Colt is stopping civilian production of their rifles

[eagleclaw]

Is this political or is it that they can't complete in today's AR 15 market?

Connecticut-based Colt Firearms last week reportedly signaled they are exiting the consumer rifle market in coming days.

The company, originally founded in 1855 by inventor Samuel Colt to make handguns, will stop making rifles for retail sales channels. The news came from The Truth About Guns who confirmed it with Paul Spitale, senior VP of Colt’s commercial business line and was verified by Shooting Illustrated.

“We’re going to focus on the products that our consumers are asking for. We’ve expanded our 1911s and our revolver line, and that market has been very positive for us,” Spitale said. Shooting Illustrated reported that Colt’s rifle line production is occupied, at least for the time being, with outstanding contracts which include orders through police and defense channels.

According to records from the ATF for 2017, the most current available, Colt produced some 31,987 pistols and 7,342 revolvers at their West Hartford, Connecticut factory that year. This compares with 13,942 rifles, of which 2,097 were exported. Since 2017, the company has been aggressively expanding its long-dormant revolver line, introducing several Cobra and King Cobra wheel guns, to an eager audience.

Historically, Colt has been perhaps best known for handguns, but rifles have never been absent from their catalog for long. At the same time, their famous black powder revolvers were making the company a household name, Colt was also producing Ring Lever and Revolving carbines and muskets.

By the end of the 19th Century, their Lightning series of pump-action rifles were extremely popular among shooting galleries and in the hands of sportsmen across the world. Fast forward to the 1950s and the company began marketing bolt-action hunting rifles such as their Alaskan series as well as a line of semi-auto rimfires like the Stagecoach.

Finally, Colt became a huge driving force in modern sporting rifles with the AR-15, a design acquired from then California-based Armalite in 1959. Colt went on to produce the rifle in select-fire models for military and LE contracts as well as semi-auto consumer versions over the past 70 years.

Current new semi-auto Colt ARs still available as of Monday include the M4 Carbine, Modular Carbine, and retro XM177E2.

https://www.guns.com/news/2019/09/16...onsumer-market

[Berncly]

I haven't touched anything Colt since the first time they pulled this crap.
No surprise they are doing it again.

[Emptymag]

I read that the CEO of Walmart asked them to do this.




Just kidding.

Whatever. I'm thinking that the consumers have spoken.

[bluetrane2028]

The market is saturated and they have a history of being stupid.

The one Colt I have pre-dates the '92 AWB, and it still lacks a bayonet lug, has oversized pins and a block in the receiver to prevent an auto sear being fitted somehow.

[Hodgie]

They have gone bankrupt over and over in this past so this is no surprise. The market has spoken and it said they don't want a $900.00 standard M4 anymore. When they announced their retro line reboot a few years back at Shot Show it had my interest until they said the prices were $2000.00 plus and their reasoning was due to having to retool. Well everyone else seems to be able to produce a retro rifle for half so once again they loose.

[rckeystone]

Essentially what Hodgie said

[jthrelf]

The market has spoken and it said they don't want a $900.00 standard M4 anymore.

This, and only this. When you can buy or build a standard AR for hundreds less, an enhanced AR for hundreds less, or spend a couple hundred more and you're in DD, LWRC and BCM territory... the Colt 6920s aren't worth it.

[normanvin]

They have gone bankrupt over and over in this past so this is no surprise. The market has spoken and it said they don't want a $900.00 standard M4 anymore. When they announced their retro line reboot a few years back at Shot Show it had my interest until they said the prices were $2000.00 plus and their reasoning was due to having to retool. Well everyone else seems to be able to produce a retro rifle for half so once again they loose.

I agree they priced them selves out of the market. But the anti gun people will see this as a win for their side.

[Noah_Zark]

. . . can't complete in today's AR 15 market?

^^^ This. Lower-cost options such as complete guns and DIY builds using parts from PSA and dozens of other vendors have put a hurt on Colt for civilian sales. The only people buying Colt ARs are those that "accept no substitutes."

Colt could be timing this move with the current political climate to transfer some of the "blame" away from commercial reasons to political ones, but as always, "follow the money."

Noah

[Sandcut]

^^^ This. Lower-cost options such as complete guns and DIY builds using parts from PSA and dozens of other vendors have put a hurt on Colt for civilian sales. The only people buying Colt ARs are those that "accept no substitutes."

Colt could be timing this move with the current political climate to transfer some of the "blame" away from commercial reasons to political ones, but as always, "follow the money."

Noah

While this may be true, who is apt to spend more money on Colt revolvers and 1911s, gun owners or anti-gun folks? Who is now LESS apt to spend money on Colt revolvers and 1911s?

If dumb ideas is a Colt trait, they aren't deviating from the norm.

This is just as tone deaf an action as when Benchmade used their factory to destroy police confiscated firearms. In fact it is worse!

I can forgive a company like Walmart or Starbucks for their positions on open carry. Firearms and firearm owners are a small subset of their market and they are being used as the playing field by both sides. It's kinda hard for Colt to distance itself from anything gun related. They should fucking know better!