Experimental Woodsman With 10" Barrel and Detachable Shoulder Stock

Experimental Colt Woodsman with 10 inch barrel and Detachable Shoulder Stock

This Woodsman, formerly in the Robert Q. Sutherland collection and illustrated in The Book of Colt Firearms by Sutherland and Wilson, is one of only two known factory shoulder stocked Woodsmans. This one is unblued, "in the white." The other one is fully blued and finished, and is part of the Colt Collection in the Connecticut State Museum.

Due to the fact that it has a shoulder stock, like a rifle, along with a barrel less than 20 inches long, it meets the legal definition of a "short rifle" according the the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF). It has, however, been reclassified by the BATF as a "Curio and Relic." According to the BATF, concerning this Woodsman and three other guns formerly in the Sutherland collection:

"Since all four of the stocked handguns currently registered to you are experimental prototypes, we find that, by reason of their rarity and date of manufacture, they are primarily collector's items and are not likely to be used as weapons. They are, therefore, excluded from the definition of a firearm under 26 U.S.C., Section 5845(a) and are exempted from the provisions of the amended National Firearms Act."
Since this experimental gun has no serial number, it was assigned an identification number by the BATF. The BATF identification medallion is the round device attached to the trigger guard.




10 Best Arms Medallion10 Best Arms Plaque


Medallion and plaque awarded this Woodsman as one of the "10 Best Arms" at the 1990 NRA Convention.






Proud Owner Assembled View

The above two photos, by Mike Nesbitt, are from Colt Woodsman Carbine by Mike Nesbitt in the Jan/Feb 1987 issue of Rifle magazine. The Colt Woodsman has also been shown in Guns magazine and Guns and Ammo magazine.




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Last updated on December 2, 2000