Colt Woodsman Match Target 3rd Series, Blue 6″ Semi-Auto Target Pistol, Box & More 1956 C&R 22 LR

SOLD FOR: $1,325.00
LSB#: 
180830RL25

Make: Colt

Model: Woodsman Match Target 3rd Series

Serial Number: 161704-S

Year of Manufacture: 1956 (https://colt.com/serial-lookup)

Caliber: .22 Long Rifle

Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine

Markings: The left side of the slide is marked “COLT”, “AUTOMATIC / CAL. 22 LONG RIFLE”. The left side of the frame is marked with a Rampant Colt logo over “MATCH TARGET”. The left of the barrel is marked “COLT’S MFG. CO. HARTFORD, CT. U.S.A. / U.S. PAT. D-121.317”. The left of the trigger guard is marked with “K” and a “VP” inside a triangle. The right of the trigger guard is marked “G”. The right of the frame is marked “161704-S”. The floorplate of the included 3rd Series magazine is marked “COLT CAL. 22 L.R.”. The floorplate of the included 2nd Series magazine is marked “COLT / CAL. 22 L.R.”

Barrel Length: 6″ Slab-Side With Fluted Full Lug

Sights / Optics: This pistol is mounted with a flat topped square notch rear sight adjustable for windage and elevation and dovetailed into the slide. The front sight is a Patridge style blade that is pinned into a slotted base fixed to the top of the barrel. The top of the frame between the slide and barrel has had two holes drilled and tapped for mounting an optic (none included).

Stock Configuration & Condition: The installed grips are two-piece checkered black plastic panels with a thumb-rest on the left panel and Rampant Colt at the top of the right panel. The panels have some scattered light marks, tool marks around the grip screw head on the left panel and light handling marks. The checkering is sharp. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the installed grips are in about Very Good condition. Also included are two-piece checkered wood panel grips with serrated thumb-shelf on the left panel, trigger finger groove on the right panel and palm shelf. The bottom of the right panel is marked “fitz” and the inside of each panel is marked “W”. The extra grips have a few scattered light compressions with well defined checkering and no chips or cracks. Overall, the extra grips are in about Very Good-Fine condition.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 93% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning lightly at most edges. The barrel has a few light marks on the left , bottom and top with more notable scratches on the right. The top of the frame between the slide and barrel has wear from a previously installed optic base, the front and backstraps have handling wear in their serrations and the frame has a few other scattered light marks. The slide has a few scattered light marks, most noticeable on the top of the matte-finished rib. The screw heads are tool marked with strong slots, the pin head is unmarred and the markings are clear. Overall, this pistol rates in about Very Good condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The slide locks back on an empty magazine. The magazine release holds in the open and closed position. We did not fire this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes in a one-piece faux-leather cardboard Colt box with a label which correctly describes the pistol but does not have a serial number, one 2nd and one 3rd series 10-round magazine, the extra grips as described and an assortment of paperwork including test target. The box has fraying and tears at edges and corners and light wear on the interior, in about Fair-Good condition. The 2nd series magazine has light operational wear, in about Very Good condition. The 3rd series magazine has lighter operational wear, in about Very Good-Fine condition.

Our Assessment: This is a Colt Woodsman 3rd Series Match Target Model pistol, made in 1956. It has a slab-sided barrel with a fluted full-lug, adjustable sights and a heel magazine release characteristic of the 3rd Series (The Colt Woodsman pistols changed the location of the magazine release from the butt to the left side of the frame and then back to the butt for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Series – We guess they were going to keep changing it until they got it right). John M. Browning designed “Colt’s Automatic Pistol, Caliber .22”, later to become the Woodsman, with the design refined slightly by Colt employees George Tansley and F.C. Chadwick before it was released in 1915. The Woodsman stayed in production until 1977. Sportsmen favored the 4 ½” Sport Model, but the Match Target was the top of the line and a favorite of bullseye target competitors. The pistol is in Very Good overall condition with about 93% of its original finish remaining. The bore is bright with sharp rifling and no erosion. Target pistols of this quality are no longer made in the United States and will command a premium over most “new” currently manufactured pistols except those used for high-end competition. If you are looking for a rimfire target pistol, this is still a better choice than most “NEW” pistols on the market today, just check out the test target. Please see our photos and good luck!

CA Legal or CA Private Party Transferable: This C&R eligible handgun CAN be transferred as a dealer sale in California and CAN be sold as a Private Party Transfer (PPT) at our Simi Valley shop. All cartridge firing handguns (even C&R’s and antiques) sold to a California resident must be DROS’d. This does not apply to out of state residents.

WARNING:

WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm – www.P65Warnings.ca.gov

For more information go to https://www.p65warnings.ca.gov

Colt Woodsman Match Target 3rd Series, Blue 6" Semi-Auto Target Pistol, Box & More 1956 C&R 22 LR
Colt Woodsman Match Target 3rd Series, Blue 6″
Semi-Auto Target Pistol, Box & More 1956 C&R 22 LR