Is Colt Doomed?

Status
Not open for further replies.
"Colt Defense Searches for Financing as Default Looms"

Colt had it's credit rating lowered and it could default on it's loans. It has to take care of it's $308 million of debt. It lost U.S. contracts because of defense budget cutbacks.

"Colt Defense LLC is seeking capital to stave off an “expected default” next month as gunmakers suffer from lower defense spending and as consumers purchase fewer firearms."
.
 
Colt just didn't get with the program when they had the chance. They thought they had the AR15 and M4 Carbine wrapped-up and lost their market shares because of that.
They continue to overprice their products in a highly competitive market. They most likely will be purchased by a foreign company or merged into another company.
 
IMO Colt's AR's are priced competitively. They are losing market share to other manufacturers because they're not being innovative.

Now if you're comparing a 6920 to a DPMS, you're doing it wrong.
 
Colt just didn't get with the program when they had the chance. They thought they had the AR15 and M4 Carbine wrapped-up and lost their market shares because of that.
They continue to overprice their products in a highly competitive market. They most likely will be purchased by a foreign company or merged into another company.
While I'm far from an expert, I think there's some truth to this. It always seemed like Colt just didn't care too much about the private market when they had their defense contracts.

The last brand new Colt AR15 I saw come in cost considerably more than other comparable models and the trigger was pretty junky.

I've heard stories of it taking a year for people to get guns they've sent in fixed and returned too. Not a lot of reasons to go with their product over the countless others aside from the name and history behind it (which only goes so far). Or maybe there are many reasons and we just don't know about them because their focus hasn't been on the private market.

Either way, hope they stay in business.
 
I thought they had already went bust a few years back. At that time if you looked up a customer service number for colt you got the same number as Walther and S&W. So are they still on their own or has a company like Umarex bought them without much publicity?
 
Well, shoot. I don't much care about the ARs, my Daniel Defense does everything a 6920 does, as do a number of other brands. The AR market got super competitive in recent years and while the 6920 is awesome, it no longer stands alone as a squared-away AR at a reasonable price.

But I really would have liked a proper Colt Government Model 1911 and I still am not quite in a financial place to make that happen.

I hope they hang on long enough for me to grab a Series 70 reissue.

I tend to agree with the posters before me, though. Colt spent a number of years not trying to compete. Why no research and development on a service gun to compete with Smith, Glock, Beretta, and Sig? They certainly have the brand-name cachet to get attention.

The Colt name is still a very powerful one in terms of marketing. I am afraid they're going to be bought up by someone who will make junk on their name
 
I guess I see things differently. I don't know why anyone would buy Colt. You're buying a lot of debt and a powerful union, and that is about it.

I'm not even sure how much the name is worth, does anyone think that Colt makes the best 1911s? Or the best bargain? The same can be said for the AR platform, they're not a price leader, they're not THE top quality AR manufacturer. What do they do that other companies don't do better and more cheaply?

To answer the question - YES, Colt is doomed.
 
COLT......Over priced? Nothing new.

Carbine85 said:
They continue to overprice their products in a highly competitive market.

I recall a family friend who runs a local Sporting Goods Store in Alabama discussing Colt and the fact he believed they were over priced.

Being an aficionado of black powder cap & ball revolvers, my research indicates that even back during the Civil War the Colt revolvers were overpriced.
Remington took up a lot of Colt business later in the war by offereing a comparable revolver (some said was even a better stronger design) at about 75% the cost of what Sam Colt asked for his.

I guess history continues .....
 
IMO Colt's AR's are priced competitively. They are losing market share to other manufacturers because they're not being innovative.

Now if you're comparing a 6920 to a DPMS, you're doing it wrong.
For the majority of AR owners, no, we're not.

Most of us will NEVER be able to utilize their ARs to its full extent. For most shooters, its casual range time, not simulated combat situations and environments. For that, a $600 DPMS is probably more than the average shooter needs.

Did Colt miss the bus? Oh absolutely. Is a Colt 6920 vastly superior to a DPMS Oracle, absolutely. Do they generally do the same basic thing, despite the difference in overall quality/ longevity, you bet they do. Just like a Chevrolet Cobalt generally does the same thing as a Cadillac CTS. Their basic use and function are similar enough that the average person would might not be able to justify the difference in cost.

Colt of today is not the same Colt of yesteryear. Just like Smith & Wesson, Marlin, Winchester, Henry, Remington... etc.

The name remains the same, while a lot else changes. Colt will always be a name in the firearms industry. But I doubt they'll ever regain the glory they once had.
 
I'm not even sure how much the name is worth, does anyone think that Colt makes the best 1911s? Or the best bargain? The same can be said for the AR platform, they're not a price leader, they're not THE top quality AR manufacturer. What do they do that other companies don't do better and more cheaply?

Well, currently Colt makes a pretty good 1911, but that aside...we know that there are lots of others in the game. And the online gun forum community represents what, 5% of the gun market? 10-15% being extremely charitable?

As much as we make fun of Bubbas (rightfully so), they are the majority of gun purchasers. People with casual interest. People who take gun shop talk as gospel.

Colt might only have mid-range marketing cachet to gun geeks, but to the average consumer it's still a huge name, and thus retains significant marketing value.
 
Some Colt's missteps...

Failure to take advantage of the blue collar markets in:

.223 ARs
.308 Stoner platforms
Resurgent 1911 market

Failure to acknowledge the modern resurgent revolver market.
Failure to address excessive existing and past-lingering labor costs in the North East.
Failure to acknowledge extreme facility operating costs in the N.E.
Almost comical lack of innovation - ridiculous "modular" notwithstanding.
Disastrous dallying with the U.A.W.
"All American" + "Double Eagle"... the Pontiac Aztec and Fiero of firearms.

Reminds me of the well worn mantra of fellow Moto Guzzi lovers:

Moto Guzzi: (COLT'S) GOING OUT OF BUSINESS SINCE 1921
 
some companies actually go into bankruptcy a lot. it's an easy way to liquidate assets and streamline. If you look throughout recent history, there's a lot of big name companies that have gone through it many times, and are still here- some bigger than ever.

Sometimes it's done for the obvious - shady business practices. but sometimes it's a way for them to come out lean and mean and rebuild.
 
I don't know why anyone would buy Colt.

A buyer can structure the purchase as a purchase of the company, or a purchase of their assets. In the latter case, the buyer sheds the debt and the union, and is free to move the operation to Utah. However, there may be contractual obligations attached to the debt the won't allow a purchase of assets.
 
"All American" + "Double Eagle"... the Pontiac Aztec and Fiero of firearms.

I'm proud to own the pistol that put Colt out of business the third ... or was it the fourth? ... time.

The AA2000 fits my hand like it was born there. Too bad that is its only socially redeeming quality. CRUNCH-CRUNCH-BANG!

Greg
 
Bought my kids each a 6920 early this year--just a shade over a grand apiece. The quality control was excellent on the rifles and the price was not out of line with the quality to my thinking. It's too bad they couldn't keep up in the pistol market and lost their Gov. work.
 
Probably, but who cares? A friend considers any non Colt AR garbage, My AeroPrecision carbine has 4500 rounds thru it, no problems at all, oh and it cost $450 less. :neener:
 
Colts are my favorite. If they would listen to me, they would bring back their double action revolvers.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top