Colt Factory Mid-Length

As an avid Colt fanboy I can say I'm excited about this but the fact that it's a TALO gun will inflate the price.

On the flip side, the rifle might not exist without TALO. From the article, Colt makes it seem inevitable, but given their weak financial state, that might just be bravado without some guaranteed orders in the mix.

“Producing a mid-length gas system was the logical next-step for us, and it’s long overdue,” said Justin Baldini, Director of Product Marketing for Colt.

Of course, they hew to their essential Colt-ness, releasing a new model in a weak AR market, that I predict will remain weak for quite some time.

watch what happens to the AR market if Hillary wins...

/hijack

Colt has fallen WAY BEHIND on the development of the AR platform. I get it...they make rifles for the military and those have a specific TDP. However, so many other companies have actually listened to the feedback of end users like: Knights Armament, Noveske, Hodge Defense, etc that I wonder...why bother with Colt unless you like the rollmark?
I'm not knocking their quality or expertise just their poor judgement in addressing change in a more timely manner.

I have an AR for each day of the month...plus. I value my four Colt's among the finest shooters in the whole pile. My favorite shooters for Cowboy action are Colt 44-40's and my best 1911's are Colt My Colt's span well over a hundted years of production and each is a beautifully made pistol. If it sounds like i am partial to Colt, my favorite police fire arms are Smiith and Wesson, carrying first a mod. 19, the 39 and 59 and before we changed to Glock i carried a 4006. Another of my favorites is a mid length S&W.
I am happy Colt has finally produced a midlength AR, now they are sprucing up the auto line but i hate to say itcbut a poly framed dstriker fired pistol that looks good ( like a S&W M&p) shoots reliably and is popularly as a M&p .

After shooting a mid length you will never buy a carbine length again except maybe for nostalgia or someone is letting one go real cheap.

Maligator said:

Colt has fallen WAY BEHIND on the development of the AR platform. I get it...they make rifles for the military and those have a specific TDP. However, so many other companies have actually listened to the feedback of end users like: Knights Armament, Noveske, Hodge Defense, etc that I wonder...why bother with Colt unless you like the rollmark?
I'm not knocking their quality or expertise just their poor judgement in addressing change in a more timely manner.

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Well, I like the rollmark, and at at the price they're putting out their stuff lately, it's about the best deal going (especially with the new pistols).

As an unabashed Colt's fanboy, I approve of the company going in this direction ... assuming this critter makes it to market sometime soon, I will surely get one.

As for the guy who talks about a "weak AR market" ... let's just see in the days and weeks following the election.

I think we can agree that Colt makes excellent products but their business model sucks.

Colt is selling ARs faster than they can make'em

I hope they offer a complete upper as well. I would also adore a mid length SOCOM profile barrel, my current Colt SOCOM carbine length 16" barrel is a great shooter but it is over gassed.

Those SOCOM barrels are crazy accurate for a run of the mil chrome lined barrel.

Yep, I'll put up with the little bit of extra weight for a barrel that can produce 10 shot 1.0 MOA or less groups. The SOCOM profile makes a lot more sense than the old M4 profile, and really doesn't weigh that much more.

I put a Colt 14.5" SOCOM and a Colt 16" M4 barrel on the scale. The SOCOM barrel weighs 2 lbs 4 oz. The M4 weighs 2 lbs 3 oz. That's with barrel nut, FSB and no muzzle device. The SOCOM is a whole ounce heavier

Mine is probably a smidge heavier than that, 1.5" longer and doesn't have the cuts milled in the sides for the M203 mounting clearance.

If I remember correctly the SOCOM barrel is 6 oz heavier than the M4 barrel.

That sounds about right.

Old Dog said:

As for the guy who talks about a "weak AR market" ... let's just see in the days and weeks following the election.

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How do you like me now?

Dain Bramage said:

How do you like me now?

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If you're looking for a reaction to the election results with regard to what may happen in the AR market -- I predict the low-end and moderately priced AR offerings will continue to fly off the shelves. Locally, it's only the high-end and specialty AR versions that are still on the wall.

I still think Colt Mfg. is on the right track. And it's sure selling a lot of the 6920s, 6720s and 901s these days.

Colt? What do you get? You get a good gun and you pay for the pony.
Colt may be on the right track, but have been eating someone's dust for years.
What new products have they brought to the market in the last 10 to 20 years?
Hell, have they even improved on anything in years? When everyone and there mom starts making polymer frame 380s, Colt took there time and ended up putting out the Mustang with a polymer frame. They couldn't come up with something new.
Now don't get me wrong, I like Colt. I have three firearms made by Colt. But I don't see a good future for them if they just keep coming to market a day late and a dollar short.
The AR market? Lets see. The number one selling gun platform in the US, or pretty close to it. Most people that get an AR want another. Those of us that have another, want another. I have 9, or is it ten, but who's counting. A lot of people start out with a basic AR, but many will end up upgrading down the road.
What I do see is the prices in the AR market coming down, but not to much.

Well, whatever. Plenty of firearms manufacturers out there with 100-page catalogs and so many variations of hundreds of models that the company's Q.C. can't keep up. If you want to bash Colt for being late to market with a polymer framed .380 ... have at it.

It seems you missed my point. You're the one that said Colt was on the right track. I was just trying to point out that they have been behind just about everyone when it comes to innovation. It seems that they wait until something is tried and tested before they jump on the wagon. I really want to see something new from Colt.

I could be wrong (as always lol), but didn't this Colt mid-length get its start for the Canadian military a couple of years ago? If so, isn't this just them sending surplus, military contracted rifles to TALO to distribute in the U.S.?