Pre-Trooper Colt .357 Find

[Cosmoline]

I picked up a pre-Trooper Colt .357, the one without the ejector rod shroud. Three digit SN, first year of production, excellent blue. $300, which isn't bad in Alaska dollars.

It's not quite like any revolver I've found. It has a very stout frame and an unusual stock that seems half-way between the big "coke bottle" stocks of the later '50's and '60's and the old Bisley-style deeply-arched Colt stocks. I like it. Trigger is nice, and accuracy with 158 grain .38's and similar-weight .357's is downright amazing. A better shooter could take trophies with this revolver.

I'm not sure I'll keep it, but I'm wondering if anyone has more info on these. Were they supposed to become Colt's magnum to compete with the S&W .357, or were they just cranked out to get something to fill the gap until the more advanced Troopers and Pythons were finished?

Also, anyone know the frame size and what it might compare with in modern-day revolvers? Would K-Frame duty holsters fit this? Perhaps N-Frame?

 

[longspurr]

The Colt 357 is a good gun that got a heavier barrel shroud and became the Python. I believe Colt calls it an "O" frame. I owned 1 and foolishly traded it. In size and weight it is close to Smiths M19 so holsters for that may work. It came out in a generation when people practiced with 38's and only shot 357's on occasion (same goes for the Smith 19). I had a gunsmith tell me that Colts were tricker to get right- more hand fitting -when they needed repair than a Smith does. I'm told that 357 factory ammo is loaded for lower pressure that it was in the 80's and earlier. Perhaps now a diet of 357 factory ammo will not bother the great little Colt.

 

[dfariswheel]

Any holster made to fit an Official Police, Trooper, or Python should work.
A S&W "K" frame holster won't fit properly, since the 357 has a larger diameter cylinder and a larger frame.

The 357 was built on Colt's "E & I" size frame, the same as used on the Official Police and the later Python.
The Colt 357 was intended to be Colt's post war premium quality, top-of-the-line holster gun.
The Trooper was intended to be a "budget" version.

The Colt 357 was one of Colt's first totally new post-war guns.
It was introduced in 1954, and was a "first in a number of ways.
It was the world's first mid-frame .357 Magnum gun.
Before it, all .357's were large frame models like the Colt New Service or S&W's "N" frame models.

S&W had nothing to compare with the 357, since all S&W 357 Magnum's were large "N" framed guns.
It would be years before S&W would respond with their "K" framed Model 19.

It was the first modern revolver to use a frame-mounted firing pin.

It was the first appearance of Colt's now famous target hammer and target stocks.

Available in 4" or 6" barrels, and choice of bright blue, or bright nickel, it also was available with "service" type hammer and stocks.

Colt made about 15,000 between 1954 and 1961.

As soon as Colt introduced the 357, budget minded shooters and police departments asked for a less expensive version, and Colt responded with the Trooper models.

The early Trooper's were available in .38 Special and .22LR. The early .38 model used the standard hammer-mounted firing pin of the Officer's Model and Official Police.

In 1954 Colt introduced the Python and things got complicated at Colt's.
They were making a Trooper and 357 line that were very similar, and the Python.

Shooters wanting a budget adjustable sighted service revolver were buying the Trooper, and people wanting the best bought the Python.

This left the 357 as "odd man out", and since sales were flat, Colt discontinued the 357 in 1961.
The Trooper line was modified by changing it to the same frame-mounted firing pin design the 357 and Python used, and offered in a .357 Magnum chambering.

At this point the Trooper was available in .357, .38 Special, and .22LR, although the .22 still used the hammer-mounted firing pin.

The 357 is a good "sleeper" gun for Colt-aholics, since most people assume it's just a Trooper and pass over it.

Until the Python "Super Gun" was brought out, the 357 was to be Colt's premium top-of-the-line revolver. Quality of fit, finish, and bluing is very high , and the guns are sought ofter by smart Colt people.

It's not unusual to find 357's that have had both the target stocks, and occasionally the target hammer "robbed" for other guns.

All in all, one of Colt's very best efforts, and an excellent gun to own by anyone's standards.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I'm not sure I'll keep it...

Let me know, please, if you decide not to keep it.

 

[HighVelocity]

I've never seen one like you describe, how about a picture?

 

[slick6]

Colt .357 pictures!

Here are some pictures of my "Engraved Colt .357:

 

[dfariswheel]

Here's the Colt 357 in it's classic early form.
Note the now famous target hammer, and the early fully checkered target grips.

 

[Bronco45]

Had one in 1970 would sure like to get it back,

 

[Michael Stern]

Here's a 6-incher

 

[Cosmoline]

Thanks! That's a great deal of information. I had assumed that the .357 was merely the prototype for the Trooper. Looking at it more closely I can see quite a few differences. Fit and balance on this first-year model are indeed excellent. My main concern, as always, is that my backwoods lifestyle will end up hurting such a nice revolver. But my gundar told me it was a good deal so I bought it.

 

[Old Fuff]

When Colt was thinking about introducing a .357 Magnum revolver they leaked the news in Alaska to see what the reaction might be, and shortly thereafter received enough orders to meet their total proposed production for the first year. As a consequence there are - or should be - a fairly large nember of first-year guns up where you are.

 

[carebear]

The Colt 357 was one of Colt's first totally new post-war guns.
It was introduced in 1954

they leaked the news in Alaska to see what the reaction might be, and shortly thereafter received enough orders to meet their total proposed production for the first year.

Let's see, Alaska in '54...

So their first production run was, what, 70-odd guns?

I think the 6" looks better proportioned, but I'm a definite child of the shrouded rod era.

 

[Old Fuff]

Now you know darn well that Ken wouldn't have been satisfied with just one ...

 

[carebear]

I just watched "Grosse Pointe Blank" last night and your comment made me visualize Ken as Ackroyd outside the hotel, but with twin Colt .357's blazing.

 

[medmo]

It is the Python before Colt jazzed it up. I owned a perfect specimen with a 6" bbl. in my misguided youth and traded it away for something I can't recall. I wish that I still had that piece in my collection. Keep it!

 

[Mossyrock]

The first handgun my Dad ever bought and the first centerfire handgun I ever fired was a 6" .357 with target hammer and full-checkered target stocks. He let a local "gunsmith" reblue it in the late '70s and the jackass ground all of the markings off the barrel while polishing it. Keep in mind that this gun had no rust and no pits, just a little holster wear. My dad was so angry that he went over the counter after the guy and he locked himself in the polishing room in the back. needless to say, he didn't get paid....

 

[Cosmoline]

Never heard that about Alaska before. I guess back in those days a mid-frame .357 would have been considered a good bear gun. It has a unique look to it. Sort of one foot in the pre-war designs and one foot in the post-war. You can still see the older double action Colts in it. I actually can't think of any other revolver quite like it.

 

[Majic]

I actually can't think of any other revolver quite like it.

The Trooper!

 

[Muley Gil]

The S&W M19 was introduced in 1955.

A number of years ago, an article appeared in the Gun Digest about a gentleman and his Colt .357.

 

[BluesBear]

I thought the Colt 357 was introduced 1953?

When they stopped making them in 1961 they had made less than 15,000.

A local dealer had one made in 1955 (the year of my birth) that I had been drooling over before I broke my back. it was a work of art. Equal in smoothness and finish to ANY Python.

 

[Old Fuff]

When Colt introduced a revolver they called the "357 Magnum" Smith & Wesson's lawyers eventually pointed out to them that their client had a copyright on the word "Magnum" when it was used in a revolver context. By the time this came up Colt had already introduced the Python (1955) so they sort of moved the 357 Magnum over into their Trooper line. Thereafter the 357 Magnum became a deluxe Trooper in 1961.

The 357 Magnum (only 15,000 made) is acknowledged to be a "hard to find" collectable as well as a fine shooter today.

 

[Bullet Bob]

I have got to take a new picture of this thing.
Anyway, great gun. I'm an S&W guy, but this is a nice handgun.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

I have a Trooper in .357, and my understanding was the same as above - they had to change the name due to S&W copyrights, as well as the duplication of specs, and not that it was a "cheaper" version of the 357. I believe the prices were about the same in my old Gun Digests for a Trooper in .38 with the target set up and a 357, prior to the name change.

My Trooper originally had the target hammer, stocks and trigger. It was stolen, and some @%%&*(@ bobbed the hammer, put cheap little grips on it and allowed it to get rust pits all over it. It was recovered by the San Bernardino County Sheriffs and returned to me by the West Covina PD 10 years after it was stolen. The pits were too deep to polish out without removing the letters or the "rampant Colt" insignia. My brother was in gunsmithing school at Yavapai College at the time, so he beadblasted it, replaced the hammer and grips and gave it an action job.

So it is ruined for "collectiblity" purposes, but it shoots every bit as well as my Python.

 

[MikeIsaj]

I just found an origional Trooper .357, manufactured in 1969. (thanks to Dfariswheel for the info.) It is at 35 years old, one of the best guns I have owned. Bought one in '76 and sold it in '77. Was in the Marines and keeping it secure and accessable was a problem. Loved it then, love it now. You have to look through a lot of junk to find a gem but, this is it! Mine has been well cared for and is good as new except for some holster wear.

I have found that any holster for a Python or MK III will generally work with the old Trooper or .357. My speedloaders are also for a Python.