AmericanRifleman: The workers and management at Colt have good news, and it could not come at a better time. As the entire firearm industry prepares to head for the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Las Vegas, it seems Colt Defense has already hit it big. No need to bet it all on red.
The iconic maker just announced it has emerged from Chapter 11 Restructuring and is ready to compete. The takeaways are that Colt reduced its debt, has some capital to work with (something that the company has been starved for years, perhaps even decades), has a new lease on its physical plant and a new lease on life thanks to deal with its union. Back in the 1990s, a strike and issues with its labor force brought the company founded in 1836 by Samuel Colt to its knees. more here
i like colt, own many
but i think they got greedy about their name, didn’t adapt, but the consumer did adapt to lesser priced, more competitive, higher quality guns
i am glad they are fighting back as they are an american icon, hope their arrogance is reduced and that they took some lessons learned from the past few decades
Shoulda filed Chapter 1911.
🙂
Love me some Colt Commander 45ACP!
I have a Colt.
Someday, if I can save enough money,
I’m gonna take it down to the range …
The “Harley Davidsons” of hand guns. Over rated and over priced.
Me too, ron.
The one pictured looks good to me. If it runs, and the price is right.
It beats me how Colt could let this core product get away from them. They have been making 1911s for over a century, and they should have dominated the market.
But in the last few years the market has grown, and the renewed demand for 1911s has been met by many manufacturers. Good for us enthusiasts.
According to the article, Colt will be concentrating on “legacy” models, which seems like a good move.
It will take some time for Colt to rebuild their image, and regain market share. It may be an uphill battle, as Colt has been living on reputation for a long time.
I have a Sig.
The UAW workers on the floor at Colt average $85 an hour. This isn’t their first, nor their last bankruptcy as long as they are affiliated with the UAW.
Too bad that Colt’s (all but 2 models) are banned from CA; the 1911 Commander, and the Python revolver.
It’s enough to make you weep.
Now they are trying to ban AR-15’s by banning the bullet button.
Python’s seem to be more of a collectible than anything else. The only Python owner I’ve met said he had no plans to be the first to fire it or put holster wear marks on it.
It would lose too much value.
I say, if you have race car, race it! Otherwise it’s a museum piece. Which is fine for posterity, on the other hand.
But you’ll never be able to say what it was like firing a Python or carrying one. It’s just an investment piece.
/sarc tag not needed. +1
they need to compete in a market full of budget priced, entry level models of the 1911 and the ar-15. if they can offer decent quality models at a reasonable price point, they should survive and thrive. if they bank on their name and continue to charge premium prices across the board? not so much…
I have several different H&K .45’s
I acquired a Colt Commander .45 about 35 years ago. Beautiful pistol, brushed nickel finish, etc., but when I fired it the rounds kept hanging up and failing to feed (before you say anything, the ammo was new Remington ACP – jacketed, no reloads, no hollow points). I talked to a cop friend about it and said I needed to have the barrel “throated” (i.e. ground down) so the bullets would feed properly. I decided that if a gun couldn’t be made to function properly by the original manufacturer, then I didn’t need to pay to correct their mistakes. I sold the pistol and went back to S&W. Haven’t owned a Colt since.
Why does it have that hook under the hammer?
I would think it would catch on clothing.
…it should have moved out of Unionland some time ago ….didn’t learn it’s lesson, I see
…but best of luck to them
1911’s are designed to carry hammer back, saftey on. It’s a single action weapon. That “hook” is called the beaver tail and when the hammer is back it is covered by the beaver tail. If you look at the direction of the “hook”, it won’t get caught in clothing as it points the opposite direction.
Colt’s pricing is a bargain compared to high end 1911’s. My carry weapon was $1800.00. A Les Baer. My next purchase will most likely be much more than that. If Colts new line up is not using MIM parts they will be a bargain. I own a couple stock colts. Never had an issue with feeding. Decent weapon, screwed up management.