Colt Trooper

The Colt Trooper in .357 Magnum was considered to be the "poor man's" Colt Python. Internally, it was the same revolver. However, it wasn't as tuned in its action (though there are those who disagree with this evaluation) and it lacked the full lugged barrel and the raised and ventilated sight rib of the Python. Therefore, it was more affordable and popular with police officers and private citizens with more modest incomes throughout the fifties and sixties. The original Colt Trooper was introduced in 1953 and discontinued in 1969. From 1953 to 1961 the Trooper was only available in 38 Special and 22 Long Rifle. The 3-5-7 revolver was the 357 Magnum model with an awkward name. Both models used the medium sized "I" frame. Approximately 15,000 units were manufactured. When Colt brought out the Python in 1955 the 3-5-7 was the odd man out and it never enjoyed the sales numbers of the Trooper and Python. In 1961 Colt stopped making the 3-5-7 and added the .357 Magnum to the Trooper's list of calibers. Many sources state that the 3-5-7 received the same level of hand fitting that the Python received.
=Colt Trooper=
==Specifications==
(1953 - 1969)
* Type: Revolver
* Caliber(s): .38 Special, .357 Magnum (1961), .22 LR
* Barrel length(s): 4 in (10.2 cm), 6 in (15.2 cm)
* Capacity: 6 cartridges
* Fire Modes: SA/DA
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===Film===
Title 	Actor 	Character 	Note 	Date
Assault on Precinct 13	Henry Brandon 	LAPD Sergeant Chaney 	 	1976
The Late Show 	Joanna Cassidy 	Laura Birdwell 	 	1977
The Choirboys 	James Woods 	Harold Bloomguard 	 	1977
The Choirboys 	Perry King 	Baxter Slate 	 	1977
The Choirboys 	Tim McIntire 	Roscoe Rules 	 	1977
Sudden Impact 	 	Police officer 	 	1983
Murphy's Law 	Charles Bronson	Jack Murphy 	 	1986
Crocodile Dundee II 	Juan Fernández 	Miguel 	 	1988
The Dead Pool 	 	Police & criminals 	 	1988
The Mask 	 	Police officers 	 	1994
Normal Life 	Luke Perry 	Chris Anderson 	 	1996
Normal Life 	 	Policemen 	 	1996
Eye of the Beholder 	Ashley Judd 	Joanna Eris 	 	1999
Eye of the Beholder 	Ewan McGregor 	Stephen Wilson 	 	1999
Jeepers Creepers 	 	Police officers 	 	2001
Blood Brothers 	Chen Chang 	Mark 	nickel-plated, 6" barrel	2007
Good Day for It 	Robert Patrick 	Luke Cain 	 	2011
The Last Witch Hunter 	 	seen in the Kaulder's armory	 	2015
===Television===
Title 	Actor 	Character 	Note / Episode 	Date
Columbo	William Shatner	Ward Fowler	"Fade in to Murder" (S06E01)	1976
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=Colt MK III Line of Revolvers=
Concerned with a decline in its market share because of price increases brought about by the high labor costs inherent in its manufacturing processes, the MK III line of Colt revolvers was introduced in 1969. This made significant engineering changes to the Trooper, and Official Police models. Intended to be the first major advancement of Colt’s designs since the beginning of the 20th century, the MK IIIs used a new ‘J’ frame and had no parts interchangeability with older models. The new revolvers were considered groundbreaking as they were the first modern revolver designs to employ a state of the art transfer-bar lockwork system. This lockwork was not only more sophisticated, but inherently safer due to its superiority to the older hammer-blocking designs; the revolver could fire only if the trigger was deliberately pulled completely to the rear. 
The MK III also vastly improved on the earlier design in durability, and offered the advantage of employing sintered iron internal parts rather than expensive forged ones. The sintered parts also allowed for improved fabrication tolerances, and could be given a special heat treatment resulting in a harder more wear-resistant composition. Using these parts virtually eliminated hand fitting, significantly lowering labor costs associated with the assembly and manufacture of the MK III line. The result was a line of revolvers that was more economical. Colt stayed with the older engineering in regards to the Python, Diamondback, Detective Special, Officer Model Match, Police Positive and Cobra models. The MK III line was discontinued in 1983. Two, four and six inch barrels were standard length. Finishes were blued steel, nickel and a patented nickel finish known as Colt-Guard. Colt manufactured over 300,000 units before discontinuing the MK III line.
=Colt Trooper Mk III=
400px|thumb|right|Colt Trooper Mk III - .357 Magnum 
==Specifications==
(1969 - 1983)
* Type: Revolver
* Caliber(s): .22LR, .22 Magnum, .357 Magnum, .38 Special
* Barrel length(s): 4 in (10.2 cm), 6 in (15.2 cm), 8 in (20.3 cm)
* Capacity: 6
* Fire Modes: SA/DA
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The Trooper MK III had adjustable sights and was available in .357 magnum and 22 Long Rifle. Four inch and six inch barreled models were standard. Blue and nickel were the finishes.
===Film===
Title 	Actor 	Character 	Note 	Date
The Getaway 	Roy Jenson 	Cully 	 	1972
Walking Tall 	Joe Don Baker 	Buford Pusser 	4" barrel 	1973
The Trial of Billy Jack 	Riley Hill 	Posner 	 	1974
Fear over the City (Peur sur la ville) 	Jean-Paul Belmondo 	Commissioner Jean Letellier 	 	1975
The Killer Elite 	 	California Highway Patrolman	 	1975
Syndicate Sadists 	Tomás Milián 	Rambo 	 	1975
Syndicate Sadists 	Adolfo Lastretti 	Ciccio Paterno 	 	1975
Dolemite 	John Kerry 	Detective Mitchell 	 	1975
The Enforcer 	 	S.F.P.D. 	 	1976
Crimebusters (Poliziotti violenti) 	Antonio Sabato 	Commissioner Tosi 	 	1976
Bloody Payroll (Milano violenta) 	John Steiner 	Fausto 	 	1976
Double Game 	George Hilton 	Ugo Moretti 	 	1977
Death of a Corrupt Man (Mort d'un pourri)	Alain Delon 	Xavier 'Xav' Maréchal 	 	1977
Death of a Corrupt Man (Mort d'un pourri)	 	Police officer 	 	1977
The Domino Principle 	Ken Swofford 	Ditcher 	 	1977
The Fury 	Kirk Douglas 	Peter Sandza 	 	1978
Go Tell the Spartans 	Evan C. Kim 	Cowboy 	 	1978
Any Which Way You Can 	 	Police officers 	 	1980
Le Guignolo 	Jean-Paul Belmondo 	Alexandre Dupré 	6" 	1980
Le Guignolo 	Michel Galabru 	Achille Sureau 	6" 	1980
Le Guignolo 	 	Joseph's assistant 	6" and 4" 	1980
Halloween II 	Jamie Lee Curtis 	Laurie Strode 	 	1981
The Thing 	Donald Moffat 	Gary 	 	1982
The Thing 	Kurt Russell 	MacReady 	 	1982
The Ruffian 	Bernard Giraudeau 	Gérard Jackson 	6" barrel 	1983
The Ruffian 	 	An Indian 	6" barrel 	1983
Blastfighter 	Michael Sopkiw 	Jake "Tiger" Sharp 	 	1984
Commando Leopard 	Klaus Kinski 	Colonel Silveira 	 	1985
Cop's Honor (Parole de Flic) 	Alain Delon 	Daniel Pratt 	 	1985
The Annihilators 	Bruce Evers 	Jesse 	6" barrel 	1985
Night of the Creeps 	 	Police officers 	 	1986
Beverly Hills Cop II 	Brigitte Nielsen 	Karla Fry 	6" barrel modified with laser sight, used as target-range pistol	1986
Demon of Paradise 	Nick Nicholson 	Langley 	4" barrel 	1987
Demon of Paradise 	Laura Banks 	Cahill 	4" barrel 	1987
Demon of Paradise 	Steve Rogers 	Policeman 	4" barrel 	1987
Demon of Paradise 	 	Police 	4" barrel 	1987
Equalizer 2000 	Richard Norton 	Slade 	6" barrel 	1987
Equalizer 2000 	Rex Cutter 	Dixon 	6" barrel 	1987
Equalizer 2000 	Robert Patrick 	Deke 	4" barrel 	1987
Equalizer 2000 	Frederick Bailey 	Hayward 	4" barrel 	1987
Who Framed Roger Rabbit 	Christopher Lloyd 	Judge Doom 	Nickel plated with ivory grips 	1988
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 	 	police officers 	nickel, 4" barrel 	1989
The Third Planet (Tretya planeta) 	 	 	Seen in the gun shop; probably 8" barrel 	1991
Reservoir Dogs 	 	Police officers 	 	1992
The Smile of the Fox 	 	Cop 	 	1992
Love and a .45 	Ann Wedgeworth 	Thaylene Cheatham 	 	1994
Canadian Bacon 	Rhea Perlman 	Honey 	 	1995
Muscle Heat 	 	Yakuza 	 	2002
Spider-Man 	 	Criminal 	 	2002
Unleashed 	 	Bart's henchman 	Nickel plated 	2005
The Devil's Rejects 	Sheri Moon Zombie 	Baby 	 	2005
Skinwalkers 	Wendy Crewson 	cult leader 	 	2007
He Was A Quiet Man 	Christian Slater 	Bob Maconel 	 	2007
Pulse 3: Invasion 	Rider Strong 	Adam 	 	2008
Wrong Turn 3: Left For Dead 	Charles Venn 	Walter 	 	2009
Kill the Irishman 	Steven R. Schirripa	Mike Frato 	 	2011
===Television===
Title 	Actor 	Character 	Note / Episode 	Date
Mission Impossible 	Peter Lupus 	Willy Armitage 	 	1972-1973
Hill Street Blues 	Daniel J. Travanti 	Captain Frank Furillo	"The Shooter" (S2E17) 	1981 - 1987
Hill Street Blues 	Michael Warren 	Officer Bobby Hill 	 	1981 - 1987
T.J. Hooker 	William Shatner 	Sgt. T.J. Hooker 	 	1982-1986
Bergerac 	Constantine Gregory	Duchesne 	6" barrel; "Prime Target" (S02E04) 	1983
Bergerac 	Stephen Lawrence 	Raoul 	6" barrel; "Prime Target" (S02E04) 	1983
Bergerac 	Anthony Valentine 	Lionel Carteret 	6" barrel; "Prime Target" (S02E04) 	1983
Jon Benjamin Has a Van	Mickey Jones 	Paul Lancaster Jones 	Nickel-plated, "Breakdown" (S01E04)	2011
===Video Game===
Title 	Appears as	Note 	Date
Desperados: Wanted Dead Or Alive	 	Anachronistic. Appears only in cutscene.	2001
Silent Hill 4: The Room 	 	 	2004
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=Colt Lawman MK III=
The Lawman was a .357 Magnum 'service grade' or 'police issue' version of the Trooper, and somewhat of an economy model intended for law enforcement looking for cheaper sidearms or private armed security. The Lawman came with fixed sights and no ejector rod shroud. Early Lawman revolvers came with thinner hammers and narrow triggers, but most Lawman revolvers come with the standard MK III Trooper hammers and triggers. Finishes were available in bright Colt Royal Blue, bright nickel, and satin electroless nickel. Initial guns came with narrow service grips, but most come with larger target grips. Nickel finished guns came with Colt medallion-equipped Pachmayr "Signature" rubber grips. The Lawman came with a heavy barrel in lengths of two inch and four inch only. Early versions of the Lawman with the two inch barrel had an exposed ejector rod; but later models with the two inch barrel have an attribute unique to the Lawman, the only Lawman barrel equipped with shrouded ejector rod, resembling something of a larger third-generation Colt Detective Special. As with the MK III Trooper, the MK III Lawman was produced from 1969 to 1983.
thumb|400px|right|Colt Lawman Mk III Snubnose - .357 Magnum. Post-1976 model with redesigned the frame and added a lug to protect the ejector rod
==Specifications==
(1969 - 1983)
* Type: Revolver
* Caliber(s): .357 Magnum, .38 Special
* Barrel length(s): 2 in (5.08 cm), 4 in (10.2 cm)
* Capacity: 6
* Fire Modes: SA/DA
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===Film===
Title 	Actor 	Character 	Note 	Date
Black Sunday 	Robert Shaw 	Maj. David Kabakov 	suppressed 	1977
Telefon 	John Mitchum 	Harry Bascom 	 	1977
The Fury 	Kirk Douglas 	Peter Sandza 	snubnose 	1978
Repo Man 	Vonetta McGee 	Marlene 	snubnose 	1984
Stick 	Dar Robinson 	Moke 	snubnose 	1985
Best Seller 	 	Shooter at firing range 	nickel plated	1987
Who's That Girl 	 	The motorcycle cop 	 	1987
The Killer 	Danny Lee 	Inspector Li Ying 	 	1989
Army of One 	Dolph Lundgren 	Santee 	 	1993
Ed Wood 	Brent Hinkley 	Conrad Brooks 	prop 	1994
Ed Wood 	George 'The Animal' Steele	Tor Johnson 	prop 	1994
Normal Life 	Luke Perry 	Chris Anderson 	snubnose 	1996
Fargo 	 	North Dakota State Police	4" barrel 	1996
Normal Life 	 	Police escort 	snubnose 	1996
The Crew 	 	Old gangster 	 	2000
Infernal Affairs 	 	Hong Kong Police 	 	2002
Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy	Paul Rudd 	Brian Fantana 	snubnose 	2004
The Devil's Rejects 	William Forsythe 	Sheriff Wydell 	 	2005
Lila & Eve 	Jennifer Lopez 	Eve Rafael 	snubnose 	2015
Lila & Eve 	Viola Davis 	Lila Walcott 	snubnose 	2015
=== Television ===
Title 	Actor 	Character 	Note 	Date
The A-Team 	Dirk Benedict 	Templeton "Face" Peck	. 	1983-1987
Riptide 	Thom Bray 	Murray "Boz" Bozinsky	nickel plated 	1984-1986
MacGyver (1985) - Season 1	Corinne Bohrer 	Terry Ross 	"The Assassin" (S1E22)	1986
MacGyver (1985) - Season 1	Anthony De Longis	Piedra the Assassin 	"The Assassin" (S1E22)	1986
=== Anime ===
Title 	Character 	Note	Date
Gunsmith Cats 	Roy Coleman 	 	1995-1996
Archer - Season 1	Sterling Archer	 	2010
 
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=Colt Trooper MK V=
The Colt Trooper Mk V was a revolver first built by Colt in 1982. The MK V series was based on a new, slightly smaller ‘V’ frame, similar in size to Smith & Wesson’s ‘K’ frame. Changes from the MK III models were minor and many parts remained identical. What separates it from most other Colt revolvers is that, while it has a full ventilated lug on the top of the barrel (resembling a Colt Python), it only has a half lug on the bottom. Another added feature to this revolver is a "V" etched around the Colt pony near the grips. Other exterior modifications included a compact grip frame with slimmer and either rounded (like the Colt Anaconda) or square butt wood grips; other changes were engineering-based with the goal of simplifying and facilitating production. In addition to exterior modifications, internally Colt switched from using sintered metal (early form of Metal Injected Molding or MIM) triggers and hammers and went with cast steel for those parts and a shorter hammer throw than that of the Mk III line, as well as improving the trigger action with new components. These improvements made the MK V triggers smoother, while the diminished lock times increased accuracy. As with the MK III, the Mark V series was an entirely new product line of models which included Official Police, Lawman, and Trooper variants. The Mk V line was phased out in the mid-Eighties and replaced with the Colt King Cobra.
==Specifications==
(1982 - 1985)
* Type: Revolver
* Caliber(s): .22LR, .22 Magnum, .357 Magnum, .38 Special
* Barrel length(s): 4 in (10.2 cm), 6 in (15.2 cm), 8 in (20.3 cm)
* Capacity: 6
* Fire Modes: SA/DA
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===Film===
Title 	Actor 	Character 	Note	Date
The Fugitive	Neil Flynn	transit officer	 	1993
===Television===
Title 	Actor 	Character 	Note 	Date
Miami Vice 	Edward James Olmos	Lt. Martin Castillo	 	1984-1989
Miami Vice - Season 5	Marc Macaulay 	"Doc" Jerry 	Episode, "Bad Timing"	1988
=See Also=
* Colt's Manufacturing Company - A list of all firearms manufactured by Colt.
Category:Gun
Category:Revolver