Colt firearms: Morons making crappy guns

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B Shipley

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I sent my Python back for the FOURTH time in the year I've owned it (New).



Colt (the repair shop) closed the BC gap to .004 by torquing the barrel so that it ended up off center the last time I sent it in, for a bad cylinder (my third). They even drifted the sight to the right to compensate. DUH! The sight was also installed so that it wouldn't adjust elevation.



Any comments? Care to commiserate?
 
How about the grip safety not working on a .45 and having an accidental discharge. Guess who made the .45 series 80. I was in the store when it came in a few weeks ago. Firearm was sent to Colt for repair and it still has not come back several weeks later.
I'm not holding my breath!
 
Sadly, the old timers who understood and assembled the Pythons must all be retired and what's left are not as highly skilled or trained or experienced. Even in the '70s you could find Smiths who knew how to work on a Python type action.

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I've gotten to the point where I won't buy a new Colt. If I have to have one repaired, I damn sure won't send it to Colt! I would suggest, if and when your Python comes back, that you contact Cylinder and Slide. They are one of the few gunsmithing outfits in the country who still understand and work on the older Colt designs, such as the Python.
www.cylinder-slide.com

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Mossyrock
I wasn't here. You didn't see me. Nobody can prove anything...
 
My old instructor from Lassen College, Bob Dunlap, is great with Colts. I understand he retired but is still active elsewhere. If you can track Dunlap down, he'll get it right the first time.

BTW, Dunlap use to say that the new guns are put together by blind high school dropouts on drugs. Maybe Colt took heed of his saying.

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Ok you guys, quit complaining!
They are busy working on the new "smart" gun!! Ha!
To be an equal opportunity shopper, I bought a S&W model-457 and the trigger bar broke a week after I got it.
I also sent it to Cylinder& Slide, they fixed it up just right and in good time.
I tell you, ya get spoiled when you buy Sigs and H&Ks and don't have these problems.(As of yet!!)
 
Getting even the smallest parts from them is like pulling your own teeth, too! Having had minor issues with a Colt Cadet .22 and seeing them drag on for months because of (lack) of spare parts convinced me to stick to either better supported brands (S&W, Kel-tec, Taurus even) or get milsurp and engage a gunsmith.
 
I also had a problem on my Python. the cylinder release latch was not properly fitted and jams the cartridge when rotated.

Quality is very very poor now days for Colt.
 
You guys are freaking me out.

I had a Colt M1991 government model that always shot well. The machine work on the slide was wavy (which was why I got rid of it) but it always went bang.

I have a Colt CCO that shoots like a dream. The wood grips are mis-matched in color (and I do mean mis-matched! Whew!) but other than that it is great.

I was looking at a NIB Colt all-steel M1991 Commander in the gun shop yesterday and was pleased with what I saw. For $429 was tempted to go for it...


Arrghhhh!!!! With all this Coltaphobia I may have to sell all my Colts and go for a Kimber!!!!!!
 
Well I'm still a colt fan..

I only own a few, but let me just say this about them...

My 1917 Colt New Service army revolver in 45 acp has TIGHTER tolerances than my 1951 model colt commander.. Apparently quality control was an issue in 1951?? (HAH)

If you buy it and it doesn't work or is UNSAFE.. be a good consumer advocate and TELL the manufacturer you are unhappy, or have your lawyer contact them.

If Colt cannot fix its older weapons themselves then i suggest you write them a letter explaining your dissatisfaction.. and then take your gun to someone in your area who can fix it. Send Colt the bill. (for the awful "repairs" you had corrected. (in Denver I recommend Qualitie Pistol and Revolver)

Maybe They will pay it maybe they won't...but from what I've heard RUGER is one of the few MFG's with a no hassle repair program, sure it might take a month.. but often the owner isn't charged a dime.

Often times talking to your local smith is a LOT easier and less hassle. He will pick up the phone and get your part and be finished in weeks, rather than months and you aren't risking having your gun shipped through the mail.

Stay Safe,

Dr.Rob
 
I shot a VEEEERRRRRY nice almost-stock 1991 yesterday...hardly any recoil, accurate, aaahhhh...

Good Colt arms exist. I saw a nice Colt Vest Pocket .25 (1908) recently, too. It is that problems with guns turn into a nightmare with lousy warranty service.

By contrast, kel-tec service is GREAT. They keep you posted on the progress, turn-around is fast and quality of repairs/fine-tuning is high. I might go for more of their products based on my P32 experience.
 
Colt can and does continue to make superb firearms. Witness the AR family of weapons. They also turn out a decent 1911.

Unfortunately, when it comes to old world designs like the Python, those assemblers must be long retired. The lockwork on the Python is about 100 years old. It's complicated and requires some effort to understand (See the Trooper Timing thread in our Smithy Forum for a discussion on the internal lockwork). Hence, the newer revolvers like the DS II or Anaconda uses the simplier, S&W like lockwork of the (later) Colt Trooper.

For the right price, I'd still buy one (since I can fix them myself).

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I had a King Cobra about 10 years ago. The cylinder would jam after a few rounds were fired. If I cleaned it up, it would shoot fine, then after a few rounds, it would jam up again. I used to have dreams about that gun jamming during a gun fight. The clearance was too tight between the cylinder and the frame causing the cylinder to bind during fire. I got rid of it.
 
A COLT Ar can't hold a match to a Armalite or even a Bushmaster. And what's with the odd size take down pin thing? Sounds like a IBM Micro channel move.

Joefo
 
The 1/7" twist barrel of the Colt is one of the best for a standard factory barrel. Read Zediker's book on the Competitive AR.

But, I concur that those odd size pins for the hammer and trigger group are just plain silly. The large size pin for the front take down pin is also silly. About the dumbest was the lower receiver block which prevented the installation of an autosear. Just don't mill the lower out like was done on those early SP-1. Yes, Colt went a long way to appease the anti-gun elements of government, but in the long run, it certainly didn't make any difference and all it did was irk the consumer.

From what I read on the AR15.com board, there seems to be problems with the newest crop of Bushmasters. I'm sure they'll make it right, but what inconvenience. Haven't seen an Armalite yet, so I have to withhold comment. I have a stainless steel Hesse lower and I certainly can't recommend Hesse.

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Jeez,

I must be unique, I've had dozens of revolvers from all kinds of manufacturers and they have all shot perfectly without any hitch. BC gaps, cylinder binding, forcing cone problems, indexing problems, cylinder misalignment - nope. I never had one of 'em down to a smith for anything just cleaned 'em and shot 'em including some crappy old Rossi .38's, guess its just luck. Everyone I talk to is saying that Colt revolvers are the pits, then in the next breath they usually say that they are going to buy the new Magnum Carry 6 shot snubbie, go figure.

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Mike H
 
I personally have had nothing but good luck with Colts I have owned---King Cobra, Python, 1991A1 and currently a new O Series Lightweight Commander. But I did have a friend that had MAJOR problem with a Colt Gold Cup...enough problems that it convinced me to never buy one, particularly after hearing from others who'd had the same exact problem.
 
I own a Goldcup and had to have the rear sight replaced after about 1000 rounds. It will shoot loose. I heard this is a known problem with the Colt Ellison adj sight but no one will fix it for good. Actually they are using this sight on the new Python Elite. Go figure, if the design is bad, dump it and replace it with a known good design.
 
The Colt of today lives on the reputation of the Colt of old. The people of integrity and quality who built that brand to be the huge successful company it was are long gone. Since then, not only has Colt been bought and sold into and out of bankruptcy, pandered to feel good politics and political agenda's, they have laid off or retired many, if not all, of the skilled craftsmen (and women) who were responsible for the fine firearms produced years ago.

Now, Colt is not significantly different then GM or Ford. They churn out products of varying quality depending on the direction of the wind and attitudes of the union workers and short sighted management at the time (I'm not as anti-union as that sounds but, have seen union politics and company policies both go to extremes too many times to prove marginally valid points).

How do you feel when you discover your new Gold Cup has a plastic main spring housing (after spending a large amount of money on Stainless Gold Cup, one former Colt loyalist was a might peeved)? While Pythons are known to be the premium wheelgun of the United States, current generation pistols vary in quality and where did the blue job you could shave in go? I love the Colt firearms of long ago but, the ones of today are nothing special. The horse stamped into sheet metal or plastic no longer holds that special allure it used to in my eyes. It makes me a little sad everytime this subject comes up :(

There are many fine AR-15's out there at prices that are more reasonable then Colt's bastardized off spring. I have had good results from Bushmaster (pre-bans) and some of the lesser known brands (Pac West, Essential Arms, ...) and had plenty of money left over for shooting. Armalite and Olympic Arms carry a pretty good reputation as well and won't force you into non-standard parts if you need something years from now.

With 45's, the market has so many good names and brands out there at all price levels, why buy a Colt "lawyer lock" pistol? When I pick up a 45 and tilt it back and forth and hear parts rattle around from sloppy tolerances and poor craftsmanship I shake my head in disbelief. Kimber seems to be in the same general price class and you don't have to wonder about getting a lemon.

With 22lr's? With a market full of wonderfully reliable and accurate pistols, why buy Colt? It certainly is not on price or quality.

With revolvers you have S&W and Ruger both delivering a great product that stands the test of time and is priced appropriately.

Sid
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Tx FFL

[This message has been edited by Sid Post (edited September 27, 1999).]
 
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