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Pre-Woodsman & Woodsman Models

Intro First Series Second Series Third Series
  1stPreTarget5952.jpg (20300 bytes) 2ndTargetsn63856-S.jpg (22905 bytes) 3rdHuntsman6.0sn305914S.jpg (21336 bytes)
For comprehensive information on the Woodsman be sure to visit Colt22.com

Woodsman Second Series / Third Series Mystery Gun

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28. Woodsman 2nd Series / 3rd Series Match Target Mystery Gun .22LR 6" Blue, 90%+.   Features 2nd Series SN#111489-S (1952) with original 2nd Series brown injection molded plastic grips w/thumbrest, mint bore, 2nd Series machined slide stop lever, 2nd Series barrel roll markings 2nd Series mag, 2nd / 3rd Series Accro rear sight / flattop slide w/rounded base front, 3rd Series (early) polished radius slide, 3rd Series bluing motif on bottom of barrel and in barrel flutes, 3rd Series blued (not bright polished) finish on raised front barrel muzzle surface, 3rd Series larger trigger guard, 3rd Series trigger, 3rd Series mag release on butt, 3rd Series no mag safety feature, 3rd Series main spring housing without lanyard ring bar or grip adapter hole with thinning blue on grip front and backstraps.  Major Robert Rayburn, of Tacoma, WA; author of the Woodsman collector's bible, the little red Colt Woodsman Pocket Guide and the world's leading authority on Colt Woodsman pistols thinks it "was a 2nd Series that had problems (such as a cracked frame) and was returned to Colt for repair after the 3rd Series came into production.  They probably replaced the frame and numbered it with the original SN#.  They would probably have reblued the whole thing at the same time, likely using the bluing scheme in effect at the time of the repair.  They may, or may not, have stamped an ampersand (&)(they did not) somewhere on the frame, most likely in the aft right hand trigger guard web."  Rayburn continued: "I don't know about your particular pistol, but I do know that frames were replaced and given the original number sometimes; I saw entries in the shipping records to that effect for some prewar guns.  Unfortunately that doesn't necessarily mean that there would be such a notation by your serial number, but there might be."  I found the gun at a local Iowa gun show in November '97 and normally don't look at guns in this condition but something just didn't look right and it took several minutes to come up with the reasons why it didn't.  Truly a Mystery Gun and a special find!  There are no hints of tampering of any sort!

 

Woodsman Third Series (1955 - 1977)

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29. Woodsman 3rd Series Huntsman .22LR 4.5" Blue, 99.9% /  ANIB,  SN#070584S (1975) with mint correct  original walnut grips (no thumbrest), mint bore, correct mag, correct fixed rear sight,  original instruction sheet, Colt congratulations letter, in decent correct woodgrain sleeve/styrofoam insert box with label intact and numbered to gun.  Gun is strikingly MINT!  My very first Woodsman.

 

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30. Woodsman 3rd Series Huntsman .22LR 6" Blue, NIBSN#305914S (1976) with mint correct original walnut grips (no thumbrest), mint bore, correct mag, correct fixed rear sight,  original instruction sheet, Colt Authorized Warranty Service Stations brochure, Handling the Handgun brochure, NRA membership form, in outstanding correct woodgrain sleeve/styrofoam insert box with label intact and numbered to gun.  Gun is strikingly MINT and unfired!

 

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31. Woodsman 3rd Series Huntsman .22LR 6" Blue, NIB, SN#S100690S (1976) RARE Double 'S' Variety with mint correct original walnut grips (no thumbrest), mint bore, correct mag, correct fixed rear sight,  original instruction sheet, Colt Authorized Warranty Service Stations brochure, Handling the Handgun brochure, hang tag, in outstanding correct woodgrain sleeve/styrofoam insert box with label intact and numbered to gun.  The Double 'S' Huntsman variation occurred in 1976 when the serial number series being used passed 100000S and reached 101336S BEFORE it was noticed that numbers used in 1952 were being duplicated.  Instead of destroying 1336 otherwise perfect guns, they were hand-stamped with an 'S' prefix in addition to the then currently used 'S' suffix (the Woodsman is Colt's Model S) thereby creating the "Double 'S' '' variation.  All known examples are Huntsmans and were available with either a 4.5" barrel (scarce) or 6" barrel.  (Thanks to Bob Rayburn in his Colt Woodsman Pocket Guide and Ed Brink in his Colt Rimfire Automatic Pistols, for the "Double S" information.)  Gun is strikingly MINT and unfired in Primo box.  These are seldom encountered.

 

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32. Woodsman 3rd Series Targetsman .22LR 6" Blue, ANIBSN#136785-C (1959) with mint correct original black plastic grips w/thumbrest, mint bore, correct mag, correct unique adjustable rear sight,  Xerox  Huntsman instruction sheet (oily), Colt Warranty mailer card, in correct woodgrain lid with black bottom two-piece box with label intact.  This is an extremely hard gun to find in this particular configuration because as the Targetsman was introduced in late 1958 / early 1959 and Colt's began mounting walnut stocks in early 1960 making this a configuration produced for one year only.  Comes with mint Colt Dealer info sheet denoting the black plastic grips. Gun is strikingly MINT and possibly unfired!

 

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33. Woodsman 3rd Series Targetsman .22LR 6" Blue, 99.9%;, SN#064658S (1974) Engraved heavy 'C' level (maybe 'D' level -- top of slide, frame, and barrel are engraved) very tastefully done (most likely not factory) and very nicely finished with near mint correct original walnut grips w/thumbrest, mint bore, correct mag, correct unique adjustable rear sight,  Xerox Huntsman instruction sheet (these may have been issued with Huntsman instructions), no box.  Gun is strikingly MINT and a nice compliment to any Woodsman collection!

 

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See Number 33 Above.

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34. Woodsman 3rd Series Targetsman .22LR 6" Blue, NIB, SN#092755S (1976) with mint correct original walnut grips w/thumbrest, mint bore, correct mag, correct unique adjustable rear sight,  original Huntsman instruction sheet (these may have been issued with Huntsman instructions), Colt Authorized Warranty Service Stations brochure, Handling the Handgun brochure, Colt sight adjustment tool in kraft envelope, in outstanding correct woodgrain sleeve/styrofoam insert box with label intact and numbered to gun.  Gun is strikingly MINT and unfired!

 

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35. Woodsman 3rd Series Target .22LR 6" Blue, 98%+, SN#166068-S (1956) with near mint  correct original black plastic grips w/thumbrest, mint bore, correct mag, correct Accro adjustable rear sight, no box.  Gun exhibits thinning blue on grip front strap and backstrap as was typical of these early 3rd series models and a very faint 1" long scratch on right side of barrel near muzzle (hardly noticeable) -- gun displays as 99%+.

 

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36. Woodsman 3rd Series Target .22LR 6" Blue, NIB, SN#303558S (1976) with beautifully figured correct mint original walnut grips w/thumbrest, mint bore, correct mag, correct Accro adjustable rear sight, , original instruction sheet, list of authorized Colt warranty service stations and Handling the Handgun brochure, Colt congratulations letter, NRA  membership form,  in outstanding correct woodgrain sleeve/styrofoam insert box with label intact and numbered to gun.  Gun is strikingly MINT and unfired!

 

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37. Woodsman 3rd Series Sport .22LR 4.5" Blue, NIB, SN#170149-S (1956) with mint correct original black plastic grips w/thumbrest, mint bore, correct mag, correct Accro adjustable rear sight, original instruction sheet, Colt sight adjustment tool in kraft envelope,  in average correct woodgrain top and woodgrain bottom two-piece box with label intact and faintly numbered to gun on bottom.  Gun is strikingly MINT and unfired!

 

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38. Woodsman 3rd Series Sport .22LR 4.5" Blue, NIB, SN#083384S (1975) with beautifully figured original walnut grips w/thumbrest , mint bore, correct mag, correct Accro adjustable rear sight, original instruction sheet, Colt Screwdriver in envelope, list of authorized Colt warranty service stations and Handling the Handgun brochure, Colt Congratulations! letter, in outstanding correct woodgrain sleeve/styrofoam insert box with label intact and numbered to gun.  Gun is strikingly MINT and unfired!

 

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39. Woodsman 3rd Series Match Target .22LR 6" Blue, 99.5%, SN#186758-S (1959) with mint correct original black plastic grips w/thumbrest, mint bore, correct mag, correct Accro adjustable rear sight, Xerox instruction sheet, no box.   Two minute freckles on left side barrel at front and one minute freckle on right side barrel.  A striking example of an early 3rd Series match Target.

 

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40. Woodsman 3rd Series Match Target .22LR 6" Blue, NIB, SN#234558-S (1968) with mint correct original walnut grips w/thumbrest, mint bore, correct mag, correct Elliason adjustable rear sight, original correct green front instruction sheet showing newly added Elliason rear sight, test target numbered to gun, Colt sight adjustment tool in kraft envelope, warranty mailer card, in correct woodgrain lid with black bottom two-piece box with label intact (scotch taped on right side) and numbered to gun.   A striking example of a 3rd Series Match Target with walnut grips, Elliason rear sight, and polished slide radius which is seldom seen.

 

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41. Woodsman 3rd Series Match Target .22LR 6" Blue, NIB, SN#310760S (1976) with mint correct original walnut grips w/thumbrest, mint bore, correct mag, correct Elliason adjustable rear sight, Xerox instruction sheet, Colt sight adjustment tool, list of authorized Colt warranty service stations and Handling the Handgun brochure, in above average correct woodgrain sleeve/styrofoam insert box with label intact and numbered to gun.  Gun is strikingly MINT, exhibits a better grade of finish for a gun of this era (almost Royal Blue), and is unfired!

 

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42. Woodsman 3rd Series Match Target .22LR 4.5" Blue, NIB, SN#311275S (1976) with mint correct original walnut grips w/thumbrest, mint bore, correct mag, correct Elliason adjustable rear sight, original correct and RARE blue front instruction sheet showing Elliason rear sight, Colt sight adjustment tool in folded kraft envelope, list of authorized Colt warranty service stations and Handling the Handgun brochure, in correct original woodgrain sleeve/styrofoam insert box with label intact and numbered to gun.  Gun is a strikingly MINT example of the rare 4.5" 3rd Series Match Target and unfired!

 

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43. Woodsman 3rd Series Huntsman S Master Colt Custom Shop Limited Edition 1 of 400; .22LR 4.5" Royal Blue, NIB & Cased,  SN#309030S (1983) with mint correct beautifully figured (really nice) original walnut grips w/thumbrest, mint bore, correct mag, correct unique Elliason adjustable rear sight, unique (for Huntsman) slide stop mechanism/lever, original Xerox instruction sheet (they all were Xerox copies - 6 years after ending Woodsman production), list of authorized Colt warranty service stations and The Colt Companion brochure, Colt Congratulations! letter, The Colt Collection merchandise brochure w/order form, hang tag, in near mint correct woodgrain sleeve/styrofoam insert box with chartreuse Colt Custom Shop lable intact and numbered to gun.  Gun is finished in the striking high gloss Royal Blue (Python) finish accentuated by differing gold etchings on both sides of the slide and featuring a target shooter on the left (display) side.  Comes with walnut french-fitted display case with blue velvet interior and similar motif blue w/gold etchings edition plaque denoting Huntsman S Master Edition 1 of 400.  Display case is mint with key in kraft envelope.  Colt produced these as a parts clean-up effort 6 years after Woodsman production ceased and they were all 4.5" guns but around 285 had the regular untapered Huntsman barrel/front sight as does this gun and the remaining 115 had the tapered Sport model barrel with either the Sport trapezoidal front sight blade or the Target patridge front sight blade.  Some had 3rd Series triggers while this has a 2nd Series trigger.  Colt Factory Letter included.  Gun is strikingly MINT and unfired!

 

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44. Woodsman 3rd Series Huntsman S Master Colt Custom Shop Limited Edition 1 of 400; .22LR 4.5" Royal Blue, NIB & Cased, SN#314974S (1983) with mint correct beautifully figured (really nice) original walnut grips w/thumbrest, mint bore, correct mag, correct unique Elliason adjustable rear sight, unique (for Huntsman) slide stop mechanism/lever, original Xerox instruction sheet (they all were Xerox copies - 6 years after ending Woodsman production), list of authorized Colt warranty service stations and The Colt Companion brochure, Colt Congratulations! letter, The Colt Collection merchandise brochure w/order form, hang tag, in near mint correct wood grain sleeve/Styrofoam insert box with chartreuse Colt Custom Shop label intact and numbered to gun.  Gun is finished in the striking high gloss Royal Blue (Python) finish accentuated by differing gold etchings on both sides of the slide and featuring a target shooter on the left (display) side.  Comes with walnut french-fitted display case with blue velvet interior and similar motif blue w/gold etchings edition plaque denoting Huntsman S Master Edition 1 of 400.  Display case is mint with key in kraft envelope.  Everything comes in original shipping case.  Colt produced these as a parts clean-up effort 6 years after Woodsman production ceased and they were all 4.5" guns but around 285 had the regular untapered Huntsman barrel/front sight  and the remaining 115 had either the tapered Sport model barrel with either the Sport model trapezoidal front sight blade or the Target model patridge front sight blade as does this gun.  Some had 3rd Series triggers while this has a 2nd Series trigger.  Colt Factory Letter included. Gun is strikingly MINT and unfired!

Note: These two Huntsman S Masters above represent two of the three possible barrel / front sight combinations.

 

3rdHuntsmanSMasterLeftSlideDetail.jpg (4247 bytes) This photo taken earlier than the others shows the gold detail on the
left side of the slide that glare destroyed in the other photos.

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See Number 44 Above.
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