Colt default??

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  • trbon8r

    Ultimate Member
    Sad story of a legendary company. I would love to see Colt revisit a few of their classic revolvers. But my best guess is that the reason why they haven't is largely that they probably can't. The necessary machinery is likely shot. I've heard that claim. But the real problem is that you'd probably need a shovel to find the guys who could run the equipment, and to do the necessary fitting.

    You'd need a shovel or a time machine to find someone that would pay the price for a new made Colt Python that was made to the old standard without cutting corners. Figure well over $2k. The market just isn't there, which is why the guns are no longer made.

    I suppose to Colt's credit at least they discontinued their revolvers rather than cheapening them as S&W has been doing for the last 30 years.
     

    Boom Boom

    Hold my beer. Watch this.
    Jul 16, 2010
    16,834
    Carroll
    The article mentions Colt Defense. Isn't their civilian market company under a different name?

    Colt Defense is the main company. If you mean Colt's Manufacturing, the guns are built by Colt Defense and distributed into civilian channels by Colt's Manufacturing.
     

    Boom Boom

    Hold my beer. Watch this.
    Jul 16, 2010
    16,834
    Carroll
    You'd need a shovel or a time machine to find someone that would pay the price for a new made Colt Python that was made to the old standard without cutting corners. Figure well over $2k. The market just isn't there, which is why the guns are no longer made.

    Colt's upper mgmt pushed to revive the DA revolver line about two years ago. For the reason you state, the idea was quickly torpedoed. Selling prices would have been above S&W Performance Center prices.
     

    rob

    DINO Extraordinaire
    Oct 11, 2010
    3,099
    Augusta, GA
    Colt's upper mgmt pushed to revive the DA revolver line about two years ago. For the reason you state, the idea was quickly torpedoed. Selling prices would have been well above S&W Performance Center prices.
    You need to find innovative ways to decrease production cost without cutting quality. If you fail to do that you will eventually lose.
     

    trbon8r

    Ultimate Member
    Colt's upper mgmt pushed to revive the DA revolver line about two years ago. For the reason you state, the idea was quickly torpedoed. Selling prices would have been above S&W Performance Center prices.

    Unfortunately sounds about right. The Python was an incredibly expensive gun to make. Hell the last time I checked, the Colt Custom Shop wanted $400 just to do a Royal Blue refinish on a 1911, which of course was the standard finish on a Python.
     

    Boom Boom

    Hold my beer. Watch this.
    Jul 16, 2010
    16,834
    Carroll
    You need to find innovative ways to decrease production cost without cutting quality. If you fail to do that you will eventually lose.

    More specifically...

    For AR rifles, Colt lost because of stiff, innovative competition from everywhere. It took Colt forever to wake up enough to stop using proprietary parts. For SAA revolvers, Colt lost because of Uberti (and related companies) making revolvers at least as good for less than half the price. Similar deal with 1911 pistols and all kinds of competitors selling solid, comparable product for way less money. Perfect storm.
     

    trbon8r

    Ultimate Member
    You need to find innovative ways to decrease production cost without cutting quality. If you fail to do that you will eventually lose.

    Innovative ways= unskilled labor, cheaper materials, and outsourcing parts to China or other unreputable sources. With a premium product like the Python, that is a losing recipe.

    Look at Freedom Group. They thought they were so slick gobbling up Marlin and moving their production from Connecticut to their factory down south. The guns have been a train wreck ever since and plagued with production problems. Freedom is getting exactly what they are paying for which is unskilled labor.

    Then again like I said before, the gun manufacturers are giving people exactly what they want which is cheap. So when a South Carolina Remington or Marlin won't run worth a damn, it will be time to bitch at Bubba the assembler rather than kicking around some "union" guy from up north.

    Oh and notice how the prices haven't come down on the guns despite the cheaper labor. Corporate smoke and mirrors at its best.
     

    Boom Boom

    Hold my beer. Watch this.
    Jul 16, 2010
    16,834
    Carroll
    Yet the success of EOTech, Trijicon, and Aimpoint prove that product with premium pricing can still sell in large volume if it distinguishes itself well enough versus lower-end alternatives. Colt failed to distinguish itself at all and seemed to depend on name recognition alone.
     

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