Colt is stopping civilian production of their rifles

[GOYABEAN]

must have contacted the woke bug

Connecticut-based Colt Firearms last week reportedly signaled they are exiting the consumer rifle market in coming days.

The company, originally founded in 1855 by inventor Samuel Colt to make handguns, will stop making rifles for retail sales channels. The news came from The Truth About Guns who confirmed it with Paul Spitale, senior VP of Colt’s commercial business line and was verified by Shooting Illustrated.

“We’re going to focus on the products that our consumers are asking for. We’ve expanded our 1911s and our revolver line, and that market has been very positive for us,” Spitale said. Shooting Illustrated reported that Colt’s rifle line production is occupied, at least for the time being, with outstanding contracts which include orders through police and defense channels.

Colt Reportedly to Stop Making Rifles for Consumer Market :: Guns.com

 

[BDinPutnam]

1. They make more money on rifles to .gov and LEO (for which they apparently have a backlog of orders to fill) than they do in the civilian market because:

2. The civilian MSR market is oversaturated with lower cost models than Colt's offerings, with which they've chosen not to compete.

 

[Cooolone]

The snowflakes will interpret this, if true, as a signal that they're righteous will only serve to embolden their insanity!

Timing is everything, and this would be an inappropriate time for Colt to make such an announcement. This leaves questions about it being intentional, politically motivated. If so... well then fuck Colt too!

 

[gun_slinger_boy]

Just to stir the pot a bit.


My question is when will they start making pythons again?

 

[Podmonkey]

Just to stir the pot a bit.


My question is when will they start making pythons again?

There will never be another Python as they originally were. Colt may produce a new model they call the Python but it will not be a hand fitted factory custom like the originals. And the reason is simple, look at how much a Korth revolver costs. The market for super high end revolvers costing $7000 is too small.

 

[GOPerfect]

This actually makes sense to me. Not too many Colt AR's being sold.

 

[Podmonkey]

This actually makes sense to me. Not too many Colt AR's being sold.

They didn't keep up with the trends. Colts were always worth the money but not many people are willing to drop Colt money on a bog standard M4 type anymore. Plus I heard that lately they have farmed out a lot of the parts manufacture to third parties now, kind of kills the cachet of owning a Colt IMO.
The "Colt Combat Unit Carbine" was a good model but should have been released 10 years ago, the LE 901 model was interesting as convertible 7.62x51/5.56x45 model but then they got sued by LMT for patent infringement as it too used a monolithic upper forging and Colt dropped the model rather than pay royalties.
Ultimately Colt is just doing what it has been doing since its founding in 1855: Living and dying by military contracts and largely ignoring the civilian market.
There is nothing political about this move.

Yankee there implies the possibility of a return of Colt ARs tonthe market but with so many high quality options and an even bigger variety of low cost budget models I think such a return would be very difficult.
They don't even have any military contracts now do they? Colt will go bankrupt, again, and will restructure and resurface if they can. Maybe they can get by on their revolver models?

I should have stayed in Texas and kept my LE 6920. That was an awesome carbine!

 

[Podmonkey]

Actually I think the best product they had was their AR15A4 model. $1099 for what is essentially the same as other companies M16A2 "retro" clones that go for twice that!
Go check out their website, they list the AR models, but everything is "out of stock" now.
They had some fairly contemporary models at competitive prices.

 

[Phauxtoe]

I will Bet Donuts to dollars this was already decided on, they are just playing to a Dangerous cannibalistic crowd!

 

[Edwardteach72]

Hasn't colt also been plagued by QC issues. It's just another company that survives by name recognition, never cared about the civilian market, never tried to be competitive in the civilian market... as better companies came out with equal or better ARs at slightly lower/same/slightky higher prices, colt just sat back and figured no people would rather pay for our roll stamp

 

[vanderblack]

There will never be another Python as they originally were. Colt may produce a new model they call the Python but it will not be a hand fitted factory custom like the originals. And the reason is simple, look at how much a Korth revolver costs. The market for super high end revolvers costing $7000 is too small.

The original Python never left back order status. I agree, there is not a huge market for $7000 revolvers but if they sold the Python in the $1200 to $1500 range, they could produce the original again and sell an unlimited number of them, saving the company. I had my LGS put me on his back order list for a stainless Python. When I asked, he said, they don't manufacture that gun. I told him I know and I expect to be the 1st out of his shop with one if and when Colt brings it back. He went online and they are actually taking orders on the blued model.

 

[Edwardteach72]

The original Python never left back order status. I agree, there is not a huge market for $7000 revolvers but if they sold the Python in the $1200 to $1500 range, they could produce the original again and sell an unlimited number of them, saving the company. I had my LGS put me on his back order list for a stainless Python. When I asked, he said, they don't manufacture that gun. I told him I know and I expect to be the 1st out of his shop with one if and when Colt brings it back. He went online and they are actually taking orders on the blued model.

Problem is they wont be selling a hand built revolver on the 1,200 price range

 

[Jmac00]

I know a guy? NO SERIOUSLY, a guy at our gun club has an original colt Python 357, in the original box with all the original papers. last I heard he wanted $4200 for it

 

[Podmonkey]

I wonder how much a new Python built with the original methods, to the original standards would cost? I would pay up to $2,000.
I wonder at what level the Nighthhawk Custom/Korth collaborations are at quality wise?
The 100% Korth revolvers went for $15,000 at one point.
I wonder how many people that like guns such as the Pythons and Korths because ventilated sight ribs look super cool. Why don't more revolvers have ventilated sight ribs?

 

[vanderblack]

I know a guy? NO SERIOUSLY, a guy at our gun club has an original colt Python 357, in the original box with all the original papers. last I heard he wanted $4200 for it

That price is in the realm of reality. Python, no longer made, considered by many to be the best revolver ever made. Even with a re-release matching the original exactly, the originals will go for more.

Given inflation, I would anticipate paying $1500 to $2000 for a reissue matching the original. They could get greedy and ask more.

 

[Podmonkey]

That price is in the realm of reality. Python, no longer made, considered by many to be the best revolver ever made. Even with a re-release matching the original exactly, the originals will go for more.

Given inflation, I would anticipate paying $1500 to $2000 for a reissue matching the original. They could get greedy and ask more.

I guarantee the price would be higher. 3k+ I'd bet.

 

[kev74]

Colt scrapped the tooling for the Python when they stopped making it. Any kind of reissue would have MIM internals and CNC machined frames. Not the same.

Even if they could and wanted to invest in the machines and tools to make them the old way, there isn't a pool of workers with the skills required to do the work.

 

[Edwardteach72]

So based on their newest offering of old stuff. Colt has brought back the Cobra and King Cobra.

MSRP for these range from 699.00 all the way up to 1,299 (bright cobra)

All of the listed models seem to just be variations on the 38spl and .357 cobra.. none of which are hand built. There is no way they would be able to build a python like they did and keep that gun under (estimating) 3k

 

[Mr. terzmo]

Colt and Walmart...the list begins

 

[Mosinitis]

Large pins and receiver block made Colt the least desirable AR. It was not worth the premium you paid for the name and less of a rifle.

 

[Podmonkey]

Large pins and receiver block made Colt the least desirable AR. It was not worth the premium you paid for the name and less of a rifle.

Only a small block of Colts used the large pins. Most were standard small pin size. Colt quality was top shelf

 

[Mosinitis]

Only a small block of Colts used the large pins. Most were standard small pin size. Colt quality was top shelf

Colt quality was no better than Rock River, Bushmaster, and a number of other AR brands. .... and they didn't have receiver block. I don't know what "small block of Colts " refers to, but in my experience most Colts I saw had large pins and non-standard pivot pin.

 

[BDinPutnam]

Only a small block of Colts used the large pins. Most were standard small pin size. Colt quality was top shelf

Am curious if you ever spec'd the retro models they came out with a year or two ago, against build your own retro (I haven't since I have no interest in fixed mag range toys). Just wondering if they were competitively priced vice other manufacturers and roll your own. I thought the price points I saw were high but again I dont know what quality spec they were building to.

I do know a lot of the retro guys go way, way out of their way to be correct on whatever repro they're building. Well, some do.

 

[Podmonkey]

Am curious if you ever spec'd the retro models they came out with a year or two ago, against build your own retro (I haven't since I have no interest in fixed mag range toys). Just wondering if they were competitively priced vice other manufacturers and roll your own. I thought the price points I saw were high but again I dont know what quality spec they were building to.

I do know a lot of the retro guys go way, way out of their way to be correct on whatever repro they're building. Well, some do.

Well, some of the retro models Brownels is doing you can't even get some of those period specific parts. Otherwise it's always cheaper to assemble your own.

 

[Mosinitis]

Colt receiver block prevented the use of many aftermarket triggers. That's a big deal when it comes to AR. When someone with a Colt rifle was getting into competitive shooting, the standard advice was to sell it and buy one or build one that doesn't have competability issues like Colt.

 

[Podmonkey]

Colt receiver block prevented the use of many aftermarket triggers. That's a big deal when it comes to AR. When someone with a Colt rifle was getting into competitive shooting, the standard advice was to sell it and buy one or build one that doesn't have competability issues like Colt.

Yeah, actually you are right. From the AWB till '08 or '09 Colt was doing the large pin thing so my mistake. I had a Colt LE 6920 but I just used it 100% stock so I never realized this. I bought it my last year in the Army just after the AWB had sunset, it had the "Law Enforcement Use Only" markings on it which I got a kick out of. I was not very gun geeky back then, I just shot guns as the came from the factory. And I bought cans upon cans of LC XM193 and XM855 which I thought was the best stuff you could get at the time. Also 7n6 by the crate load. I think there is still a spot outside Killeen TX that is just a solid column of lead drilled into the ground.

 

[Mosinitis]

Colt started with non-spec lowers and parts voluntarily long before Federal AWB. Lower receiver had a screw instead of pivot pin and no holes were drilled into receiver for detent and spring for it. Large trigger and hammer pins, sear block and a cut up carrier. I believe they kept at least some of the non-standard features to the end

 

[Podmonkey]

Colt started with non-spec lowers and parts voluntarily long before Federal AWB. Lower receiver had a screw instead of pivot pin and no holes were drilled into receiver for detent and spring for it. Large trigger and hammer pins, sear block and a cut up carrier. I believe they kept at least some of the non-standard features to the end

From the brief research I had done it seems that Colt gradually returned to all standard components starting in '09. Back then though it was the Colt that was seen as the basic standard while Bushmaster was the upscale option and the newer kids on the block like Rock River were the fancy pants of the day. Back when quad rails were the cutting edge and all the rage.

 

[Mosinitis]

I saw some videos on YouTube and newer Colt still had a sear block in the receiver. It looked different like a thin bridge, but it was still a non-standard lower.

 

[FrankenCub]

No big loss as far as I'm concerned. Anyone somewhat mechanically inclined can assemble an AR that will rival/surpass Colt's offerings. For less money.
My Poverty Pony is a good example, functions perfect and shoots great. No need to spend Colt prices.