Tell Me About Colt Troopers.

There was a really good thread about Troopers in the last couple of weeks. See if I can find it.

Yes, the same action as a Python.

+1

Poor mans Python of the day.
And still is I guess.

Rc

I had a Colt Trooper Mark V (4” barrel) earlier this year for a few weeks. Good gun, shot great, but I traded it for a Smith & Wesson that I liked better.

Yes, it is a Python frame/action. Since you said to tell you about Troopers:

The original Trooper was a .38 Special. Essentially an Official Police with target (adj) sights.

The Colt 357 (pronounced Three-Five-Seven) was introduced. Basically High polish blue, chambered for .357. Trooper. And the FP moved from the hammer to the frame.
They also introduced a lower priced version, the Trooper .357. The Trooper .38 was gone. A matte blue (higher polish than typical today though) & less attention to the action. (your gun)
A couple of years later the Python came out. To the 357 it added the full lug/vent rib barrel we all know.

The Colt .357 Magnum line up looked like this:
Trooper .357-Basic Service Revolver-Targeted towards cops/others needing a utility gun.
357-Premium Revolver
Python-Super Premium Revolver. Targeted toward competion shooters/those wanting the best.
The 357 was kind of in a no man's land. People would either buy a Trooper .357 or a Python. No one wanted the middle gun. So a couple of years later the 357 was dropped.

In 1969 the expense of the hand fitting of the design became to much to compete with S&W, So the Trooper .357 was replaced with the Trooper MKIII. The V spring action continued on for over three more decades in the Python, where cost was not as much of an issue.

The Trooper MKIII was a sturdier revolver, though the action can be hit or miss, and you can not tune a MKIII. The sintered steel parts do not allow it.
In the mid 80s the Trooper MKIII was replaced with the Trooper MKV. Some refinment was made to the action and a vent rib added.
Then finally the MKV gave way to the King Cobra. Again just a refined MKV.

With the serial # you gave, it looks to be built in 1965.

Look up coltfever.com, it will give you a lot of good information on how to check the action and timing and other info.

Many recommend not dry firing without snap caps in it Nice revolvers. I recently got a '64 build.

Anyone know a gunsmith who knows how to work on these old Colts? Lots of handfitting went in to building it and even more needed to repair one. Brother has an old Colt that needs some work.

StrawHat, IIRC, dfariswheel had posted a while back some links for Colt gunsmiths and parts.

From what I gather, you don't want just any ol' gunsmith touch an older Colt. And again, it seems parts and smiths are few and far between.

Get it. I have one that is about 20K numbers higher than that one and it is extremely well made. While not quite as smooth as a Python, it is still a pretty slick gun. Mine was made in 1968, the last year of production

They thought enough of them to shoot a test target.

highpower, that's pretty cool!

I prefer mine over my Python. I don't really shoot either very much any more but that Trooper resides in my bedside table right now. I have other guns around for SD/HD as well but I know that gun is dependable and if I am in a sleep coma I can get it running faster than anything else I own.
Mine was handed down from a relative that was somehow involved with the Mississippi State Police (auxiliary maybe) and is still in the leather holster. His name is engraved on the bottom of the wooden grips. Type 2 grips I believe. With the exception of some slight holster wear it is in perfect condition.

high power

Nice Trooper you've got there! Love those old black and red boxes too. Of all the Trooper models I like the MK.V the best. DA/SA trigger was great right out of the box and it the best factory stocks on them that fit my hand perfectly. Fit and finish were excellent and with the 4" barrel the gun handled and balanced very naturally.

Frank Glenn is one of the best at working on the colt action. He's reasonable and very fast.

Trooper has very soft metal compared to a S&W M28. Cracked the forcing cone on my Colt. To much heat for it. Great for collecting, not a shooter like a Smith. There is a reason Colt went bankrupt so many times. I would pass on it.

Colt Teetering On the Brink of Bankrupcy 2014

Click to expand...

Here we go again. http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2014/11/foghorn/colt-teetering-brink-bankrupcy/ And Trooper hammer & sear are surface hardended.

Cylinder & Slide in Nebraska has done good work for some of buddys

I seriously doubt heat caused forcing cone cracks.
Not unless accompanied by severe erosion of said forcing cone and some serious flame cutting of the top strap.
ISTR K frame Smith .357s cracking forcing cones due to shooting hot jacketed mag ammo through heavily leaded forcing cones.

Yep, those old Colt actions are awfully weak and fragile. They go out of time quickly.
Or, so I've heard from some Smith fanboyz.

Don't tell my 1926 Army Special .38, though.
It's a Detroit Police gun that is still in perfect time/carry up/lockup.

I'm considering converting it to .32-20 because I've always wanted one.
That, and someone chopped the barrel to 3" and bobbed the hammer.
They did a good job of it. Even checkered the top of the hammer and made/installed a new front sight.
Great carry gun now, and I have very little money in it. The Colt MOP stocks on it are probably worth what I paid for the gun.
The only problem I have with it is light strikes 25% of the time.
Not positive if it is due to the weight removed from the hammer, or if the spring has been tweaked to lighten the DA pull.
I'm leaning toward the spring.

Anyhoo, those old Colt DAs are sweet and did not give up anything to S&W in the quality or durability department. I've seen more K frames that were shot loose than Colts.
I like both. I own more Smiths, because they are less expensive, easier to get parts/service for, and the K/L grip fits my hand perfectly.