Joining the Colt cult

[Baldanders]

My gunsmith told me today, "I think I have something you would be interested in..."

I have been looking for a 4" "utility. 357" for my wife...now a Colt Trooper MK III 4" .357 will be sitting on her side of the bed. It's bank vault tight, with a bit of holster wear. A steal at $600. I haven't even shot it yet, and already I am seriously reconsidering my "Smith guy" status.

Any tips on keeping the blueing pristine? Are Colts really more fragile than Smiths?

Backyard range report to follow, as well as pics.

[Jeep]

Colts can be more fragile than Smiths (and both are more fragile than Rugers), but the real issues these days for Colts are spare parts and qualified gunsmiths.

The Trooper is an excellent revolver, but you might want to avoid a steady diet of .357 since enough of those will speed up the day on which it needs repair (and your wife would probably prefer .38+P anyway).

[farscott]

The big issue with the Mark III series of guns is that the action parts are all sintered. They are hard on the outside and soft on the inside. If someone has done a trigger job, the parts are scrap. The firing pins are pretty much unobtanium now, but most of the other action parts can be bought from Numrich's.

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/gun-man.../trooper-mkiii

[Baldanders]

This gun will mostly be shooting .38s. My gunsmith has experience with Colts, and was a machinist for DuPont before going into business for himself. Would making a new firing pin be a possibility, if needed?

Thanks for the information, guys!

[Jeep]

A qualified gunsmith should be able to make a firing pin--if he can get good enough measurements for it. It won't be cheap but it might be nice to have if your wife is going to shoot it a lot.

If she is going to shoot 50 .38 rounds per year in practice, I probably wouldn't worry about it. The pistol might well outlive your grandkids if it is only shot moderately with moderate loads and kept in a nightstand drawer.

[farscott]

This gun will mostly be shooting .38s. My gunsmith has experience with Colts, and was a machinist for DuPont before going into business for himself. Would making a new firing pin be a possibility, if needed?

Thanks for the information, guys!

Back in the day, getting a broken firing pin out of the MK III guns usually involved a trip back to Colt. Colt had a fixture that allowed the pin to be pressed out of the frame without damage. It was not uncommon at the time for the service to be needed.

I bought a pair of Trooper MK III revolvers back in 1989 for the lofty sum of $500 for the pair. Back then, no one wanted a service-sized Colt revolver that was not a Python. I later added a .22 LR with the "Coltguard" finish. That .22 was a lemon and could not extract after firing more than twelve (two cylinders) of any .22 LR ammo I tried. Two trips back to Colt did not solve the issue, and my dealer bought it back from me and made me a deal on a S&W M617. From an investment POV, I should have kept the Trooper.

[BillSWPA]

Read Grant Cunningham’s Colt information on his website. He explains exactly what wears out, and how to know that it needs service. Basically, the hand holds the cylinder in place when the trigger is all the way back. This creates some wear on the hand and other small parts. If there is any movement of the cylinder whatsoever when he trigger is all the way back, the gun needs service.



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[Baldanders]

Again, thanks for the information!

I finally shot the Trooper today, and while smooth, I and my wife are heavily spoiled since every other DA gun in our house has been gunsmith-tuned from light to very light (aside from my PT 92, which may get tuned when my px4 gets home). I think it could use a Wolf spring--is this best done by a gunsmith, or can someone with basic revolver skills (I can take care of getting off the cylinder and yoke assembly on my Smiths, fully disassembling them and reassembling them) handle it? I have stayed away from messing around with revolver internals so far. I just want to lighten up the DA pull, it's plenty smooth, and the SA pull is one of the best factory SA triggers I have felt. It doesn't need the near perfection or extreme lightness of the "telepathic" SA on my 625.

[Baldanders]

Also, looks like this will be "my" utility. 357, my wife finds it too heavy. Too bad I have burned up the gun budget for awhile, but I think I'll be getting some sort of 4" k-frame for her later, or maybe a 2" j-frame that would double for carry.

Honestly, I have been kicking myself for not picking up an utterly pristine Mk III at a gunshow for $400.00 13 years ago, and I knew I would regret not buying this one.

[muzzleblast]

Read Grant Cunningham’s Colt information on his website. He explains exactly what wears out, and how to know that it needs service. Basically, the hand holds the cylinder in place when the trigger is all the way back. This creates some wear on the hand and other small parts. If there is any movement of the cylinder whatsoever when he trigger is all the way back, the gun needs service.

I believe Grant is referring to I/E frame version of the Trooper/Python. The Trooper MkIII is on the Colt J frame, which is completely different in design. The cautions about the J frame MkIII firing pin are spot on. Never dry fire a MkIII.