Colt trooper = what S&W ?

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Willyboy

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I have seen a few Colt Troopers locally that look pretty nice. What is the S&W equivalent? K-frame,L, or n-frame? I am also looking at S&W 27 and 28's and like the looks of the S&W a little better. I already have a 14 and 15, 1960's vintage. Thanks...
 
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L-Frame today.

In the heydey of the Trooper, its competition would have been something like the Highway Patrolman/N-Frame.

The old Troopers, with the V-Mainspring, formed the basis of the Python.
And of course the L-Frame was produced to take away Python/Trooper business. Holsters, speedloaders will generally work interchangeably.
The L-Frame was designed to allow police to use their leather/speedloader equipment if they had had Pythons/Troopers.
 
Colt's direct competitor was the S&W Model 15.
Both were adjustable sighted, .38 Special, "service" type revolvers of a similar size and competed for the same police market.

After 1961 the Trooper was available in .357, and the Model 19 became the "other brand" Colt competed against.
 
Danski has the correct answer regarding frame size comparison of the guns available in todays market. The model 15 may have been the police market competitor at the time the 38 trooper was in production, but the model 15 is built on the 'K' frame and somewhat smaller than the Colt Trooper. You didn't mention which version of the Trooper, but the S&W 'L' frame is a closer match to either the older 'E' frame Trooper or the later 'J' frame Trooper MKIII.
 
Willyboy said:
I have seen a few Colt Troopers locally that look pretty nice. What is the S&W equivalent? K-frame,L, or n-frame? I am also looking at S&W 27 and 28's and like the looks of the S&W a little better. I already have a 14 and 15, 1960's vintage. Thanks...
Click to expand...

It seems to me that the Trooper is closest to the L frame, and the closest L frame is probably the 620 or the 686 Mountain Gun in terms of weight.
 
I have several troopers and they always felt pretty close to a K frame to me. Here is one along side a M&P.

HPIM1734.jpg
 
I have shot a few Colt Troopers and I can say with certainty, that no Colt Trooper equals any S&W revolver I've ever shot.
 
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I have shot a few Colt Troopers and I can say with certainty, that no S&W equals any Colt revolver I've ever shot.
 
I've fired a Trooper and it seemed pretty hefty to me. But, the photo submitted by Feralmerril causes me to wonder if the Trooper was actually slightly smaller than the K-frame. In any event, I wasn't impressed by the one that I fired. The trigger had this weird stacking sensation which at least made it feel to me as if I had to keep increasing pressure on it throughout its cycle in order to get the gun to fire. Smith triggers are much smoother.
 
Colt Trooper vs S&W

Thanks for all your comments. I am looking at a Trooper 357 (not a III) made in 1965, with box and target, probably 98%.The trigger felt really crisp but you never know until you actually shoot a few cylinders worth at a bullseye. But the price is high and for a few more bucks I can probably pick up a later P&R model 27 if I shop around a little.
 
Pictures are deceiving sometimes.

The Colt E&I frame was heavier and slightly larger than the S&W, especially in key areas.
What the picture doesn't show is that the Colt cylinder is significantly larger in diameter than the S&W "K" frame.

Smith triggers and Colt triggers have a totally different feel, with the Colt stacking as its pulled.
People who grew up on Colt's like it, people used to S&W may not.
The S&W trigger is not "smoother" then the Colt, smoothness has nothing to do with stacking.
Again, different strokes (trigger) for different folks.
 
Many years ago I reloaded and experimented a lot more than now. I mainly carried a old .357 trooper at work. Off the job I shot my .357 S&Ws a lot too. I noticed sloppy reloaded cases wouldnt go in my colts would usualy go in the smiths. Yet high primers wouldnt function in the smiths but the colt would.
If I shot braced over the bench with pads etc., I still claim my colts to be a little more accurate. I am big with fair size hands. Yet if factory standard grips are used on both makes, the S&Ws always "feel" better.
With most my shooting I shoot SA, only when qualifying would I shoot DA. In that case, shooting SA, it doesnt matter whether, S&W or colt, I doubt if there is a differance.
I like both brands, yet must admit colt is almost defunct in DA revolvers, but with two pythons and a couple troopers I am set for life, as I am with my fourteen or so smiths.
 
Well , I have a first year Colt .357 Magnum , same size as a Trooper , and it does not fit into a holster molded for a K-frame. It could probably be wetted and stretched to fit. But then again , it swims in an N-frame holster.

And a K-frame is a loose fit in my Python holster.

BTW , all holsters are Bianchi 5BHLs.
 
i carried a trooper mklll @ work for several years...a very nice gun....i still have one...i equate it closer to an L frame smith
 
When I came on the job if you were a Smith guy you bought a Model 19. if you were Colt guy and couldn't afford a Python (all entry level cops) you bought the Trooper. I went with the Model 19.
 
I always thought S&W introduced the L frame to compete directly with the Colts.
 
Model 27 all the way

i772.photobucket
If you can get a nice P&R model 27 for just few bucks more than a similar Trooper , I say go mod 27 even if it is more that a few . I have one trooper left and I like them fine and I used to listen to Python guys , the few who would shoot theirs ,tell me how superior their weapon is , but I never had one out shoot my old model 27, and the trooper is no Python. IMHO There is no revolver more pleasing to hold , carry and own and shoot than the N frame Smith and there are some good reasons to choose the model 27 among all Ns . Besides that the Colt cylinders turn the wrong way .
 
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I'm not versed on the sales competition between S&W's and Colt Trooper guns, but I do know that My Trooper MkIII would not fit (without forcing) into a Bianchi K-Frame holster for a 6" barrel.

Some years ago, I gave My late 70's Colt Trooper MkIII to My son for his first handgun. Although I had wanted a nickeled gun when I bought that MkIII, I didn't have enough funds at the time. I traded My Ruger Security-Six 6" blue, and $130 for that demo-gun, & included was the factory carton, & a new Safariland basket-weave, suede-lined holster.

My blued Trooper with a 6" heavy barrel, would outshoot nearly every handgun that I owned (at that time), sans My Thompson Contender.
 
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