After the turn of the century I was squadded in the pitts at Camp Perry next to a man who had been offered the job of either President or plant manager at Colt. Something like that. It was a very high position.
After visiting Colt, he declined the position. He said the entire problem with Colt were the owners. They did not care about firearms, were in fact anti gun, the only thing they were interested in was sucking the maximum amount of profit from the corporation.
He took the manufacturing managers to a modern machine shop with all the CNC and they just shook their heads. Colt management would not fund modern machinery and what Colt was using were old, very old machinery.
Colt got fat and happy with its monopoly on the US service rifle. For decades, the US Army has been wedded to Colt with retired General Officer's retiring to Colt and lobbying their buds to stay the course. It is very interesting to read how the Army maneuvered to maintain a sole source status for Colt.
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/the-usas-m4-carbine-controversy-03289 You could call this “regulatory capture” This is not unique to Colt, just look at the fight over the Air Force Tanker contract award to Boeing. Every Defense Industry Corporation lobbies to be a perpetual sole source for the Government as the taxpayer will pay, and pay, and pay. Colt made huge profits with the M4 carbine when they were sole source contractor.
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com...dividual-Carbine-Competition-06942/#more-6942
They are in a great position in the current M4 contract bid. Anyone who makes M4’s for the Government cannot build and sell them to foreign countries as the TDP is proprietary to Colt, maintaining Colt’s monopoly of source.
You can expect Colt to continue its focus on the very profitable defense sector and to ignore the private section.
They also have a huge patent base and sue the heck out of anyone, suppressing competition and innovation in the US market.
I think the best thing that could happen is for Colt to go away.
