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Is Colt virtually not making it these days?

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  • d_holliday

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    I was considering a new Colt AR-15AR (the classic long M16-look AR, not one of these tacti-cool carbine things) but they are totally out of stock and out of production right now. I was in the army, most of my issue M16's had "Colt AR-15" and the Rampant Pony stamped right on the left-side of the mag well. I've always been under the impression that genuine COLT was the genuine article. I've owned a Colt Lawman .357 and 3 Colt M1911 type 45's in my lifetime.

    But lately it seems that Colt has been putting out shoddy high-priced junk. Possible outsourcing parts to be made in China. This supposedly isn't the same Colt quality your dad or granddad carried in Nam.

    This guy sold his Colt and got a PSA now:
    Hurley's Gold
     

    Axxe55

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    Colt has been on the ropes for some years now. Nothing new there. Lots of bad corporate decisions and relying too heavily on government contracts and not enough attention paid to the private sector of the market.
     

    cvgunman

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    I made it through about 5:45 of the video, the guy rambles a lot. His issue with the trigger pin walking on him may have been something simpler than he made it out to be (the pins are held in by the tension of the trigger springs). Anyhow, Colt has had their trouble over the years with bankruptcy filings, spent their focus on gov't contracts versus civilian market. They do have a few new AR's in the works, not sure when/if they hit the market. Have contemplated buying one for a few years, but I don't have a need for one.
     

    rotor

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    Colt LE6920 bought in 2012. Never had any problems. Has the removeable carry handle. Wouldn't sell it.
    Have several other Colts including a Python and vest pocket.
    When ARs were flooding the market Colt decided that they couldn't compete and were just going to go military. Now that they are in short supply they wisely are supposed to be back in production for the civilian market.
    I hate to see any gun company go under including Remington and Colt.
     

    d_holliday

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    Colt sources out lots of parts.
    If my gun bought new, Colt or otherwise, were to fail under warranty, I would promptly return it to the selling dealer and make a warranty claim instead of posting a YouTube bee-yotch. It sounds like this man's new Colt AR had the trigger pin walk out with just a few rounds fired. He could be just disgruntled with Colt. One time I called Colt customer service over the phone about something, a part or something, for a friend's AR-15 and the person was rude. I have had a rude person over the phone at Browning before too, again in the 1990's. I had a new Browning shotgun I bought in the mid-'90's that had the cheesey gold paint coming out of the lettering. Browning did make good on it, however. Having rude folks at customer "service" isn't going to help a company make it.

    This is why I prefer to drive Toyota vehicles over Big Three vehicles. Then again, the man in the video could also be lying about having owned and sold a Colt AR-15. He might be a salesman for Palmetto State Armory for all we know.

    Bad press like this doesn't help gun makers:

    https://time.com/5681534/colt-suspe...cing AR,production was entirely market-driven.


    "Slime" magazine seems to be anti-gun. Virtually all "mass shooters" passed background checks to get their forearms used in their bad deeds.

    Colt is just holding back AR-15 sales from civilian buyers most likely for media and political reasons while making alibis about defense and LE contracts to fulfill.
     
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    Axxe55

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    Colt made some huge errors in their company practices, like relying too heavy on government contracts for M16 rifles. Government contracts always play out. They failed in updating manufacturing equipment. The failed in R&D and bringing new products to the civilian market. They did in many ways forget the civilian market existed.

    In two areas alone, the other manufacturers jumped on the wagon with the 1911 market, and the AR market. With Colt, you're paying for the name and a dancing pony on the side of the gun! Too many others make an equally manufactured product, at much lesser price point, and many with many features of what the Colt offers as stripped down version.

    Many people buy Colts simply because of the heritage of the company, and that they are planning on passing them down as heirlooms to family at some point. I understand and see the point. Colt from what I have seen of recent, still makes a quality product, but they just aren't price competitive IMO to other manufacturers of similar products.
     

    d_holliday

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    Colt made some huge errors in their company practices, like relying too heavy on government contracts for M16 rifles. Government contracts always play out. They failed in updating manufacturing equipment. The failed in R&D and bringing new products to the civilian market. They did in many ways forget the civilian market existed.

    In two areas alone, the other manufacturers jumped on the wagon with the 1911 market, and the AR market. With Colt, you're paying for the name and a dancing pony on the side of the gun! Too many others make an equally manufactured product, at much lesser price point, and many with many features of what the Colt offers as stripped down version.

    Many people buy Colts simply because of the heritage of the company, and that they are planning on passing them down as heirlooms to family at some point. I understand and see the point. Colt from what I have seen of recent, still makes a quality product, but they just aren't price competitive IMO to other manufacturers of similar products.

    The Colt moniker alone is a status symbol like Rolls-Royce and Harley-Davidson. A genuine COLT Peacemaker is coveted, not a cheap Italian imitation. Colt AR-15's are a cultist gun like 1960's Mopar muscle cars are so cultist. A Ferrari sports car has its own coveted prancing pony.
     
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    Moonpie

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    Gunz are icky.
    Colt is still producing firearms for the commercial market.
    Mainly handguns. I'd venture to say the currently produced 1911's are as nice a gun as anything made in the past 50yrs.
    I'm seeing more new Colt pistols than ever. Even with the stupid Covid panic going on.
    Can't speak for the AR market as I don't follow that.
    IMO, people do not realize how small Colt really is. It's not that large of an operation. A few hundred people at most. Colt sources out a lot of parts and finish work.
    They don't have unlimited resources for R&D and producing new models. Example: the new Python.
    I like Colt pistols. I will continue to support them best I can.
    I do wish they'd quit mucking about with the SAA and just get new equipment and produce them as a standard catalog item.
    I so wish they'd chamber them in some of the newer cartridges like 10mm/357Sig/etc
    with a matching cylinder in a traditional calibers.
    10mm/40S&W/38-40
    357Sig/357mag/38Special
    45LC/45acp
    327 fed mag/32long/32-20win
    etc.

    I wish them well.
     

    d_holliday

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    I have a Colt 6920 made in 1997 (according to Colt Mfg., they gave a "born on" date). it has always shot great and very accurate with some of my hand loads. I don't think I'd ever sell it.

    The appeal of Colt AR-15 to me is that classic long M16 look. I'm not affectionate towards tacticool carbine versions. I like the A2 carry handle and all. I'm not that fond of the appearance of Colt 45 autos past the S.70 era. I especially like the quality and finish of pre-1964 Colt Govt. Models. I've seen many new Colt handguns in person from the 1990's on up that looked rather rough in terms of finish. Lettering/stamping looks unclean on many later Colt products. Smith & Wesson did a nice job on the finish and stamping of their new stainless revolvers whereas older Smiths looked rough to me. The price of a name-brand (Smith or Colt) new d/a revolver is stupid high these days. In the 1980's revolvers by major companies were much cheaper than semis. Typically Colt/Smith new d/a revolvers were under $400 while semis were $700+ then. Now semis are often cheaper.
     
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    Axxe55

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    The Colt moniker alone is a status symbol like Rolls-Royce and Harley-Davidson. A genuine COLT Peacemaker is coveted, not a cheap Italian imitation. Colt AR-15's are a cultist gun like 1960's Mopar muscle cars are so cultist. A Ferrari sports car has its own coveted prancing pony.

    That's the second time you have referenced "cheap" Italian replicas. It really shows your ignorance of firearms. Some of those Italian replicas even exceed the quality and workmanship of the originals they are copying. Plus it's rather demeaning to people of Italian ancestry.
     

    oldag

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    Colt quality has gone downhill. And I can't see a reason to pay the brand premium.
     

    d_holliday

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    That's the second time you have referenced "cheap" Italian replicas. It really shows your ignorance of firearms. Some of those Italian replicas even exceed the quality and workmanship of the originals they are copying. Plus it's rather demeaning to people of Italian ancestry.
    Not ignorant: I've looked at several Uberti guns in person and they all look like junk in fit and finish. I'm impressed with Beretta and Benelli shotguns and they are Italian. I don't think the Italians copy cowboy guns well. When it comes to fine art, olive oil, pasta, shotguns and sausages stuffed in animal intestines, the Italians can hardly be beat.
     

    d_holliday

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    Colt quality has gone downhill. And I can't see a reason to pay the brand premium.
    The Colt AR-15 brand is an emotional buy. There is a certain degree of emotion behind fancying some guns. I have an emotional attachment to Savage Model 99 coz granddad owned and hunted deer with one before my time. The 99 is the most classic American deer gun ever and lever-action is patently an American style. Winchester/Marlin/Henry lever jobs don't have the sleek racy lines of the hammerless/mag-tube-less Savage. Too, the genuine Colt AR-15 is a time-honored classic like a shoebox Chevy of the 1950's.
     
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