[Matt VDW]

Rumors about Colt's financial status are circulating here: http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?id=62138 .
None of this stuff (Colt going under and/or being bought by FN) is true, is it?

 

[RickB]

Hey, didn't you hear? Colt isn't selling guns in the commercial market, and haven't for "several years"! And, every Colt has to go back to the factory three times to make it work. Sam Colt? The copycat? That Sam Colt? What planet do these guys live on? The guy who said Colt has been on the verge of collapse for years, is right. But, I am not aware of any "news" (more recent than late '99, anyway), that indicates Colt is doing anything but making guns, and trying to stay in business.

 

[Matt VDW]

OK, that's what I thought.

 

[FirearmsPlus.FL]

Colt tried to buy FN back a few years ago, but that's been it.

Colt's been financially shaky for years, I think they only came out of bankruptcy in 94 or 96.

Right now, Colt's probably doing better than at any time in their history of the last few decades.

 

[col132]

As long as they continue to roll handguns out, I hope they stay out of business, because some of these companies who are in business are really rolling out junk (jeez, did that make sense?)

 

[Matt VDW]

Do Colt's workers still belong to the UAW?

 

[Elizabeth Colt]

Yes they are still union. Also, Colt never pulled out of the civilian market, they did slow production for a bit, but they always sold to the public...

 

[RickB]

The latest one: "Former employees have set up a factory across the street, and are trying to put Colt out of business". I was discussing the M1991A1 with a local gunshop clerk, when I got that little tid-bit. I think the guy must have been talking about USFA, who are making Peacemaker clones. But, they're not across the street, they are actually in the old Colt factory. Their guns are magnificent in appearance, by the way. Priced at about half what a Colt SAA costs, USFA might just help put Colt out of business.

 

[emmo]

I kinda doubt Colt would go under if they lost the single-action market to USFA, if this info is even close to being true. Colt's SAAs are custom shop guns, and Colt does not rely on those sales to keep going. If anything, a SAA sale is probably more of a bonus to their profit, because I can't imagine the production cost of a SAA being more than $500, and they go for about $1800 these days. The 1991 is the backbone, and I might see Colt's integrity compromised IF they ever lost that market, which ain't gonna happen anytime soon. Just my two cents

 

[dsk]

With all the bad-mouthing of the Colt 1911A1 repro being overpriced, you should see the SAA. Usually when you do see one at a shop the action is zip-tied shut and you're not allowed to handle it. I think the real reason is they don't want you to see how crappy they are. The one time I was able to handle one the cylinder had a ton of play in it, the action and trigger felt like someone dumped sand into the frame, and the overall finish was below what I have come to expect. Not to mention the fact that it's a pain to get one with beveled cylunder flutes and a bulls-eye ejector rod. No, for $1800 I'll buy a brace of EMF Hartford models instead.

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D. Kamm
USGI M1911/M1911A1 Pistols Website
http://www.geocities.com/M1911_M1911A1