New to Me. Colt Trooper.357 mag, Pre MkIII

[Jcordell]

For years I've had exactly two Colts. A 3rd generation Colt DS made in 1974 and a Colt Official Police made in the 1950's. Great revolvers but I resigned myself to thinking I would never get any others. I figured Colts were just "too expensive" and too rare.

During that same time period I've had various Smith & Wessons, GLOCKS, a Browning Hi-Power, Sigs, Rugers, and even a Taurus and a Rossi come in and out of my safe. And during all those years I've thought about picking up some of my favorite classic handguns like a Colt .357 magnum, Python, New Service etc. I've also longed for a Webley Mk VI, P08 Parabellum (Luger), Mauser C96 and even a Manurhin MR73. But just figured the Colts and other handguns were just "too expensive". In the case of the MR 73 I figured I had a better chance of ice skating in Hell.

Well as you've probably figured out I realized that I had spent alot of money on many handguns that really didn't interest me. If I had just excercised a little more restraint I might have owned some of my "holy grails". So in the past couple years I've been ruthlessly purging my safe in order to get the models that I really want. In some case I've been trading two and even three models for one that I was really interested in. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do to make it work I guess.

The result? Well my safe is roomier and I now own a Webley MkVI, a Colt Combat Commander (mfd. 1973), a Luger P-08, an MR73 and yesterday I came across a Colt Trooper .357 Magnum with a 4" barrel. The serial number gives a date of birth sometime in 1967 so it was at the tail end of the models production. It has the Python hammer and the Python target grips on it. It's in excellent shape.

I don't believe it's been fired all that often. Actually I'm thinking it was last fired a couple decades ago - if not longer. I'm very pleased with my find.No it dosen't have that amazing Python finish, but it does have that incredible Colt action. In case you're curious I traded a Sig P245 and a S&W Model 15 Combat Masterpiece. Oh well so it goes. I got the Colt though.

It's time to slow down though. I'm really truely tapped out on the guns that I'm willing to part with now. The older ones that I still own are ones that I really like and don't want to get rid of.

Once again I hope I'm not coming across as a snob, but I've been a gunowner for twenty-six years and I've been collecting/accumulating firearms for the past ten. I've got plenty of "duty" firearms. Now I'm into the realm of collecting and passion. It happens if you do it long enough I guess. I'm sure that Nyles understands where I'm coming from.

I'll post photos later.

[AdAstra2009]

The Mauser C96 interests me as well.

[Nyles]

Oh, I get it alright, and congratulations. I've been paring off some of my collection lately myself. And I also share your like of Colt revolvers. It's funny, S&W are from a technical perspective better than Colts (or at least I think so), but I just prefer the feel of a Colt.

And liking what you like doesn't make you a snob. You're only a snob if you're knocking someone else's collection. Not that I'm not occasionally guilty of that. My friend collects communist cars (Ladas, Yugos, even a Skoda), which I think is cool, except for the fact that he uses them as daily drivers. More than once I've had him phone me to tell the boss that he'd be late because his car caught fire on the way to work.

[Jcordell]

Originally Posted by Nyles

Oh, I get it alright, and congratulations. I've been paring off some of my collection lately myself. And I also share your like of Colt revolvers. It's funny, S&W are from a technical perspective better than Colts (or at least I think so), but I just prefer the feel of a Colt.

And liking what you like doesn't make you a snob. You're only a snob if you're knocking someone else's collection.

I agree. The S&W design is more durable - not so tempermental. But oh the feel of the old Colt action when everything is working. And if you really want durable and reliable just get a Ruger GP100. Very solid, but not as "pretty" in my opinion.

I don't knock other folks collections. There are a couple posters (the same two) on The Firing Line, Colt forum, S&W Forum and The High Road that are real jerks. No matter what you post about you will get some of their snide, arrogant, snobbish posts. They're alwasy correcting your grammer, your opinions and slamming your revolvers. One of them has for his avatar a picute of him wearing his graduation gown from college. I can't stand those two guys.

There is another guy called Chuck Hawks who has his own website. I swear he's almost psychotic whne it comes to his hatered for S&W. Another fellow who owns the website Gun Zone. It's amazing how much time he dedicates to his his GLOCK hate. Get a life fellas.

[Yournamehere]

Yeah I had one of those pre Mark Troopers from the 50's. It was my grandfather's gun, which he used as his carry gun as a pilot in both the Korean and Vietnam Conflicts. Smooth action of course, but a bit too old looking for my taste. the particular model in question had a lanyard loop installed, which makes it a rare find, as I've yet to find another with the modification. I had to leave it with grandpa when I moved, but I'll inherit it when he passes.Won't use it too often, but I won't sell it either. It's an interesting gun to say the least. For a useable revolver, there are a million good S&Ws or more modern Colts though. I'd take that Model 15 if I had the money, heheh. Good to hear you are expanding your collection, dude.

[Jcordell]

Okay a couple photos. As you can see it doesn't have the Python frills but the internals are the same. I actually like the "old fashioned" look. It looks like it should be riding in the holster of some small town cop in 1958. Very serious and all business. The heavy bull barrel gives it some real heft. It's very clean with a crisp bore. The internals were dry and needed some lubrication, but they're also clean and functioning. I don't really think it's been fired for at least a couple decades. And then I don't think it's been fired very much. Timing (always an issue with the older Colt DA revolvers) is dead on and there is no endshake. So here it is. I like it.

[Nyles]

Nice - you don't see many Troopers up here anymore, but they're neat guns.

[Jcordell]

Originally Posted by Nyles

Nice - you don't see many Troopers up here anymore, but they're neat guns.

The funny thing is everybody keeps describing the Colt Trooper .357 magnum as a great sleeper and how under-appreciated it is. But they've seemed to dried up down here in Idaho as well. Actually the Trooper and Lawmen Mk III models are getting harder to find as well. So evidently somebody does appreciate the hell out of them.

[Gunmaster45]

In my opinion you only need to own ONE Colt revolver in your whole life. A Single Action Army, because it is a firearms work of art.

[Spartan198]

Originally Posted by Gunmaster45

In my opinion you only need to own ONE Colt revolver in your whole life. A Single Action Army, because it is a firearms work of art.

Quoted for truth.