Colt Trooper Patrol Carbine (Photo: Colt)
In 1953 Colt brought to market the Colt Trooper revolver. The Trooper was marketed towards the law enforcement community and was commonly referred to as the “working man’s Colt Python.”
Since 1953, the needs of law enforcement have changed and it is not uncommon for officers to carry a patrol carbine like an AR-15. Leveraging an already successful moniker, Colt has re-purposed the Trooper name for their new rifle, the Colt Trooper Patrol Carbine.
“The Trooper offers a really great opportunity for fans of the Colt AR-15 platform,” said Justin Baldini, Product Director for Colt in a press release. “We set out to create something that is right in line with what today’s Colt M4 customer wants, so we started with our industry-standard LE6920 and worked with Centurion Arms to develop a new M-LOK capable free-floated forend just for the Trooper.”
“The result is a modernized pro-quality carbine that’s ready for your choice of optic or iron sights,” continued Baldini. “It represents an exceptional value to folks looking to get into the world Modern Sporting Rifles and another excellent option for enthusiasts looking to add another Colt to their stable.”
The Colt Trooper Patrol Carbine is a Colt LE6920 with a 13-inch M-LOK Centurion Arms free float handguard. The Colt LE 6920, minus the fully automatic fire control, is pretty much the civilian version of the M4A1 Carbine.
Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 and AR-10 from Armalite in 1959. Since 1959, Colt and Colt Canada (Diemaco) have developed the AR-15 into dozens of successful platforms such as the M16, M4, C7, and C8 family of rifles. Since Colt re-engineered the AR-15 platform, every direct impingement AR commercially available is essentially a good, or bad, copy of the real thing. Which in most cases is a semi-automatic Colt M4 Carbine.
Shooters often take for granted common AR features such as gas port size, buffer weights, M4 feed ramps, coatings, aluminum, and steel composition, but it would be egregious to not point out that it was Colt that poured millions of dollars into research and development to bring us the ARs of today.
The Colt Trooper Patrol Carbine is a very nice rifle. Since it is a Colt LE6920, I would consider it a military-grade rifle. It has an MSRP of $1,049, which isn’t going to break the bank (street prices will probably be lower). Colt has a reputation for quality and if your department or agency is looking for rifle, I would strongly consider the Colt Trooper. All this rifle needs is a flashlight, sling, and optic and it is ready to rock.
Shop for a Colt Trooper Patrol Carbine on GunsAmerica.
Like Russ H and CJ said.
Yet another copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a semiautomatic M-16
I was SO EXCITED until I saw the words patrol carbine behind New Colt Trooper. Meh.
Local PD will definitely be using these in long gunfights at some point… against who is the question but the options are obvious and plentiful.
Colt has had an awesome lightweight, pencil-barreled “patrol carbine” for a while now. It’s called the LE6720 and IMHO it is the perfect weapon to carry all day long almost right out of the box. Just add a red dot and a sling, sight it in and go. If side slings and flashlights are required then you can spend some money with GG&G Tactical out in Tuscon for a hand guard rail that is designed to work with the factory hand guard and add one of the flashlight/laser dot combos available as a hand guard grip and that is solved. GG&G also offers optional adapters for the factory collapsable stock and front sight gas block to assist in mounting quick detach slings if that is your preference. Right now these carbines are the cheapest they’ve ever been and often far below the price of an LE6920 that is only a bit heavier with it’s M4 barrel profile. This reduced cost allows the Magpul or other aftermarket furniture to be utilized without tying up a fortune on a single weapon. I have one and I love mine. It’s every bit the mil-spec weapon that other Colts are yet is much lighter to carry/wear all day when working perimeters for hours on end. Accuracy is excellent and it’s 1-7″ twist barrel affords the use of the full range of ammo available. It’s a great alternative choice to the weapon mentioned in tis article above.
Wow. Another AR (yawn).
So close, but still so far away. So many companies (Colt included) that market semi-auto “patrol” carbines miss the key point of a good PATROL carbine…weight reduction. Anyone that’s ever held a perimeter point for any length of time will tell you, ounces equal pounds, and pounds equal pain. As a state-side patrol carbine, the odds of needing a heavy barrel for a long, drawn out gun battle are slim to none. That being said, if Colt offered the Trooper Patrol Carbine with a lightweight pencil barrel, it would have shaved a good pound off the gun. Then they dressed up the upper receiver with an excellent M-Lok forend, and completely neglected the lower. A nice rubber overmolded pistol grip, and perhaps MFT BMS stock, combined with a nice pencil barrel would have made this an AWESOME patrol carbine. All this of course is just the opinion of a no name first responder.
Good points…why aren’t the PDs doing what we all do in the private world? Hire a local gunsmith or armorer to build the ARs the cops want. I would think that local gunsmiths would love the extra business and, even with assembly charges, could still do it cheaper than a contract with Colt or anyone else
Two words: ignorance and liability. Ignorance because many of those people making purchasing decisions don’t know their ass from their elbow when it comes to firearms so a well known manufacturer like Colt with their brand recognition will often get the nod over others. Liability: again, Colt has this mythology surrounding the name which seems to encourage local LE purchasers that they are buying the best weapon which means if they get in a fight with it, it will work. It they can be sure it will work, they reduce their liability to their officers for providing quality equipment. If one does go kaboom, they can rely on Colt to repair or replace it if it was the fault of the rifle rather than the ammo. Joe Bob Gunsmithing has NONE of the above and thus next to NO chance of building general issue rifles. I’m a cop and an 07 FFL screwing together AR’s on my days off. I will never get an order from an agency to build them rifles but quite a few of my guns are riding in gun racks in cruisers as personal issue rifles.