I looked up the serial no. to date the trooper and the first 2 guns to come up was a 1966 357 trooper and a 1966 colt python, so where am I at, Im kind of confused!?
Up until 1969 Colt almost always started a new model off at serial number 1. For this reason, you could have a number of different Colt models all with the same serial number.
In 1969, in response to the Gun Control Act of 1968 which mandated that all guns have a serial number and the number had to be unique, Colt started using combined letter and number sequences on all Colt's so each Colt had a serial number unlike any other.
Before that, determining a model based only on the serial number can be confusing, and the references will often suggest that a gun could be one of several different models, all with the same number.
To more fully answer your questions, Colt used the same action design and parts on all medium framed revolvers from the Army Special of 1908 to the Python. Most parts were the same in all models, with the Python getting an action that received more attention in fitting and adjusting to give it a smoother feel.
While the original Trooper and Python were essentially the same gun, the Python got a lot more hand fitting and adjusting, and the heavy Python barrel and Royal Blue finish.
Small parts like screws, pins, cylinder bolts, hands, cylinder latches, rebound levers, etc. were the same on all medium frame models.
