AR mfgs - who will still be around?

[precision_shooter]

The problem here is Colt mfgs a very limited/narrow range of products...

AR-15 - Lots of companies that make them just as good or better and/or cheaper
1911's - Lots of companies that make them just as good and better. Some cheaper, some not...

Where are the polymer framed pistols?
Where are the small pistols aimed at concealed carry?
Where are the revolvers for competition, CC, and average Joe?
Where are the bolt action rifles (both tactical and hunting versions)?

The Colt name will still be around, but even the Colt of today is not the same company that was started by Samuel Colt... The suits took over the company when they filed for bankruptcy the first time.

Their narrow-minded approach of relying on .gov contracts to make/sell M4s and produce a small quantity of 1911's and AR-15s for the buying public is their problem. Unless someone buys them and then turns the company around 180 degrees to market products to consumers, have some kind of innovation, and build what the masses want, they will fail again and again...

[IdahoG36]

Adamantium

I'd bet after some market research of which name is more popular, either Bushmaster or DPMS will go away. I bet Remington will keep one around though.

If they got rid of the Bushmaster name, what name would the media use for any AR15 or AK47 that is ever mentioned in the news???

[Palmetto-Pride]

If a start up company like PSA could afford to sell mil spec ARs for $600ish dollars then certainly a well established company like Colt could.......oops hold on the difference may be unions yep that's it! Or maybe they couldn't figure out a way to tell Uncle Sam his cost $1000+, but Joe Citizens is only $600ish for the same rifle......lol

[Fishbed77]

If they got rid of the Bushmaster name, what name would the media use for any AR15 or AK47 that is ever mentioned in the news???

Sad but true.

If a start up company like PSA could afford to sell mil spec ARs for $600ish dollars then certainly a well established company like Colt could.......oops hold on the difference may be unions yep that's it! Or maybe they couldn't figure out a way to tell Uncle Sam his cost $1000+, but Joe Citizens is only $600ish for the same rifle......lol

Nailed it!

But I will say Colt has MUCH better QA/QC on their products than PSA (and I have quite a few PSA products I'm very happy with).

And that's definitely worth something.

[rickyrick]

The only gripe I have with PSA is the shipping... Legendarily slow, but they are honest about it.

If PSA wasn't so slow, I'd have a couple of safes full of their rifles or rifles built from their parts.

I'm extremely happy with the kit I have from PSA. I've sourced my successive ar parts from other vendors.

Aero precision has good parts, unique reciever configurations.

I'm not sure how their newest line with a roll mark of a skull with a bullet hole in both sides is going to fare in the public opinion arena

[ATW525]

The problem here is Colt mfgs a very limited/narrow range of products...

The problem with Colt has little to do with pricing or product selection. Colt is where it is today because of gross mismanagement and outrageous corporate greed that sucked every last penny out of the company while piling on hundreds of millions in debts.

[HKFan9]

Quote:
Yet they are still here and doing well.....
I guess they weren't doing as well as you thought.....

Quote:
Colt I would say never needed to lower their AR prices,
You still stand by that statement.......

Yes, and Yes.

The reason they are filing was to do with share holders as I remember it, awhile ago they hired a firm to redo it in order to maybe NOT file, but it all hinged I believe on the share holders taking a lesser deal.

It's bad news for Colt but does not mean the end YET. Lets not forget MANY major companies have filed chapter 11 and are still around.

Colt's issue isn't their civilian sales, or their price tier, they are in the same ball park as a POS Bushmaster, and people still buy and swear by bolt. They lost big chucks of the Military contracts which I can imagine hurt their bottom line much greater than Billy-jo Blow preferring a Remaster Panter AR-15.

I will say the WORST AR I owned was an older Colt, but most are good rifles, that being said there are BETTER, for LESS or atleast the same price, I personally prefer BCM over a Colt.

Another DUMB move they made was trying to push an over priced bolt action rifle line when they were already hurting.

Based on personal experiece at work, The problem isn't selling Colt's the problem is GETTING them FROM COLT.

[Palmetto-Pride]

HKFAN9 I wasn't trying to have a "ha ha I told you so moment" I truly hate to see any US gun manufacturer have problems.

Colt's issue isn't their civilian sales, or their price tier,

I have to disagree with you on that statement if they had the civilian sales like they should and could have had losing the military sales wouldn't have hurt them so bad. IF that famous Wal-Mart 6920 had been offered for $600ish dollars we wouldn't be having this conversation!

[Ibmikey]

I have great feeling for my Colt rifles and pistols, each is beautifully created from steel and other metals and fires reliably. The pistols being produced today continue this great manufacturing history however the numbers being released appears to be quite small according to distributor stock levels. Unfortunately many of their designs are dated, although still popular, and as a result miss much of the current civilian and police market. While other companies were developing poly framed striker fired pistols Colt produced many variations of the SA 1911 style pistol, good firearms but the market is saturated with them at lesser prices. One thing i have found reading forums is the great numbers of consumers who " buy cheap" no matter what the product Colt has nothing in this line. Another group that demands attention is Law Enforcement, Colt made a feeble attempt at modifying a 1911 pistol to S/A, D/A and even producing some trouble prone models for sale to the public prior to realizing the pistol was flawed, ugly and fit a need that did not exist.
I hope Colt survives and along with it's current line is able to add up to date innovative products that are acceptable to today's consumer.

[HKFan9]

I have to disagree with you on that statement if they had the civilian sales like they should and could have had losing the military sales wouldn't have hurt them so bad. IF that famous Wal-Mart 6920 had been offered for $600ish dollars we wouldn't be having this conversation!

Possibly, the way I look at it is Colt kind of lost touch to the newer generation of shooters for the most part. Colt has always been a strong name, but generally only the older generation revere them, almost to a fault.

Sure the snake series revolvers are held in high regards, but honestly they were never THAT good, the triggers were often terrible on them. Same goes for a lot of their 1911's. Their saving grave was quality parts that gun smiths could rework and make a good gun GREAT. I am sure I will get flamed for making such statements but it's generally true, many not ALL the time, but most production Colt's were just that.. PRODUCTION guns, not master pieces.

Once everyone and their brother stated producing 1911's Colt to me, kinda fell to the side lines. Sure they sell, and sold well to old timers or just generally stubborn people who declare "Colt is the original AKA the best" but later half of that statement just generally isn't true anymore. I am not playing brand loyalty but any mid production 1911 but XYZ brand are all in the same running as a Colt.

Their major problem from there is they simply DON'T get guns out their doors quick enough, therefore are never stocked well enough in stores. Top that with the fact for a long while there... Colt simply ignored the features MANY 1911 shooters liked/ wanted, to keep the old timers who declare blasphemy on a 1911 that dared to have a flat MSH, or front cocking serations, or HEAVENS FORBID a RAIL!

So to me, for awhile their 1911 line up was falling short, now double that with the fact that after the CLINTON AWB lifted, AR MFG's have been popping up like dandelions in May, and getting cheaper and cheaper. I am SURE that hurt Colt.

Their problem isn't quality, and I personally don't believe their issue is their price tier. Their 1911's are right there with a SA TRP / Kimber XYZ, and their AR's sell for decent prices depending on where you shop. Problem is the consumer market just wants CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP, and Colt just has been falling more and more behind the times, and they show up too late to the party. Their marketing department sucks. Say what you want about Kimber, and I know people like to rag on them and their glossy ads, but guess what, Kimbers are asked for by name, the Kimber reps know that( as I have shot with them a few times at a private event) , and they sell more 1911's that any other companies in a year combined, and they ride that wave.

And I still don't know why they tried a precision rifle line, I love precision rifles, but I don't think it was a good move on their behalf at that time.