Ernest Hemingway used to entertain party guests by shooting the end of a lit cigarette out of their mouths with his Colt Woodsman. Either they were extremely trusting or extremely inebriated to willingly participate, but were it not for the straight-shooting reputation of his many Colt Woodsman .22 pistols, I doubt they would have been swayed.

The Colt Woodsman was and is a fine handgun, capable of making even the most basically trained nimrod look good. But it isn’t the only .22 semiautomatic pistol that has a long history of such.

High Standard, like Colt, released several models of .22 handguns. Many of these were intended for sporting use, others for training military personnel, and some were intended for match, including Olympic match shooting. My own favorite High Standard is the Sport King, as most of my .22 pistol use is in the field against rattlesnakes, ground squirrels, rockchucks, badgers and coyotes. My Sport King, while not billed as an Olympic match-grade handgun, has been used to shoot and win pistol matches.

The Colt Woodsman definitely has the edge in the weight department. It is lighter to carry than the High Standard due to its thinner-profile barrel and more compact design. Some prefer its sights, being very similar to the buckhorns commonly found on traditional .22 rifles.

The High Standard wins in the department of ease of takedown. This makes cleaning and oiling a cinch. The heavier contour of the barrel, along with the integral thumb rest on the grips, makes it easier for me to hold steady, but of course I prefer a bit heavier gun in any case. Also, if one is left-handed, the thumb rest would be no advantage.

Both guns have been around since the 1920s, feature adjustable sights, have great triggers and are amazingly accurate. Neither is currently in production, so to purchase either one will require some looking at gun shows or online.

The Colt in prime condition will bring almost twice what a prime condition High Standard will. Original replacement magazines for both can be found online occasionally. Aftermarket replacement magazines are available for both from Triple K.

Both guns came with the options of two barrel lengths, 4.5 inch and 6.5 inch. Some guns seem to prefer one load to another but will cycle reliably with both solid point and hollowpoint ammunition most of the time.

Individual guns may prove to be in need of fine tuning or have a picky diet where ammo is concerned, but in short, I declare this matchup to be a tie. If you can’t decide which one you prefer, get one of each.

One last thing: No matter how good of friends you are, nor no matter how much Who-hit-John you have had, never, ever try to shoot a cigarette out of someone’s mouth or let them do so to you. Regardless of how straight the pistol shoots, the fool holding the tool can always make a mistake.

Do you prefer the Colt or the High Standard .22 pistol? Write to us at shootingthebreezebme@gmail.com today!