Strolling by rows of booths at SHOT Show 2026 in Las Vegas, we quickly came to a halt upon seeing what looked like the ventilated rib and sleek lines of a Colt Python atop a glass case.
Yet, we were standing in front of the budget-friendly Italian manufacturer Pietta. The gun, we learned, is a long-anticipated version of an early-generation Colt Python. Meet the Blacktooth.
We have a bunch of info on it below, along with some other new single-action revolver offerings from the company.
The Blacktooth
Rumor has it that Pietta gunsmiths and designers have been working on this project for no fewer than five years, and in some fashion, for upwards of a decade. Regardless of the timeline, suffice it to say the revolver now officially known as the Blacktooth has not come to market without significant thought.
The six-shot, double-action wheelgun looks and feels the part, with blued steel mated to checkered walnut grips. The version on display was a .357 Magnum with a 6-inch barrel, finished with the distinctive full rib and bottom lug. The grips bear the EMF logo of Early & Modern Firearms, which is the Wyoming-based import partner of Italian builder Pietta.
The aesthetics scream Colt Python, but what about the internals? According to company reps, including respected gunsmith David Hadaway, the Blacktooth is a true replica of the early original Python, not the remade, mass-manufacturer CNC versions on the market today.
Are Parts Interchange?
Whether you have already put a Blacktooth on your wish list or loathe the idea of someone not named Colt building the classic, there’s one important point to consider. Because Pietta’s gunsmiths dedicated themselves to recreating an early-generation, real-deal Colt Python, the parts they’re manufacturing for the Blacktooth – long out of production by Colt itself – will be available once again from Pietta.
“We’re hoping to fix those out there that can’t be repaired right now,” said Hadaway. That fact by itself should keep the Blacktooth and Pietta’s dedication to the platform relevant for the foreseeable future. Per company advertising at SHOT Show 2026, the double-action Blacktooth design and name are “paying respect to both Colt and the state of Wyoming.”
When & How Much?
Though exact shipping dates remain unclear, company reps made it clear the Blacktooth will indeed be shipping in 2026. Retail pricing is set right around $1,100. It’s a tall price, yet hundreds less than a new production Colt Pony gun, and it’s well below an original Python. We found the display gun aesthetically pleasing, with a smooth action, and would welcome the chance to fire it on the range.
While hardcore Colt collectors may scoff at the Blacktooth as a mere clone, the fact of early-gen parts availability will have others thinking twice. And for those who want a wheelgun with the look and feel of the real deal for less money, yet with the craftsmanship of Pietta, the Blacktooth will be a winner.
More from Pietta
The more traditional fans of Pietta’s longstanding lines of black powder handguns and single-action wheelguns have not been overlooked. Though Blacktooth stole the spotlight, numerous other handguns are hitting the catalog for 2026 as well.
Cowpoke: This single-action revolver pays tribute to the cattlemen of the West, with extensive engraving and walnut grips in a cowhide pattern. It will be available in .45 Colt or .357 Mag.
Keeper of the Plains: A gold wheelgun with extensive engraving, this one honors the Plains Indians. Gold feathering adorns the Ultra Black grips, while quotes from Sitting Bull adorn the barrel sides. It will be available in .357 Mag or .45 Colt with 4.75-inch barrels.
Pendleton: Here’s one for the rodeo lifestyle. The Pendleton “Let’er Buck” tagline adorns this 1910 tribute to the rodeo, with red trim on Ultra Black grips and unique engraving throughout, including the September 29, 1910, date of the first Pendleton Round Up.
