AmericanThinker- On June 15, 2015, Colt Defense filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11. How can that possibly be?
In Dwight Eisenhower’s Farewell Address, he warned the Nation of the growing influence of a vast “Military Industrial Complex.” In the next decade plus, 2,709,918 Americans served in Vietnam, witnessing astronomical amounts of ordnance dumped on the Southeast Asian jungles, the manufacture of which made many in the Military Industrial Complex obscenely rich.
Most of the troops were issued M-16 Rifles, provided by Colt, presumably one of the members of the complex that reaped the benefits.
The newest iteration of the M16 Rifle is the M4 Carbine, which was the standard issue weapon for our latest excursions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Colt makes those too.
How can a company whose largest customer is gullible enough to pay $400 for a hammer and $600 for a toilet seat go broke?
Hoping to here from a gun expert or Bad Brad
(Same thing) on this one.
I have 17 Colt weapons.
Colt made two awesome guns. The Single Action Army, and the Python. End of story.
I have several Pythons and one SA Army….cool
I have several SAA. Used to own a Python. Head space got loose so I sold it. I kick myself every time I get a chance. Most accurate hand gun I’ve ever owned. Nail driver.
Brad, if someone asked you what Colt could do to ‘get back in the game’. What did or do they need to do. They have a great name… Everyone has heard of Colt.
Is it just crappy weapons or the wrong weapons or corruption from the top?
http://www.colt.com/
Have to add that Colt lost their contract for the M4 and that is part of their problem.
I have a python too. Heh heh.
Let’s hope the (federal) bankruptcy judge is not gun-hating Obamarrhoid.
And, maybe if the company moved out of Connecticut to, say, South Carolina…
The contract for the M-4 had little to do with Colt’s problems. The M-4 is fully fielded and the Army is only buying parts for them now, which they can get anywhere. The civilian marketplace is where any gun manufacturer needs to be if he wants to stay in business. making Rifles for the Army is only good if you get the contract to refit the entire Army. Colt did that, twice, and should have been fat with profits. This is all about poor management and sucking the company dry.
The military is also buying 100’s of 1000’s of FN weapons
as well in the small arms category. Click for data.
They’d be right at home here. We already have FN and a
few others.
I own a 1991-A1 which I’ve never fired …
I’m saving up for a box of ammo!
“$400 for a hammer…”?
I can’t believe this myth is still out there.
How do people think the F117 et al were funded as black book programs?
I have many Colt pistols.
The trooper and the python and Gold cup .45’s
Of course the non Colt, model 29 .44 magnum.
But the next gun I’m getting is a.45 from Les Baer.
Colt ARs are among the best, it is poor management.
I won a lot of trophies competing with a couple out of the box Colt ARs (one Competition HBar and One Match HBar) against people shooting all sorts of other rifles that were supposedly better. I have owned them for twenty five years.
I also have an Anaconda first edition 44 mag with all the accessories that is edging in on $10K in value. It’s a nice revolver, but I prefer a model 29 Smith. The Anaconda is a sub #100 ser number gun as are the two HBars. Colt doesn’t sell, or at least I should say didn’t sell, sub ser# 100 guns. They were all presented to me when I was working in the firearms retail field.
Terry, I have a Les Baer and for the most part it’s a great gun. There’s two things you need to know though. Mine is a carry gun and I can’t say I’m very happy with the way the finish has held up. I carry in a Kydex holster (Blade Tech) and there are area of the gun that are down to shiny metal. Also Les Baer’s are super tight guns. You need to run about 500 rounds thru it before it starts cycling properly. Overall I love mine and I’m glad I bought it. Wilson Combat has started offering guns that are Cerakoted from the factory. If your concerned about finish and your going to carry the weapon, that might be the way to go,
I’ve been around firearms nearly 50 years now and I’ve fired many Colts. A quality firearm. But I never felt the need to buy one just to say, “It’s a Colt”. My WWII surplus Remington Rand 1911 will shoot the front sight off the muzzle of a Colt at fifty yards. Well, at least in a my hands it will.
Thanks Brad. Did not know that. Maybe I’ll have to rethink it. That is a lot of money for the gun. I don’t really need a new one. I was going to have to talk to the wife anyway.
Sig P220 is a bad ass gun. It’s not a1911 but it will never let you down.
This is all about poor management and sucking the company dry.
It’s all coming together now. All my life my teachers have re-inforced to me that profits are bad and bigger government is gooder… this just proves everything that i have heard over and over and over and over
I can buy almost anything under $1000 but over a $1000 it’s pow wow with the wife time.
I have several sig p220, I use for daily carry. It is a fine gun.
LOL, sound familiar. I think I’m going for a Wilson when the time is right. I shot one here a couple weeks ago and was impressed. Very smooth cycling gun.
Python or baby garter snake?
J/K – Thumb up. ; D
God I love the feel of a new gun. I still get a kick out of checking it out. Loading it. Shooting it.
I think I’ll borrow a Les Baer from my friend, and talk to more people who own one. I just assumed it would be perfect. I would be really pissed if it started showing wear like that. Now the shooting 500 rounds thru it. That sounds great.
Maybe a leather holster.
The Gun I was looking at is over $2000 so I think it’s a pipe dream anyhow. The wife would not go for it. I usually show her a very expensive gun and then a while later show her something in the 5 to 7 hundred range. That usually works once a year.
She is ok with one new gun a year.
Thanks for the info again Brad. It’s nice to talk to an expert.
BFH
Sorry to hear about the website problem.
I suppose getting your own server would be too much for you. Not sure how that would work, but I’ve heard of people with there own server for their website.
Colt has a long history of remarkably bad management, going all the way back to Sam Colt. This outcome has been inevitable for some time. It is my understanding that Colt gets its shop labor through the UAW and I have read somewhere in the last year or so that the average shop worker at Colt made north of $75 an hour.
When you pay those kinds of salaries your product has to be priced ridiculously high to even approach making a profit. If you make a really good product, the market might bear it. If your quality is all over the place (like Colts), the market puts you in your place (bankruptcy).
Maybe another maker, like Remington, will step in, buy their tooling, fire their lame labor, and move it to a right-to-work state where somebody will be damn happy to turn out a quality product.
The last Colt I bought was a mod 1911 Government Series 80. It was junk and got rid of it. Years later I was looking for another 1911 and compared side-by-side a stainless Colt and Kimber. The Colt looked like a mess, couldn’t believe the finish work on the slide; couldn’t believe Gander Mt. was selling it. The Kimber was flawless. Still have the Kimber.