Why Did Colt Stop Making DA Revolvers?

[AH-1]

I bought my first python back in the day for 400.00 and all my friends thought I was nuts.
this year I bought another in bright SS for almost double that.I am a smith fan but they just don't have the feel of a python.
pete

 

[FullEffect1911]

I bought my first python back in the day for 400.00 and all my friends thought I was nuts.

It's only nuts if you weren't happy with your purchases, but that sure doesn't seem to be the case. Those look like two very appreciated revolvers. Very nice examples.

 

[Hawk]

It would truly be a shame to let such a historic company die.

Well, tossing a hand-fit, expensive to produce, slow-selling, unprofitable icon of a bygone era overboard does not equate to the death of a company.

They made roughly 5 times the number of semiautos as revolvers in '06 (last year I have data). That was around 3 times STI's production and 25% of Kimber's output. That's not chump change, in my estimation.

Admittedly, Colt's 15,000 pistols are well short of S&W's 260,000 but Colt's isn't likely to contend in the police and commodity markets. They're not dead but their double action revolvers are. Real dead. Drawn, quartered, burnt, eaten by wolves, dropped off a cliff and the pieces buried in separate graves.

It'd be nice if someone specializing in low volume historic recreations reverse engineered the older lockwork and bought the rights to the Pony. Rumor has it just such an offer was made but never got off the ground due to epic differences of opinion regarding the value of the right to the pony logo. But the nature of rumors hasn't changed - it's very likely such a thing never happened. But I see something along the lines of such a rumor as the best hope for the DA. However, that's just my free form mostly uninformed speculation.

 

[Old Fuff]

The parent corporation would love to sell the handgun works, but for the quoted price no one is interested. I suspect they are only keeping it for a tax write-off. As it is the value drops from year to year.

Sad, unfortunate, but true. Colt is famous for fine firearms and incompetent management.

 

[ceadermtnboy]

The best thing that could happen to Colt revolvers period would be for USFA company to start making the snakes. They already make better SA Armys than Colt and they are under the old blue dome, Sure they would be expensive, but look at what used pythons are bringing.

 

[Hawk]

They already make better SA Armys than Colt and they are under the old blue dome, Sure they would be expensive, but look at what used pythons are bringing.

I believe that's become inaccurate of late.

It's only Wiki, but I believe this to be correct:

Economies of computer-driven machining could only be realized if the machinery could fit through the door, but the historic brick armory was not accommodating in this regard. USFA purchased a new site in late 2001 (its current 4-acre (16,000 m2) campus) to expand operations in Hartford, and until 2003 maintained both the historic Armory and the new facility for the production of Lightning magazine rifles, new Model 1910 automatics, and its historically accurate Single Action Army revolvers. The historic Colt Armory was sold to investors represented by Goodrich Corporation in 1997 and was divested in about 2001 to Homes for America's Robert & Rebecca McFarlane.

See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Fire_Arms_Mfg._Co.

 

[Drail]

A Colt Python is without a doubt one of the finest pieces of hand built technology ever produced in this country but your biggest problem will be finding anyone qualified to work on it.

 

[Seafarer12]

I never did see the draw of them myself. Sure they are a nice gun but not worth 1k+ imo.

 

[BigBlock]

If you were on the inside (as I once was) looking at revolver maufacturing as a business you'd understand what I'm saying.

I understand business just fine. I started my own business with exactly $25 when I was 14 and it has grown to a national business with a staff of 15.

To say that Colt CAN'T produce a revolver and sell it for a profit, when S&W, Ruger, USFA, Taurus, Freedom Arms, Charter, etc can all make a revolver for a profit is pure HORSE PUCKEY. If they had someone smart enough in charge, and started the revolver line over from the beginning, they could make money the same way all those other companies do.

I'll ask again, why is it they can make SAAs in the USA and sell them for a profit but not any other revolver?

 

[Old Fuff]

I'll ask again, why is it they can make SAAs in the USA and sell them for a profit but not any other revolver?

They are tooled to make the SAA, and have enough parts in inventory to make a limited number of revolvers and sell them to collectors, for the most part, for around $1,200 plus. That won't sustain a true factory operation.

To make new revolvers they would need the capital ($$$) to design, develop, tool and manufacture the product. They don't have the $$$ to do this, and no bank will lend them a dime. Neither will the larger corporation that owns them. :banghead:

If they did somehow get the money it wouldn't be spent on revolvers, but rather a polymer frame pistol. The market is bigger, and the profit margin is better. Profit is what makes the world go 'round.

Recently Ruger (who do have the bucks) decided to come out with a pocket sized handgun. Hopefully you noticed that it wasn't a revolver.

Bottom line: It's all about $$$$$$.

 

[AJD]

http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=177275

The conversation then turned to the current Colt model line, and I hit Mark up for any information regarding what we might expect for new offerings from Colt in the near future. Mark made it clear that at least in the short term, double action revolvers (Anaconda, King Cobra, Python, Detective Special etc.) were not being produced, and if they ever were to become available again, they would be made in such a way as to take advantage of advances in manufacturing technology. Mark admitted that given the means of production currently available to Colt, they would have to charge so much for a Python that its price would necessarily limit the number Colt would sell. To explain why, we took a closer look at the Python, and Mark pointed out the hammer and trigger made of barstock, the quality of the internal parts, as well as the hand fitting and polishing required to bring the piece to the quality level people expect of a Python. Some may argue that they would be willing to pay the premium that a Python commands over a 686, but the reality of the world is that Colt is in business to make money, and turning a profit on a $1400 .357 revolver is just not in the cards for Colt at the present time.

 

[BigBlock]

The thing is, Colt doesn't HAVE to spend a billion dollars producing top quality Pythons the same as they did before...they could spend a lot less and sell a Ruger quality detective special or even something completely new. For that matter, they could have Uberti make them for them...

 

[Old Fuff]

they could have Uberti make them for them...

Somehow I don't think that would go over. The state of Connecticut is a major shareholder...

At one time Colt did purchase unfinished parts for their line of cap & ball revolvers from Uberti, but that Italian firm doesn't make any double-action revolvers, so Colt would have to pay them for the design, development and tooling costs. As I said before, they don't have the ($$$$) and no one will loan them any money, especially in this present economy. Colt is doing what they are doing now because for the current models they do have the tooling.

Last but not least, I don't think that most potential buyers would be interested in an Italian (or any other foreign produced gun) that just had a pony stamped on it.

 

[the foot]

In lieu of Colt manufacturing DA revolvers at a reduced quality level, I think it's better if they do not produce them at all.

 

[loosecannon]

In 1969 Colt redesigned its double action revolver line and developed a series that was cheaper to manufacture. They required much less hand fitting and used cheaper materials such as sintered metal for hammers and triggers. The exception to this statement is that Pythons and Detective Specials continued to be made for a very long time. Also several models were discontinued. The new line really never caught on. They lacked the beauty and graceful lines of the older guns--inside and out. They worked well and shot ok.

Before WW2, Colt revolvers ruled the law enforcement market but progressively lost ground to S&W in the post war years. After the revolver era ended, Smith could not maintain its top place.

Colt focused on military contracts and de-emphasized l.e. and civilian sales. They have not been known to be consumer friendly in recent decades.

 

[dfariswheel]

The new line really never caught on.
Colt focused on military contracts and de-emphasized l.e. and civilian sales. They have not been known to be consumer friendly in recent decades.

The later Colt's like the Trooper Mark III, Mark V, and King Cobra were VERY popular and sold in the hundreds of thousands.
Colt simply got in trouble financially and had to drop the revolvers that NO ONE was selling in large enough numbers at that time.
Remember, those were the "wonder 9" days and everyone was buying the latest autos with the largest capacity magazines, not stodgy old revolvers.

Second, I remember the SCREAMS that were heard in the late 1960's when a S&W executive blurted out at a gun show that due to the Vietnam War and police sales, S&W didn't really care about the civilian commercial market and could well-survive without them.

 

[22-rimfire]

Something that I have wondered about with the currrent GM profitability and legacy cost burden.... Did Colt maintain their retirement committments or did the name changes invalidate what I assume were old labor uniion contracts??

I personally can't see Colt coming back with revolvers. They would make a semi-auto pistol if they manufactured anything new regardless of the success of Smith and Ruger with revolvers in recent years.