Pythooper or Troothon?

[Grayrock]

I've always wanted a Python- but they are out of reach of the pocketbook. Was thinking of a poor man's Python- could you get a Colt Trooper and put a Python barrel on it? What is the difference between the Trooper and the Python- other than the barrel contour? What is the difference between the different Marks of the Trooper (Mark III, Mark VI, etc)? I've seen a "Co-uger".

 

[il_10]

A pre Mk III trooper, and the earlier "357 model," is the same as a python except for the barrel and the shoulder of the frame near the barrel. They can, and have, been rebarreled with python barrels, but it won't come out to be all that economical to go this route. There's some welding and contouring that needs to be done to get the frame to line up right.
However, MKIII and newer troopers are a different animal altogether. They switched to coil-springs in the mechanism along with other more "modern" production methods. The trigger pull is different.

 

[SaxonPig]

There is a big gap at the top when a Python barrel is put on a Trooper. Looks simply awful. By the time you bought a barrel and had it installed you would be getting close enough to the price of a Python that it would make no sense at all. Trying to convert guns into other guns is never a good idea.

What's wrong with the Trooper as is?

 

[bikemutt]

I'm having a minor trigger job done on a King Cobra right now, Wolff springs I believe and some polishing. I had the gunsmith dry fire both the KC and my Python, needless to say his face lit up when he squeezed off the Python, he said something like "I think I can get the KC close to this". I should pick it up later this week and will post back with the result. The total cost is $100.

If this is successful, I will let him have his way with my Trooper Mk III next.

From an accuracy standpoint, for me, I'm a better shot with the Trooper than either of the other two handguns. Accordingly, I could not devise a reason to put a Python barrel on a Trooper. All three have 6" barrels.

Strictly from an investment standpoint I would keep the Python if I had to part with 2 of the 3. But if I had to shoot a mouse off a cat's head with the one I kept, it would be the Trooper

 

[dfariswheel]

Back in the late 1960's the Vietnam war was on and it was almost impossible to get new Pythons.
However, new in the box Troopers and new Python barrels were still available so custom gunsmiths were making up Troopers fitted with Python barrels.
These were known as Troop-on's or Poopers.

The gunsmiths were heli-arc welding up the front of the frame to match the Python barrel, tuning the action, and giving them a highly polished Python level blue job.
After an article appeared in a gun magazine about these modified guns, orders with custom gunsmiths greatly increased.

Today, people think they have an early Python only to find they actually have one of these modified Troopers.
Other than a serial number check, the only indication of an altered Trooper is a slight blush in the blue job where the front of the frame was welded.

Today, due to the cost and difficulty in finding a usable Python barrel, I suspect the cost would be very high. Probably not as high as a Python, but close.
The standard Trooper or the higher quality 357 Model is great as-is, if you can live without the Python barrel contour.

The Trooper Mark III, Mark V, and King Cobra are high quality guns but they aren't a Python. Nothing was.

 

[Grayrock]

So what is the difference between the Mark III, Mark V, and Mark VI?

 

[Grayrock]

Here is a Trooper followed by a Python. The frame looks very similar to me. So a Python barrel won't just screw on?

 

[smkummer]

The original post refered to putting a python barrel on an original (pre-MKIII) trooper which has the same action as the python. The later MKIII is a totally different gun. The python kept the old barrel screw threads until about 1990 when they went to the same treads as the MKV trooper or King Cobra. What a distributor did in 1985 was to order a MKV action trooper and had python barrels installed. He had the guns royal blued like the Python and called this 600 gun order "BOA". Last I looked, a BOA is a 3K gun now. So I believe it would be possible to install a later python barrel to a MKIII or MKV gun but it would look wrong to anyone who knows Colts.

 

[skidder]

Grayrock-- You know you have a nice finish on a gun when your stunt double is staring at you. Those are sweeeeet!

 

[dfariswheel]

So what is the difference between the Mark III, Mark V, and Mark VI?

There is no "VI" Colt revolver.
The Colt Trooper progression was the Trooper, the Trooper Mark III, and the Trooper Mark V.

The differences between the Trooper Mark III and Mark V are:
The Mark III had a sintered steel hammer and trigger with a checkered hammer, the Mark V had cast steel hammer and trigger with a grooved hammer.

The Mark V had a vent rib barrel, the Mark III was solid, although in the last year of production some Mark III barrels had the Mark V vents.

The Mark III had a full profile square butt frame.
The Mark V had a much smaller rounded grip frame that used full wrap-around grips.

The Mark V had Colt's first production "short action" with a shorter hammer fall.
The Mark III had a long action.

The Mark V had a longer mainspring and guide with a re-located spring seat to provide a better trigger pull.

The Mark III was available in .357 Magnum, .22LR, and .22 Magnum. A few were made in .38 Special on special order for police departments.
The Mark V was only available in .357 Magnum.

The Mark V was also used to build the King Cobra, which is nothing more than a Mark V with a different profile full shroud barrel and was first made in stainless steel.

 

[Yankee Fist]

Brother, don't waste you time or money building a hybrid Colt......

 

[Grayrock]

Thanks dfariswheel. Great synopsis. I guess I got the VI from a Webley. The reason I am asking this is because I like the full under-lug contour and vented ramp of the Pythons. One time I saw a Python barrel for sale. Recently while perusing some gun sale websites I came across a Trooper Mark? that was advertised as "just like a Python". So I thought to myself, "self, couldn't you put 2 and 2 together and get 5?" I guess I'll just hold out and keep searching for the lightly used Python from the little old lady who just shot it on Sundays after church.

 

[dicky r]

I've got one of "Couger's" that Bill Davis built back in the 70's. I don't know if it actually shoots better than a factory Security Six or is more robust than a factory Python. Has a wonderful trigger, but you can usually get that from a good gunsmith on most pistols. More of a novelty factor than anything else. Gonna send it to Cogan for hard chrome next. It's mostly a safe queen anyway.

 

[Grayrock]

Any pic's, dicky?

 

[CraigC]

A Colt barrel on something else can make sense. Like an Anaconda barrel on a Redhawk. But by the time you got a Python barrel fitted to a Trooper and the whole sixgun refinished to match the barrel you'll probably be at least very close to the price of a good Python.

 

[dprice3844444]

they also did the python barrel conversion on smiths,called it a smolt

 

[bikemutt]

Dunno why, always thought that was a fish

 

[pmeisel]

I love my Python. But I wouldn't be ashamed if I had a Trooper, either.