Skip to main content
Help Center Community Shop

Colt Pre-Woodsman w/HV Kit

awgrizzly
I picked up a pre-woodsman, in 90-95% condition, with a high velocity mainspring kit (marked with an A). Can anyone estimate how much value the HV mainspring housing kit adds to the gun (either percentage or $$)?

It doesn't have original grips. I want to replace them with either originals or reproductions. But I'm just wondering how much more $$ it's worth sinking into. I have $650 in it, which includes a nice Heiser holster. Would original grips add a lot of value over reepros?

grizzly
0

Comments

9 comments

Date Votes
  • rufe-snow
    If anything, IMHO the replacement mainspring would detract from the collectors value of the Colt. The original mainspring(s) was numbered to the pistol as was the slide. The pre Woodsman were made between 1917 and 1927, whereas the replacement mainsprings were brought out by Colt in the early 30's. Any way you slice it means that the pistol isn't factory original. This would definitely affect the collectors value in a negative way.


    To obtain original grips nowadays, ( after 70+ years ), that were in excellent original condition, at a reasonable price would be unlikely. A number of companies make high quality repos, even they aren't cheap. Try Eagle, I believe I saw early Woodsman grips in their on-line catalog.
    0
  • awgrizzly
    Thank you Rufe. This is very interesting, since the housing kit (marked with an A) is an accessory and itself a collector item. Eagle does have wood reproduction grips, both checkered and smooth. Any other input on this?

    grizzly

    quote:Originally posted by rufe-snow
    If anything, IMHO the replacement mainspring would detract from the collectors value of the Colt. The original mainspring(s) was numbered to the pistol as was the slide. The pre Woodsman were made between 1917 and 1927, whereas the replacement mainsprings were brought out by Colt in the early 30's. Any way you slice it means that the pistol isn't factory original. This would definitely affect the collectors value in a negative way.


    To obtain original grips nowadays, ( after 70+ years ), that were in excellent original condition, at a reasonable price would be unlikely. A number of companies make high quality repos, even they aren't cheap. Try Eagle, I believe I saw early Woodsman grips in their on-line catalog.
    0
  • rufe-snow
    If you had the original numbered mainspring housing along with the replacement high speed housing, I agree it would enhance the value of the pre Woodsman substantially. With just the high speed housing in the pistol it would be a negative to a collector who wanted the Colt in the same condition as it left the factory. My 2?.
    0
  • awgrizzly
    quote:Originally posted by rufe-snow
    If you had the original numbered mainspring housing along with the replacement high speed housing, I agree it would enhance the value of the pre Woodsman substantially. With just the high speed housing in the pistol it would be a negative to a collector who wanted the Colt in the same condition as it left the factory. My 2?.


    Thanks again Rufe, I understand and you've answered my concern. The main thing I was concerned about was if I should go the extra mile to buy original grips. I can get a pair of mint grips, don't yet know the price but it would be high. I felt a sense of responsibility of sorts to preserve a very nice Woodsman. It's not so much the money (since I paid top price for it) but an ethics thing. Now knowing I can't make it original the extra $$ would be a waste+, I can go ahead and buy a set of reproduction grips. I understand Eagle is a good source.

    grizzly
    0
  • RCrosby
    Put another way, any additional investment is unlikely to increase value by anything but less than what you put into it. Looking at money spent vs. money recovered if you decide to sell, stop now, or you're heading in the wrong direction. Especially with the HV mainspring, though, it should be a great shooter. If you like new grips, get 'em and enjoy!
    0
  • awgrizzly
    quote:Originally posted by RCrosby
    Put another way, any additional investment is unlikely to increase value by anything but less than what you put into it. Looking at money spent vs. money recovered if you decide to sell, stop now, or you're heading in the wrong direction. Especially with the HV mainspring, though, it should be a great shooter. If you like new grips, get 'em and enjoy!


    That's kind of my point. I bought the gun to have, not to profit. But I dislike the grips that it came with, a thumb rest, flared and extending below the magazine, and unfinished on the bottom. If adding value were possible I would provide original grips, but lacking that I can as well buy reproduction grips and have a Woodsman that at least looks right. I invested $650 for the gun and a $100 holster, so investing another $100 would bring the investment to the approximate book value were it original, and comparable to what many in far worse condition have sold for.

    I have an interest in collecting transitional guns, or unusual with a story. Along with this Woodsman I bought a 1910 Winchester 401 SL, made in 1911, in remarkable condition (even better than the Woodsman). It may not be all that collectible, but it represents the sojourn into semi-automatics that didn't quite catch on due to the limitation in power. To me it sort of fits in between my Springfield 1903 and M1 Garand. I like that sort of thing. =o)

    grizzly
    0
  • JudgeColt
    You do not state the actual vintage or serial number range of your "Pre-Woodsman." Obviously, the older the gun, the greater the value. There are four variations before the Woodsman name was adopted in 1927, with the Initial Issue at 7,000 production, the Variant 1 at 16,000, the Variant 2 at 7,500 and the Variant 3 at 23,500. The first three variations need the "diamond" stocks, while the last variation does not have the diamond around the stock screw. The two smaller production variations are obviously worth more than the higher production models, with the Initial Issue being worth the most by far and variant 3 the least. Therefore, when considering whether original stocks are "worth it," the vintage of your Model S is very important. The always unreliable "Blue Book" does not distinguish between these early variations, but, since the Colt section is full of errors and misinformation, that is not unexpected.

    You say you have a High Speed "kit." If you truly have the complete "kit" with packaging and instructions, then the kit alone is worth a good share of what you paid. If you just have the housing marked "A" for Accessory, then it is still worth a couple of hundred if the finish is near perfect.

    Since the gun will continue to appreciate as will the correct stocks, I would "bite the bullet" and buy the correct stocks now since they will never cost less than now, IF you can find a set. Putting the correct stocks on the gun will forever enhance its value and there will be great satisfaction in having the correct stocks on it. (I cannot stand to have something that is incorrect.) Someone might even give you a few bucks for the "target" stocks.

    Much more information is needed in order to give you better guidance, but I hope this information is a start.
    0
  • awgrizzly
    quote:Originally posted by JudgeColt
    You do not state the actual vintage or serial number range of your "Pre-Woodsman." Obviously, the older the gun, the greater the value. There are four variations before the Woodsman name was adopted in 1927, with the Initial Issue at 7,000 production, the Variant 1 at 16,000, the Variant 2 at 7,500 and the Variant 3 at 23,500. The first three variations need the "diamond" stocks, while the last variation does not have the diamond around the stock screw. The two smaller production variations are obviously worth more than the higher production models, with the Initial Issue being worth the most by far and variant 3 the least. Therefore, when considering whether original stocks are "worth it," the vintage of your Model S is very important. The always unreliable "Blue Book" does not distinguish between these early variations, but, since the Colt section is full of errors and misinformation, that is not unexpected.

    You say you have a High Speed "kit." If you truly have the complete "kit" with packaging and instructions, then the kit alone is worth a good share of what you paid. If you just have the housing marked "A" for Accessory, then it is still worth a couple of hundred if the finish is near perfect.

    Since the gun will continue to appreciate as will the correct stocks, I would "bite the bullet" and buy the correct stocks now since they will never cost less than now, IF you can find a set. Putting the correct stocks on the gun will forever enhance its value and there will be great satisfaction in having the correct stocks on it. (I cannot stand to have something that is incorrect.) Someone might even give you a few bucks for the "target" stocks.

    Much more information is needed in order to give you better guidance, but I hope this information is a start.


    My pre-woodsman is a variant 3 with SN 44339. The high speed kit (marked with an "A") is installed in the gun and I do not have the packaging nor instructions. I also do not have the original spring housing. The high speed housing isn't in perfect condition, showing a little thinning of the blueing from wear, and a slight speckling of the finish (not pitted). Though the high speed kit may have some value, I understand that the lack of the original housing deducts from the value of the gun, so I assume it's pretty much a wash. The worse part of it all is that I will never be able to restore this gun to original condition, and so the best I can hope for is to make it look correct. Bob Rayburn at Colt22.com may have a set of original grips. He hasn't yet given me a price but said it would be spendy. The whole purpose of my post here was help decide if I should by a set of grips from Bob, or just get a set of Eagle reproductions.

    Thanks for the information JudgeColt.

    grizzly
    0
  • JudgeColt
    I somehow got the impression that you had BOTH the original and accessory housings. My mistake. Sorry. Without the original housing, the gun's value is seriously damaged as a collector piece, but is enhanced as a shooter for many.

    Original stocks will not help much with collectability, but they will always be worth what they are worth and will appreciate. Since you have the Variant 3, stocks will be easier to find because all Model S Pre-War pistols from Variant 3 forward to the end of production (except for the Match Target and late guns with plastic stocks) use the same stocks. If you spend the money to get correct stocks, you can get satisfaction from having the original stocks on the pistol and the stocks will appreciate unless damaged by use.
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity