Colt Kodiak .44 Magnum Revolver Review: Bear Country Boomer

Colt reintroduces a .44 Magnum not seen in more than 30 years, with some changes that make it a better gun.

May 13, 2025 By Keith Wood

No doubt influenced at a young age by publications such as this one, I have always loved big-bore revolvers. Single actions, double actions, Rugers, Colts, Smith & Wessons or custom jobs, I love most of them. It’s no secret that revolvers have made a big comeback, and Colt has reintroduced some classic sixguns, including the Python, Anaconda and King Cobra. This year, the company has taken things a step further with the release of the non-snake-themed Kodiak chambered in .44 Remington Magnum.

Many people will not recall the original Kodiak, which was a limited-production revolver made in 1993. Around 2,000 were reportedly made, so they were fairly rare.

The 1993 Kodiaks were actually Anacondas with unfluted cylinders, Pachmayr grips and Mag-na-ported vent-rib barrels. Most examples I’ve ever seen for sale had six-inch barrels, although four-inch guns do exist. These guns were made at the tail end of the revolver’s century-and-a-half period of dominance, and they never seemed to gain the collector cachet of the snake guns. Still, they command high prices due to their low production numbers.

Colt’s classic Anaconda and Python revolvers were well-made and beautiful, with triggers that were the envy of all. They had their flaws, though. The guns weren’t as tough as their competitors’ offerings and weren’t ideal for high-volume shooting with full-power ammunition. Also, their intricate actions were extremely complicated and difficult to repair or tune. During a recent conversation, renowned pistolsmith Hamilton Bowen told me he knows of only one really good double-action Colt smith who is still alive.

Inspired Reintroduction

The Kodiak features an unfluted cylinder and full-underlug barrel. The Hogue Monogrip does an admirable job of soaking up recoil. (Photo courtesy of Keith Wood)

When Colt set out to reintroduce its revolver lineup a few years ago, the company addressed those shortcomings. The new double-action revolvers, to include the Kodiak, are built with beefed-up frames to withstand the punishment of a lifetime of shooting. The internals are also simplified, making these revolvers easier to make and also to repair.

So no, these are not faithful reproductions of the old guns. And yes, Colt uses modern manufacturing methods including metal-injection-molded (MIM) parts. While some purists may disapprove, the practicality of business dictates otherwise. If you’re looking for a hand-built revolver using all parts machined from bar stock, order a Korth from Nighthawk Custom at three to six times the price of a new Colt.

Although it is not a clone, the new Kodiak is certainly inspired by the original and fills the same practical niche. As its name suggests, the Kodiak is a stainless steel revolver built for life in bear country. Compact enough to carry on a daily basis but powerful enough to use on a big bear in a pinch, the Kodiak is an outdoorsman’s sidearm.

At its core, the Kodiak is an Anaconda with a 4.25-inch barrel and several tweaks that make it functionally and aesthetically pleasing. The beefy Anaconda-size frame is large enough to accommodate the .44 Remington Magnum—or the .45 Colt if the company opts to add that chambering. The added steel is mostly in the topstrap area above the cylinder window.

Barrel

ported muzzle — The Kodiak’s 4.25-inch vent-rib barrel is ported with six round holes—three on each side—to cut muzzle rise. (Photo courtesy of Keith Wood)

Colt deviated a bit from the classic four-inch barrel, opting for a 4.25-inch length on the Kodiak. The barrel uses the full underlug and vent rib that make a Python or Anaconda recognizable from across the room.

I am such a fan of this barrel style that a couple of years ago I paid a ridiculous amount of money to have an Anaconda barrel fitted to a Ruger Redhawk. The Kodiak’s underlug adds a bit of weight up front where it can help tame muzzle rise, and it also protects the ejector rod.

Unlike many of the two or three-piece composite barrel arrangements that have become popular, the Kodiak’s barrel is made from a single forging. A false muzzle on the Kodiak extends slightly past the face of the sight rib and underlug, providing a protective ring around the crown of the bore.

One of the unique elements of the Kodiak is the barrel porting, which is designed to reduce felt recoil and muzzle rise. Original Kodiaks had trapezoidal ports while the current version uses six round holes, three on either side of the rib.

The porting did increase muzzle blast, but I doubt that I would notice if a bear was trying to put me on the menu. I’ve been forced to stop a charging dangerous game animal at close range, and I can tell you that noise was the least of my worries. Putting accurate rounds on target was all that mattered.

Unfluted cylinders were not popular on Colts made after the percussion era, which is what makes both the modern Kodiak and its 1993 antecedent special. The absence of flutes does add a bit of recoil-taming mass but, like the barrel lug, mainly looks cool.

Revolvers have a few quirks that can have significant effects on accuracy. One of these is the size of the cylinder throats. Ideally, the throats are a slip fit with bullets—tight enough to maintain minimal resistance to guide the bullet straight into the barrel’s forcing cone but loose enough not to raise pressures or constrict bullet diameter.

Cylinder and Bullets

Remember that we still want the bullet to be sized correctly to fit the bore after it passes through the cylinder throat. Using pin gauges, I determined that all six throats on my Kodiak sample’s cylinder measured .432 inch. While this might be slightly on the generous side, it is far better than the alternative.

The Kodiak’s cylinder locks up at the rear and is released by pulling back on the cylinder latch. There was some slight horizontal play between the cylinder and the bore, which isn’t always a bad thing.

In cases where the chamber throat and forcing cone are not perfectly aligned, that play can allow the bullet sufficient room to find its way into the bore. If there is no play, perfect alignment is necessary for good accuracy. My sample had a barrel-to-cylinder gap of .008 inch, which is the maximum allowable spec according to Kuhnhausen’s shop manual for Colt double actions.

If we can assume that the Kodiak’s primary role would be defense against four-legged creatures, a good double-action trigger pull would be important. My test gun had a very smooth double-action trigger pull, with a weight of 10.3 pounds. The single-action pull was also very clean, breaking at 5.5 pounds.

Grips and Trigger

birds eye view of revolver — A small set screw on the rear sight prevents the blade from wobbling in its slot. The gun is also drilled and tapped for an optic mount. (Photo courtesy of Keith Wood)

The trigger itself has three deep grooves cut into the face, which could be useful with cold or gloved hands. The hammer spur is serrated horizontally.

For the Kodiak’s grip, Colt chose the excellent Hogue Monogrip. I’ve been using these soft rubber grips on revolvers for three decades. They hold up well to real-world abuse, and they really seem to soak up felt recoil. Their textured sides stay grippy even when wet, which would be particularly useful for backcountry situations.

The Kodiak ships with a red ramp front sight that is secured to the rib using a hex screw above the muzzle. The plain black rear sight is adjustable for both windage and elevation.

When the new Pythons and Anacondas were released, some shooters complained about the wiggle of the rear sight blade. Colt has responded by adding a vertical hex set screw that can be used to lock the blade in place once any necessary adjustments are made. This works well.

Options

3 cartridges side by side — The Kodiak will shoot a variety of loads including (l.-r.) the .44 Russian, .44 Special and .44 Remington Magnum. (Photo courtesy of Keith Wood)

If you have a desire to change out the sights, upgraded replacement sights are available from a few firms, including Wilson Combat and Harrison Design. The top of the frame is also drilled and tapped to allow for the mounting of an optic. I checked online and found that Kodiak red-dot mounts are already available.

One of my favorite things about revolvers is their ammo versatility. Unlike semiautos, revolvers are incredibly forgiving. Since the .44 Magnum headspaces on the rim, it will not only swallow loads ranging from shotshells to heavy magnums, but it can also fire less-powerful cartridges.

In addition to two full-power .44 Magnum loads, I also tested .44 Special and even .44 Russian ammunition. With Lost River Ammunition’s 185-grain .44 Russian wadcutter load, recoil was almost nonexistent.

This made the Kodiak incredibly fun to shoot, and the combination would be ideal for practice or taking small game.

Accuracy

Accuracy was about average with the four loads I tested. If I’m going to be honest with myself, my ability to get a crisp sight picture with my middle-aged eyes was likely a factor. If I’d had more time with the Kodiak, I would have loved to mount an optic in order to get the greatest possible accuracy out of it.

The powerful all-weather Kodiak would be a great choice for a sidearm in bear country. With the heaviest .44 Magnum loads it would be capable of stopping a hostile animal, but it is light and compact enough to wear all day. The stainless steel construction and rubber grip make it resistant to the elements, while the porting helps keep the muzzle on target when needed. For Colt fans, the new Kodiak is a second chance to own a purpose-built workhorse.