357 mag handgun ID help

[alliclaytor]

A buddy had this, I didn't see any marks on the barrel or frame. Any help would be appreciated. It also has cylinder lockup issues (it's pretty sloppy) so a recommendation for a gunsmith would be appreciated too.

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[throttletony]

don't know...
some weird modified Colt (looking at cylinder release), perhaps for bullseye/pins?

That trigger shoe screams old school and semi-custom

 

[alliclaytor]

Thanks, I was thinking a colt body too. He got it at a trading post in KY many moons ago. It has a Wilson back sight and a small fiber optic front sight. And the hand grips are for a much bigger hand than mine.

 

[Tactically Fat]

Looks like a "home-build". Not really - but it's not all that uncommon to find "actions/receivers" from one make/model + the barrel from another - set up for competition. Looks like this one may be one of those.

 

[ScouT6a]

Definitely been through the Bubba Gump gunsmith shop, huh?

 

[BehindBlueI's]

It's a .357 and not a .38? That complicates things.

Maybe an early Trooper:

The 357 Model

Refitted with an Officer's Match barrel:

The barrel sure looks like an Officer's Match, but they were never offered in .357. I suppose it would be technically possible to take the .38 barrel and mate it to a .357 Trooper frame, though.

 

[alliclaytor]

Honestly I took his word for it, I didn't measure the cylinder width.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Honestly I took his word for it, I didn't measure the cylinder width.

A .38 would certainly make it easier. Then its just a modified Officer's Model.

 

[alliclaytor]

I'll do some measuring and report back, thanks so much!

 

[LCSOSgt11]

If it is a .357, the frame and cylinder are probably a Colt Trooper Mk IV. Possibly also the barrel. No stamping marks are unusual, however.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

If it is a .357, the frame and cylinder are probably a Colt Trooper Mk IV.

The only Colt Mk IV I know of is a 1911. Later model Troopers had shrouded ejector rods, though, and this one has an unshrouded ejector rod.

 

[wolfman]

Check on the inside of the crane just above the pivot pin for markings, it should have some numbers.

 

[upchurch67]

This looks to be an old, heavily modified Colt New Service revolver. It looks like a Williams rear sight has been installed on top of the rear notch milled into the receiver. I doubt the front sight is original. You can see a trigger shoe and grips appear to be custom target style.

 

[Oldsmolet]

Or a model 357. The gun before the trooper. I have one.