Pics of a 1972 Trooper

[Pablo]

I'm no photographer.

[Crashbox]

Oooohhh... beautiful indeed, Pablo! Nice score.

[BarryinIN]

Now I can see them. Beautiful. I used to drool over those in the first Colt catalog I ever got (1975), thinking they were the best looking revolver ever. I still think they are near the top, and look better than the Python.

[Bill_in_Utah]

Very nice Paul!

For me, one of the better looking revolvers. I also LOVE the looks of a pre-lock Smith & Wesson 586 in the 6". The model 27 was also a looker....

[Pablo]

Thanks guys. I love shooting it - sometimes I purposely have to choose another revolver, because they will just sit if I bring my Trooper every time!

It actually looks newer and deeper blueing than the photos show. The ring around the prancing Colt in the 2nd pic is my camera lens.

[dnewton3]

Very nice, indeed, Pablo.

[steves]

A classic revolver,,,Sweet.

[Pablo]

I let a buddy shoot this the other day.

He was absolutely stunned at the perfectness of the trigger. He had no idea a trigger could be so smooth.

[BarryinIN]

Pablo- I still think that, and all 6" Trooper MkIIIs, are beautiful guns. The lines and proportions are all right.

I can't believe I had a (newer) 6" Trooper MkIII in .22 that I never shot and traded away.

I once watched an argument between a competitor and range officer over the match legality of his handgun. He was shooting in the stock revolver class with no modifications allowed, including action tuning. I don't recall which model or caliber, but he had an old N-frame S&W. The DA trigger was so nice the RO could tell it by watching, and thought he had some trick action work done. The (older) match director intervened and verified that yes, they were once MADE that way.

[Pablo]

Well I am running a lighter trigger and hammer spring. All I did was clean out the old old grease, wet lube, repeat, dry, install the springs, lube the critical spots and close up.

SOME of the Colt Trooper Mk III's supposedly had gritty triggers. I guess I got lucky. The thing is, I paid something around $500. I can't exactly remember......but what are Python's going for? Beat and I mean REALLY beat examples are $1500+.

[Pablo]

Just thought I would drop in and say I got another Trooper. Free! Trooper Mk III with a ribbed Mk IV barrel. The thing is accurate.

[BarryinIN]

I've never seen that combination.  Never even thought of it.  

And free is nice. 

[Pablo]

Fits and works great!

[xtell]

Pablo,

That is a great grip on that gun. I'm just throwing this out there, but wondering if you have ever held a S & W 586 how does the Colt grip compare to that?

 

[Pablo]

Don't think I have held and shot a 586. Maybe I touched a 586 at a gun shop, don't exactly remember comparing. What I do know is I don't like distinct finger grooves in hand gun grips. Oddly I don't mind more rounded grooves in Ergo AR grips or Hogue AK grips.

[xtell]

Yea, I prefer grips, without finger groves, on pistols and revolvers. I once shot a revolver with Hogue hardwood grips with finger groves and really did not like the way the recoil felt. Pistols like Glock's feel weird, but a first generation Glock, without finger groves, I once shot felt good. I don't know, maybe the bones in my hands are weird but with a smooth grip I have no problems. 

[BarryinIN]

A local gun shop got in a Mossberg Shockwave recently.   People were all excited over that.  

While they were at one end of the counter looking at it, I was eyeballing the mid-60s Trooper that came in about the same time.      I kept thinking about Pablo's Trooper.  I passed.  For now.   Don't want to be a copycat, but it may get the best of me.