[shortgun]

My new plate shooter: a "unfired in box" 1967 WMT!

https://www.gunbroker.com/Item/778565492

That said, perhaps my 1938 will make a quick appearance at a future plate match.

 

[dkay62]

That "metal" under the barrel is a barrel weight. They clamped on and could hold internal weights to adjust the balance. Notice the aluminum muzzle break too. They were available for the classic 7 3/8" barrel which was discontinued around 1978.

 

[dkay62]

Shortgun...Did you just buy another Colt MT? LOL!

 

[Beecherkid]

My new plate shooter: a "unfired in box" 1967 WMT! ​

Very good choice.

​

 

[area51guy]

I also shoot in .22 steel plate matches. We shoot 5 stages with each stage having about 20 - 30 plates to knock over. For the stock pistol class, I use a 1949 vintage Colt Woodsman 2nd model Match Target equipped with a set of Lew Sanderson target grips and 5 "tombstone" mags for reloading. For the revolver class, I use a 1948 vintage S&W K22 with Altamont grips, speed loaders for fast reloading! The most entertaining of all for me is the stock rifle class. I use a Remington Nylon 66 equipped with a peep sight. I use small plastic tubes preloaded with 10 rds each for fast reloads. I can pull the follower tube, load the ammo and replace the follower tube about as fast as I can change the magazine on a Ruger 10/22! It gets lots of looks and questions!

1949 Woodsman MT

S&W 1948 K22

 

[shortgun]

Hey Shortgun,

I have never used the safety either. The gun was designed to punch paper so I don't think the safety was given great priority. The Model 41 safety pushes downward with your thumb just like a Woodsman but the lever is very small and not the easiest to turn off. I would also say the Colt is a bit easier but neither is as positive as the 1911 safety works. You would have to practice with it but I don't know what it would do to your most excellent times. Part of this game seems to be able to sweep the safety off gracefully while acquiring the target quickly. Practice, practice...practice.

I too use standard velocity CCI in my gun with great results but I have several bricks of Aguila Target Competition 40 grain that I have bought very cheap. I just have not had time to try it yet.

BTW. Tension on the safety lever can be modified by adjusting the safety spring plate under the grip panel. Adjustment of the bend in the step or polishing the tab on the back of the step may help. To make mine a bit lighter, I just loosened the screw in the plate about 1/4 of a turn. Seemed to help without further modification. Also check for a "shiny" spot on the inside of the grip panel....the panel may be in contact with the lever and exerting some pressure on the lever when the grips are in place, and tightened.

Best Regards,
Doug

View attachment 588529

Wow, thanks for that post - you really know these pistols. In answer to your next question, yes, I just now purchased another WMT,

 

[dkay62]

Well, it's somewhat embarrassing that a thread about Colt Woodsman's turned into a Smith 41 thread.

Cudos on your new MT. I will share a picture of mine which was made in 1971:

 

[shortgun]

My new plate shooter: a "unfired in box" 1967 WMT! ​

Very good choice.

I thought so too. The pictures are not as nice as Lumberjack's pictures, but from what I see, it really is a nice pistol. I was not about to take a fully papered and boxed pistol off the collectors market and turn it into a shooter. Per the item description, this is "unfired". It would be implausible that this was really an old worn out pistol, which someone then removed the old finish, polished it real nice, then applied a quality reblue. I would be able to spot a reconditioned well worn gun by inspecting it no? Not that I am an expert, but since the barrels are part of the frame, it would be impossible to rebarrel and recondition the bore and other internals to make it appear to be "new and unfired". Right?

Nope, this pistol is legit, and I will be the first owner. I will treat it right because I have big plans for this one. It will be the pistol my wife and daughter learns to shoot with, and also be my main plate gun, unless it gets replaced with a Model 41. But even after all that, it will be still be nice enough to pass down my grandchildren to use. And old enough to escape any future mass confiscation hopefully.

 

[dkay62]

I keep on coming up with questions, here is another. It's bad to dry fire any rimfire, but how about using snap caps?

Snap caps are expensive. I use these yellow #4 drywall anchors. 100 pack at Home Depot is like $3. Just rotate them when you drop that firing pin.

 

[Rick Bowles]

That's a fine 3rd. model MTW. Since speed seems to be a priority and the MTW is your choice, I would have looked at a 2nd. model MTW rather than a 3rd.

 

[824tsv]

That's a fine 3rd. model MTW. Since speed seems to be a priority and the MTW is your choice, I would have looked at a 2nd. model MTW rather than a 3rd.

Yes, quick and easy magazine changes using the thumb magazine release like a 1911. If nothing else we are certainly enablers here....now you need a nice 2nd Series Woodsman to compliment the other 2!

 

[tedm]

2nd series MT, Hi Standard and S&W 41. Can't go wrong with any. However, I collect Colt's but shoot primarily shoot my HS for accuracy in my hands. It's nice to have all three, then you can see which floats your boat ( hurricane Florence is fast approaching so my mind is on wind and water). View attachment 588611

 

[SBH]

IMHO guns are made to enjoy and shoot! you're heirs will shoot and sell it for $50 in a yard sale!.....jmho Have Fun....Good Shooting!

 

[shortgun]

2nd gen Match Target "faster" than 3rd gen?

That's a fine 3rd. model MTW. Since speed seems to be a priority and the MTW is your choice, I would have looked at a 2nd. model MTW rather than a 3rd.

Rick

Hopefully you are talking about the different types of magazine release. The 3rd generation is a European mag release, just like the 1st generation right? The 2nd gen is on the frame and thus mag changes are MUCH quicker. For my particular plate match, this does not matter for me. I only pull the trigger six or seven times in a typical round. This is an indoor plate match so each guy's rack only has six plates - the first guy to knock all six plates down wins that round. You miss twice in expert and you will likely lose that match. Which is why an eight round revolver is perfectly fine when shooting expert. Have I shot all ten rounds in my mag and still beat my opponent? That happens once in a great while. A few months back we both had to re-load good greif!!! I beat that guy but we were both given shyte after, with the guys saying things like "it took you long enough" or "that was painful to watch guys". It's a tough room, lots of police and vets. My goal all along has been to get to the point where I could show up at any local plate match and be middle of the pack at least. Let's say I visit my good friend in Nashville. I can now go to his local plate match and do well - or at least middle of the pack. Who knows, I have never competed outside of my local plate match.

I hope you were talking about the 3rd generations mag release!

 

[dkay62]

Yes, the mag release is faster to use on a 2nd Gen. I also like to use early 3rd Gen. magazines in my 2nd Gen. Woodsman's since they are way easier to load 10 rounds into than the older "tombstone" magazines.

Here is one of my 2nd Gen MT's. Made in 1952. I shoot it often and it drives tacks. I like and use the grip adapter on the 2nd Gens. too and I prefer the 4.5 inch barrel but that is just me:

 

[shortgun]

Thanks everyone. Can anyone tell me what the two screws on the top of the slide are for? You are looking at a Model 41 BTW.

 

[824tsv]

Drilled and tapped for an optic

 

[shortgun]

Drilled and tapped for an optic

The serial on the is A441084 so that's about 1977 or 78. I was told that the Drill and Tap could not have been original to the gun. But since it's being sold as something that has not been shot much, in fantastic condition both inside and out, it begs the question of why would a previous owner go thru the expense of getting it drilled and tapped and then not shoot it.

 

[tedm]

Some people never shoot their pistols. Others shoot them infrequently - and take great care of them. Yours may have been shot with optics, who knows.
I have one 22lr that has over 100,000 rounds w/ only minor wear ( and springs and mag changes )

 

[shortgun]

Some people never shoot their pistols. Others shoot them infrequently - and take great care of them. Yours may have been shot with optics, who knows.
I have one 22lr that has over 100,000 rounds w/ only minor wear ( and springs and mag changes )

Ted, is there any way to tell how much it's been shot by looking at the amount of wear on lands and groves? From what you say above, your pistol has over 100k rounds and shows only minor wear. Does this include the lands and groves? Am I right to think that if the lands and groves have worn down by 50%, accuracy will suffer? I have not owned a small bore pistol before, so maybe the answer here is that lands and groves never "wear down" on 22 caliber pistols like they would on a large bore after a lifetime of use. Because, if the answer is a well used barrel like your 100k gun looks 90% as good as a brand new barrel, then I don't have to worry about unknowingly buying a used pistol that is practically a smooth barrel due to hundred's of thousands of rounds being put thru it. The 1967 WMT I just bought was listed as "LNIB" and the 1938 is being delivered to my FFL today - so both were described as mint. So I will finally have a chance to look down the barrel of these later this week. Thanks for your patience, I am a noob when it comes to small bore. Hopefully that will not be the case after six months of training with one of these.