Colt Python

The Colt Python (or .357 Magnum Revolver) is a powerful handgun, more accurate and powerful than the USP Match or the Glock 17, featured in most of the Half-Life series' titles.

Overview



 * The Python is a double-action revolver which fires one round. It is very powerful, but it has a long reload time and low rate of fire. It has near perfect accuracy, but rapidly firing shots will cause accuracy to significantly decrease because of the weapon's fair amount of recoil.


 * In Half-Life, the player finds his first Python near a dead security guard in the chapter Blast Pit, near the Tentacle roots under Silo D. After been captured by HECU soldiers, it can be found again near a Bullsquid eating a dead guard in the Chapter Residue Processing.


 * In Blue Shift, the player finds the weapon in the chapter Captive Freight next to a security guard pulled out of his car and killed.


 * In Half-Life 2, the first Python the player acquires is in the chapter Water Hazard, in a Civil Protection outpost on the Canals. Like most weapons, it can be acquired later, such as near a Citizen corpse at the Petroleum Station along the Coast.


 * In Episode One, it is found in the first room of the Technical Trainstation.


 * In Episode Two, it is found while trekking through the Antlion caves in the Victory Mine.

Tactics

 * In Half-Life multiplayer and Half-Life: Source, the secondary fire button triggers a zoom which may be used for long-range sniper shots.


 * Since it has no built-in scope in Half-Life 2, the HEV Suit zoom can be used to aim for long distance shots. The player should zoom into the target and have the desired target in the center of their crosshair, then the zoom must be quickly released and the player must fire. Alternatively, a player may hold down the primary fire button while the zoom is being released to instantly fire a round and diminish jolting.


 * Ammunition for this weapon is very rare in all of the games, so one should use this weapon only when its pinpoint accuracy and stopping power is required, such as against Alien Grunts or Overwatch Elites standing far away.


 * Using this gun in the deathmatch modes can result in many easy kills at any range as long as one aims for the head.


 * Assuming ammunition is plentiful for other weapons, the Colt is good to use against Poison Headcrabs, as it will kill them in one hit at any range.


 * This is the most effective firearm against Hunters. The source code states that this is because players perceive the weapon as the strongest in the game.

Behind the scenes



 * As heard in the Half-Life sound file get_44pistol.wav and as seen on the cut ammo box model, the Half-Life Python was originally to be a .44 Magnum revolver.


 * The Half-Life Deathmatch Python model features an attachment under the barrel that resembles a laser pointer but acts as a scope and emits a fake laser (as a small red dot in the center of the screen). While that scope is not present in Half-Life Deathmatch: Source or Half-Life: Source, its function remains. This attachment was originally to appear in Half-Life's singleplayer mode as well.

Trivia

 * In the Half-Life 2 series, all six bullets of the Python's cylinder are reloaded together, but there is no speedloader (the bullets just float in mid-air as a circular group). The animation is instead more suited for the application of a moon clip. Overall this is merely a design oversight.


 * Half-Life 2 worldmodel hasn't changed since Half-Life.


 * "Colt Python Elite" can be seen on the Source viewmodel. However, the worldmodel has the words "Colt Anaconda" on the side.


 * During the Python's reload animation in Half Life 2, the casings ejected by the gun will not appear on the ground. This has been fixed in Half-Life 2: Episode Two.


 * In Half-Life retail version (v1.0.0.9) there is a sound played during the reload animation that was, for unknown reasons absent in later versions.


 * In Half-Life, Gordon holds the Glock with two hands but holds the Colt Python with only one hand. This is opposite in Half-Life 2.


 * The Colt Python was not included in the leaked 2003 version of Half-Life 2.


 * This is one of few weapons that cannot used by NPC's, other being the Crossbow.

List of appearances

 * Half-Life
 * Half-Life: Blue Shift
 * Half-Life 2
 * Half-Life 2: Deathmatch
 * Half-Life 2: Lost Coast
 * Half-Life 2: Episode One
 * Source Particle Benchmark
 * Half-Life 2: Episode Two