
No doubt you’ve heard of the Colt Woodsman, a .22 caliber semi-auto pistol that captured the hearts and minds of collectors and shooters from the time it was introduced in 1915. But are you familiar with its younger brother, the Colt Huntsman?
The June Collection presents an opportunity to add one of the lesser-known Huntsman pistols to your collection. This model was made from 1955 to 1977. The example offered dates to 1969. In that time, more than 100,000 of them were made, which is an average of 4,500 per year.
Introduced 40 years after the Woodsman (which debuted in 1915), the Colt Huntsman is often considered the “budget-friendly” version of siblings. Don’t mistake “budget” for “cheap,” though. Nothing Colt was making at that time could even remotely be considered to be cheap.
There are three main differences that differentiate the Woodsman from the Huntsman. The Huntsman has fixed sights, no last-round hold open and simpler grips. That’s it. Other than those three small things, the two pistols are basically the same. A quick note on the sights: while they are billed as fixed, the rear were drift adjustable. Also, shooters could file down the front sight for elevation.
June Collection Colt Huntsman
The gun offered here has a 6-inch barrel and checkered wooden grips. The model was also available with a 4.5-inch barrel. Guns made earlier in the production run had black plastic grips instead.
The Huntsman fires .22 Long Rifle ammo; the magazine holds 10 rounds. Since there’s no last-round hold open, shooters either have to count rounds or just wait for the gun to go “click” instead of “bang.” Regardless, these guns are known for a super smooth slide and a crisp single-action trigger. This makes them a joy to shoot for both new and seasoned shooters alike.
Overall condition can add to a gun’s value, and this one is top-notch. The Colt Huntsman offered in the June Collection has a beautiful blued finish with virtually no signs of wear. Similarly, the wooden grips are also in great shape with sharp checkering lines and very minimal signs of handling. Overall, this 56-year-old gun has aged exceptionally well.
Another thing this particular Colt Huntsman has going for it is that it is still paired with its original cardboard box. Cardboard isn’t designed to last for decades, but this one is in great shape. The faux wood grain and yellow end label are both still as crisp and vibrant as the day they left the factory.
Undoubtedly, Woodsman pistols have been more widely collected over the years. As prices are driven higher, it’s a great opportunity to start collecting the Huntsman pistols before they, too, gain wider notice by collectors.
Act fast, bid now, and delight in knowing that you got in on the Colt Huntsman trend before everyone else.
About the Author
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Logan Metesh is an arms historian with a focus on history and development. He has a degree in historic preservation and has worked for the National Park Service and the Smithsonian Institution. The ease with which he can recall obscure historical facts and figures makes him very good at Jeopardy!, but exceptionally bad at geometry. Over the years, he has contributed to multiple books and written hundreds of articles for different publications. He is the owner of High Caliber History LLC and the host of the No Lowballers Podcast.
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