Colt Trooper MK III 

I'm a 14 year old student who's got a keen interest in firearms, just got back from the range with my grandfather and we shot his .22 LR 1911 and as he was clearing up and Italian man next to us asked if I wanted to shoot some of his guns and he showed me a beautiful Colt Trooper in 357 magnum and I had a blast shooting this gun !

My mom was a Sheriff deputy back in the late 60's and carried the original trooper. She loved it.

My grandfather just gave me this revolver for my 21st birthday, i can’t wait to get to the range and care on the legacy

Outstanding revolver. I bought one brand new in 1973. The bluing and finish is beautiful. It's one of my favorite wheel guns. It has not had any work done on it since I purchased it and over the years I put thousands of rounds thru it. I have been offered $1200 for it but my answer is always it's not for sale. I carry it when I am in the woods hiking using a old fashioned Wild West holster rig. I love the firearm from the fist time I fired it. Great video and thank you for showing folks a Colt.

This was my first hand gun. I purchased it in the 70's. The gun shop owner talked me into buying this over the python. I still own it, but haven't shot it in years. Time to take it out again.

I'm a simple man. I see "Colt", I hit like.

My dad has a Colt Trooper MK III 6 inch, still has the original wood grips on it though. He bought it new back in the 70s. I have never fired a more pleasant magnum ever. Smooth action and barely any barrel lift.

Just picked up a 1972 4" blued at my local shop...beautiful revolver, can't wait to get it out to the range!

how about a chapter 2 for this beauty?

I bought an eight inch, satin nickle trooper right after I got out of college. It was 1983, so it was one of the last ones. I killed a lot of jackrabbits with it when I lived in New Mexico. A few years later, I gave my brother a 6 incher for Christmas. They've both worked all this time without a hitch, and we've enjoyed them both immensely.

I love how the gong demonstrates the wild differences in the speed of the various rounds you shoot. A big ol' .45 kinda saunters its way up there, while the .223/5.56 rounds returns a GONG almost simultaneous with the report. Love your channel. Thanks!

The first gun I ever shot was a Trooper MK III, still have it... always will.

I inherited one of these from my dad, complete with a patent leather duty holster.

My first handgun is Colt Python .357 magnum with 6" barrel. I enjoy it very much. Those days when i buy it here in Finland, it cost about 6150 marks. ( Around little over 1000 euros.) My next handgun was a Colt Government .45 ACP series 80. Then, after 40 years i have over 56 guns totally. Pistols, revolvers, shotguns, rifles and even two fully automatic sub machine guns. One Uzi and German legend MP-40, both in 9 mm caliber. My big dreams is found somewhere MG-42 machine gun with good conditions. It is beast.

i'm a revolver guy myself it's what i grew up on and still shoot today even tho i have a couple auto's in my collection i always go for the revolver. "long live the .357 mag" :-)

The 6" Trooper was first handgun I had. I got it in '75 or '76. I needed money and sold it, but held on to my 2-1/2" Python until it was stolen in '82. It was the smoothest shooting revolver I ever shot. Thanks for the memories!

Thanks for sharing the memories. In the spring of 1965 I purchased a Colt Trooper .357 Magnum at the Navy & Marine Exchange in Subic Bay, PI. I carried it on Market Time patrols. Sold it in 1991 and now regret having done so.

The Smith & Wesson Highway Patrolman is still one of my favorites. This is a nice gun though.

My first handgun was a Trooper Mk III and I loved it.

I recently bought a 1971 Trooper MKIII. I've fired it a number of times and i really love this wheel gun. Thanks for the video, hickok45.

Would be incredible if Colt would bring back the Trooper.

You are correct in your evaluation of the Python. The Trooper III is a sweet shooter!

My father just gave me his MK III, 1976 manufacture...this one will be going to my son one day! Love this revolver

Bought a used nickel plated Trooper MkIII with "Colt Custom Shop" stamp and trigger back in '81. To date, still the most accurate out-of-the box revolver I've ever fired. The trigger pull was incredibly smooth and light. It pulled easier double-action than anyone else's did single action! And firing it single action was unexplainable, the gun fired intuitively! Put Pachmayr Presentation's on it and I couldn't miss. It is an amazing wheel.

hickok45: thanks for all the great videos, and especially for this one on an old Colt revolver. My Dad had purchased a Colt 357 in 1960. It was Colt's first 357 Magnum gun and the predecessor to the Python & Trooper. After Dad passed, the revolver came to my brother and he let me use it. I had big hands (I'm 6'7") and the original target grips were too small. I tried a number of grips and finally came upon the Pachmayr finger groove grips. I loved them and my 5'10" sister found them very comfortable.

Discovered this channel in 2015 and I'm loving it. Every video is just great. Information + testing the weapon. Thanks to you I'm starting to love guns.

Gotta love that Colt Blue!

In 1973 I was a brand new Police Officer. Our Dept., like a lot of them at the time, required officers to buy their own service handgun. We were required to provide a Colt or S&W revolver, .38 Special or .357 Magnum with a 4-6" barrel. I bought one of these with a 4" barrel for $154.00 I still have it, the box, the papers and the receipt. I couldn't afford the "much more expensive" S&W M19 at $175.00. The Python, at the time, went for $250+, out of the question! I never regretted buying the revolver. Later, I did get a S&W M19 with 2.5" barrel and round butt for an off duty gun. One thing to note is, at the time, the MK III was considered a step down from the older Colts. The new coil spring action was considered far inferior to the earlier models...in the same way of post-'64 Winchesters. Most of the older police officers had the older model Colts. The grips of the MK III were different and even in a holster, everyone knew it was "one of those new Colts". Now, they are gaining collector value, but in the early 70s they were considered a let down. I now have several other classic Colts and S&Ws and love them. They no longer are carried every day. I had to concede the polymer frame 9mms were more practical for EDC concealed carry. But when I head to the range, my bag ALWAYS contains a couple of the classic Colts and/or S&Ws. The bag is loaded up now for tomorrow's range visit with a M19, a Colt Officer's Model Match and a S&W Kit Gun .22

Such old thing not only often made very well, but it has its time spirit stamp... It's great you showing it, thanks.

I always feel envious when I see people shooting revolvers. Over here in the UK we can only have monstrous 12 and 14 inch barreled jobs with a massive bracket attached to the grips (so we can't hide em in our jackets). I've never even held a revolver or semi-auto pistol.. My dream list? Colt Python Original WW2 1911 Makarov PM S&W Single Action I hope you guys realise how fortunate you are :)

I liked your revolver nostalgia trip around the 17 minute mark. At 22 I'm into my fifth year shooting. All these modern choices were available to me right off the bat, and I chose an XDm for my first pistol. But I think it would've been neat to be this age 40 years ago, where revolvers, and lever and bolt action rifles were the standard for shooting. Today there's loads of autoloading pistols and rifles everywhere, and while they're nice, they're not classic. For a first rifle I chose a Marlin 336 for the classic "wild west" factor. Very happy with the choice. And I'm thinking I'll inevitably pick up a revolver in the next year. Great video as always, Hickok45.

Always awesome. Thanks Hickok45 for all the time you spend entertaining us. I really enjoy watching!

Picking up my Trooper V today. Had a II or III back in early 80's. It was not new when I got it. It was so accurate for me. I traded it for greener grass. Years of regrets. However, thanks to this video I will be picking up my Trooper V tomorrow from ffl. Thanks Hickock45 ! Life is good !

My dad picked up a 6" Trooper, excellent condition, for $319 in 1986. I had it out at the range two weeks ago. I wish he had picked up a Python back then too.

Hey Hickok45 I love your channel man. Just wanna say that my two favourite things (and the reason I watch you over other gun channels) are your attention to safety, some people dont respect firearms and they come across as amateurs, and the close-up shots that your cameraman does. I love seeing the different pistols, smg's and assault rifles that you guys shoot in detail. Anyway keep it up and congrats on getting 1.3 million subscribers!

I have the colt trooper mk V and I just love it .. bought it brand new in 83 .. and it has a light trigger when shooting it single action but never have had a light hammer strike on it shooting double action .. and they did come with just a beautiful blued finish on them ...

Howdy Buckeroos, My Mom gave me one with a 6" barrel for Christmas 1972. Yup, I still have it. I have shot S&W registered Magnums, early Pythons and many more. But I still have this one.

My first duty weapon, bought it new (we weren't supplied with firearms) in 1982. Still have it in my gun cabinet! Love that weapon.

First, I really enjoy your videos. Now, a little Colt history. Up until the Mark III action, the Trooper and the Python were exactly the same as far as frame and internal action. Both were evolved from the .41 caliber "I" frame. In 1952 Colt introduced their first .357 Magnum titled simply the "Three Fifty Seven" along with the nearly identical .38 Special Trooper. The Trooper was intended to replace the Officer's Model Match. With that in mind it was also available in .22. The Three Five Seven were more highly polished both inside and out and were Colt's top of the line revolver. In 1955 Colt added a full length under lug and large target grips to the Three Five Seven and called the Python. Bother guns received Colt's highest level of fit and finish, with their actions receiving a high degree of hand fitting. Some where between 1955 and 1961 Colt made the otherwise identical Trooper available in .357 Magnum. During that same period the Python's sales increased, and the Three Five Seven nameplate faded away in 1961 while the gun lived on as the Trooper. In 1969 all Colt double actions except the Python got the new and simplified Mark III action. The new action was designed to not need the constant attention that the older action often required. Colt left the Python action alone as it was designed for mass oroduction, and it was not felt that it could be polished and massaged to obtain the same consistent smoothness of the Python. So in a nutshell, the original Trooper did share the same action and that's probably where the moniker "poor man's Python came from. BTW, I only found out all of this history, after being lucky enough to stumble across, and bring home a 1956 vintage Colt Three Five Seven at a local gun store several years ago. Kind of the best of both worlds. It's identical to the Trooper with the pedigree of a Python. I was able to buy it at a reasonable price because it doesn't have the instant recognition of the Python.

I inherited one of these from my grandfather. I love it! It was carried by someone for a while, there's some honest, but not rough, wear on the barrel and cylinder.

Great old wheelgun. The even more budget version was the Lawman with no ejector shroud which are also really neat. Colts revolvers of that vintage are just plain beautiful. You dont see many guns finished to that standard now.

My first full size revolver was a 4 inch Trooper III, (in 1986) I still have it, love the gun and thanks for the video. Now go paint that front sight.

That is a very sharp looking revolver! Especially with those grips on it.

I got one of these for Christmas when I was 16 years old ,I remember bagging a young whitetail deer with it ,it shot very well and it was very loud with the magnums in it .

Nice to see the Colt Trooper getting some love. Usually people only gush over the Python. Dollar for smile, the Trooper has to win. BTW … in Mass, they probably are considering 6 rounds “high capacity” … 😂

This video prompted me to dig it out my dad's trooper. I just looked up the serial number on colt's website. It's a 357 from 1962. It has a 4 inch barrel I was unaware of the transfer bar until you mentioned it. I checked this revolver and sure enough it has a transfer bar. It's a pretty nice revolver. I haven't fired it in ages. I think a trip to the range might be in order.

My first duty weapon as a twenty year old deputy sheriff. Had been shooting it since I was fifteen. Carried it until we got issued weapons. Then brought it back out as a reserve officer.

Came here directly from your review of the new Python. I have the nickel plated version of this revolver, all original, it too has a very light SA trigger pull. They are very good revolvers, I don't think they give away too much to the Pythons.

Man I love revolvers. Grew up shooting them. Mainly Rugers. Never had any prejudice against them, regardless of the semiautos I had. Always just looked at handguns as either/or. Neither is superior. My first was a 686 Limited 6" back in 91. It got stolen in 94. Still makes me sad.

My stepdad is the gunsmith at a local gunshop, and he knew I was wanting a good revolver. Well, lo and behold, a man came in wanting to trade his nickel plated 6" Colt Trooper Mk III for a .22 rifle. My stepdad called me, and said if I didn't come and buy it, he was going to buy it out from under me. And he was serious! Got it for a great price! The shop owner didn't really want to deal with it, I guess, so I got it for about $430, including tax. That was MAYBE two years ago. Walked into the shop a couple months ago, and noticed the shop owner had another in the case, almost exactly like mine (condition was only a little better).... Price tag: $1,399.99! I'll never get rid of it. And that's only partly because it was my very first firearm purchase. :)

Badass! I've always been a Trooper guy. I've wanted one of these forever.

Colt Trooper MK III was my first purchase of a handgun way back in 1979. Put a set of Rodgers combat grips on the beauty and made it more beautiful. It was Mean as any snake, with a steady diet of super vel ammo and hot hand loaded 357 magnum. Man oh Man, life is Good!

A Trooper will be the next in my Colt collection. Great vid. TY.

Thank you for bringing us another beautiful old revolver.

Oops! I forgot I saw this! Guess I’ll watch it again! What better way to spend time during our current “social distancing”., than to watch Hickok45 videos at home!

Nice revolver Hickok:) thanks for being a asset to shooting community:) Your the BEST

Kudos to the Gun Parlor and Buds...have the same handgun...love the video..bought two handguns from Buds...Excellent marksmanship!! I have taken two ten point bucks with my Trooper...from the holster!!!

NICE!A friend of mine's father has a short barreled version,3" I think,with wood grips,he was a Sheriff Deputy back in the 70s.Great revolver,still shoots great!

Hey Hickok! We need a chapter 2 of this beauty. I doubt you need too much persuasion for this one.

I have two of these, one Mk. III and one Mk. V. I like them both a lot.

JOHN!!! Great HD photography! Thanks for the close-ups.

What became the Model 27 on the S&W N frame WAS the original .357 Magnum. Back in 1935 (when it was introduced) it was the Registered Magnum. The 28 was the "Highway Patrolman".

The Choices back in the 70's was.......a 1911, a Browning Hi-Power a Smith&Wesson 27,29 Or a COLT! Thank You AGAIN For Pushing me over the Edge Hickok45 ! I Purchased a Trooper Mark III YESTERDAY !

I got a deal on one of these a few years back. It's the best shooting revolver I own.

Thanks for the upload, had something to watch while I was eating breakfast before work.

Thank you, I was "browsing" at a local gun counter, and saw Mk II in 357 and 22. Hesitant, revolver, and 6" barrel, at $500 each I pulled the trigger on the purchase. Love Them

Great video. I didn't know the Trooper 3 had a transfer bar. Thank you.

love the videos I always check with you before I buy any newer guns very informative I just picked up a trooper Mark 3 for a match to the new in box python from 81 I bought earlier this year so I was happy to see this video keep up the good work I'll deff be watching more of your videos hopefully I'll be seeing your trooper again soon

Geez Hickok, you did it again!!!! I watched your review and I had to have one so I am now the new owner of a 6" 357mag model in mint shape. Just waiting for the transfer of ownership to come through. It will keep my Series 70 1911 company in the safe.

Bought one today! The trigger is wonderful. Mine is nickel plated, original grips in perfect condition. Trigger is like a tuned S&W K frame.

Great video! Awesome old 357 blued guns from colt are always so nice!

My grandpa just gave me his MK V for my birthday the other day ans I shot it today and it was beautiful. He had trigger work done on it too.

I bought one new in the late 70s and still own it. If I remember correctly, it was offered with a factory competition trigger and hammer configuration which I have. Love that gun.

I bought one in 1972 and many times I wish I hadn't sold it. Nice gun.

i bought a mark III last year. love it (mostly because it's a colt). i'm looking forward to what you do about those grips. i find the rubber hogue grips on my S&W 66 makes that gun more pleasant to shoot. Chapter 2 whenever you get time.

I have a 1971 trooper and love that revolver!

Thanks for a nice review of this old revolver. I had one of these many years ago...I wish I would have never sold it.

Sweet I have the Colt Trooper fever. Will have to get one.

Amazing timing on this video. I just sold my 4" Trooper Mk. III. It was a good, and very pretty revolver, but I just like my S&W 28-3 Highway Patrolman better. The Smith just has the sweeter trigger, and it's an N frame. Thanks for another great video.

I bought a stainless Trooper back in the 70's before I got out of the Air Force. Had a trigger job done on it in Austin, Texas, What a pistol! That trigger was like a hot knife thru butter. Just beautiful. Sorry I sold it but I just HAD TO HAVE a 1911.

Great review Hickok45, beautiful revolver. Looking forward to seeing more of it.

Would love to see you explore how many 'pots' in a line you can shoot through with several handguns for fun on the range. Owned one and loved it, simple, accurate and my woods carry on many a fishing trip, glad to see one in action again. One thing I did was Moly the barrel interior with 12 rounds coated with moly powder. Really made later clean up and barrel fouling less of a problem, especially with leading. Thanks for sharing a bit of history with us old Big-bore Six-Bangers.

You just have to love the older guns. They look and shoot so nice. Great video and shooting.

Before handguns were banned in the U.K., my Dad bought a .357 blued 4” Trooper mk3 from a gun fayre. I think it was 1990 and he paid £185 sterling for it.

love my colts, have 4 now 3 inch and 4 inch, also picked up a 6mm parlor pistol, just something to play with really fun.

Guns from yesteryear! Wow!!!! "feeling lucky?" Superb!!!

Hickok, You are correct about the python. The lockwork in the python was exactly like the D frame Diamondback , Detective special, and Police positive. The MK lll line was made with heavier parts. You will also find the raised lip on the cylinder for recessed cartridge heads. I own all but the python, and still own a Lawman MKll that looks like a Detective special on steroids.

Jeez Mr. Shootist, You're the most luckiest guy on the planet..... That Colt is just to die for......

Hey Hickok, I just watched this video for the 10th time! I saw the original post date and I think it's time for a chapter two with that beautiful old trooper! What do you say !

Hello MR Hickok45. Another fine piece of Colt history, brings back some good memories. Keep up the good work because life is really Good, buy the way I am glad to have met you & your son at Buds in September. I was the one with the red Glock hat at the beginning of the line. P.S. They is nothing like the smell of burnt gun powder.

Nice!! I was very fond of the Colt Lawman - my friend had a beautiful 4" one which I should have bought but... Good to see this gun doing its stuff. Nothing really beats a classic revolver I think.

The very first gun I ever owned. In '74 I purchased a nickel plated Trooper MKIII with a four inch barrel for $198.00. I still have it and shoot it on a regular basis.

Hickock, Yes the Smith and Wesson Registered Magnum, which would later become the Model 27, came out in the early '30s, The Smith and Wesson Model 28 (Highway Patrolman), which as we all know, was the budget version of the 27, came out in the early 50s, I believe 1953 is when it was introduced. The Trooper was known for having a very solid action, and were known for durability, and being able to handle any Magnum Round, unlike the Model 19, which should not be fed a steady diet of Magnums. The Pythons definitely had a reputation for going out of time, sometimes within 50-100 rounds. Their action was indeed very complex, and while extremely accurate, they were finicky. Right now, there is only one person left at Colt that works on Pythons, and evidently he has a room full of them. I have also heard stories of people taking Colt Python Barrels and putting them on S&W Model 19s and on Ruger .357s, thus Creating "Smolt Smythons" and "Cugers", This way the accurate Colt Barrels were put on more durable actions than the Python. I wonder if you ever came across one of those back in the day, in competition.

I’ve loved my Trooper Mk IIIs in the past. I had a 6” and an 8 3/8” barrel. Neither was a fast draw but both were very sweet shooters- especially the long barreled one. That barrel really helped tame recoil and shooting 38s was a real pleasure. Accurate as the dickens!

hickok45 that is a beautiful firearm. Agree, its a shame that Colt stopped making double actions. I happened to like the cylinder latch and the double and single action. I owned a Anaconda but is was a bit to heavy and the recoil was horrendous in it 4 inch configuration. I also had one of their last models, a King Cobra 357. I had order a 4 inch but all that was available was a 6 inch at the time. I did carry it in Bianchi shoulder holster, part of the deal since I did not get what I asked for, but it was not easy. If I had gotten the 4 inch I would most likely still have it. Come to think of it if I had a 6 inch barrel on the Anaconda it might be with me also.

I liked your video I also like revolvers I have a few of them I have a colt python an early serial number that my dad left me when he passed away it is a very nice gun thanks for showing all those cool guns

Oh I love the trooper mk3! I can remember being about 5 and shooting my dad's old service revolver with him out behind my grandma's house when we visited her out in the country. We split many a milk jug back then haha.

Had a 6" blue Trooper myself in about 1980 or 81. Carried it several years, fine piece. I think it went towards a SW model 39 9mm. I miss the Trooper, actually it makes a fine hunting piece/sidearm.

I love Colt DA revolvers and I am in my late 20's. I have a third series Detective Special that is my favorite carry gun. I have even shot a match at my local range with it. Awesome trigger and superb accuracy for a 2" barrel. While I was shooting the match everybody on my squad was amazed at my being able to consistently hit targets quickly with it. I am by no means a great shooter but that gun makes anybody look like one. I also have a King Cobra 6" Colt Custom shop gun. The DA pull is not as light or smooth as the Detective Special but the SA pull is very light and crisp, better than the Detective Special.

Had a Trooper MK III chambered in .22 long rifle, and it was the best plinking gun ever. Zero recoil, easy to load and good accuracy. You could drop a few boxes of ammo in a coat pocket and go out and shoot for hours. .22 was maybe 3 bucks for 100 rounds , so it was cheap too.