I feel like my local gun store is kind of like the Pawn Shop from Pawn Stars. You never know what walks through those doors. For me, it’s been a lot of S&W Third Generation pistols, a random lot of old .32 S&W Long ammo, a belt-fed semi-auto 1919, and an odd number of SIG 556 pistols. Most recently, I walked into the gun shop, and the owner said I have something to show you, and whipped out a Colt Stalker.
What is the Colt Stalker
“A what?” That’s what I asked. What the hell is a Colt Stalker? It’s rare that a gun from a major manufacturer exists that I’m not aware of. That’s not a brag, it’s a confession of the fact that I don’t have much of a life. I had never heard of the Stalker, and I guess there is a good reason why. Colt only produced 200 Stalkers total in 1988.
A year before I was born, and with only 200 made, the Colt Stalker only has a one-sentence mention on Wikipedia. I sat in awe of this big chrome revolver, and the owner of the gun store was kind enough to let me take some photos to do a write-up here.
History Of the Colt Stalker
Colt has a history of producing limited-edition models of the Python and the Anaconda to a lesser extent. They produced the Colt Grizzly and Kodiaks. They had the Colt Boa, the Python Silhouette, the Ten Pointer, the Python Target, and probably more I’m forgetting. The point is I’ve heard of all those, but not much of the Stalker.
The history isn’t extensive. It’s a Colt Python produced in 1988. The cylinder is unfluted and absolutely beautiful. I’m a real stickler for an unfluted cylinder. I get the necessity of the flute, but dear God, that rounded, bare steel is beautiful.
The Stalker has an 8-inch barrel with the traditional Python Vent Rib. Each Stalker came with a Leupold M8-2x Extended E.R. long eye relief scope. These guns all had large rubber grips with a nice gold Prancing Pony medallion. These guns all came with a large Colt-branded nylon shoulder holster that accommodated both the gun and optic.
The gun feels surprisingly well-balanced. Like every Colt Python, it’s heavy. The optic and the 8-inch barrel would make it front-heavy, but the large grips give you good purchase and make it easy to aim. The long eye relief optic is always interesting, and while it’s not red dot fast in 1988, it was the go-to option for handgun hunters.
The Stalker would be an excellent revolver for those 50 to 100-yard shots. The 8-inch barrel provides plenty of velocity to a hot .357 Magnum cartridge, and the .357 Magnum flies fairly flat. A little magnification would go a long way to making those shots on the eight-inch heart and lung section of a deer.
The Stalker – A Legacy Unknown
This entire collection is extremely rare, so much so that I’ve only found a few at auction websites. One sold for over $17,000 as part of a Rock Island Auction. Another sold for over $16,000. These are extremely rare and valuable guns that rarely come up for sale.
I have to say the stainless scope and stainless revolver look fantastic. It doesn’t quite match, but it’s not a 50 shades of SCAR type design. The Nylon shoulder rig is stout and surprisingly nice. It provides total protection to the gun, so you don’t gotta worry about screwing up your very expensive gun’s beautiful finish.
The purpose of a gun like this is clearly hunting. It’s called the Stalker, and hunters who stalk will often carry a magnum power revolver. However, I doubt many went to the field for hunting. When you have a gun that’s one of 200, you aren’t taking it to the field every fall.
I assume this might be the rarest production Colt Python variant ever produced. This one will soon be for sale, so Colt collectors need to be on the lookout.
