Thread: So I got the coolest christmas present ever....a Colt Woodsman

At the Christmas eve family gathering my uncle brought an old pistol that belonged to my grandfather. He said if he were to keep it and die it would never be found where he kept it hidden, so he wanted to pass it to someone how might be around a little longer than he. Anyway, it is a Cold Woodsman from 1929. The story is it was given to my grandfather in the 30's by a good friend of his who used it to shoot in the olympics. He and my grandma would take it target shooting out on the Olympic peninsula when visiting family. My uncle has more info on the background, and said he would dig it out. I love family history, family heirlooms and guns so I made out pretty well. The magazine was loaded, and had been that way for who knows how long.....at least 25 years. The head stamp on the ammo is a U, some look to be copper cased, anyone know the make? I tried to get a pic of the headstamp but the camera on my phone sucks, so sorry for the low quality pictures. And on to the pics.....BTW these grips fit my hand better than my pecker

very nice,and it is important to keep those kind of things in the family too,especially if there are any stories connected to it,my dad passeed away 6 months ago and i inherited his collection along with the guns my dad inherited from my grandfather when he passed,it surprised me when "freinds" wanted to buy them from me,thought about for about 2 seconds,,NOT FOR SALE ,what i am saying enjoy and take care of it

Very nice I think the U was for UMC

Congrats. Get as much info or history as you can. The ammo "charged" in your magazine is most likely Remington UMC cartridges. UMC = Union Metallic Cartridges. The headstamp "U" is a common reference for this cartridge most likely produced at their Bridgeport, CT plant which closed in 1986. The ammo charged in your magazine, while not rare, is highly collectable and I've seen cartridges sell for a dollar each +/-.

The Woodsman was known for having multiple "stock" choices/options and the target stocks your heirloom has was very common in its heyday. Find someone who can help you field strip it and clean and lube it to mitigate the negative effects of our humidity over time to preserve your treasure. Nice gift!

Why are you trying to fit the grips on your pecker?

Very nice gift. I really appreciate the handing down of firearms through the generations and this one is a beauty!

I just saw a beautiful one of these that was all original and dated from the mid 1930's.
the price was $899! Those old Colts obviously hold their value.

Thanks for the info on the cartridges. I disassembled it and cleaned it before I took the pics......it was pretty gummed up. I really look forward to shooting it. I had my first son this year so looks like he will be next in line for this beauty.

I received a 1926 Colt Officers Model from my FIL back in 1967, still have it...Our oldest daughter has already put her dibs in on that one. (I may be old, but I'm not dead yet) Your Woodsman Looks to be in pretty good shape,,,enjoy.

that is one terrifici gift ! what a beauty !

A very nice gift indeed, congratulations.

I got a little more info on the gun.......It was given to my grandfather by Lt. Lew Sanderson of the Detroit Police Department. Sanderson apparently used the gun in the Olypmics, I don't know if he won a medal though.

The grips were made my Lt. Sanderson, who was also a stock/grip maker.

[QUOTE=orygun;524159]Why are you trying to fit the grips on your pecker?

Now THAT'S funny...

I have a Colt Woodsman Target model that I will never sell, really a fine shooting pistol. Welcome to the club, you are a a lucky guy...Spad

Congrats, thats a really nice pistol

That's outstanding! I just passed along a 1862 Colt revolver on behalf of my dad, to my brother. As my Christmas gift to him I did a lot of research into the model, and the family history of the individual gun. I'd recommend that you record everything you know and can find out about the gun. When you pass it on to your son (CONGRATULATIONS!), that extra information will enrich the gift more than you can measure. Enjoy that family treasure while it's in your care.