Colt brought the Cobra name back in 2017 after a 36-year absence from the snubnose market. The 2017 Cobra is built on a resurrected D-frame, the same medium-small frame size Colt used on the original 1950s Cobra, Detective Special, and Diamondback. The D-frame sits between the S&W J-frame (5-shot snub) and the K-frame (6-shot service) — it holds 6 rounds in a footprint barely larger than a J-frame, which is the entire reason for the platform's existence. This Cobra runs a 2-inch barrel, matte stainless steel construction, and weighs 25 oz empty.

The LL2 trigger ("Linear Leaf, 2nd generation") is Colt's marketing name for the geared trigger linkage in the new Cobra. Community reports from owners and reviewers describe the DA pull as smoother and more linear than typical DA/SA revolver triggers — closer in feel to the LCR's friction-reducing cam than to a traditional Colt/S&W stacked DA. No published spec exists for the pull weight, but consensus puts it in the 9-11 lb range for DA work, lighter than the 12 lb pull common on S&W Airweights. The trigger is the platform's defining feature for shooters who care about that part of the equation.

The factory red fiber optic front sight is unusual for a snubnose at this size — most J-frames ship with a serrated black ramp. The fiber optic picks up daylight better and speeds up sight acquisition, though the trade-off is a sight that's less visible in low light without tritium. The Hogue overmolded rubber grip is generous for a snub and fills the hand more like a service-revolver grip than a J-frame stocks would. The Cobra's strongest argument is the combination: 6 shots, the LL2 trigger, a usable front sight, and a service-revolver grip feel — in a package only slightly larger than a 5-shot J-frame. That's a unique package in the current market.