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October 17, 2017
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My first revolver was a six inch Colt Trooper MK lll. Bought it used, and had it refurbished by a great gunsmith friend of mine. I put a lot of full house Magnum loads through that gun, and it ate them like candy. Like the idiot I am, I sold it, regretted it, and finally after twenty years or so I've replaced it with this well used four inch version.
As much as I love my DWs, it's nice once in a while to not have think about what barrel I'm going to use, or to have to double check what the cylinder/barrel gap is, and just put the gun in the range bag and go shooting! The action is smooth as silk, and the trigger breaks like glass, and it does say C, O, L, T when you pull the hammer back.
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Dans Club
March 25, 2013
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Designed by Karl Lewis.
October 17, 2017
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Yes it was, my friend. I see Lewis' design work at Colt as the preamble to the Dan Wesson revolver, and the pinnacle of that work was the Trooper MK lll. The changes Lewis made transitioning into the DW are subtle but important. I think he realized that even though the frame on the MK lll was extremely strong, the hammering it would take from that massive cylinder would eventually take its toll, so the DW got a significantly lighter cylinder. Realizing also that enough hammering would stretch a DW as well, he incorporated the spring loaded detent ball to further ease the battering. How much this actually helps is debatable, but it also made possible the crane mounted cylinder latch. The early DW also had a removable cylinder collar so that it could be shimmed underneath if need be, whereas the MK lll end shake correction remained an expensive factory only option. The later DW eventually returned to a flange on the upper crane leg much like the older Colts, and thus are easily shimmed. The simplified action of the MK lll got even more streamlined in the DW, but the one thing I wish he had kept was the magnificent hand of the MK lll. IMHO it was the best hand ever designed offering nearly bank vault lock up without additional complicated parts. Nonetheless the DW hand is superbly rugged, and offers solid lock up in an even simpler design. Best of all, the DW side plate removal is painless, offering the user easy access for repairs and parts replacement making it a true working man's revolver.
DWF Supporters
July 22, 2018
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Ole Dog said
Designed by Karl Lewis.
Thanks for the topic, 3ric! No wonder I always had a soft spot for the MKIII. Another bucket lister for me is the now-rarer parkerized Colt Peacekeeper. Same gun in essence, l suppose, although the action I'm told is not as smooth as it's pre-strike predecessors. Would still like to find one in mint condition to scratch it off the list.
My Baby Lets Me Do What I Want
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