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colt trooper MK V

tone59
im looking to purchase a collectable colt revolver.i wanted a python but they are going up in value faster than i can save money.i have a chance to buy a NIB blued 6inch trooper MK V.are there any colt experts out there that can tell me if the MK Vs are of any more value as a collector piece than the trooper & trooper MK IIIs and what the differences are?i know the MK Vs were manf.from 1982-85 but thats about it.is $800 a fair price for a NIB blued 6in MK V?thank you.
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Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • spas12
    not too much in the completed auctions to help but there is this http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=267309560
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  • 62fuelie
    The Mark V was a very different gun than the Python or the original Trooper. It has a coil mainspring and a lot of cosmetic changes to ease (cheapen) production. I would not expect one to ever attain the collectability of the original types or the big snake. $800 seems a hefty price for one, I would take the money and try to find a nice used, but cared for S&W M-27 or an early Trooper or Officer's Model Match.
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  • cpermd
    Run away

    Get an early Trooper
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  • tone59
    62fuelie...thanks for the SW 27 suggestion. already have 27-2,pre-28 highway patrol(5-screw),29(4-screw)along with other SWs but no colts.can you be more specific regarding cheapened cosmetic features?aside from the addition of a vented rib barrel on the MK V i cannot see any cosmetic changes.the seller claims the MK V did away with inferior sinterd(not sure of spelling) metal parts in favor of casted parts.it seems (according to seller) that the MK V is an improved version of the original troopers.can anyone out there explain why this is true or false?please help!im confused with the vague contradictions thus far.
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  • tone59
    i havent made my mind up yet and would still like to hear any comments(particularly any negative ones).but i did find some answers i was looking for and thought id share info.the MK V was built on a slightly smaller V frame than the earlier troopers which is similar in size to SW K frame.the only cosmetic changes were a rounded butt and vented barrel rib.improved accuracy and smoother trigger resulted from a lenghtened mainspring and shorter hammerfall which diminished lock times.the sintered iron lockwork was done away with in favor of cast parts.the internal workings are the same as what Colt later used in the King Cobra.im disappionted i didnt buy a Python a few years back when a nice one could be had for about a grand.if i can buy a mint MK V at the right price it may ease the pain a little.
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  • 62fuelie
    The most critical change was to the internal lock work. The original Colt magnum DA frame used a "V" mainspring that only "stacked" pressure a little at the end of the pull and a good Colt 'smith could make that hard to feel. The coil mainspring and pivots in the Mk V make the cleaning up of the pull almost impossible. In all the years I shot PPC in CA I don't ever recall seeing a serious shooter using a Mk V, I did see OMM's, 6" Troopers, and Pythons and a few Smolts (Python barrel on an S&W K-frame)that would tell me that the most knowledgeable revolver shooters around did not find the Mk V a suitable revolver for serious competition. IIRC the Mk V relied on a number of cast parts and the reputation was not nearly as good a Ruger's.
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  • tone59
    62fuelie...i was hoping for a explaination as to what makes the MK V a cheapened version of the original troopers as you stated earlier.as a collector rather than a shooter i do not care if the trigger can or cannot be tuned or its potential as a target gun.as far as out of the box trigger and accuracy goes-quote:colt 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.http://wikipedia.org/wiki/colt-trooper.i dont want to buy a down graded trooper but have yet to hear why a MK V only prod. 1982-85 would not be more collectable than the trooper or MK III which evenly split a 30 year run.
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  • cpermd
    Did you stop to think maybe the revolver was only made three years for a reason.

    They are crap.
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  • tone59
    cpermd...the MK Vs were not discontinued as you say because they were crap.it was renamed the king cobra when colt designed a stainless version with a new profile barrel.im not saying that the king cobra isnt crap.i have not seen either model up close.if the king cobra is crap,alot of collectors are paying good money for crappy guns.
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  • JudgeColt
    The Mark V is a variation of the Mark III. The Mark V has different trigger geometry that makes the double action trigger pull better. The King Cobra replaced the Mark V. The Mark V is therefore a short production gun, and scarce in comparison to the Mark III and King Cobra.

    I find nothing about the Mark V that warrants the derision heaped upon it by cpermd, but he is entitled to his opinion. I do not share it. The Mark III, Mark V and King Cobra are very strong, very durable revolvers.

    They are NOT Pythons, but then they do not cost like Pythons either. The less common versions of the Mark III, Mark V and King Cobra are appreciating rapidly as collectors discover them as alternatives to Pythons that are getting priced out of the reach of many collectors.

    For more information, go to the Colt Forum.
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