Colt Trooper

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Colt Trooper 68820
Colt Trooper Mk III with a 4" barrel
TypeRevolver
Place of originUnited States
Production history
ManufacturerColt's Manufacturing Company
Produced1953–1985
Specifications
Barrel length4–8 in (102–203 mm)
Cartridge.22 Long Rifle
.22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire
.38 Special
.357 Magnum
Actiondouble-action
Feed systemsix round cylinder
Sightsiron sights

The Colt Trooper is a medium

double-action revolver featuring a six-round cylinder, chambered for .22 Long Rifle, .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, .38 Special, and .357 Magnum caliber cartridges. Designed as a less expensive alternative to the upscale Colt .357 and the later Colt Python and Colt King Cobra, it was marketed to law enforcement agencies
as well as civilians.

Development and history

Introduced to the firearms market by the

competitor to Smith & Wesson’s Model 28 "Highway Patrolman", the Colts were lighter and handier.[citation needed
]

Variants

Early .357 Magnum model

Trooper

1953 – 1969

The original Trooper was a heavy-barreled version of the Officers Model Match and was based on Colt's medium I

polished and expensive 357 model revolver was intended to be their premium offering. Both models shared the same forged and labor-intensive hand-fitted internal lockwork.[2]

After the introduction of the more expensive Python in 1955, Colt discontinued the basic .38 Special Trooper in 1961, and to did away with the .357

moniker, so they renamed it Trooper. The new offering retained the .357 magnum chambering and frame-mounted firing pin, but kept the entry-level revolver's more subdued finish. The Trooper continued to be offered in .22 Long rifle, and like all .357 Magnums, offered the capability of firing .38 Special ammunition as well.[2]

MK III

Trooper

Colt Trooper Mk III, (circa 1980) with a 4" barrel and aftermarket wood grips

In the late 1960s, Colt began to be concerned with a decline in its

manufacturing processes. In response, an entirely new product line of revolvers dubbed the MK III series debuted in 1969. Intended to be the first major advancement of Colt's designs since the beginning of the 20th century, the MK IIIs used a new ‘J’ frame and had no parts interchangeability with older models. The new revolvers employed transfer-bar lockwork system, so that the revolver could fire only if the trigger was deliberately pulled completely to the rear.[3] The springs used in the Mark III internals were also an improvement. Unlike the older flat style, they were coiled and made entirely of corrosion-resistant stainless steel.[4] The .357 Magnum Trooper was the premier offering of the new product line, featuring a heavy barrel with a solid top rib as well as a shroud which protected the ejection rod. A new ammunition chambering option, the .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, also became available for the first time.[2][3][4] The MK III series incorporated a number of models, several of which were updates of existing designs. Classic models included the venerable Colt Official Police chambered in .38 Special as the basic/entry-level offering, and the Trooper in .357 Magnum. New members of the line up included the Lawman, Metropolitan Police, and Border Patrol. The MK III series was discontinued in 1983.[4]

Lawman

Video review of the Colt Lawman MK III revolver

The Lawman was a .357 Magnum 'service grade' or 'police issue' version of the Trooper, and somewhat of an economy model intended for law enforcement looking for cheaper sidearms or private armed security. The Lawman came with fixed sights and no ejector rod shroud. Early Lawman revolvers came with thinner hammers and narrow triggers, but most Lawman revolvers come with the standard MK III Trooper hammers and triggers. Initial guns came with narrow service grips, but most come with larger target grips. Nickel finished guns came with Colt medallion-equipped Pachmayr "Signature" rubber grips. The Lawman came with a heavy barrel in lengths of two inch and four inch only. Early versions of the Lawman with the two inch barrel had an exposed ejector rod; but later models with the two inch barrel have an attribute unique to the Lawman, the only Lawman barrel equipped with shrouded ejector rod, resembling something of a larger third-generation Colt Detective Special. As with the MK III Trooper, the MK III Lawman was produced from 1969 to 1983.[3][4]

MK V

1982 - 1985 As with the MK III, the Mark V series was an entirely new product line of models which included Official Police, Lawman, and Trooper variants. The MK V series was based on a new, slightly smaller ‘V’ frame, similar in size to Smith & Wesson's ‘K’ frame. Changes from the MK III models were minor and many parts remained identical. Internally, Colt did away with the

sintered iron MK III lockwork in favor of cast parts, and improved the trigger action with new components and a shorter hammer fall. These improvements made the MK V triggers smoother, while the diminished lock times increased accuracy. Exterior modifications included a compact grip frame with rounded grips; other changes were engineering-based with the goal of simplifying and facilitating production.[5]

References

  1. ^ The Colt Double Action Revolvers A Shop Manual Vol. I, Jerry Kuhnhausen, VSP Publishers, 1588900003Introduction Page 7
  2. ^ a b c “Colt Model .357 and Trooper” Archived 2009-02-13 at the Wayback Machine, Colt Revolvers Web site. Accessed November 4, 2008.
  3. ^ a b c R.K. Campbell. "Colt's Trooper", Gunblast Web site. Accessed November 4, 2008.
  4. ^ a b c d “Colt mk. III revolvers: Trooper, Lawman, Official Police (USA)” Archived 2008-09-14 at the Wayback Machine, World Guns Web site. Accessed November 4, 2008.
  5. ^ a b c d “Colt mk. V revolvers: Trooper, KingCobra, Anaconda (USA)”, World Guns Web site. Accessed November 4, 2008.
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