Bob Rayburn's Colt Woodsman Site                                                                  ;                                Comments? Suggestions?
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My Colt Woodsman Pocket Guide is no longer available. Out of print. has evolved over more than 20 years from a single 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper to the current 96 page shirt pocket size booklet. It includes numerous photos, tables, and other information for the Woodsman owner. Unfortunately it is no longer available in print, but the contrnt is available here at no charge. It is sold out and no more reprints.

This is the latest and final edition. More information, more pictures, improved layout and organization over previous versions, and greatly improved photos.


Colt Woodsman Maintenance made Easy
Many thanks to Tom Platt, otherwise known as "prewoodsman" on various gun discussion boards. Tom stated on the Colt semi-autos forum that he has some "unprinted tricks of the trade". He has since written and photographed his excellent guides and has allowed me to post them on the Internet for the benefit of all Colt Woodsman fans. He has also allowed me to reveal the real identity of "the collector previously known only as as preWoodsman."

In my 30-35 years of collecting and shooting the Colt Woodsman I have learned various small repairs by trial and error: mostly error! Some of the most vexing and common problems I have encountered have been the replacement of the recoil spring, the slide stop spring, and the trigger spring. Tom's "tricks of the trade" make those chores, and many more, much easier.

In addition to tips on how to accomplish those tasks, Tom has recently designed a number of small tools to make various chores associated with repairing and maintaining the Colt Woodsman. Totorials for the use of those tools can be found here: Tom's "Tricks of the Trade"


colt22.com Store


You can help support this web site by coming here first to right click through to Amazon.com for anything you would normally buy from Amazon. In order for me to receive credit for the click through it is necessary to click the RIGHT mouse button and then select "Open Link in New Window". I will receive a small percentage of whatever you spend and the price to you will be exactly the same. As with the bookstore, the sale will be handled through Amazon's secure servers.






In response to many requests, I have posted Exploded Views of the various models.


Standard Catalog Of Firearms, 16th Edition
The 2006 edition of The Standard Catalog of Firearms was released in January, 2006 and contains an article by Yours Truly on factory engraved Colt Woodsman pistols. The cover photo shows three engraved guns from my collection. The book can be ordered from Amazon.com by clicking on the title above or the cover photo at right. The file photo on Amazon.com shows an older issue, but the link is to the 2006 issue. Please note: the 2006 is not the current issue, but is shown here for those with a particular interest in the Colt Woodsman. A link to the current version is in the block below.

Collecting the Colt Woodsman is a hobby for me, not a business. Please note that I do not do appraisals, so please do not ask me to estimate the value of your gun. I have provided input to the Blue Book of Gun Values for several years, and as of the 2005 edition I also contribute to The Standard Catalog of Firearms. Each of these publications is updated annually with Colt Woodsman values and descriptions based on my recommendations to the editor. The two publications are not identical, and each has certain advantages over the other. I recommend that you consult both publications and then make your own appraisal. You can order either one or both by clicking on the links below.


2018 Standard Catalog Of Firearms:
The Collector's Price & Reference Guide

Blue Book of Gun Values

If you order via the links on this page that will help support the cost of maintaining this Woodsman web site, while the cost to you will be exactly the same as if you ordered directly. Your help will be appreciated.

If you do not feel qualified to do your own appraisal with the aid of these books, Blue Book Publications will do a written appraisal for you for only $20. There are links on their web site to their appraisal service. They also have experts available to answer specific questions about almost any type of gun for a small fee.


Good News for Woodsman Collectors: The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms has now classified as "Curios and Relics:"
"Colt, Woodsman, .22 caliber semiautomatic pistols, all models, all series, all serial numbers, (to include Match Target, Challenger, Huntsmen, and Targetsman), made prior to 1978"
See it on the BATF web site at: http://www.atf.gov/publications/firearms/curios-relics/update-march-2001-may-2005.html

The fact that the Woodsman has been classified as a Curio and Relic by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) makes life a lot easier for a Woodsman collector who has a Federal Collector's License. A licensed collector can buy a "Curio and Relic" for his own collection from someone in another state, with no requirement to route the purchase through a federally licensed dealer.


One of the finest Colt Woodsman collections ever assembled was listed on this web site in December, 2002. The collection has been sold, but photos and descriptions of the entire collection are being kept online here for reference by present and future collectors. You can view it by clicking on A Fine Collection
The Colt Woodsman collection that was listed on this web site in October, 2005 has all been sold. You can still see pictures and descriptions HERE.
The People's Republic of California continues to make it difficult for honest citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights. California Department of Justice
The prices on Colt Woodsman magazines has been steadily climbing, first with the 1st series, then the 2nd series, and now even the 3rd series. Fortunately there is an inexpensive alternative for the 3rd series, as follows:
Thanks to David (full name removed for privacy) for the following tip:

Beretta P/N#JMU22 MAG, MU22 10RD ( NEOS )
$ 23 ea direct from Beretta USA, $ 20 ea if you order 2 or more
works beautifully in the series 3 Colt Woodsman when its' polymer base plate is removed and replaced with the Colt Woodsman magazine base plate.

Colt Woodsman Magazine Base P/N#1294440, $ 11.65 ea direct from Numrich Gun Parts
The base plate substitution is quite easy, and it results in a magazine that fits perfectly, feeds reliably, and kicks open after the last round is fired.

ABOUT US

In about 1975 I was steelhead fishing in western Washington. I wasn't catching any fish, but I noticed a lot of Blue Grouse. To be better prepared in the future I stopped at a gun shop on the way home that afternoon to buy a .22 pistol. The one that caught my eye was a Colt Woodsman Sport Model, similar to the one at the top of this page.

I had wanted one like that ever since my Uncle Henry, freshly returned from WWII, took me out shooting with him and his brand new Colt Woodsman Sport Model. I was too young to handle it while loaded, but I did get to handle it (unloaded) when we got back home. Almost 30 years later I finally had one.

How many guns does a man need? Always one more! Soon I was up to a dozen or so Colt Woodsmans and thought that I had a "complete" collection. How little I knew! Over the next 30 years I learned a lot, and built what was probably the finest Colt Woodsman collection ever assembled. Over 200 of them, with no duplicates, and including rarities such as experimental models, factory engraved versions, and much more.

A big break came in 1985 when Guns Magazine sent a writer/photographer to my house to do an article on my collection. The article appeared in the February 1986 issue with a Woodsman from my collection on the cover. In the meantime Guns & Ammo magazine contacted me directly and asked me to do an article on the Woodsman. I did, and it appeared in the June 1986 issue. With articles about my collection in two major gun magazines within 4 months I was suddenly inundated with letters and phone calls. What had been a very nice collection grew into a world class collection. You can see what it looked like at its peak at: my collection.

Since I can't take them with me when I'm gone I decided a few years ago to sell my gun collection. The guns are gone, but over the years I bought parts from gunsmiths who were retiring, or from gun shops that were going out of business. As a result I ended up with sizeable quantities of some parts. Now I am selling my parts, papers, and paraphernalia. I am not in the parts business; I'm merely selling off what I have and will not be replacing the parts as they are sold.


To share my interests in things other than guns, visit Bob Rayburn's personal home page
The Serpentine Colt is a registered trademark of Colt's Manufacturing Company, Inc. Hartford, CT

© 1985 - 2014 by Bob Rayburn. All rights reserved. No portion may be reproduced without written permission from the author. Last updated on Feb 8, 2015.