Colt Trooper Mark V Nickel with 4 in Barrel
Specifications
Barrel length - 4 in (102 mm)
Cartridge - .357 Magnum
Action - Double-action
Feed system - Six round cylinder
Sights - Iron sights
Manufacturer - Colt's Manufacturing Company
Produced - 1982
Type - Revolver
Place of origin - United States
The Colt Trooper is a medium frame, double-action revolver featuring a six-round cylinder, chambered for .22 Long Rifle, .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, .38 Special, and .357 Magnum caliber cartridges. Designed as a less expensive alternative to the upscale Colt .357 and the later Colt Python and Colt King Cobra, it was marketed to law enforcement agencies as well as civilians.
Development and history
Introduced to the firearms market by the Colt's Manufacturing Company in 1953, the Trooper and its high-end cousin, the .357 Magnum, were introduced with the intention of addressing the medium frame revolver market, as law enforcement officers had long complained about the weight of earlier models. The two guns were seen as ideal in size and handling characteristics for the .38 Special and its big brother the .357. Offered as an alternative and competitor to Smith & Wesson’s Model 28 "Highway Patrolman", the Colts were lighter and handier.
MK V
1982 - 1985 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 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. Internally, Colt did away with the sintered iron MK III lockwork in favor of cast parts, and improved the trigger action with new components and a shorter hammer fall. These improvements made the MK V triggers smoother, while the diminished lock times increased accuracy. Exterior modifications included a compact grip frame with rounded grips; other changes were engineering-based with the goal of simplifying and facilitating production.
Trooper: Options remained the same as they were with the MK III models, but the launch of the MK Vs denoted the initiation of a ventilated barrel rib option similar to the Python. The legacy solid rib remained available as well.
Lawman: External options and finishes for the MK V Lawman remained identical to the MK III version.
Whitetailer: A variant of very limited production which was intended for the hunting market, the Whitetailer came equipped with an eight-inch barrel and Telescopic sight mounting rings.
