Editing Colt Cobra (section)

==Ammunition==
Some have recommended against the use of +P-rated .38 Special cartridges in aluminum-framed Colt revolvers, as the Cobra was designed well before the "+P" designation.  Others point out that +P ammunition is the same pressure as the regular pressure ammunition was before SAAMI lowered the standards in 1972 as a result of industry requests.  They point out that the post-'72 loads are merely regular pressure ammunition labeled as "+P".  Some experts have done considerable testing so as to prove that +P .38 specials are not truly hot loads.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://shootingwithhobie.blogspot.com/2009/01/p-phenomenon-by-saxonpig.html|title=The +P Phenomenon by SaxonPig|date=15 January 2009}}</ref>

In the owners' manual accompanying some post-1972 Cobra revolvers, Colt recommended the use of +P ammunition for 2nd Model Cobra frames only, with the stipulation that the gun be returned to the factory for inspection every 1,000 rounds (compared with a 2,000–3,000 round interval for the 2nd Model steel-framed Detective Special).

The new 2017 reintroduction Colt Cobra revolver is rated to accept +P ammunition.

The Cobra should never be fired with extreme-pressure +P+ ammunition as there are no industry standards for such loads.