Manufacturer: Colt Serial Number Lookup Hub – model guides, production-date references, and Colt collector resources.

Start Here: Colt Woodsman Serial Number Lookup

This is the primary Woodsman starting page. Enter or compare the serial number first, then use the master chart, generations guide, and Match Target guide to confirm the pistol against its physical features.

Use the Woodsman LookupOpen Master Chart

The Colt Woodsman serial number is the first clue, but it is not the only clue. To identify a Woodsman correctly, compare the serial range with the pistol’s production series, magazine release, grip style, barrel type, sights, markings, and overall configuration.

This page is built as a practical collector lookup for the Woodsman family, with special emphasis on the post-war S-suffix Match Target ranges that cause many identification questions.

Quick Woodsman S-Suffix Lookup

Enter a post-war Match Target style serial number such as 146137-S, 193300-S, or 204500-S. This tool checks the S-suffix ranges shown in the table below.

Tip: Use the number portion and the S suffix when present. The result should be treated as a production-range estimate, not a factory letter.

Factory shipment dates can differ from estimated manufacture dates. For high-value documentation, use a Colt Archive Letter or Colt’s official serial-number resources.

Colt Woodsman pistol with classic blued finish and checkered grips
The Woodsman serial number should always be read alongside physical features: series, barrel, sights, magazine release, grips, and markings.

How to Read a Colt Woodsman Serial Number

Start by recording the serial number exactly as it appears. Include suffixes, prefixes, dashes, and spacing. A Woodsman collector should then compare the serial number against the pistol’s visible features.

  • Series: Series I, Series II, and Series III Woodsman pistols have different collector clues.
  • Suffix: Many post-war Match Target pistols use an S suffix.
  • Magazine release: Second Series Match Target pistols use a frame-mounted release behind the trigger guard; Third Series Match Target pistols use a heel release.
  • Barrel and sights: Sport, Target, and Match Target pistols should not be valued from serial number alone.

Colt Woodsman Series Identification

SeriesApprox. Production PeriodCollector Identification Notes
Series I1915–1941Pre-war Woodsman production; early sporting-pistol styling and classic Colt finish quality.
Series II1947–1955Post-war production; Match Target pistols are commonly identified by the magazine-release button behind the trigger guard.
Series III1955–1977Later production; Match Target pistols use the heel-style magazine release and revised post-war features.

Colt Woodsman Match Target S-Suffix Serial Number Table

The following S-suffix table is intended for post-war Woodsman Match Target identification. It is most useful when paired with the physical clues on the pistol.

YearBeginning Serial #Ending Serial #Estimated Number MadeSeries Note
19471-S249-S249Series II
1948250-S35749-S35,500Series II
194935750-S68899-S33,150Series II
195068900-S86199-S17,300Series II
195186200-S100099-S13,900Series II
1952100100-S123699-S23,600Series II
1953123700-S137649-S13,950Series II
1954137650-S142599-S4,950Series II
1955142600-S146136-S3,537Series II
1955146137-S147138-S1,002Series III transition
1955160000-S161599-S1,600Series III
1956161600-S172199-S10,600Series III
1957172200-S182499-S10,300Series III
1958182500-S185199-S2,700Series III
1959185200-S189249-S4,050Series III
1960189250-S193299-S4,050Series III
1961193300-S196899-S3,600Series III
1962196900-S200599-S3,700Series III
1963200600-S204499-S3,900Series III
1964204500-S208299-S3,800Series III

Match Target Identification Notes

The Match Target branch is easy to recognize by its heavier target-barrel profile, but the correct series still matters. A 1955 gun deserves extra care because that year includes both late Second Series production and early Third Series production.

Collector Takeaway

A serial-number match is strongest when the magazine-release location, grips, sights, barrel profile, and markings all agree with the expected production series.

Common Woodsman Lookup Mistakes

  • Reading a shipment date as a manufacture date.
  • Ignoring the S suffix on Match Target serial numbers.
  • Assuming all Woodsman-family pistols use the same serial sequence.
  • Valuing a pistol before checking the magazine, grips, sights, and finish originality.
  • Confusing a Woodsman with related Colt .22 pistols such as the Challenger or Huntsman.

Colt Woodsman Research Cluster

Use these Woodsman references in this order: start with the serial-number lookup, then use the master chart, generations guide, and Match Target guide to confirm originality, configuration, and value context.

Woodsman Serial Number LookupThe primary starting page for Colt Woodsman serial-number searches. Woodsman Serial Lookup AppFast serial-number estimate for Colt Woodsman family pistols. Serial Number Master ChartComplete Woodsman serial blocks from First Series through late Third Series. Generations GuideSeries I, II, and III identification by controls, grips, sights, and era. Match Target GuideHeavy-barrel target model details, timeline, photos, and collector notes.

Colt Woodsman Related Items

Reference books, preservation supplies, bench tools, and storage items can help document and protect a Colt Woodsman collection.

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Greg Cook

About Greg Cook

Greg Cook writes about firearms collecting, personal history, and the stories behind interesting guns. His Army MOS was 76Y, Unit Armorer, and he brings that practical background to his collector articles.

Sources Consulted

  • Colt Woodsman Match Target production notes and serial-number table maintained by Gun Collectors Club.
  • Colt Archive Letter and factory-shipment documentation practices for high-value collector verification.
  • Collector inspection notes covering Woodsman series, magazine-release location, grips, sights, barrel profile, and condition.