I bought this today because it seemed like a good deal. I'm curious what you guys think it's actually worth, rather than what the book price is. Prices seem to vary widely and I'm not well educated when it comes to this gun. The grips were factory installed and of course there is no box. Never touched a Python before and all I can say is wow! There are few tiny rubs and dings that are not readily noticeable. I hope the slobbers didn't cloud my judgment. Thanks, Ken
[URL=http://s578.photobucket.com/user/ken6949/media/P1020573_zpszqt6m4do.jpg.html]

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The hammer looks strange. If I remember, the Pythons I've had, about three, had a hammer spur like a beaver's tail. Wide and checkered.

Second that. I was looking at the hammer, also. 5th pic down drew my eye right to it. IIRC, originals I've seen have wider, checkered hammers. This one has straight cuts.

Similar to the trooper hammer?

Can't be certain, but it looks like it's been refinished and the hammer was either modified or it came from another model Colt revolver. As long as you didn't pay top-dollar and it's mechanically sound, you have a very nice shooter.

The factory Python hammer looks like this:

Trigger looks hinky too.

I don't believe the Pachmayer Grippers existed in 1979. I know there were Presentation but not sure on the Grippers. That and Colt issued grips from that era had Colt Medallions in them. I had two late 70s vintage Pythons back in the 1980s but don't remember that much about them....

Bob

Thanks for the bad news! I sure can't find one with a hammer like mine. Not sure about the bluing yet, but I'm thinking it should have more shine.

Everything is relative. Did you buy it as an investment, or to have a nice, smooth gun as an occasional shooter.

I have a 2.5 inch King Cobra that I bought new which is worth way more than what I think it's worth, but is about as useless as tits on a bull.

Enjoy it for what it is, not what it might be worth to someone else.

The factory blued finish is difficult to duplicate by anyone but an experienced master refinisher; Colt didn't call it Royal Blue for nothing. Even pre-war S&W's didn't really compare to the deep polished blue that was standard on the Python.

I am by no means a Colt expert but that looks reblued to me also. I am also quite sure that those are not the original grips. A friend had a NIB Python from about the same time frame with 2 sets of grips from the factory and the Pachmeyer was a presentation grip.

The Colt guys said the hammer is from another I frame gun and I just gave them these pictures. So it looks like everyone with an opinion here is right

yep you got a tinkered with Python.


appears to been reblued and hammer switched out. The finish is what caught my eye first


as long as the gun makes you happy for what you gave for it, you got a good deal

if you were thinking "I snagged a Python at a bargain and they way they've appreciated I can't go wrong" probably not so much.


had two of them, blue six inch like yours and a nickel coated one, (in case there was an opening for a pimp)

I saw 2 Trooper MRK III's last weekend at a show. I actually bought the 4", it is a '72 vintage.

The polishing and blueing looks the same. It is mechanically very sound with a very nice bore.

Mine was a good deal for a shooter grade Colt. No worries about using mine since it has no collector value.

Or a tinkered with Trooper, or "Pooper" as a Trooper with a Python barrel is sometimes called.

The serial numbers match and are correct for a Python.

No, it appears to be a Python, the pins are in the right place on the right side of the frame. And that doesn't look like a Trooper's hammer. The trooper's hammer was wider with very sharp checkering, and they were pseudo-case hardened.

That hammer is not something I've ever seen; weird.

I really like the Mk III Troopers. It's one of my favorite revolvers to do action work on because they come out so nice. The Trooper is one seriously stout, tough revolver; one of the toughest I've ever seen.

The hammer is likely from an Officer's Match or an Official Police model revolver.

Every I frame I can think of had a checkered hammer, not serrated. The serrated hammer in the photo, I've never seen before...kinda driving me nuts.

One would say, oh someone just modified it. But look at how thick it is. If you were to file off the cross hatch checkering, re-shape the hammer then serrate it like the one in the photo, you wouldn't have that much metal left. So the hammer is likely factory something, but what??? It's weird.

You know, another possibility is that it's a repaired Python hammer. Just recalled, Python's used to be quite infamous for breaking the thumb section off the hammer, used to see it all the time in the '70's & '80's. Then when Pythons got really expensive, people stopped shooting the snot out of Pythons and the broken hammer thing just kinda got forgotten. If it's a repair, it's an interesting one. If you wanted to fix the hammer in a way where it would never break again, that looks like a pretty good profile.

I noticed in his pictures that the trigger also has parallel sides, instead of lightly flaring.

Hey Kevin, since the MRK III's have sintered internals, is it safe to mildly polish the trigger group. I seem to remember something about the hardened surface being very thin in the newer Trooper.

The original .357 Trooper and the Python frames and lock work are identical. Just the fitting and finish are different.

not read replies but looks like a trooper with a python barrel

Serial numbers match and are correct. Sold it today for what I paid. I kept the gun case and three boxes of 357 ammo. Maybe should have kept it. I paid $1500.

A great gun, I wish I still had mine.

I fear that the days of production revolvers of that quality are past.

Considering someone paid over a Grand for this piece of sh*t, I'd say you did ok for a good shooter. Pythons of any condition bring stupid money these days...

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=467578013

That's purty!

But the original trooper's frame was angled down toward the barrel, so the frame doesn't match up with the barrel.