Where are the Colts???

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Checkman

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Okay I know this is a common topic, but I was just over at Davidson's and out of curiosity I looked up Colt. While they have several different models listed Davidsons dosen't have a single Colt in it's inventory. Does anyone have any idea what is going on at Colt? According to the company's website they're still making guns for the private market, but nobody has any for sale.

Is Colt still producing anything or has it entered that weird twilight zone that failing businesses go into? You know the situation. A select group of employees continue to show up at the factory, but nobody is really doing anything and the phones are only answered once in awhile. Then one day the doors are locked and those employees who do show up have no idea what happened.

I own a thirty-two year old Colt DS and it's a great gun. One day I'll inherit my father's 1911 collection (hopefully MANY years from now) and I admire the company's history. It's a shame to see what has happened to this once great maker of handguns.
 
I've seen new Colts off and on at 2 shops since Thanksgiving, but they don't sit on the shelf very long. I bought my WWI repro the day after Thanksgiving and they had just unpacked it. It didn't even have a price tag on it yet and had not been handled, so I gave them what they wanted for it. I went back 2 weeks later and even the $1350 TALO Dragon was gone.

John
 
Now some folks might think this is a tad gaudy, but I like it. :)

976492526-1.jpg
 
Davidsons shows 28 Gold Cups in stock right now as I post. Ellett Bros. shows 15 Gold cups also.Colt tends to make pistols in big batches.Last year there were a bunch of 1991 38 supers available, so far this year its been XSE's and now Gold cups. They are out there...it just requires thorough searching
 
Paul45-

Yep you're right about the Gold Cups. Yesterday they showed absolutely no Colts in stock.But when I specifically look for the Gold Cups I find out that they do have some in stock. Oh well. I haven't seen a new Colt in any of the local shops, just used ones.
 
And I just got through shooting for the first time that Colt NRM Govt. Series 80 that I got from Ken recently.

It was sweet! Thanks WA.

Sawthrowingthe230graindownrangedust
 
Someone else may have better info on this, but I have heard that colt lost some major lawsuits or somthing and since restricted civillian sales. In addition they are somewhat owned partially by a state govt of some sort (aka, not so pro gun). They tend to be an anti-gun gun company. Selling only to military primarily. I dislike this about them and dont seek out their products. It seems to me they are the biggest sell out of the gun manufacturing world. People say smith and ruger had issues politically , but if Im correct about colt than colt takes the cake as being the biggest sell out. I like ruger and smith and I know colt holds collector value but ahggg. :mad:
 
Is Colt still producing anything or has it entered that weird twilight zone that failing businesses go into?
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Colt hasn't been a viable business for a long, long time. Between union greed and management incompetence, it's—no pun intended, to be sure—a dead horse.
 
Some folks I know, as well as myself, have attended different Colt armorer's courses in recent months. According to everything we've heard Colt is doing just fine, from the sales perspective ... and is actually working hard trying to keep up with the constant demand for both the civilian & L/E handgun market (the 1911 is still alive and well in L/E work in some places in our country), as well as the US & foreign military orders, and L/E market, for their many rifles & carbines.

Nobody really understands how their management strategies are formulated, though ... or why they don't do what seems 'obvious' to the rest of us.

I've only seen a couple of NIB Colt Model O pistols in gunstores lately, but as has been said earlier in this thread, they don't seem to last very long when they do arrive ...

I saw a NIB Colt Defender O7000D in a display case the other day, and it was priced at $699, if I remember right, which is decent for a CA price. I'm just not in the market for another short-barreled .45 at the moment. I'm trying to decide whether I want another 5" Government Model or another 4.25" Comander ... and which material/finsih.

Unfortunately, There aren't that many different models on the CA Approved list ... http://justice.doj.ca.gov/safeguns/...=list&_UserReference=6691E8755522B1B142314BA3

I'd really like to get a XSE lightweight stainless Commander, but it's not on our list ...
 
Hellooo... anybody home in Hartford ??

PLEASE make a nice .38 super commander in blue.. i'll settle for stainless? series 70 preferred.. and cough up the money to make it CA legal....

the ONE i have seen for sale the guy wants 1,800.. wrong answer

and dont put any mexican flags on the grips either..

not that theres anything wrong with that.. but im not mexican
 
PLEASE make a nice .38 super commander in blue.. i'll settle for stainless? series 70 preferred.. and cough up the money to make it CA legal....
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How many ya want (series 80)?

Colts failure to render their series 70 pistols legaql in Ca has nothing to do with fees and associated to be paid to CA for the approval and everythign to do with lawyers....ya live or do biz in CA you shouldn understand...

WildcoltyboyAlaska
 
Unfortunately, most of them are in museums... I wish the same thing that happened to S&W would happen to Colt where a new owners take over the company.
 
I wish the same thing that happened to S&W would happen to Colt where a new owners take over the company.
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I concur; bear in mind, however, that the state of Connecticut is one of the owners, and doubtless wouldn't relinquish its share of the company without including language in the contract prohibiting the new owners from doing anything about Colt's parasitic union.

I think http://www.usfirearms.com has the right idea: pick up where Colt left off.
 
As long as they don't move to Brazil. :rolleyes: I bought a new Gold Cup Trophy a few months back and it was as tight and well made as any production 1911. I guess they may just keep working LE and GOVT contracts as their mainstream, can't blame them with all the liability lawsuits, why should they do business with such restrictions?
 
Colt quality does not come from the owners. It comes from those union members with 20 or 30 years years of experience. If you moved it, all those years of experience would be gone, you would have another Taurus.... Spotty quality, low paying, no experienced machinist....
UAW costs 2 hours of pay a month, and I think that is a good insurance policy when you have a bad boss, who wants to fire you, so his kid can have your job!!!!
There are people that abuse the system, but for the most part, these are hard working Americans, producing a quality American product, who because of BAD Management needs a union to protect their jobs....
That's my opinion....
 
UAW costs 2 hours of pay a month, and I think that is a good insurance policy when you have a bad boss, who wants to fire you, so his kid can have your job!!!!
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:( Yep, been there twice in the last 6 years and as a manager with no protection I was the one to hit the street. Each time, my boss retired and the new boss wanted to bring in his own team and was allowed to -- Job performance was never an issue!

Colt like every company has had it's problems but still offers an excellent product. It does appear that under General Keys' leadership the company is focusing more on Government contracts and less on civilian sales -- time will tell if this is a good move on their part. I would like to see Colt bring back some of their DA revolvers, as it stands the SAA is the only revolver left in their inventory.

American Firearms manufacturers can survive if they wake up and react to foreign competition by keeping abreast of and developing new technology, and improving their marketing techniques. Living in the Past is the KISS OF DEATH for any industry!


:evil:
 
It does appear that under General Keys' leadership the company is focusing more on Government contracts and less on civilian sales -- time will tell if this is a good move on their part.
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Government contracts serve as a guaranteed source of income, especially during a time of war. Plus most if not all gov't contracts have a clause that they come first. I have read that Colt is going 6 days gov't production and 1 day civie production. I was recently at the local Cabelas, and they had Special Combats, XSE's, and Gold Cups in stock. A few months prior to that, they had the Gunsite models.
 
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