Colt to stop civilian sales??

[Carl N. Brown]

Every time a manufacturer gets a big military contract and guns
(or ammo) are short on the civilian market, the rumor starts that
they are leaving the civilian market.

Ooops. Have I started a rumor that Colt has a new big military contract?
No, just stating an observation going back to the 1960s and 1970s.
Temporary shortages are often just that.

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

I was not bashing Colt. I just was agreeing that their marketing may not be the best. I am no expert on firearms and have heard lots of good things about Colt. Usually when something is expensive there is a reason for it. Usually but not always...I once paid alot of money to see a Celine Dion concert.

 

[panzermk2]

I will, after spending what you do on a Colt 1911 (havem plural) it needs another 400 to 500 bucks to make it work.
My Kimbers have all sorts of nice custom pieces and some rather striking models Raptor, Eclipse etc. Kimber manages to take the 1911 and rap it up in new and interesting themes that are cool and that don't break the bank to buy.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

I have owned a total of 4 Kimbers; none were 100% reliable.

My Colt's have all been 100%.

Colt is a poorly run company, but they still make a good product.

 

[paul45]

My Kimbers have all sorts of nice custom pieces and some rather striking models Raptor, Eclipse etc. Kimber manages to take the 1911 and rap it up in new and interesting themes that are cool and that don't break the bank to buy.

...You think a Raptor or an Eclipse doesnt break the bank ??....HUH??....1150 to 1250 doesnt break the bank?? ... You must be joking...

 

[paul45]

Ruger, Glock and Smith pistols work right out of the box without spending an extra dime. Have not, will not buy another Colt ANYTHING.

...You surely will need to supply documented statistics to back up this load of HORSEDUNG. Dont let your dislike of Colts make you appear like a fool......

 

[larry starling]

will, after spending what you do on a Colt 1911 (havem plural) it needs another 400 to 500 bucks to make it work.
My Kimbers have all sorts of nice custom pieces and some rather striking models Raptor, Eclipse etc. Kimber manages to take the 1911 and rap it up in new and interesting themes that are cool and that don't break the bank to buy.

Funny all of my Colts work! The 3 Kimbers I HAD Didn't. To me colt offers a pure 1911 true to the original, where as Kimber has to add all kinds of gimmicks to sell pistols. Price wise Colts appear to be a bargin to me since I know im buying a gun with less Mim and Cast parts. To quote Bill Wilson" Garbage in is Garbage out"

 

[Lone_Gunman]

I think Larry Starling has a point. I have had the same experience with Kimbers that fail to work right. Colt's usually work. I think a lot of the difference is because Colt uses better small parts.

 

[Cacique500]

My Colts have been great for the most part (many 1911's and one LE6920). However, to me they seem to be going the way of Ruger (and I'll never buy from Ruger again due to their AWB support). I won't support a company (even with a good product) that doesn't support me (i.e. no sales of the LE6920 to the civilian market )...stupid of them really.

Having said that, I'm in the market for a new AR. Rather than getting another Colt I'm going to give my business to S&W - they seem to be the most 'civilian friendly' company at the moment.

 

[MountainPeak]

COLT hasn't been civilian friendly for years!!! They are not going to quit the civilian market for handguns quite yet. They are still selling over priced, poor quality, revolvers to those that love the NAME Colt. The replica guns haven't stolen all of their thunder yet. I personally still like the Commander series by Colt. I've got buddies that complain about them, but my experience has been good! Colt has made stupid marketing decisions for years. It's a damn shame what has happened to this once great company.

 

[MountainPeak]

As far as this manufacturer, or that, being more reliable, the most I ever payed for a handgun was a 1911 by Wilson Combat. It was the biggest jammomatic I've ever owned. Virtually, a single shot. I sent it back to them years ago, and to this day, it hasn't had one misfire. I trust my life to it. Things do happen sometimes. I have a large 1911 collection containing multiples of most major manufacturers. Colt, in my opinion still produces a decent semi handgun product. Their revolvers, at the going price,(they tried to get more) are a joke. People love the name, I know I do, but several replicas shoot as well or better, and are sturdier. They cost close to half. Buy want you want. IMHO, COLT management OWNS the market in how to screw up a great company! I hate them for it! :banghead:

 

[larry starling]

They are still selling over priced, poor quality, revolvers to those that love the NAME Colt.

Heck they all are well over a grand. Have you tried to buy a Python lately? IMHO it's still the finest revolver ever made! p.s......thats when they make 'em

 

[LAR-15]

Rumour has it Colt dances to Chuck Schumer's tune.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

Colt is indeed a pain in the ass. But I love their products and would hate to see them go away. The four I have, I wouldn't trade for anything. My Mark IV is still my pride and joy. It worked perfectly right out of the box, if a bit inaccurate, but I spent another 500 or so turning it into a pin gun. It is now the most accurate of my weapons, and the most fun to shoot. My Delta Elite has never failed, and has been my constant companion whenever I am in the wild. I would truly love to see the amazing array of guns Colt used to make come back, especially the Woodsman. Somebody needs to turn this company around before it really is in the drink.

 

[mp510]

Colt has been split into 2 entities, with one selling to the gov, and the other to civvies for some time.

 

[Gewehr98]

It's not a total rumor.

Colt has other priorities when it comes to the AR-15/M16/M4:

 

[Lobotomy Boy]

During WWI both Harley-Davidson and Indian neglected their civilian customers to pursue military contracts. It nearly put both out of business once the war ended (and they all end, even the "long wars"). Harley learned a lesson from this. Indian never fully recovered, and spent the period between the wars scrambling to survive, going through different owners and never having enough money to develop a modern, commercially viable product. When WWII came along, Harley pursued military contracts but as much as possible it continued to serve its civilian customer base because it realized that the company's long-term survival depended on that base and not the government teat. By that point Indian didn't have much of a civilian customer base to serve so it put all its efforts into military production. It had an influx of cash from the war that kept it limping along into the next decade, but it didn't take Nostradamus to see the company was about to go under.

Colt seems to be following the Indian model more than the Harley model.

 

[Geno]

What Larry Starling Said +1

Larry,

How many Colts do you, or have you owned? Right around 40, isn't it? Or am I thinking of an other THR member?

My 3 Colts are extraordinary. Some of my Kimbers have been, but not most. I think Kimber went through a bad phase, and THAT is when I bought most of mine. They are now improving.

For my money in a 1911, I'll stick with the original, if for no other reason than nostalgia.

Doc2005

 

[Kenneth Lew]

If you want a Colt made right, buy an old one. I've seen NIB Colt Pythons that are out of spec (problems with the forcing cone, timing of cylinder), 1911s with a blue finish with swirl marks on the flats, etc.

 

[HankB]

I have a Colt National Match .45 which is well made and reliable, but it's the only Colt in my stable today - nor will I be adding more.

I had a 1911 Mk IV Series 70 Government Model - purchased new - which ought to have been used as the illustration next to the dictonary definition of "jammamatic" . . . usually there were 2 or 3 jams per magazine with hardball.

Every manufacturer can make an error - the GOOD manufacturers make them right. I've had good service from Bushmaster and DSA, and even Kahr ultimately replaced a POS-9 which had numerous problems.

Not so with Colt - their warranty NON-service is what turned me off on them, far more than actual gun problems.

A company that WILL NOT stand behind its products ought to go out of business. And judging by their shrinking product line, they're headed just that way, and would be little than a bad memory today if not for government sales.