mawkie
C&R Whisperer
-Sometimes I run across a nice accessory for something on my bucket list and will grab it, figuring that somewhere down the road the firearm will follow. That's what happened this spring when I found a killer bargain on a Audley holster for the Colt .22 Caliber Target Model, aka the "Pre Woodsman". Not the easiest holster to find, this one was in good condition, with abrasion damage to the Audley logo being the only downside. I was the only bidder and it went home with me for well below market. Now to keep looking for the pistol!
-After a year of searching I finally found the right Pre Woodsman for me. All original with the original high polish finish it has a 4 digit SN that dates it to 1918, three years into production.
-Grips are perfect, so much so that I thought they might be reproductions. But the're the real deal, super difficult to find on the older Colts. So many of these are found with replacement Woodsman grips w.o. the familiar diamond pattern around the mounting screw.
-Finish is VG with some loss on the back strap, near the rampant Colt logo and on the right side of the slide. It still has the original mainspring with the fine checkered housing. Many early Colts had this replaced years later with the HV mainspring from the Woodsman that allows for high velocity ammo to be safely used. How to tell? The HV housing has parallel horizontal lines vs the standard velocity checkered.
-Magazine is the original heat treated "two tone".
-The Audley Patented Safety Holster is a favorite of mine. It has a unique spring loaded catch that is released by the wearer using the index finger. Makes it possible to secure without a strap. Very popular back in the teens, 20s and 30s with motorcycle and mounted police as well as military officers in WWI. The Woodsman fits it like a glove, snapping into place. It is impossible to remove without pressing the catch, very secure. There's a nice brief history of Audley and his holster on Vintage Gun Leather.com.
-Speaking of websites, the best I've found on the Woodsman is Bob Rayburn's Colt .22.com site. A treasure of info as there are no books specific to the Woodsman that I know of.
-After a year of searching I finally found the right Pre Woodsman for me. All original with the original high polish finish it has a 4 digit SN that dates it to 1918, three years into production.
-Grips are perfect, so much so that I thought they might be reproductions. But the're the real deal, super difficult to find on the older Colts. So many of these are found with replacement Woodsman grips w.o. the familiar diamond pattern around the mounting screw.
-Finish is VG with some loss on the back strap, near the rampant Colt logo and on the right side of the slide. It still has the original mainspring with the fine checkered housing. Many early Colts had this replaced years later with the HV mainspring from the Woodsman that allows for high velocity ammo to be safely used. How to tell? The HV housing has parallel horizontal lines vs the standard velocity checkered.
-Magazine is the original heat treated "two tone".
-The Audley Patented Safety Holster is a favorite of mine. It has a unique spring loaded catch that is released by the wearer using the index finger. Makes it possible to secure without a strap. Very popular back in the teens, 20s and 30s with motorcycle and mounted police as well as military officers in WWI. The Woodsman fits it like a glove, snapping into place. It is impossible to remove without pressing the catch, very secure. There's a nice brief history of Audley and his holster on Vintage Gun Leather.com.
-Speaking of websites, the best I've found on the Woodsman is Bob Rayburn's Colt .22.com site. A treasure of info as there are no books specific to the Woodsman that I know of.
