No civilian Colts anymore

[GEM]

https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/colt-halts-sales-of-long-guns-to-the-retail-market/

No more for the civilian market. Another chapter in Colt's problematic business behavior. Can't fault them if they can't make it a go. But why is the question?

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

I think the "industry insider" quote at the bottom of the page sums it up precisely.

 

[Legionnaire]

Does that mean my AR will gain some collector value?

 

[lemaymiami]

The marketplace is not forgiving at all for any outfit that doesn't provide a better product at reasonable (for the end consumer) price, period.....

Whether it's firearms or lady's hats... make good decisions, bring your products to market competitively or take a trip to the boneyard...

 

[Mosin Bubba]

Dang. I figured the ARF.com crew could keep them in business single-handedly.

 

[edwardware]

They’ve been losing left and right to companies both big and small. They don’t have the high end or the low end market, and they’ve finally realized that the prancing pony isn’t enough for this generation of shooters to buy less rifle for more money. Instead of getting better, they’ve given up.

Yup. @NIGHTLORD40K hit it.

 

[Dunross]

There hasn't been anything special about Colt made ARs for a long time. Tis a pity, but that's the way it is.

 

[Rule3]

Colt was out of the ballgame a long time ago.
I recall years ago folks wanting to by an AR and the mantra from the gun shop was Oh by a Colt By a Colt/ Why?? There where so many better ones out there with better service if ever needed. There was nothing special about a Colt AR

 

[BigBore44]

To quote Curly Bill from Tombstone.. ”Well......bye”.

 

[AlexanderA]

Colt has been doing this, periodically, for a long time. I remember a hiatus in AR-15 sales in the early 70's, which gave Armalite an opening to sell the AR-180 on the civilian market. That was when Colt had a monopoly on the AR-15 proper. Starting around 1980, a number of aftermarket manufacturers started making AR-15's, and it has been a commodity ever since.

Colt has always been overpriced in comparison with its competitors. I guess people are willing to pay more for the cachet of the Colt name. I stopped buying Colt AR's a long time ago. This is small loss.

 

[Pat Riot]

Colt lost me years ago. Remington lost me a couple of years ago.

Perform or pay the price. Life’s too short to hold up a brand that doesn’t deserve the praise they think they deserve.

I was a big Colt fan in the Navy and afterwards. Over the years they have lost me.

 

[Varminterror]

Ironic to find so much hate in this thread, when ‘most every “which AR should I buy” thread here receives resounding support for 6920’s.

Colt has been irrelevant in my life, even as someone who made a living by AR’s for several years, for a long, long time. When I wanted a Colt, I bought a Colt. When I wanted an AR, I bought something better.

 

[Rule3]

Ironic to find so much hate in this thread, when ‘most every “which AR should I buy” thread here receives resounding support for 6920’s.

Colt has been irrelevant in my life, even as someone who made a living by AR’s for several years, for a long, long time. When I wanted a Colt, I bought a Colt. When I wanted an AR, I bought something better.

No one has ever mentioned Why they should buy a Colt (back when Colt was the main AR rifle). When the market got flooded with AR makers there was nothing special about Colt. Kinda like at work. "why do we do this that way"? Because, Because why" Because we always did it that way!

ARs are parts guns, years ago I bought a High Standard HSA 15 and put it side by side to a Colt. The barrel and all parts where identical.(down to machine marks) Only think different was one said Colt the Other HS and of course the $300 difference in price!
They are "tinker toys" for big boys.

Now if you don;t have a Daniel Defense you are not "cool"

Colt cult much like Dillon Cult or whatever.

 

[SSN Vet]

Once upon a time, if you wanted to buy a truly TDP compliant AR, you bought a Colt. But the rank and file AR makers have been making mil. spec. compliant ARs for quite a while... leaving Colt with nothing much to distinguish themselves.

They make a solid AR... but they don't trick it out with all the tacti-cool bells and whistles. And as mentioned, they charge a lot more than the rest of the herd.

If I was an LEO and wanted a duty dependable AR, I'd feel comfortable with a Colt. But why buy Colt when you can get an LMT or Bravo Company AR for the same price.

 

[someguy2800]

Could someone please explain how in the world colt is still in business? It just boggles my mind.

 

[Charlie Horse]

Could someone please explain how in the world colt is still in business? It just boggles my mind.

Becuase its cool to "own the legend." For the record, I have one Colt firearm in my collection. It was a DA .41 revolver that belonged to my great grandfather, and I joke that I paid too much for it when I inherited it. Its important to me because of how old it is, and who owned it. Odds are I'll never shoot it but hey, its a Colt...

This isn't the first time they did this, and if they don't disappear, it'll happen again...

 

[Mosin Bubba]

No one has ever mentioned Why they should buy a Colt (back when Colt was the main AR rifle). When the market got flooded with AR makers there was nothing special about Colt. Kinda like at work. "why do we do this that way"? Because, Because why" Because we always did it that way!

ARs are parts guns, years ago I bought a High Standard HSA 15 and put it side by side to a Colt. The barrel and all parts where identical.(down to machine marks) Only think different was one said Colt the Other HS and of course the $300 difference in price!
They are "tinker toys" for big boys.

Now if you don;t have a Daniel Defense you are not "cool"

Colt cult much like Dillon Cult or whatever.

There was a certain "known quality" factor with a 6920 - even if it was overpriced, you knew it wasn't going to be a total piece of crap. Once Colt started slacking on QC, they really didn't have anything left to offer.

I'm probably going to spend the rest of the day lurking ARF.com though and enjoying the wailing and gnashing of teeth over there. The guys who treat a mid range AR as a magical mil-spec totem that no other rifle could possibly equal definitely get annoying.

 

[El Tejon]

Big PIPing those M4s and filling warehouses with M4A1s for the next war.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/b...aEHq8avZMz5OgSk6Z0uEicAbhnYj4UrWObd5s9M5aqwuM

Colt Firearms, a Division of the Department of Defense.

Hello, Daniel Defense, BCM and Lewis Machine & Tool.

 

[gotboostvr]

When I thought I needed a serious "going to war" carbine I bought a BCM, in the years since I've realized I'm not a huge AR kinda guy and bought some PSA's to fill my "couple hundred rounds a year" niche. I see no great loss to the market with Colt dropping out.

I do really like my Wiley Clapp LW Commander though.

 

[tarosean]

Could someone please explain how in the world colt is still in business? It just boggles my mind.

From what I have read they have a 2yr backlog in Foreign Military Sales. Couple the fact that the AR market has been on life support for years. Seems like a no brainer to temporary halt civilian sales.

 

[BSA1]

I wonder how this foretells the future of their handgun production also. They abandoned the handgun market many years ago and now are trying to regain the market using the names of their snake guns and Police Positive Special.

Now they are telling owners of Colt AR’s to take their business elsewhere. Other companies, such as Springfield Armory, are making and introducing new AR models so they figure there is enough civilian demand to make a profit.

How many times can a company declare bankruptcy anyway?

 

[cheygriz]

I'll stick with my old SP-1 (1970s) rifle, and my newer LE6940 carbine.

BTW, I just recently bought a Springfield Armory "Range Officer" compact 9mm. FAR better quality than my two year old Combat Commander.

 

[taliv]

No one has ever mentioned Why they should buy a Colt (back when Colt was the main AR rifle). When the market got flooded with AR makers there was nothing special about Colt. Kinda like at work. "why do we do this that way"? Because, Because why" Because we always did it that way!

No. Not even close. The past two decades on gun forums were dominated by discussions of “the chart” etc showing the details of precisely how colt was different and better than most of the consumer grade versions. It has only been the past few years that cheap companies like PSA have stepped up and made rifles to the same or better standards as colt, and for quite a bit less money.

ARs are parts guns, years ago I bought a High Standard HSA 15 and put it side by side to a Colt. The barrel and all parts where identical.(down to machine marks) Only think different was one said Colt the Other HS and of course the $300 difference in price!
They are "tinker toys" for big boys.

Now if you don;t have a Daniel Defense you are not "cool"

Colt cult much like Dillon Cult or whatever.

Are you sure you’re remembering correctly?

 

[ECVMatt]

Some folks don't obsess about every component of an AR rifle and just want a solid shooter out of the box. I think the LE 6920 did that pretty well. If the shooter did not end up liking the rifle they had a solid known quality rifle for resale. I have seen quite a few home brews that where supposed to be built with the best quality parts that did not perform well. I personally would not buy a parts build gun unless I could shoot it first. At one time Colt held a solid place in the market place, but as time passed they have been superseded. I don't really see a reason to knock them and they are a big part of why the AR rifle is so popular today.

 

[Nature Boy]

But why buy Colt when you can get an LMT or Bravo Company AR for the same price.

......Or an FN.

They make them for our fighting boys in the field too, which is another hit to Colt’s market appeal