Commit

Author: StanFromIreland

Lib/test/test_range.py

@@ -584,6 +584,14 @@ def check(start, stop, step=None):
             check(0, -1)
             check(-1, -3, -1)
 
+        for test in (range(5), range(0), range(1, 10, 2), range(10, 0, -1)):
+            with self.subTest(test=test):
+                self.assertIs(test, test[:])
+
+                if len(test) > 1:
+                    self.assertIsNot(test, test[1:])
+                    self.assertIsNot(test, test[:-1])
+
     def test_contains(self):
         r = range(10)
         self.assertIn(0, r)

Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core_and_Builtins/2025-10-04-14-06-40.gh-issue-139476.02iIfn.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+:func:`range` slicing with ``[:]`` no longer creates a copy, it now returns
+the same object, consistent with :func:`copy.copy`.

Objects/rangeobject.c

@@ -409,6 +409,10 @@ compute_slice(rangeobject *r, PyObject *_slice)
     PyObject *substart = NULL, *substop = NULL, *substep = NULL;
     int error;
 
+    if (slice->start == Py_None && slice->stop == Py_None && slice->step == Py_None) {
+        return Py_NewRef(r);
+    }
+
     error = _PySlice_GetLongIndices(slice, r->length, &start, &stop, &step);
     if (error == -1)
         return NULL;