of two pounds empty, the six-shot Viper is half a pound lighter and considerably more compact than the S&W K-frame Model 66 .357 Magnum. This makes it easier to carry and conceal.
Compared to the Charter Arms and Rossi .357 Magnums, the Viper is comparably sized. However, it has a beefier, more rugged frame and a higher overall build quality and finish.
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While chambered for .357 Magnum, none of the revolvers mentioned were designed to endure a steady diet of magnum ammunition. Think of them all as .38 Special revolvers capable of handling the heavy-hitting magnum loads when necessary.
Practice with .38 Special and load .357 Magnum when danger is expected to save wear and tear on the firearm.
Digging Into the Details
The Viper has Colt’s semi-bright polish on the forged barrel, frame, and cylinder. It is shiny enough to use as a signal mirror in an emergency. Its trigger, hammer, and cylinder latch, all MIM-produced parts, have an attractive contrasting matte surface finish.
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The Viper comes with what I’d describe as typical service size (neither too big nor too small) laminated wood stocks. They are amply checkered and gave my medium-sized hands enough surface area for a full, solid grip. It was plenty adequate to comfortably control the gun under .357 Magnum recoil.
A new feature I especially like is the large bevel along their bottom outside edges, reducing printing during concealed carry. On the negative side, they crowd my finger a bit behind the trigger guard. Additionally, they interfere with typical speedloaders. Finally, they hinder the ejection of the spent cases from the two cylinder chambers closest to the frame.
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For a concealed carry or home defense gun, you might want to replace or modify them for more efficient reloading.
Stocks designed for the Cobra and King Cobra also fit the Viper. Removing the grips reveals a short, Agent-style grip frame with ample space behind the trigger guard, allowing for a more concealable gun if desired.
Holstering the Viper
For carrying a full-size revolver, I prefer the security and comfort of a traditional vertical, leather shoulder holster. This minimizes the possibility of printing and protects the handgun from the weather when afield.
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The Triple K Model 191 (MSRP $181) is a favorite of mine. Its strong retention spring won’t let your pistol get away from you if you fall out of your canoe or down a hillside (ask me how I know). However, there’s nothing interfering with a deliberate, energetic draw in an emergency.
The .357 Magnum in Hand
Another noteworthy feature of the Viper is its recessed crown to protect the rifling from impact damage. In addition, a transfer bar passive drop safety prevents the hammer from touching the firing pin unless the trigger is fully depressed. The exceptionally smooth and light double-action trigger pull measures between 8.5 and 9.2 pounds.
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Most significantly, the superior trigger pull on these Colts makes it much easier to master double-action revolver shooting than it was in the past. In rapid double-action fire, I was able to shoot 2.76-inch groups at 7 yards and 7-inch groups at 25 yards. This was done from the standing position with a two-handed hold.
The standard Viper front sight is a square profile with a snag-free ramped rear face grooved to reduce distracting reflection. Combined with the flat-topped U-notch rear, it’s a great sight picture for general shooting in good light.
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The upper surface of the barrel and frame has a matte, non-reflective finish. Like Colt’s other new revolvers, you can change front sights by loosening a 4-40 Allen set screw at the muzzle.
Brownells has red and green fiber optic insert front sight blades for $28.49 that would be very helpful in low light. Likewise, there is a self-illuminating tritium dot night-sight for $65 that should be seriously considered if you plan to use this revolver for protection. All the sights are made of steel for rugged use.
Shooting for Accuracy
I did my accuracy testing with three different popular .357 Magnum defensive loads using the standard sights. I fired single-action from a Caldwell Pistolero rest at 25 yards. The single-action trigger pull measured 5 pounds and broke crisply.
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Target-oriented revolvers often have lighter trigger pulls. But I think the 5-pound pull is better suited to the high-stress shooting situations a service pistol is intended for. That said, the Viper proved capable of impressive accuracy.
Winchester Super X 125 grain JHP, a classic and proven self-defense load, averaged five-shot groups of 1.64 inches. Black Hills Ammunition’s 127-grain Honey Badger solid copper defensive bullet averaged groups of 2.52 inches. Finally, the Federal American Eagle 158-grain JSP (the standard .357 Magnum load) averaged perfectly decent groups of 3.68 inches.
Like many fixed-sights handguns, I found the Viper didn’t quite shoot to the point of aim. Winchester Super X groups were centered about one inch below and two inches left of the point-of-aim at 25 yards.
All the loads tested similarly favored the left of the target. This can be corrected in various ways. However, some of them aren’t for novices. Frankly, this degree of mis-regulation isn’t a big deal. With a fixed-sights revolver, you trade fine accuracy adjustment for extreme durability.
The Colt Viper Delivers Lifetime Quality
The Viper, like the other Colt revolvers introduced since 2019, appears to be built for a lifetime of serious shooting. It is correspondingly priced on the higher end with an MSRP of $1,149.
A survey of the actual online advertised retail prices shows that this pistol is really selling for around $960. I think that’s fair for a lifetime investment.
Colt Viper .357 Magnum Revolver Specs
| Action | single-action/double-action |
| Caliber | .357 Magnum |
| Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Material | stainless steel |
| Finish | semi-bright |
| Barrel Length | 4.25 inches, 1-14 twist |
| Overall Length | 9.25 inches |
| Height | 5 inches |
| Width | 1.4 inches |
| Weight | 30.4 ounces empty |
| Trigger Pull | 8.5 to 9.25 pounds double action/ 5 pounds single action |
| Sights | fixed (U-notch rear, removable black ramp front sight) |
| Stocks | checkered laminated wood |
| MSRP | $1,149 |
Performance
| Winchester Super X | |
| Bullet Weight & Type | 125 JHP |
| Velocity | 1,452 |
| Best Group | 1.55 inches |
| Black Hills Ammunition | |
| Bullet Weight & Type | 127 Honey Badger |
| Velocity | 1,375 |
| Best Group | 1.60 inches |
| Federal American Eagle | |
| Bullet Weight & Type | 158 JSP |
| Velocity | 1,241 |
| Best Group | 2.65 inches |
Performance was tested with a series of five-shot groups fired at 25 yards from a bench rest with a Competition Electronics Pro-Chrono DLX Digital Chronograph set 15 feet from the muzzle. Bullet weight is in grains, velocity in feet-per-second, and the group size in inches.
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