This week on #SundayGunday, we handle the super-popular Colt King Cobra Target 22, a fabulous full-size rimfire revolver chambered in .22 Long Rifle that is just about perfect for so many roles in the life of an outdoorsman. It’s the latest in the return of Colt’s famous double-action “snake” guns that began in 2017 with the Cobra revolver. Since then, the Connecticut gunmaker has reintroduced the Anaconda, the Python and the target-specialist King Cobra .357 Magnum in 2019. Now, Colt is back-filling. The Colt King Cobra Target 22, introduced at the 2024 NRA Annual Meetings, fills a great niche. We can’t say enough good things about it.
This is a Colt D-frame revolver. Its vent-rib barrel is reminiscent of the Colt Diamondback 22 D-frame, made from 1966 to 1988. But this new gun wears the King Cobra barrel stamp, indicating it shares many features with the latest revolvers including trigger configuration, interchangeable sight systems and stocks. Of course since it’s a .22 Long Rifle the cylinder capacity is greater; this cylinder holds 10 rounds, unlike the six rounds found in centerfire configurations.
Construction is entirely of stainless steel, polished to a mirror-like finish. The one-piece, 4.25-inch, vent-rib barrel on our test gun showcased Colt’s distinctive heavy-duty setup: an extended crown and a full underlug with a cut around the ejector rod. A transfer-bar safety sits between the frame and hammer to prevent the gun from firing when an un-cocked hammer may be bumped. We measured double-action trigger pull at 7 pounds, 10 ounces, and single-action pull at 2 pounds, 8 ounces. The heavy-duty, stainless steel construction contributes to minimal felt recoil that is easy to control, and fun to handle.
To load the gun the operator pulls back on the distinctive, Colt-style left-side cylinder release instead of pushing forward, as performed on S&W revolvers, or pressing in, as performed on Ruger revolvers. The cylinder swings out to the left, similar to other double-action revolvers, but it rotates clockwise when firing—another distinctive Colt feature. Thus, the next round to fire when pressing the double-action trigger is the round coming from the left.
The barrel of our test unit measured 4.25 inches long, but the King Cobra Target 22 also comes with a 2-, 3- or 6-inch barrel. Twist rate is 1:16 inches. The sights are easy to use, robust, secure. At the muzzle is a black, semi-open, square-profile metallic shroud that protects a red fiber-optic pipe; in back sits a black, square-notch blade adjustable for elevation and windage. High-volume shooters will appreciate the matte finish along the top strap that reduces glare, and the vent rib atop the barrel that staves off heat mirage. A recessed screw in the front of the vent rib allows the front pipe to be swapped for other colors.
The grip is from Hogue. It’s the company’s Monogrip. It’s a one-piece assembly of rubber wrapping around the mainframe that features pebbled texturing, a padded backstrap and finger grooves—and it feels great in hand. Hogue overmolded rubber is the way to go for any outdoorsman, but we have to say the only thing that might possibly bump up the “want factor” of this fine revolver would be walnut grips like those found on the .357 Magnum version.
Still, this won’t stop us from admitting the Colt King Cobra Target 22 scratches an itch in all of us, making it a must-have for most gun folks. For starters, it’s an understudy gun, meaning it is great for target practice to simulate the experience of a centerfire cousin in, say, .357 Magnum, without the cost of the ammunition. But the Colt King Cobra Target 22 fills so many other niches: it is easily at home in the collection of a hunter, a hiker, a trapper, a family gun instructor, a plinker or just a camper looking for that first gun.
The Colt King Cobra Target 22 retails for $1,149. To learn more about it visit colt.com. To see more #SundayGunday, check out our playlist on YouTube, where all previous episodes are archived. Most importantly, if you value the right to liberty embodied by the Second Amendment, join us, the National Rifle Association, at NRA.org.
