The Well Worn Lawman, My first of the Colt MKIII Series.

Colt Lawman MKIII, 4 Inch

I'm in the process of consolidating calibers in my collection, and I've been looking for a robust .357 Magnum to replace my CZ-52 in my bug out bag. In a crisis I'm much more likely to be able to find/reload/trade for .357 magnum and .38 Special rather than 7.62x25. With this revolver I can pack a myriad of ammo choices from heavy hitting .357 Mag for taking large game, powerful .357 Mag self-defense loads, or even .38 Special shot-shell loads for snakes and small game. And using the same holsters as some of my other revolvers this makes a perfect bad weather trail gun.

I picked this up in trade a few days ago for my CZ-52, I'm a sucker for wheel guns and since the 7.62x25 ammo dried up in my area, the CZ had to go. I got it home and right away I could smell the pervading odor of "cold blue", it was evident that it had been cold blued poorly at some point and the finish was what you can see in pictures (looks like it may have gotten damp in an uncle mikes holster at some point). Upon dis-assembly I found the internals caked with black sludge, which came off with some good scrubbing. Mechanically this gun is excellent (can I say better trigger than my nicer 1993 S&W 686), but the rough shod finish leaves something to be desired. I've asked for some advice over on the Colt Forums on whether I should consider working on the finish... so for now I'll keep her as is.

Heavy holster wear combined with an old re-blue job has taken it's toll on the finish of this piece. The serial number puts its age at around 1970, and I would wager that the stocks are original.

Some light pitting around the pony, but nothing that detracts from the usefulness of this gun. I plan to soak it in solvent for a day or so and see if that doesn't clear up the smell. I figure that if I can still smell the old cold blue, then it may be silently working away at the gun over time. 

The exposed ejector rod is new to me, apparently in its day the exposed vs. shrouded ejector rod was something of a controversy.  Proponents of the exposed rod point out that there is no shroud to get packed with mud/ice/sludge and prevent putting the cylinder into battery, and critics say that the exposed rod could get bent and prevent use of the ejector. I don't see an issue with either way, and unlike the S&W ejector rod which also functions as a pusher rod to release the cylinder, the Colt setup only uses the rod to expend spent brass.

This revolver is referred to as "Bull Strong" and it lives up to it's name, its built like a tiger tank, heavy, precise and reliable. The timing and lock-up on this revolver is outstanding. Mechanically she is in excellent condition. I'm not surprised why these revolvers have gained a following over the years.

The standard stocks on this tank are a little too big for my hands, Ill keep an eye out for some service grips at a discount on Ebay or Gunbroker.

Here she sits in some solvent overnight. The odor of cold blue was too much for me to handle, that smell will soak into your hands and you'll be smelling it's rusty rotten metal smell for days after. Hopefully this will knock it out once and for all and I can rest easy with this gun in the safe. 

These guns, once under valued, are slowly becoming highly collectible, and I believe that is in no small part due to their exceptional craftsmanship and handling. I doubt this will be the last one that I add to my collection.