Colt is stopping civilian production of their rifles

[spat]

Why, fuck they could stop just because they fucking wanted to how is that a big deal?

They can.

But they way they worded the announcement was a very poor choice.

If they want to keep selling anything on the retail market, telling people that they are second class citizens was a bad idea.

Look, if McDonald's wanted to stop selling chicken sandwiches because they don't want to compete with chick-fil-a, it would be a bad idea for them to say "anyone who likes chicken is a bigot and we don't want your business"

 

[livingston]

They have been scaling back AR15 production since they lost their military contract. I imagine the have stopped civilian sales because this is the point where they have liquidated their existing inventory.

Colt has gone through this process countless times and always for the same reason. Since its Founding By Samuel Colt the company has considered military arms contracts to be its primary focus, civilian sales has always been a side thing. It is their continual neglect of their civilian product lines that has sent them into bankruptcy over and over and over again, but the company has always found a way to reorganize and come back. Almost always due to landing the next big military contract. Military procurement has a nostalgic soft spot for Colt I guess. Colts big problem now is their military product lines are outdated and they would have to come up with something new, and wait for a call for something new, to sell. Maybe the military throws Colt a bone and gives them a contract for new block of M16/M4 production.
Colt hasn't learned its lesson before and it probably isn't going to learn it this time either.

As the article notes, the reason Colt has halted the manufacture because they’re concentrating on military and law enforcement contracts:

“On the other hand, our warfighters and law enforcement personnel continue to demand Colt rifles and we are fortunate enough to have been awarded significant military and law enforcement contracts. Currently, these high-volume contracts are absorbing all of Colt’s manufacturing capacity for rifles,” he said.


And the greater reason is that there are hundreds of manufacturers of the AR who are selling it for less than Colt’s $1000 price.


It has nothing to do with the actions of March for Our Lives and is still the most popular rifle in the country.
‘March For Our Lives’ Group Celebrates Colt Halting Making AR-15s, But They Get A Rude Awakening… | Weasel Zippers