Colt or Colt’s?

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Rudolph31

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I guess I could look it up, but it’s easier just to ask. When did the slide markings change from Colt’s to Colt? Did it correspond to a reorganization of the company?
 
Rudolph31

Since you asked I looked through my Colts and found all but one of them, a Government Model from 2011, had "COLT" and then the model designation and the caliber. Now the aforementioned Government Model has "COLT'S" on the top line, followed by "GOVERNMENT MODEL" on the next line, then ".45 AUTOMATIC CALIBER" on the bottom line. The Prancing Pony logo is to the right of the rollmarks.

DDUkNbB.jpg

A Colt Lightweight Government Model I bought around that same time has an entirely different slide inscription. There's "GOVERNMENT" over the top of "MODEL" in a smaller font, then "COLT" in the middle, with "AUTOMATIC" over "CALIBER .45"(again in a smaller font), on the far right. The Prancing Pony is found on the rear of the slide, just past the slide serrations.

pIxb2Mq.jpg

All of the other Colts that I have, some going back over 30 to 40 years ago, just have "COLT" as the slide inscription. Looking at Colt's current model listings on their website it appears the only guns with "COLT'S" on them are a couple of them that are "MK.IV/SERIES 70" pistols. All the rest just have "COLT".

So to answer your question I don't really know if there's one specific date in their manufacture that Colt changed from "COLT'S" to just "COLT", as it kind of looks like they're still doing it!
 
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Did it correspond to a reorganization of the company?

Yes it did. I seem to recall it was a somewhat PC based thing at the time to differentiate between their military line and civilian production. Too, one side was financially tanking at the time so it may have been fiscally-protective too.
Though, that is a vague recollection of magazine articles at the time. Late 90's - early 2000's or so.

Kinda made me curious enough to look it up at least as far as Guess-ipedia is concerned:
"In 2002, Colt Defense was split off from Colt's Manufacturing Company. Colt's Manufacturing Company served the civilian market, while Colt Defense served the law enforcement, military, and private security markets worldwide.

Todd.
 
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I took a closer look at my own guns. I have 4 Colts, a M1911 from 1919, a Woodsman from 1934, a Colt Commando .38 from WWII, and a Government Model of recent vintage.

It seems when they show the address, they all say Colt’s on them somewhere. When it’s just the name, it doesn’t.

Stand by for photos...
 
The 100 year old military 1911 just says “Colt’s” and the .38 says “COLT COMMANDO” with “Colt’s” in the address on the barrel.
 
The name of the company is still "Colt's manufacturing company". The address will have to say that to be a valid address. They did recently split and have another entity called colt defense that made (maybe still makes idk) rifles. My colt defense rifles only say "colt defense Hartford conn. USA"
As far as the roll mark, it depends on the model not the age. I have one from the 70s that says "Colts combat commander". And I have some that are older that just say colt. Also my delta and the other 1911s that I have only say Colt on the roll mark but the addresses always say "colts manufacturing bla bla bla P.F.G. because that's the company name and address.
 
My Colt Model 1860 Gen.3 has "ADDRESS COL. SAM L. COLT NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA" on the barrel. There are two "COLT'S PATENT": one on the left side above the trigger guard, the other "COLT"S PATENT No. 194" on the cylinder.

61B2vmQ.jpg
 
crestoncowboy

But some models did say colt's in the roll mark too.

index.php

While some Combat Commanders had good old COLT...

P7kzXHg.jpg

The more I look at these slide rollmarks the more I think Colt was all over the map with this and has been for sometime!
 
more I look at these slide rollmarks the more I think Colt was all over the map with this and has been for sometime!

Looks that way. I only have two commanders. A matching 45 and a 9. Both say colt's though. The serials put them in the 70s IIRC. That's all I know of that say Colts though
 
Any of the non colt defense guns made in the last 100 years will say it on the address my newest delta does as well. It's small but easy to see in this one

Screenshot_20191213-182943_Gallery.jpg

ETA well.....its unobstructed but still hard to see. A but smaller than I thought. Just a bad picture. The other side says DELTA colt
 
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