Colt Trooper MK III

[madwell]

Just got my first colt and like the title says it's a Colt Trooper MK III with a 6" barrel. Can't wait to get out and shoot this beast. I paid 200 bucks for it with two sets of grips and two speed loaders no box or papers.

Sorry no pictures.

 

[Jaymo]

You stole it.

 

[madwell]

Thanks Jaymo I was pretty happy with the deal. It does show a little wear by the muzzle but it doesn't bug me I bought it to be a shooter.

 

[Walkalong]

That is a screaming deal on a great gun. Congrats. I love mine. I was so impressed with mine in fact, I bought another one.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Great deal on a stout gun.

 

[ghitch75]

great deal!!!...i just pick up a 2" Lawman for 300 and i thought i got a good deal

 

[dfariswheel]

If you dry fire these later Colt's, always use snap caps to protect the firing pin.
The pin "can" break and that requires a trip back to Colt for replacement.
A special press device is needed to press the old pin out and a new one in to prevent damaging the frame.

 

[Slamfire]

$200.00! I paid a lot more for mine!

Why can't I get on deals like this

 

[skidder]

You did good. I thought I got a good deal on my Trooper 357 for $380

You knocked it out of the park!

 

[Ditchtiger]

I paid $175 for mine with a 4" barrel.
But that was 20 years ago.

 

[madwell]

Thanks all I knew it was a good deal thats why I jumped on it. I have been lucky this summer on revolvers I also got a 2.5" model 19 not long ago for under 400. I'm going to take the trooper, the model 19, and the speed six to the range on monday and do a side by side comparison.

 

[rswartsell]

Skidder,

You did get a good deal on yours, probably at least the equal of the score madwell got. The key difference is yours is "pre Mk III". Yours is hand fitted, with the Mk III series Colt re-racked the balls entirely and re-engineered the entire action with an eye toward manufacturing cost reduction. This did not produce "junk" just that to collectors (and discerning shooters) the value of the pre Mk III's is higher and they pay as such for them. I have owned 3 of the Mk III's, a 4" Trooper Mk III, a 6 " and a 2" Lawman Mk III and am sold on them. Madwell paid less than I ever did.

The Trooper you bought is a different animal entirely. With the hand fitting and all forged parts it is in no-ones opinion the same or inferior, to most superior. They are also getting more scarce than the Mk III's.

It isn't the same action just not hand fitted, it is different entirely and not to be seen again. Neither will the Mk III's come to think of it.

 

[madwell]

dfariswheel,

I have read about the firing pin breaking on other forums how common is this? I won't be dry firing this gun with out snap caps thanks for the heads up.

 

[rswartsell]

dfariswheel is undoubtedly more qualified than I, but IMHO breakage from dry firing in this Colt is no more likely than any other revolver with a frame mounted pin. Just that the consequences of doing so are tougher, with Colt DA's out of production and this particular design requiring specialized equipment and no 'smiths interested (or really able) to make the investment outside the Colt factory.

Snap caps are never a bad idea. Just more significant with frame mounted pin Colt models for the reasons stated. I suggest A-Zoom, while a touch more expensive they are built to last and every other that I have seen are "temporaries" that will soon disintegrate with use. Some use fired cases as snap caps but I doubt the utility of these if the pin falls into the same pocket previously produced and I doubt the resilience of the primer material for repeated strikes even if it doesn't.

 

[skidder]

Skidder,

You did get a good deal on yours, probably at least the equal of the score madwell got. The key difference is yours is "pre Mk III". Yours is hand fitted, with the Mk III series Colt re-racked the balls entirely and re-engineered the entire action with an eye toward manufacturing cost reduction. This did not produce "junk" just that to collectors (and discerning shooters) the value of the pre Mk III's is higher and they pay as such for them. I have owned 3 of the Mk III's, a 4" Trooper Mk III, a 6 " and a 2" Lawman Mk III and am sold on them. Madwell paid less than I ever did.

The Trooper you bought is a different animal entirely. With the hand fitting and all forged parts it is in no-ones opinion the same or inferior, to most superior. They are also getting more scarce than the Mk III's.

It isn't the same action just not hand fitted, it is different entirely and not to be seen again. Neither will the Mk III's come to think of it.

Thanks bud.
I'm still learning about these Colts. I've always had Rugers and Smiths till recently. They sure are fun to shoot.

 

[dfariswheel]

For reasons not clear, there does seem to be more of a problem with the Mark III and later Colt's suffering broken firing pins.
The suspicion is that it's possible some batches of firing pins may have not been heat treated correctly.

Whatever the cause, I did see more broken Mark III and later Colt firing pins than in the "I" frames like the Python, Trooper, and 357.

 

[rswartsell]

To those that do not already know this;

dfariswheel is the man when it comes to Colt revolvers, at least on this board.

For he who has ears to hear, let him listen.

 

[2DREZQ]

The proverbial '66 'Vette in the barn...

I never find deals like this anymore...

 

[ColtPythonElite]

There a few NIB ones out there....

 

[WayBeau]

Not trying to highjack this thread, but what value would you all put on a Colt Trooper III that is in 'excellent' condition? I'm in talks with a guy who wants to trade me his for a shotgun I have and I'm just wondering.

Thanks.

 

[Guillermo]

$450 -550 is going rate around here

 

[22-rimfire]

You see higher prices than $450-$550. But for me, I would not be interested in a NIB one above $550 in 357 mag unless is was nickel. The 22's are different in terms of pricing. One local gunshop had a NIB 357 blue Trooper Mark III for about $1000. Don't know if they ever sold that one or not at that kind of price.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I will take any and every NIB one that comes along priced under $650.

 

[788Ham]

SlamFire1, thats sure a nice looker, I need to pay more attention at the upcoming GS's, see if I can scrounge one up, even if it was 1/2 as nice as yours!

 

[22-rimfire]

The price on Trooper Mark III's were previously fairly stagnant, but in the last couple of years they are moving up like most Colt revolvers. Honestly, I would seriously consider a NIB 357 version at $650 these days.