Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Took My Colt For a Spin Today

It's been many years, and I recently decided to go through all the guns I haven't shot in years and take them each for a range trip. Today was the Colt's turn. Well, this Colt. I have quite a few Colt revolvers, but this one is the Model 357, which was (before they introduced the Python) Colt's premier revolver, with all the same attention to detail and fine tuning that later went into the Python. I believe they dropped the Model 357 soon after the Python's introduction since both models were directed at the same customers.



This is a 7 yard, fast double action group, from an offhand, combat crouching, position. I dumped all six as fast as I could while maintaining a sight picture. I was pretty happy with the results, considering that my days of focusing on double action revolver technique are long past.

Good job!

Thanks. I've always enjoyed shooting Colts built on the I-Frame. Many years ago, my favorite range gun was a Colt Official Police. I much prefer the I-Frame to the D-Frame on which they built the Police Positive, Diamondback, and Detective Special ... at least for shooting. For carrying, obviously, the D-Frame is superior, but there's too little distance between the backstrap and trigger face for me to shoot them particularly well. Seems like the I-Frame puts exactly the right distance between those two points for my hand.

Nice.

At first glance I thought it was a Viper. A LGS has a Viper, he wants $4995.

Never heard of it, but have now. Mine was made long before the Viper, though.

Nice gun...

The Colt 3 5 7 was not "dropped" but combined with the TROOPER that was in .38 Special and .22 LR in the 1950s. In 1961 Colt dropped the .22 and .38 chamberings and changed the name of the 3 5 7 to TROOPER .357. This ended in 1969 when in 1970 the TROOPER MKIII was introduced.

The 3 5 7, TROOPER, TROOPER .357 and Python all had the same lockwork. It was just the amount of fine tuning was done to each model...

I have a 1954 .22 TROOPER and a 1968 TROOPER .357..both actions are very smooth....

Bob

The Trooper never received the level of attention to detail that was received by the Model 357 in terms of external finish and internal tuning. Otherwise they are identical, though. The Python is essentially the Model 357 with a barrel rib and full underlug. The Trooper was a more affordable, service grade, version of the Model 357.

Those are sweet Troopers. Love the stag.

Very nice guns. I've had several Pythons but also an Officer's Model in 38 Spec. All nice weapons.

Nice irons, all.

Very nice.

I thought it looked like a Trooper from the first picture. I've had a couple of those, but just seems like it's a long reach to the trigger for me. Other wise they were a nice strong gun.

PS In addition to the 150 rounds of .38 Special, I fired 12 rounds of 125 grain Magnums, and was a little surprised by seeing no appreciable change in POI. But I guess that’s a good thing.

Recoil with Magnums was quite manageable, due to the grips and heft of the gun, along with the barrel possessing a substantial bull configuration.

We’re different in that regard, as for me the distance between grip back strap and trigger face is ideal on the I-Frame.

As stated earlier, the Trooper was meant to be a more affordable, service grade, version of the Model 357. They are basically the same gun, differing only with regard to exterior finish and internal tuning and attention to detail.

Couple little things on these guns...

Back in the day, for $5.00 you got the Target Hammer and Target Grip option.

On the left side of the frame sideplate...the upper rear screw. On Target Stocked guns the head of the screw was flat. On Service Stocked guns it was rounded.

The .22 Troopers were numbered in the same sequence as the Officers Model Match not the .38 or .357 Troopers... My two guns are just a couple hundred numbers different and I though they were both made in 1968. But then I found out that the .22 option was discontinued in 1961... Asked over on RimfireCentral and was told that the .22s were numbered with the .22 Officers Model Match guns not the Troopers...probably because they are just a 4" Officers Model Match with a different name.

RJM: Thanks for sharing the pictures of your pistols.
I have a couple of rimfire Colt Troopers myself both are in mint as unfired condition (I bought them used so not to sure about this status).
One is a Colt Trooper MK-III in 22 L.R. with an 8" barrel and is in electroless nickel type finish!
The other Colt Trooper MK-III rimfire I have is in 22 WMR with a 4" barrel.
Long live Colt revolvers!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

RJM: Thank you for the additional information on the options and intricacies of the Colt Trooper rimfires.
Hold into wind
VarmintGuy

Nice weapon. Had a Trooper MKIII back in the 70s. There's just not anything like a Colt

Agreed.