Kevin, can you think of a production reason as to why they went with a steel frame versus an aluminum frame? Are there issues in the process that make it more difficult to go that route?
I did wonder why they didn't just come out with a .357, since Ruger has had a pretty good run with the SP-101. Seems to be a market for that.
Production reason? I'm not sure. Strength wise, there are issues. Like the K frame was with .357 magnums, the DS or D frame is just a bit light for a full .38 Special load and really marginal for .38 Special +P.
The D frame is prone to cracking under the barrel threads where the cylinder yoke sits; both in steel and aluminum. But even in aluminum, it does take a few thousand rounds to accomplish this.
But the production of the gun is key to its success. Now Colt has always done a great job in making quality firearms, but they don't have the best record for doing so in an economical manner. I really don't know why they went with steel first. I assume the frames are first forged, then machine finished. I would imaging they still have original D frame forging dies to work with. Or they could be investment casting the frames & machine finishing. If they're investment casting the frames rather than forging, then that could explain why they're doing steel instead of aluminum. For casting, steel works out very well, but aluminum just isn't nearly as good for investment casting. So I guess perhaps that could be the reason, but that's just a wild guess.
But it seems to me the smart way to make them would be CNC'ing a forging. To me that makes sense because it works very well with carbon, stainless, or aluminum. And when done right, CNC machining a forging can still be done very cost effectively. S&W still makes it work just fine for them.
The biggest strength that Colt has is their workforce. Most gun people are extremely conservative and immediately dismiss any form of union labor. But at Colt, their union workers are VERY good at what they do and have consistently been the best asset Colt has. Most gun companies don't have a tremendous amount of experience on their production floors, and Colt's workforce have an average time on the job of nearly 15 years; where many other companies have an average employment time of half that or slightly under. So quality has never been their problem. Marketing, and basic business management; those have always been the issues for Colt.
Back to the gun...With today's metals, I can't see any reason why they couldn't make an aluminum frame version. Aluminum would be cheaper to make because it's way easier on milling equipment. And with modern 7 series aluminum they could make a LW Cobra that's stronger than ever.
Still, this is all just speculation on my part; I really don't know why they did steel, and I'm really bummed that they decided to go that route because I just don't think that's what the market is looking for.
