Colt Woodsman Serial Number Master Chart

The Colt Woodsman family presents one of the most confusing serial-number systems encountered by collectors. Unlike many firearms that used a single uninterrupted serial-number sequence, the Woodsman evolved through multiple series, model variations, suffix systems, and numbering changes over more than sixty years of production. First Series pistols generally used numeric serial numbers, while later Second and Third Series guns introduced suffixes such as “S” and “C.” Certain models, including the Match Target, Challenger, Huntsman, and Targetsman, followed their own numbering patterns or shared serial-number ranges with related models.

In some cases, identical numeric serial numbers can appear on different Woodsman variants from entirely different years if the suffix is ignored. Additional complications arose when Colt restarted portions of the serial-number sequence, integrated multiple model lines into common numbering systems, and made later changes that can confuse a quick lookup.

This master chart brings the major Woodsman serial-number systems together in one reference. Use it as a starting point, but always verify the exact model designation, serial-number suffix, and physical characteristics of the pistol before assigning a production year. On Colt Woodsman pistols, those details often matter as much as the serial number itself.

The Colt Woodsman is not one serial-number chart. It is several serial-number systems living under one famous name. A plain number, an MT prefix, a hyphenated -S, a hyphenated -C, and a six-digit number followed by S can all be correct Woodsman serial formats. The letter pattern is often the first clue, and the frame features finish the job.

Never rely on the numeric portion alone. A Woodsman numbered 1001, MT1001, 1001-S, 1001-C, and 001001S can represent different production periods and different model families.

This master chart is the companion reference page for the Colt Woodsman Serial Lookup Tool. Use the lookup tool when you want a fast result. Use this page when you want to see the full production context, the individual serial blocks, and the collector notes that explain why some ranges overlap or appear out of sequence.

How Colt Woodsman Serial Numbers Work

The Woodsman entered production in 1915 as a John Browning-designed .22 Long Rifle automatic pistol and remained in production, with a wartime interruption, through 1977. Across that long run, Colt changed frames, magazine-release systems, model names, and serial-number formats. That is why a Woodsman should be identified by both its serial number and its physical features.

First Series Sport and Target pistols use numeric-only serial numbers. The First Series Match Target “Bullseye” uses an MT prefix. Second Series pistols use hyphenated suffixes: -S for Sport, Target, and Match Target models, and -C for the Challenger. Third Series production continued separate -S and -C blocks until early 1969, when Colt merged all Woodsman-family models into an integrated six-digit serial block ending in S without a hyphen.

Colt did not assemble or ship Woodsman pistols in perfectly strict numerical order. Treat each range as an approximate production guide, not an exact birthday. For a valuable or unusual example, a Colt Archive letter remains the best confirmation.

Colt Woodsman Serial Number Format Guide

Start here before reading the year-by-year tables. The format tells you which serial-number block to use.

First Series Sport and Target Serial Numbers (1915–1947)

First Series Sport and Target pistols use plain numeric serial numbers with no prefix or suffix. The Target Model came first. The Sport Model, with its shorter 4.5-inch barrel, appears around serial number 86,000 in 1933. Postwar First Series assembly creates a special wrinkle: some pistols shipped after World War II but retain First Series features.

First Series Match Target “Bullseye” Serial Numbers — MT Prefix

The first Match Target Woodsman, commonly called the Bullseye because of the distinctive barrel marking, uses an MT prefix. Production ran from 1938 to 1944. These pistols have the heavy, flat-sided 6⅝-inch barrel and are a separate serial-number family from the numeric-only Sport and Target pistols.

Lookup MT Serial Number

Second Series Sport, Target, and Match Target Serial Numbers (1947–1955)

Second Series Sport, Target, and Match Target pistols use the -S suffix. These pistols belong to the postwar redesigned S-frame period and normally have the push-button magazine release located just aft of the trigger guard. The -S block runs independently from the Challenger -C block.

Second Series Challenger Serial Numbers — -C Suffix

The Challenger was introduced in May 1950 and used its own -C suffix serial-number block. It is part of the Second Series period but differs from the other Second Series Woodsman models by using a spring heel magazine catch instead of the push-button release.

Third Series Sport, Target, and Match Target Serial Numbers (1955–1969)

The Third Series introduced another frame revision and moved the magazine catch to the heel of the butt on all models. The Sport, Target, and Match Target line used the -S suffix. A transition block from 146,138-S through 147,138-S appears before standard Third Series production jumps to the 160,000-S range.

Third Series Huntsman and Targetsman Serial Numbers — -C Suffix

The Huntsman replaced the Challenger in 1955 and continued with a -C suffix block beginning at 90,001-C. The Targetsman was added in 1959 and shares the same serial-number sequence. Above the Targetsman introduction point, the serial number alone cannot separate Huntsman from Targetsman; the slide marking and sights must be examined.

Integrated Serial Block — All Models (1969–1977)

In early 1969 Colt merged the separate Woodsman serial-number sequences into one integrated block for all remaining Third Series models. The format is six digits followed by S with no hyphen, such as 001001S. In April 1976, a special block beginning with S100000S was issued before regular production resumed at 300001S.

Collector Notes and Special Cases

Non-sequential assembly. Colt factory practice means the tables should be read as approximate milestones. A gun may have shipped later than the number alone suggests.

Postwar First Series pistols. Some numeric-only First Series pistols were assembled and shipped after World War II from remaining prewar-style parts. They retain First Series features despite late shipment.

Challenger versus Huntsman. The Challenger ends at 77,143-C. The Huntsman begins at 90,001-C, leaving a gap between the Second and Third Series -C systems. Similar appearance does not mean the serial systems are the same.

Targetsman identification. The Targetsman shares the -C sequence with the Huntsman after its introduction. Serial number range can narrow the period, but the model marking and sights are needed to identify the pistol correctly.

1969 integration. A six-digit serial followed by S with no hyphen is the practical sign of late Third Series integrated production. In that period, the serial number identifies the production block, not the individual model.

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.