ATLAS
COLLECTIBLE FIREARMS

Atlas Collectible Firearms is profoundly honored to present a crown jewel of pre-war American target pistol collecting: an ultra-rare, first-year 1938 production Colt First Series Woodsman Match Target pistol chambered in .22 Long Rifle. Known fondly among collectors as the "Bullseye" Match Target due to the iconic target logo rollmarked on the left side of the barrel shroud, this museum-grade handgun carries an extraordinary, LOW double-digit serial number—MT30—stamped sharply on the frame base. Introduced in 1938 with its own dedicated "MT" serial number prefix, this 30th-production-unit specimen was completed near the very beginning of the pre-war Match Target run, a tiny elite group of early production firearms that were frequently shipped directly to prominent competitive marksmen, industry dignitaries, and high-profile figures.

Included with the firearm is an authentic Colt Archive Letter stating the guns was shipped to "Toepperwein Hardware Co. - San Antonio, Texas - June 25th 1938 - 1 Gun Shippment". This hardware company / gun store was owned by the historic and legendary exhibition marksman Adolph "Ad" Toepperwein. He was a world-famous Winchester and Colt exhibition marksman. He routinely ordered personal target firearms from Colt. Collectors have surfaced 1938-production Colt Pre-War Match Target pistols with factory archival letters explicitly stating they were shipped directly to Ad Toepperwein in Texas. Ad Toepperwein was Colt’s premier exhibition shooter and a primary dealer in the Southwest, Colt routinely sent him their newest, lowest-serial-number flagship models for promotional and personal use.

Equipped with a heavy 6-5/8" slab-side target barrel, pinned Patridge front sight, and micro-adjustable rear sight assembly, this First Series pistol is fitted with its signature, highly coveted factory one-piece "elephant ear" checkered walnut target stocks inset with bright silver Colt medallions. These legendary extended wraparound stocks are notoriously delicate and prone to stress cracking, yet the pair adorning serial MT30 remains 100% intact and virtually flawless. This museum-tier investment piece arrives complete with its original two-tone blued 10-round factory magazine correctly stamped "COLT WOODSMAN / CAL. 22 L.R. / MATCH TARGET MOD." on the base floorplate.

The condition of this historical 1938 Pre-War Match Target is exceptional and museum-grade throughout, preserving a remarkably high percentage of its original factory blued finish. The slide and frame flats display deep, uniform high-polish luster with crisp, pristine rollmarks, showing only the lightest, most superficial signs of handling and vault storage. The legendary "elephant ear" walnut stocks are in magnificent shape, exhibiting sharp, unblemished checkering panels entirely free of cracks, chips, or warping. Mechanically, the target action cycles with buttery-smooth, hand-fitted pre-war Colt precision, breaking with a match-grade trigger, while the 6-5/8" heavy barrel preserves a brilliant, mirror-bright bore with razor-sharp rifling lines.