Colt: missing opportunities and marketing duds

First: Max Popenker, thanks for bringing us the best firearms site on the web! Fantastic job!

About Colt, I'm also a bit puzzled as to why they abandoned the Z-40.

But I'm also glad that CZ more or less picked it up as the CZ-40.

Colt's problem was that they did, and continue to do, put all their eggs in the government contract basket!!

They don't seem to be at all interested in the civilian market, unlike Ruger, who just got their FIRST major government contract. It is worth noting that Ruger is a viable American gun company!!

That A A 2000 is one ugly pistol.

I agree that Colt has made some bad guns. I can't for the life of me figure out why Colt has had the same problems for last 30+ years. It looks like somebody could get the ball rolling. Not all the guns were bad, but were market failures.

Some others were the polymer 22 pistol they made durning the 90's, the Pocket Nine that Kahr sued them over, even the Delta Elite didn't sell all that well. I bought my Delta for $325 from a dealer that was blowing them out to get rid of them. I bought one of those All Americans that had another barrel/bushing system in a box that came with it. When you are the preferred manf. of so many classics, I can't figure out why they can't get together, think about it.

AR-15
1911
Single Action Army
Python/double action magnum

They should own all those markets.

You would need to examine who has owned Colt in the past and what their primary source of income was. Colt has changed hands many times over the years. Most of the owners did not care about re-investing in the firearms market.

They had a great law enforcement section under Rick DeMilt, but because of "reasons" Colt discontinued the excellent program.

Poor Colt! The company doesn't seem to have come up with an original idea since 1955, when it reworked the Trooper into the Python.

Between the mismanagers and the unions, the company didn't stand a chance.

I'll never tire of looking at the thread with pictures of Reed Knight's full auto collection, which he supposedly got from colt in exchange for the All American design. Even if that part isn't true, it still helps me dream that someday I too will be able to trade some worthless thing for millions of dollars worth of guns.

I hope not, but I'm curious if Colt is headed the way of Ithaca and Winchester.

Colt is like GM--thought that they didn't have to bestir themselves to keep their market.

Wrong.

Colt has had a long history of mismanagement and short-sightedness, beginning with the firm's founder, Col. Sam, who once famously declared that the then new self-contained, metallic, rimfire cartridge was a passing fad and that the company's principle product would always be the cap and ball revolver.
JT

Colt......my favorite of all gun manufacturers, but......they're heads are in the sand.....

During the last few years of MANY people getting carry permits and looking for concealable weapons, what does Colt do?....They drop their Detective Special and Mustang models. Their Pocket Nine was a pretty nice gun, but....it was DOA <yuk>....as was the Mustang "Pony". IF they'd listen to the consumer a little more, and dropped their prices a little bit, they'd take a huge bite out of the civilian market. Here's what I think they should start producing, again:

1) Detective Special - blued and stainless
2) Mustang and Pony (for the option of SA or DAO)
3) King Cobra - reasonably priced as a low-cost 357 alternative in 2", 4", 6", and 8" barrels
4) Bring back the Anaconda in 44, 45LC, and other calibers, like .454
5) Always leave the Python available.
6) Offer a snubbie 357 the size of the DS with hammerless/shrouded option and stainless versions.

Oh.....I'll just quit dreaming......I'm starting to drift into "Fantasy Land".

*The All American was a fugly gun.

Kramer, I would add to that list just a little bit. IMO, 1911 lovers would jump on a lineup of 1911s like Springfield offers. Colt could produce an original-spec GI model the way it was intended to be (without the cast and MIM junk like Springfield), charge more for the better parts, and they'd sell like hotcakes. They could expand into the neato whiz-bang stuff like Kimber and Springfield do, and people would pay extra for those four letters.

The Detective and Python, as you stated, should be reintroduced. They might be able to come up with a ninjafied lineup with night sights, laser grips, and the like, but I, for one, would jump on the chance to buy a new production, high-quality standard Detective and Python. A Detective in .357 would also be cool.

Too bad it'll never happen.

I love the Double Eagle. I have one in 10mm. Smoothest double action auto that I have ever fired.

Azrael256 said:

IMO, 1911 lovers would jump on a lineup of 1911s like Springfield offers. Colt could produce an original-spec GI model the way it was intended to be (without the cast and MIM junk like Springfield), charge more for the better parts, and they'd sell like hotcakes. They could expand into the neato whiz-bang stuff like Kimber and Springfield do, and people would pay extra for those four letters.

Click to expand...

Another thought.....on their 1911 line, if they hired "1911Tuner" to oversea the QC of the guns going out the door, I'd buy stock in the company.....if they ever went public, that is.

I'd buy stock in the company

Click to expand...

Yeah, you buy stock. I'll be standing behind the factory with a semi filling out a mountain of 4473s.

Colt's "civilian" line is a seperate company now.

From reading, this cash "strapped" company has just so many workers that they can pay, produce just so many guns per day given the machinery they have, and price them to make a profit...last years large price increase for example.
It's a slow process to make enough money to run operations, pay "debt", etc, let alone capital for new "stuff".

They have a lot of work to do just in the 1911 line that I don't think they could really produce anything new anyway. Besides, they have a lot of "discontinued" items that could sell if they could produce them efficiently and price them properly...which they struggle with!

The best scenario for them, IMO, is some very RICH 1911 lover with more time and money than "brains" , buys the civilian portion and invests the needed capital to compete.

i lost respect for Colt a long time ago, not to mention thier website sucks(excellent way to attract customers...). i don't think i'll ever buy a colt... 1911? springfield or Kimber... revolver? Ruger GP-100 or S&W...

~tmm

I like Colts. I own one of their 1911s and would buy more Colts. Their ineptitude in marketing is astounding. There must be at least a dozen companies making 1911s and a dozen more making ARs. Colt was the first to market both of those designs, yet it's way down on the list of companies manufacturing those guns today.

Colt could find a way to lose money selling ice water to the damned in Hell.