What ever happened to Colt?

Actually Colt is doing fairly well and is not in danger is folding or closing it's doors.

About 4 years ago Colt divided into two separate companies (it had functioned as two separate divisions for a decade or so before that) which are in all ways actually two different companies with different management at each. These are the civilian side and the military side.

The military side has expanded rapidly and internationally. It is quite profitable and one of the world's major manufacturers of military arms. A google search and some reading will verify this.

Their website is here...
http://www.colt.com/

The civilian side is much smaller you can see their products here...
http://www.coltsmfg.com/

Colt has had over the last 70 years quite a number of different owners and management. Much of it incompetant on a variety of levels. This hurt them badly.

It's da revolvers were some of the best in the world but relied on a good degree of hand fitting which raised the price. They were losing out to S&W which were cheaper. The Python was the last to go. People lamented the demise of the Colt revolver but folks were not buying them. Not new anyway. Many were willing to spend $900. on a good 1911 but not $800. on a Python, for example.

Colt civilian is much smaller now and concentrates on a few products. They are still in the game though.

tipoc
 
Colt is no longer what it once was. However it is still there and they still make quality pistols. At least I got to experience a Series 70 Reproduction and it shot like a dream. Just about as good as my 1911 ;). I really want a true MKIV Series 70 however, with that beautiful finish. I would by 2 and keep one stock the other make some mods to.
 
Like others, I regret Colt's decision to no longer produce their fine double action revolvers. But I own three of their 1911s and find them to be excellent pistols. I consider them to be the best among a good quality group of production 1911s on the market now. Of course, some low-volume custom shop makers produce some even better examples, but those weapons are well beyond my reach.
 
Richard B-I would just be happy to see the Dodgers be a serious contender every so often instead of the status quo.:mad:
 
tipoc said:
The military side has expanded rapidly and internationally. It is quite profitable and one of the world's major manufacturers of military arms. A google search and some reading will verify this.
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Isn't that only because the US government makes it impossible for other US companies to sell assault rifles internationally? I remember that company LWRC found it made more financial sense to sell tooling and licensing than actual rifles.
tipoc said:
It's da revolvers were some of the best in the world but relied on a good degree of hand fitting which raised the price. They were losing out to S&W which were cheaper. The Python was the last to go. People lamented the demise of the Colt revolver but folks were not buying them. Not new anyway. Many were willing to spend $900. on a good 1911 but not $800. on a Python, for example.
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Why didn't they just do what S&W did and update their production methods to be more economical.

losijon said:
Like others, I regret Colt's decision to no longer produce their fine double action revolvers.
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Seriously, given how Smith's revolvers are still doing great, wouldn't a new Colt Cobra do great in the current market? Or do Colt not want to market "dangerous concealable firearms" to the public now.
 
Why didn't they just do what S&W did and update their production methods to be more economical.
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Ya mean cheapen up? You must think a modern shrouded barrel mim'd locked S&W of these days look and feel even half as good as even a Punta S&W:rolleyes::D

wouldn't a new Colt Cobra do great in the current market?
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You cant sell enough to pay to tool up. How many $1000 mid size revolvers you gonna sell to the plasticized public:cool:


WildthinkaboutitAlaska ™©2002-2010
 
Isn't that only because the US government makes it impossible for other US companies to sell assault rifles internationally?
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I don't know anything about that actually. I'm not sure what you mean by "assault rifle" either. I do know that S&W, Ruger, Barrett, and a few others do have international contracts and sell rifles and carbines overseas. I assume that this requires some sort of government permission. I don't know what the specific laws are about that though. What is "LWRC"?

Why didn't they just do what S&W did and update their production methods to be more economical.
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Good question and the answer would be a long one. Part of it is knuckle headed decision making by Colt management over several decades. Another part of the answer is that they did "update their production methods" but with military and law enforcement weapons. This enabled them to arm the U.S. military with the M16 and it's kin from the 1960s till now and update it. Along with the AK the AR is the dominate weapons platform globally. This is due to Colt, in large part.

On the revolver side of things. It's a long and messy story of how Colt began to loose out to S&W in the post war period for the police market of revolvers. The decline was slow. S&W was more nimble than Colt in wheelgun production and was more attuned to the police market. Colt tried to simplify the production of it's wheelguns and thus lower the price. They redid the Lawman, among others. When the switch was made to semis Colt had no product ready to go into the law enforcement market with. They kept up with revolver production but slowly their guns were not selling. They were more expensive than a S&W and could not match the upstart Ruger's price point.

Nowdays everyone laments the passing of Colt's excellent revolvers. But 5 years ago you were not buying Pythons. In the 90s folks were no longer buying the Detective Special. Glocks sold though.

Colt has not abandoned the concealed gun market. Look at it's website.

A lawsuit by Kahr forced them to stop production of the Mustang.

tipoc
 
One other thing to keep in mind...S&W changed hands several times over the last 30 years. It has been in bankruptcy once, close to it twice. It was boycotted while Bangor Punta took over. Boycotted again when a British group bought it from Bangor Punta. When the Brits ran it into the ground the Saf-T-Lock gun group bought it and put their locks in all the guns. So S&W did not just easily "modernize" overnight.

tipoc
 
Slamfire said:
Colt has the name, but they have also cheapened it by selling the name for use on non firearm products. Like knives. Some really awful knives are Colt branded.
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Don't forget those .22 1911s and AR-15s
 
Everyone says they want the old time, precision made, hand fitted, tight as a drum firearms.

No one wants to pay for them.

Jim
 
My Colt 1911's are among my favorite pistols bar none. They are still making a good product, albeit in a much narrower range.
 
Everyone says they want the old time, precision made, hand fitted, tight as a drum firearms.

No one wants to pay for them.
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I've been telling people that about S&W for years now.

Everyone wants a Model 27 fitted and finished like they were in the Carl Hellstrom days, but are they willing to pay what that would cost in today's dollars?

It's the same with Colt revolvers. I'd love them to do a run of Royal Blue Pythons, but I'm also aware that they'd cost several thousand dollars to get right.

My understanding is that the old equipment was moved out to the parking lot, where it fell into disarray. As others have mentioned, the guys who did the fitting are long gone. So, you have to start the whole endeavor from the ground up. That's a huge potential investment.

And for what? I seriously doubt they could sell enough of the guns at a profitable price to make it worth their while.

The old Colts represent a sort of craftsmanship that simply doesn't have much of a place in the modern world. Sure, a few of us could appreciate it, but for most, the reaction would be anger at the price and complaints that they just "aren't like they used to be."

If I were in charge of Colt, I wouldn't see that as a viable proposition.
 
Colt vs.S&W

The huge difference between Colt and S&W is that Colt couldn't care less about the civilian market.They have basically no customer service.That's one reason why many folks treat their Pythons so gingerly-I can't think of anyplace outside of Cylinder and Slide that can fix 'em the right way.
S&W will service virtually anything they've made.
Ruger makes and services great handguns at reasonable prices.
Anytime someone is looking for a first firearm for HD or SD I just tell 'em to get a Ruger DA 357.New or used,because they are rugged and reliable.
I steered my daughter to a GP100 for HD.Paid for it too:D
 
I'd say not entirely true about S&W servicing "virtually everything they've made". :)
There are a lot of revolvers they can't service anymore. The 19, 27 & 28 barrels are gone, for instance, and there are other models & variations they don't have parts for such as the pre-WWII guns. Older style hammers are no longer stocked, etc.
Try getting them to work on my 1927 I-Frame .38 S&W. :)

Denis
 
I will get 2 Colt 1911 MKIV Series 70 eventually I need the fullsize and maybe one in commander size. I would leave the fullsize stock. However, I would put some novaks on the commander and make it an awesome carry gun. :D
 
Colt Industries is a lot bigger than just the firearm division.

They diversified a long time ago (I made thread rolling dies for them in the early 1970's in a previous career as a toolmaker) and continued to follow the profit line *away* from firearms.
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Colt Industries owns / owned Holley carburetor and possibly a few other car parts companies.
 
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