Dear Colt:

Should Colt bring back the Woodsman?

  • Yes

    Votes: 45 45.0%

  • No

    Votes: 8 8.0%

  • Would like to see it, but it wouldn't be commercially successful

    Votes: 24 24.0%

  • Meh...

    Votes: 22 22.0%

  • Other

    Votes: 1 1.0%
  • Total voters
    100
Smaug

Smaug

Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2004
Messages
1,815
Location
SE Wisconsin
It is time to bring back the Woodsman.

First, you made history with the Single Action Army. Then other SA revolvers, then 1911, then DA revolvers. In the middle, you made the Woodsman and stopped making it for some reason.

Now that you're back on your feet and under new ownership, it's time to bring back the Woodsman.

My great uncle had one, that his wife gave him for a Christmas gift, back in the day. When he was giving away his guns as he got too old to shoot, I asked for it. He said no, this one goes to his eldest son.

I should get one, even if Colt lets me down. ;-)

It seems like the 1911 of 22s.

What do you think? (poll, if you don't feel like typing)
 
Wouldn't mind seeing it but doubt it would ever come to fruition (unless of course CZ pumped a bit of money into Colt to get it going). I think it would be too much of a niche gun and a small one at that. And of course there's that Colt cachet that's going to make it probably too expensive for most people to afford.
 
I treasure mine, but it is not something I shoot much any more.
It isn't "tactical" and it is not a member of a common parts "family" which would limit sales and increase manufacturing cost.

ETA: Before USFA went down the drain, they showed a prototype Woodsman of pre-war Target configuration AND a Maxim Silencer for it.
 
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Nah, I didn't buy one when they were available new in most of the gun stores around here. I doubt I'd buy one now.
I'm kind of the same way about my buddy's Remington Nylon 66. As much as he likes it and brags about how reliable and accurate it is, I never really cared for Nylon 66s when they were available new. That's why I never bought one. And if Remington or Marlin or somebody started building them again, I doubt I'd buy one - no matter how "iconic" they are. ;)
 
kidneyboy said:
No. It will be a mediocre gun with a high end price tag, like almost all new Colt's.
Click to expand...
Dunno CZ might could carry it off at a reasonable price tag.

The question comes down to "full backwards compatible" or "all new work cone" to my thinking. The dramatic raked grip, and the mechanism could be carried off elegantly. And, it's not like there are a huge number of stray Woodsman parts lurking around to make an argument, for full-reproduction.

I can see something like FN's new High Power selling well enough.
 
JCooperfan1911 said:
Piffle.

The new Colt’s revolvers and automatics score high marks. The new Python is better and tougher than its ever been. The price point is commensurate with the quality in my opinion, and may even be a bargain.
Click to expand...
Revolvers are a different story, but not to different. Their 1911s are mediocre for the asking price.
 
Unless CZ could somehow bring back the deep, beautiful blue of the old colts, I wouldn't be remotely interested. The new King Cobra target 22 however looks interesting. When the prices come down of course.
 
UncleEd said:
IIRC, it was a very difficult gun
to take apart and reassemble.
Very old school engineering.
In its day folks preferred the
Hi Standards and then the
S&W 41s.
Click to expand...
Maybe so, but those guns aren’t nearly as elegant as the Woodsman was.
 
kidneyboy said:
No. It will be a mediocre gun with a high end price tag, like almost all new Colt's.
Click to expand...
kidneyboy said:
Their 1911s are mediocre for the asking price.
Click to expand...
In the immortal words of the legendary Patrick Swayze in the classic motion picture Road House: "Opinions vary."

So how many recent production Colt revolvers (or 1911s) have you either purchased or had extensive experience with? As one who's picked up several new Colt revolvers (three Pythons, a King Cobra, a Cobra) and two (five, if we go back five years) new Colt 1911s, I certainly disagree with your assertions.

Back on topic, I would certainly consider buying a new Woodsman (as the older ones in excellent condition are harder to come by) but for now, I'll be happy to score one of the new King Cobra .22s.
 
Old Dog said:
So how many recent production Colt revolvers (or 1911s) have you either purchased or had extensive experience with?
Click to expand...
A. This isn't about revolvers (read the first post) but I have 2 King Cobra Target models. Of the 5 my LGS had in stock the 2 I bought had the best triggers. The other 3 weren't any better than the GP100s in the case right next to the Colts.
B. My first experience with Colt 1911s was in the late 70s or early 80s. Back then you bought a Colt 1911 and left it with the gunsmith to fix the trigger and poorly fit parts. I have probably owned 10 of them since. None of them were anything special. Nothing magical happened in the last decade or so to make any of their guns exceptional. Go handle a couple at an LGS (I have at mine) then handle any other 1911 in the same price range in the shop. Nothing about the Colt, especially the trigger, makes it stand out.

There was a joke a long time ago about Range Rover SUVs - Instead of buying a Range Rover why not buy a Ford Explorer and just tape $10,000 to the hood. IMO the same can be said about Colt 1911s - Buy a Springfield Armory and roll up $500 inside the grips.

I stand by my assertion in post #2.

Maybe CZ can change things. My Dan Wesson PM7 was made under the CZ roof and it is a very good 1911.
 
Owned one pencil barrel woodsman which was only ok and didn't want anymore variants. Competitors I've owned were 3 military high standards; two citations with fluted, bull and space gun barrels and a military tournament (identical grip and balance to a 1911 down to the smooth front strap), all Hamdens and 2 model 41's; factory optics only barrel, bull barrel and long barrel with muzzle brake.

I'd rather Colt bring back the Diamondback .22. Was both accurate and elegant, period. Costed me 175 bucks. Next to it on the shelf was a woodsman match target for the same price. I don't regret the choice. What I do regret was selling the diamondback; stupidest thing.

Edit to respond to Nightlord: Right, I stand corrected. King Cobra, which I will look into.
 
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Twocanary said:
Owned one pencil barrel woodsman which was only ok and didn't want anymore variants. Competitors I've owned were 3 military high standards; two citations with fluted, bull and space gun barrels and a military tournament (identical grip and balance to a 1911 down to the smooth front strap), all Hamdens and 2 model 41's; factory optics only barrel, bull barrel and long barrel with muzzle brake.

I'd rather Colt bring back the Diamondback .22. Was both accurate and elegant, period. Costed me 175 bucks. Next to it on the shelf was a woodsman match target for the same price. I don't regret the choice. What I do regret was selling the diamondback; stupidest thing.
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They have brought back the Diamondback .22, they just cant call it that because DB owns the trademark name now.
It may be called King Cobra Target .22, but, in essense, its a new rimfire Diamondback.
 
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Smaug said:
Maybe so, but those guns aren’t nearly as elegant as the Woodsman was.
Click to expand...

Jeff olson said:
Some would disagree.
Click to expand...
I appreciate the styling on the 41 (especially the long variants) and some High Standards, but I think it would be fair to say they both had a checkered reputation for reliable feeding. My own 41 was beautiful but terribly unreliable.
Never actually shot a vintage Woodsman, so I cant speak to their function with modern ammo, but any new release would need to be at least comparable to a Ruger MK or Buckmark in that regard.
 
kidneyboy said:
A. This isn't about revolvers (read the first post) but I have 2 King Cobra Target models. Of the 5 my LGS had in stock the 2 I bought had the best triggers. The other 3 weren't any better than the GP100s in the case right next to the Colts.
Click to expand...
Yeah. I read the first post, thanks. This was in the "Handguns" subforum, and you said:
kidneyboy said:
like almost all new Colt's.
Click to expand...
not differentiating between revolvers and 1911s.
kidneyboy said:
B. My first experience with Colt 1911s was in the late 70s or early 80s. Back then you bought a Colt 1911 and left it with the gunsmith to fix the trigger and poorly fit parts. I have probably owned 10 of them since. None of them were anything special. Nothing magical happened in the last decade or so to make any of their guns exceptional. Go handle a couple at an LGS (I have at mine) then handle any other 1911 in the same price range in the shop. Nothing about the Colt, especially the trigger, makes it stand out.
Click to expand...
And you're still not talking about recent experience with Colt 1911s. So you handled a couple at your LGS. My recent experience with Colt semiautos (all 1911s, of course) includes the Wiley Clapp Commander, the Competition, the Black Army, another (my second) Series 70 Repro and a new LW Commander. While I wish that Colt would include some frontstrap checkering and factory nightsights (which a couple competitors include at comparable prices), the Colts have easily been superior in terms of accuracy and reliability. Springfield Armory? I'm a big SA fan, and own several. But I'll spend another C-note or two for a Colt over SA's newest offerings (the Garrison, in particular) and call it a day.

Back on topic -- given the experiences most of us have enjoyed with many of the latest Colt handgun offerings, the company's renewed commitment to quality handguns and innovation, it'd seem that if Colt wanted to reintroduce a Woodsman, it would probably make it right. Although, as most here believe, it might not be as commercially successful as the company's new snake revolvers.

Some of us liked the Woodsman and still actually like current production Colt handguns. The OP introduced a neat idea.

But that's not the point. The OP wanted to know how many of us thought a new Woodsman would be a cool product, not how many of us think that Colt's current semiauto pistols are mediocre guns with high price tags. Bet you're great fun at parties, too.
 
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A gun being available in new production makes them oh so much less interesting.

It’s a shame really because for a gun to be old and vintage and interesting it had to have at one time been new production.
 
gpb said:
I saw this on the Standard Manufacturing web site. To me, it looks like a Colt Woodsman. I don't know if they ever got made. Does anyone know anything about it?

https://stdgun.com/sg22-pistols/
Click to expand...

That is indeed a reasonable copy of a second generation Woodsman Target out of the early 1950s. It has the side button magazine catch they only used for that short time. I wonder if it carries over the magazine disconnect of that type.
 
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No......and this coming frim a guy who has around nine 2nd and 3rd Series.
And if they do, please dont call it a Woodsman.

The Colt Woodsman was designed by John Browning, its a classic.
 
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