Bane's Blog says Colt is SOLD

[hillbilly]

http://michaelbane.blogspot.com/


Colt Sold! Industry Roiling Before SHOT...
Hartford's Rampant Colt is going to a new home — actually new homes — ending years of speculation on when the sad little horse was going to just keel over and die.

Brother Jim Shepherd at The Outdoor Wire is reporting this AM that the defense side of the bifurcated company, which had been making noises abut going public, has been sold to General Dynamics, and that an announcement of the sale of the commercial side is moments away...and, according to Shepherd, a shocker.

Again according to Shepherd, 11 firearms companys have been circling around the crippled pony, No doubt the sale of the defense side of the business was accelerated by the recent military contract for M4 carbines, which surprised the industry.

A couple of quick thoughts before I start working the phones...

• Colt represents a staggering treasure chest of intellectual property. It's one heck of a list: 1911 Government Model, AR-15, Python, Detective Special, Single Action Army. Each of these honest-to-goodness legendary firearms were the Gold Standard in their respective niches.

• My little cherubs and seraphim tell me Colt has a new plastic pistol in the back room, ready to throw into the new military trials. Maybe; maybe not. But if that particular piece of gossip is true, it certainly boosts Colt's bargaining position.

• No doubt potential suitors are watching S&W's numbers on their revived revolver line. A relaunch of the Python, the Dick Special and probably the .44 Magnum Anaconda from the Colt line makes you an instant player. Or, suppose you're S&W...

• What would the Rampant Colt logo mean for a manufacturer of SAA clones? Or to a manufacturer of 1911 clones? One never knows, does one?

Lotsa variables here...more as info becomes available...

 

[orangeninja]

http://michaelbane.blogspot.com/


Colt Sold! Industry Roiling Before SHOT...
Hartford's Rampant Colt is going to a new home — actually new homes — ending years of speculation on when the sad little horse was going to just keel over and die.

Brother Jim Shepherd at The Outdoor Wire is reporting this AM that the defense side of the bifurcated company, which had been making noises abut going public, has been sold to General Dynamics, and that an announcement of the sale of the commercial side is moments away...and, according to Shepherd, a shocker.

Again according to Shepherd, 11 firearms companys have been circling around the crippled pony, No doubt the sale of the defense side of the business was accelerated by the recent military contract for M4 carbines, which surprised the industry.

A couple of quick thoughts before I start working the phones...

• Colt represents a staggering treasure chest of intellectual property. It's one heck of a list: 1911 Government Model, AR-15, Python, Detective Special, Single Action Army. Each of these honest-to-goodness legendary firearms were the Gold Standard in their respective niches.

• My little cherubs and seraphim tell me Colt has a new plastic pistol in the back room, ready to throw into the new military trials. Maybe; maybe not. But if that particular piece of gossip is true, it certainly boosts Colt's bargaining position.

• No doubt potential suitors are watching S&W's numbers on their revived revolver line. A relaunch of the Python, the Dick Special and probably the .44 Magnum Anaconda from the Colt line makes you an instant player. Or, suppose you're S&W...

• What would the Rampant Colt logo mean for a manufacturer of SAA clones? Or to a manufacturer of 1911 clones? One never knows, does one?

Lotsa variables here...more as info becomes available...

So Colt is going to be publicly traded? (just curious, I don't trade)

 

[middy]

Hmmm, maybe they'll have a real, live marketing team under their new ownership!

I predict Beretta buys the commercial side.

 

[Preacherman]

The problem is that all Colt really has to offer is intellectual property - the right to use the "rampant Colt" logo, and the trademarked names of their weapons. The design rights, patents, etc. on their entire line ran out a long time ago, so anyone can make them - and most are making them at least as well as Colt ever did, with some being significantly higher in quality. I'll not buy any gun because it has a particular name or logo attached, and I think the same can be said for many of us.

 

[Henry Bowman]

I'll not buy any gun because it has a particular name or logo attached, and I think the same can be said for many of us.

But many will. Thus, the mark has value. How much depends on what is done with it to re-associate the mark with innovation, quality and service.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

I agree with Preacherman. Kimber, Springfield, Smith and Wesson, and about a dozen other manufacturers have all the 1911 intellectual property they would ever want.

Beretta and Uberti have all the SAA intellectual property they want.

The only thing Colt has is the Prancing Pony.

Colt is like an old, decrepit grandfather, kept alive with life support, whose children refuse to pull the plug and let him die in peace.

 

[Nightfall]

Isn't part of Colt state owned? Does that end with these sales?

 

[model 649]

I'm calling B.S. Seems to be an old story getting regurgitated (again). Apparently G.D. bought Colt's Sako Defense Div. back in 2000.
Josh

 

[Technosavant]

The problem is that all Colt really has to offer is intellectual property - the right to use the "rampant Colt" logo, and the trademarked names of their weapons. The design rights, patents, etc. on their entire line ran out a long time ago, so anyone can make them - and most are making them at least as well as Colt ever did, with some being significantly higher in quality. I'll not buy any gun because it has a particular name or logo attached, and I think the same can be said for many of us.

That was my first thought. They don't even have much intellectual property- just the logo and an army of people who will shout "If it isn't a Colt, it's a copy!" All the guns named are (or could be) made by others, just with different names. The ones that aren't currently being duplicated just don't have much of a market- how many people want to pay $1500 for a .357 revolver? Yeah, it might say "Python," but it isn't going to make bad guys any deader than a S&W 686 or a Ruger GP100.

Right now all Colt has to offer the consumer is a name. They just aren't doing anything that others aren't doing. Decent stuff, but so are the others.

 

[Owen]

ASFAIK, the only intellectual property Colt still has proprietary rights too are some of the M4 features.

Beleive me, FN is waiting for those to expire, so they can put the final nail in that coffin.

 

[rbernie]

and most are making them at least as well as Colt ever did, with some being significantly higher in quality.

In many instances this is true, but in some cases I could see an argument for Colt's offering being of higher quality. I doubt that DPMS, for example, conducts MPI on all of their AR parts.....

 

[Hawk]

I've talked to Michael Bane. He doesn't strike me as one given to speculation.

Due strictly to the source, I'll tend to believe it until it proves otherwise.

Not that it much matters to my purchasing habits anyway.

 

[MatthewVanitas]

That was my first thought. They don't even have much intellectual property- just the logo and an army of people who will shout "If it isn't a Colt, it's a copy!"

I've always thought it would be interesting if USFA was licensed to stamp the pony onto their SAA "copies".

I haven't run across many Colt-o-philes that insist that Colt makes a better SAA than USFA, even at a much higher price. Then they fall back on the "well, the Colt will hold its value better", which is likely true, but is really a rather self-perpetuating idea.

So, I'll hope for USFA getting a Pony Franchise, vice Uberti.

-MV

 

[Standing Wolf]

I saw a man buy a Colt Single Action Army early this afternoon, along with a Winchester rifle.

I had a hunch at the time they were investments.

 

[Kharn]

• My little cherubs and seraphim tell me Colt has a new plastic pistol in the back room, ready to throw into the new military trials. Maybe; maybe not. But if that particular piece of gossip is true, it certainly boosts Colt's bargaining position.

Colt All-American redux?

Kharn

 

[CZ 75 BD]

Did not Colt just this week lose a patent infringement action against Bushmaster?

Would that push them over the edge?

 

[thatguy]

I am told that gov't contracts is where the money is in gun making. Colt seems split into defense and commercial sides. If the sale is true, I hope somebody bought it who actually wants to make some damn guns. All Colt offers now is the AR, the 1911 and the SAA. Want a .22? Go to Hell. Want a DA revolver? Drop dead. All the great guns and history of Colt and it's come to this. What happened?

But then, what happened to Winchester?

And Ithaca?

And so many others?

 

[MatthewVanitas]

Before we get too maudlin' here, let's focus on the upsides:

Plenty of smaller companies are thriving or reviving: Detonics is back from the dead, USFA is taking Colt's lunch money, and approximately 128 different companies are building AR-15 clones with a staggering array of modular options.

Practically every gunmaker in the known world is producing a 1911 of at least decent quality, and Miroku is churning out high-quality Winchester models with Japanese know-how. Winchester "copies"? How are they any more copies than whatever USRAC was producing?

Maybe I'm a glass-is-half-full kinda guy.

-MV

 

[middy]

Completely off-topic but...

"Rampant colt?"

Now I've seen a few colts in my day, but never one that could be descibed as "rampant."

"Frolicking" maybe, or "frisky," but not "rampant."

 

[Mizzle187]

I would say Michael Bane is a pretty reliable source for the most part. Im gonna start following this alot closer!

 

[berettaman]

I don't see Beretta throwing good money after bad.Although it would be interesting to find out what they did if anything in respect to obtaining the Govt.side.A wholesale investment and being dropped dead center into the lucrative AR-15 market.Now that would be sweet.

Commercial side is a bit more tenitive in todays market place.You cant swing a dead cat without hitting a 1911 maker.And they certainly wouldn't be in the busness of cutting their own throat in the SAA market.

 

[Texfire]

"Rampant colt?"

Now I've seen a few colts in my day, but never one that could be descibed as "rampant."

"Frolicking" maybe, or "frisky," but not "rampant."

As an aside, isn't rampant a term used to describe animals on coat of arms?

Tex

 

[Brother in Arms]

Model 649 wrote:
I'm calling B.S. Seems to be an old story getting regurgitated (again). Apparently G.D. bought Colt's Sako Defense Div. back in 2000.
Josh

I don't know if its B.S. but your are correct General Dynamics did buy Saco Defense in Saco Maine, Several years ago.

Brother in Arms

 

[Trebor]

I'd love to see FN buy the civvie side. I have a FN built Highpower. It's nice gun. Well made and accurate. I'd buy a FN made, Colt marked, 1911 in a hearbeat.

 

[fastbolt]

Heard something similar to this developing last year ... from an industry source which was pretty reluctant to discuss the details.

Wouldn't be surprised to see Colt (Commercial) Mfg remain in American hands, so to speak, but time will quickly tell if this is correct.

Wasn't there something about Deneral Dynamics having purchased the rights to the XM8 over a year ago? Wasn't paying much attention at the time ...

Of course, if a new ownership/partnership does result, and Colt revolvers are reintroduced using newer production methods, I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear a lot of folks start moaning about it.

Guess we'll just have to wait and see ...

I'd like to see them remain in the industry.

I wouldn't hold my breath about seeing a sudden influx of 'new' Colt rifles into the commercial market, though.

Lots of money to be made in the domestic & foreign military markets, however ... and besides, the other AR-type rifles sold to the commercial market don't necessarily have to bear the increased costs involved in MP testing of each bolt & barrel produced, as well as passing any of the rigid government military inspections and meeting military specifications.