Posted: 10/14/2011 8:41:10 PM EDT
| I picked up a Colt Trooper, nickel finish, and 5" barrel. Former Florida Highway Patrol gun gun. Anyone know anything about the gun? What years did they use these? |
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Is it a Trooper or a Colt 357?
Colt made a gun that looks like the original Trooper called the 35 Model. That was both the name and caliber. The FHP originally bought the 357 Model. It was a special order 5" barrel with a nickel finish. This was the only nickel 357 Model gun made until very late in production. Colt made the 357 Model from 1953 until 1961. Colt also sold the FHP the Colt Trooper in .357 Magnum. The .357 Magnum Colt Trooper was made from 1961 to 1969. Colt made the Trooper only in .38 Special and .22LR from 1953 to 1961, so if your gun is a .357 Trooper it was made from 1961 to 1969. |
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As above, the .357 Magnum version of the original Trooper was made from 1961 to 1969 when it was replaced by the Trooper Mark III.
The .357 Magnum Trooper is a Colt "I" frame revolver. The "I" frame guns had the firing pin in the frame, the earlier "E" frame versions had the firing pin on the hammer and were only made in .22LR and .38 Special. The "I" frame was also used on the Colt 357 and the Colt Python. The Trooper and 357 model are often called a "poor man's Python" because they're basically the same gun as a Python only without the extra adjusting and tuning of the action, the high polish Royal Blue finish, and the heavy ribbed and lugged Python barrel. The FHP guns were special order from Colt and were the only 357 or Trooper models made with a 5" barrel. FHP ordered the bright nickel finish to withstand the humid, salty air of Florida. They were ordered with Target grips and Target hammer. I think the FHP also used some nickel Colt Pythons before switching to S&W revolvers. The guns following the Trooper didn't have 5" barrels since that cost too much to special order. |
| DFW...FHP never really 'switched' to the S&W from Colt although they did buy some M28s. They were using Pythons, mostly nickle, when they transitioned to the Beretta 92s. I am personal friends with both of the now retired long term Dept. Armorers during that 30+ year period. |
| Thanks for the replies. I kind of rescued the gun, I guess. When I bought it, it really looked bad. It hadn't been cleaned in a long time. Someone painted the sights red. There is a nick on the front sight like it has been dropped. So far, I just cleaned it up real good and shot it. It is now very shiny and shoots great. I need to get the red paint off the sights and clean up the front sight gently with a dremel tool. I'll take a picture and post it here when I get a chance. Is it worth anything beyond a normal Trooper being a FHP gun? It's the only 5" I've ever seen, but I'm not a big Colt collector. |
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Quoted:
Coulda swore I saw someone post a picture of a FHP S&W Model 66 Magnum on another forum a year or so ago. That could have happened...the only 5in M66 I ever saw was in their armory but I have no idea how many they had or what came of them (it?) I sure would love to have it now, though. 
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