A little while ago, I posted this Colt, that's been entrusted to my care. It came to me wearing Pach's, and I've been trying to find replacements for the missing original target stocks. Not much out there, and what is available is proudly priced.
My wife has been sorting items from her parents' garage, as her mom is moving up to our area, from New Mexico. I found this stuff stacked on top of my fly-fishing gear. I guess she wanted me to find it! I could not believe what was inside the Pachmayr box. The original grips!!!

Her dad was a young deputy, for a while, before becoming a rocket-scientist.
He whittled the left side grip, probably to accommodate a speed loader. He was a re-loader, and it looks like he lubed the inside of his holster. The wear at the muzzle (flat on the sides) suggests he practiced, a lot. She never told me he was a lefty.
Sadly, I never met Robert, but I'll make sure his Colt stays in good working order, and makes some noise, at the range.








Might have to go blasting, instead of fishing, tomorrow morning!

I believe that is the definition of "a nice surprise"!

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The best I can with what I got

Today is your lucky day. Congratulations

Go and buy a Lotto ticket or make a bet

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"Acta non verba"

I was going to say those grips came like that, but I see now where you said he whittled on them. I just woke up but my eyes are still about half asleep. No doubt to clear a speedloader.

I had a 38 Trooper that had those same grips. I don't think it had ever been fired, and I never did. I finally sold it to a real Colt collector. It had the same type box, with a target in it, signed by the same guy as yours the best I can tell.

Congratulations. Those old 3 5 7's are good guns.

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John 3:16 .

I've been shooting a couple of the 3-5-7 models for many years along with a couple of Pythons. The 3-5-7s shoot at least as well as the Pythons.

That's the grip you reduce for speedloaders whether you're right or left handed.

Love those Colt E/I frames! And D frames. And P frames. And O frames. Okay, I'm not a very discerning guy.

Thank you!
And thanks for the info on the test target. How cool is that? Ol' Engleheardt had a great job!

My first service revolver was a used blued .38spl Colt 4" Trooper.
The grips were plastic target Frazide stag grips.

A dozen years ago I got hooked by the three five sevens. I have 4. I just kept running into them with owners that didn't appreciate what they had.

I was particularly interested in their lineage with the Python. Mine are all good shooters.

Those beautiful grips are shared with the Python which means get ready to pay proud prices for them.

Prescut

In my little bit of hunting around for the grips, I found that the Python stocks came with gold medallions. All other models, in that era (this gun was built in 1961) carried the silver inserts. There seem to be more gold medallion grips, floating around, than silver.

I took the Colt to the range, along with a 65-3, 27-2, and 617 ND, yesterday. 25 yards, one-hand, DA. A few observations:
The original Colt grips are cheese graters, with full magnum loads.
The 3 5 7 POI is higher than POA, understandable as it was factory regulated, with a 6 o'clock hold, at 15 yards. Previous owner was hand loader, and may well have adjusted sights further.
The trigger pull on the Colt is smooth as glass, and feels a little "longer", than my Smiths.
I had my best strings with the 3" 65-3 and 6" 617ND (no surprise here).
Going to put the Pachs back on the Colt, and try again. Also bringing my screw driver set, next time.
I include the target, only as proof of my range visit. It is, in no way, meant to convey any suggestion of shooting prowess, on my part. Definitely need to get out more!

Very nice, and very fortunate!

Here's a pic of mine:



It's 1958, if memory serves, and I had it refinished before I knew better. Herrett's Jordan Troopers.

Reading old Colt ads, I've realized that Colt called these their "Three-Fifty-Seven" model:



The best write up on these that I've come across is pasted below. I think I found it on a watch forum, and I believe that somehow I was able to identify the poster as one of our own forum members who posts here under a different moniker. (Should have written it down, but didn't..) Sorry it is so small, but try zooming in or downloading. It's worth the read if you have interest in these guns.

I don't know why, especially considering the small number made, but the 3-5-7 model was pretty much a sleeper on the used gun market for many years and they weren't hard to find. It seems hardly anybody wanted one. I don't keep up with current prices, but suspect the 3-5-7s now have prices to match their sudden desirability.

Onomea,

I get fuzzy mush when I try to zoom in on the image.
Any chance to get the article another way?

Prescut

Cool story on finding the grips! I suspect (not being up on Colt wood) that the large cutout on the left panel is mostly original, and chewed up on the forward lower edge, perhaps from the extractor still scraping against it.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Great write-up!
Gorgeous gun!
thanks for sharing

follow the link, then enlarge from the new website.https://postimg.cc/n9zgrkLj

Prescut, sent ya a PM.

I'm a S&W guy, but always thought the old V-Spring type Colts were very nice guns. I had one of the old style .357 Troopers years ago, and within the last few years acquired an old retired lawman's 3 5 7 model. The fully checkered factory grips were trashed, so I bought a set of aftermarket wood grips for mine. I have the original box, but unfortunately no paperwork, target, etc. When I take revolvers to the range, the old Colt is usually one of them.

Attached Images

3 5 7 Colt (4) - Copy - Copy - Copy.JPG (117.0 KB, 28 views)

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NRA Life, COTEP 640

And there is a reason for that. At one time the grips with Silver medallions were more common than gold because there were several Colt revolvers using them. Many earlier Pythons had their earlier grips discarded (foolishly) and as time went on, collectors were accumulating Pythons without their original gold medallion target grips. As those grips with silver medallions were more easily found for awhile, they simply replaced their silver medallions with gold medallions (which became widely available). One needs to be very careful in examining gold medallion grips to insure that they are indeed factory original, and haven't had their medallions swapped out.

As a side note, I remember that 30-35 years ago, many gun/pawn shops had a junk box on their counter containing odd stuff, and it was not unusual to find a nice pair of Colt target grips in them marked for sale at $5. I bought two pair that way back in the early 1990s. One pair was perfect, the other showed some use, but still pretty good. I once bought a 3-5-7 that had a pair of Gen 1 silver medallion targets on it which a previous owner had sanded smooth and refinished. I will say he did a pretty good job, and I do like their feel better than the checkered grips.

Had a 4" 3-5-7 in the 90's and traded it to one of our airplane mechs at Dobbins. Ran into the guy 10 years later in Portland, OR and he still had it. Tried to get it back, but no deal. Great piece.

Gunbroker has 3 for sale right now.

They are from $2,000 up to $3,200.

Although the prices are HUGE, they are the Nicest 3 5 7's I've ever seen.
I didn't know such a thing existed.
The grips are like new and the finish is gorgeous.

Mine are all shooters and look nothing like those 3.

colt 3-5-7 For Sale – Buy colt 3-5-7 at GunBroker.com

Scroll through the list to find the 3.

Geez, it's crazy to think now that about 10 years ago I walked a way from an opportunity where a guy was selling two of them for $650.00 each. I had a Colt Trooper (not 'Mark') and thought it'd be redundant and the price was a bit much...

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Rather be outdoors