Colt to halt making AR-15's

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  • DivingDriver

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 14, 2016
    1,514
    Nanjemoy MD
    Even the wall street journal got it wrong. According to them Colt is stopping production on civilian style AR 15. Can't anybody get it right? All you have to do is read the statement Colt put out. Evidently all these collage educated individuals can not comprehend a very simple release by a manufacture.
    . On the other hand it did my heart good driving by these marinas in Marathon and the boats flying "Trump 2020" flags. Maybe all is not lost
     

    OnTarget

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 29, 2009
    3,154
    WV
    How much could a Colt AR-15 stripped lower, in general, bring on the market today? If at all available, what's a reasonable price in your mind?
     

    TheOriginalMexicanBob

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 2, 2017
    32,180
    Sun City West, AZ
    BTW, Colt does not make all the parts for its rifles.

    I meet a guy a few years ago at a track day. He had a manufacturing company that made parts for phones. At one point. He had almost completed switched over to being a subcontractor for Colt making AR-15/M4 parts.

    BTW, he was tracking a Ferrari F430 Scudaria (list price $281,000, but none sold that low). And his wife was tracking his old car, an F430 Competitione.

    That Colt doesn't make all its own parts is no secret...few companies do. Colt gets the raw forgings for the receivers from a vendor that specializes in such operations. Colt makes sure all parts at minimum meet all contract and military specs then does finish machining, assembly and testing. Colt does make its own barrels. Other parts come from other vendors. Most other gunmakers use outside vendors as well.
     

    teratos

    My hair is amazing
    MDS Supporter
    Patriot Picket
    Jan 22, 2009
    59,775
    Bel Air
    My curiosity of with whom their contracts are with reminds me of a comment I recently read, FOX or FB ? Comment: "The AR15 is not used by any army in the world." This had many likes and was in regards to a "no weapons of war" post. So I ask, is it true that no armys use the AR15? Name one for 100 internet point.

    Aren’t the MK12 mod 0/1 rifles semi-auto?

    Maybe this is because the gauges are made to meet the specs that Colt established in the very beginning of their production?
    .

    I somehow don’t see a problem with this. They were the standard for how ARs should gauge. Can you please explain.
     

    dist1646

    Ultimate Member
    May 1, 2012
    8,760
    Eldersburg
    Aren’t the MK12 mod 0/1 rifles semi-auto?



    I somehow don’t see a problem with this. They were the standard for how their ARs should gauge. Can you please explain.

    FIFY!

    Different manufacturers can have different tolerances than what Colt uses and still have a perfectly safe and functional product. For an example, look at the AR10 style platform. Lots of different specs between manufacturers and lack of parts interchangability in that platform.
     

    dist1646

    Ultimate Member
    May 1, 2012
    8,760
    Eldersburg
    His point (to Chad's point) is that Colt is consistent in QC. Very few companies are consistent with complete rifles and/or parts. But that wasn't your point. Using your logic, no other manufacturer would ever gauge "properly". They'd have different base standards and most likely advertise it.

    Even good companies like SOLGW have stated that Colt puts out a good product. They are the standard that others are measured by.

    I'll never get the combative mentality toward Colt. They put out a good product in a mediocre market.

    Not what I said but, take it how you please. Using reverse logic, the only company that puts out a good product would be Colt. That simply isn't true. If it were, Colt would absolutely dominate the National Matches, they don't. Good luck finding one there, especially in the hands of the top competitors! As others have since stated, Colt doesn't even make their own , they subcontract it out. Now, they have decided to leave our civilians behind so they can fill contracts for FOREIGN countries. Colt has a history of abandoning civilians. They were not our friends in '94 and they are not now. They are most definitely not the company they once were.
     

    TheOriginalMexicanBob

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 2, 2017
    32,180
    Sun City West, AZ
    Not what I said but, take it how you please. Using reverse logic, the only company that puts out a good product would be Colt. That simply isn't true. If it were, Colt would absolutely dominate the National Matches, they don't. Good luck finding one there, especially in the hands of the top competitors! As others have since stated, Colt doesn't even make their own , they subcontract it out. Now, they have decided to leave our civilians behind so they can fill contracts for FOREIGN countries. Colt has a history of abandoning civilians. They were not our friends in '94 and they are not now. They are most definitely not the company they once were.

    I don't follow the National Matches but it's very common for match competitors to be sponsored by a manufacturer with highly tuned firearms...not all parts from that maker either. Apparently Colt doesn't play the game much...or they can't afford to as their precarious financial position demands.

    Colt doesn't outsource their manufacturing of their core products either. They do use outside vendors who specialize in forging operations to supply the raw forgings for their products...(a little secret...most gunmakers do the same). There's little reason for a gunmaker to have a complete foundry operation and all the payroll and other costs incurred when they can hire a vendor who specializes is those processes. I know Ruger has its own foundry but they also have diversified into making castings for other products in other industries to help support it.

    Colt (and others) do QC inspections to verify the forgings meet all specs and do the machining and finishing into the final product. None of that is a secret. The M16 and M4 contractors all are aware of the entire process and where all parts come from and the entire inspection process.

    The Colt Competition line of AR-based rifles several years ago was licensed to Colt Competition...a different manufacturer. After the bottom fell out of the market after the 2016 election that company went under.

    I've been to the S&W factory and about the only part of their polymer pistol lines they make themselves is the barrel...everything else comes from outside vendors. It's simply the way of manufacturing today.
     

    dist1646

    Ultimate Member
    May 1, 2012
    8,760
    Eldersburg
    I don't follow the National Matches but it's very common for match competitors to be sponsored by a manufacturer with highly tuned firearms...not all parts from that maker either. Apparently Colt doesn't play the game much...or they can't afford to as their precarious financial position demands.

    Colt doesn't outsource their manufacturing of their core products either. They do use outside vendors who specialize in forging operations to supply the raw forgings for their products...(a little secret...most gunmakers do the same). There's little reason for a gunmaker to have a complete foundry operation and all the payroll and other costs incurred when they can hire a vendor who specializes is those processes. I know Ruger has its own foundry but they also have diversified into making castings for other products in other industries to help support it.

    Colt (and others) do QC inspections to verify the forgings meet all specs and do the machining and finishing into the final product. None of that is a secret. The M16 and M4 contractors all are aware of the entire process and where all parts come from and the entire inspection process.

    The Colt Competition line of AR-based rifles several years ago was licensed to Colt Competition...a different manufacturer. After the bottom fell out of the market after the 2016 election that company went under.

    I've been to the S&W factory and about the only part of their polymer pistol lines they make themselves is the barrel...everything else comes from outside vendors. It's simply the way of manufacturing today.

    I was informed that CMT does the receivers for Colt, to include machining operations.

    Actually, very few competitors are sponsored in matches. Sponsors usually reserve sponsorship to top level competitors only. Colt is not in the game because they are not up to the demands of the competitors, if they were, they would have significant presence. Instead, other companies filled the need and profited from doing so.

    Colt does outsource, many companies do and there is nothing wrong with that as long as consistent quality is maintained.

    Ruger has it's own foundry and one of the reasons for it is that they specialize in the art of investment casting. It costs less to cast their M77 receivers than it would to machine them completely from bar stock. One of the advantages is the molecular orientation in the steel. Some may claim otherwise but, I have seen their M77 receivers stand up to things that would destroy another receiver.

    Considering how long Colt has been in business, one would think that they should be in a position of dominance in the market. The long standing mismanagement by more than one group of executives, the chapter 11's, failure to replace worn machinery and loss of highly skilled craftsmen that they once had, have taken it's toll. I like the stuff Colt made back in the day, single actions, Pythons, etc.. The earlier ones were true gems. Sadly, quality, even for those, was in decline toward the end of their respective runs.
     

    TheOriginalMexicanBob

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 2, 2017
    32,180
    Sun City West, AZ
    Considering how long Colt has been in business, one would think that they should be in a position of dominance in the market. The long standing mismanagement by more than one group of executives, the chapter 11's, failure to replace worn machinery and loss of highly skilled craftsmen that they once had, have taken it's toll. I like the stuff Colt made back in the day, single actions, Pythons, etc.. The earlier ones were true gems. Sadly, quality, even for those, was in decline toward the end of their respective runs.


    No disagreement. Considering that Colt is the originator of the 1911 and purchased the patents from Armalite fairly early on, one would think that Colt would own those markets. While Colt has often had financial problems (many gun makers have...it's the kind of market they're in), in the 1950s they were purchased by a conglomerate...Penn-Texas...which was known for buying and bleeding companies dry. They changed the name to Colt Industries to capitalize on the Colt name and milked the company for M16 contracts and let the commercial side slide away...little innovation...starved the commercial side of modern machinery...let the law enforcement market get away from them. As long as the M16 kept the corporate ownership fat and happy it continued. Once the M16 market went away they sucked out what was left and left Colt's carcass on the side of the road for several new owners who were not gun people or tried to be politically correct and made things worse.

    Colt still makes a good product...they do still have good people and some managers who care but the ownership is suspect to say the least. They've let the Single-Action Army product all but die away when they would again...own that market. Their new revolver lines are as good as any comparable product made but people still aren't sure whether they will still be there long term. To not have a .22LR handgun in the lineup is beyond stupid. The same goes for a .44 Magnum.

    I'm hoping the future will bring new products out and help the company be successful...there's always room for competition and they can build a good product.
     

    omegared24

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 23, 2011
    4,747
    Ijamsville, MD
    Not what I said but, take it how you please. Using reverse logic, the only company that puts out a good product would be Colt. That simply isn't true. If it were, Colt would absolutely dominate the National Matches, they don't. Good luck finding one there, especially in the hands of the top competitors! As others have since stated, Colt doesn't even make their own , they subcontract it out. Now, they have decided to leave our civilians behind so they can fill contracts for FOREIGN countries. Colt has a history of abandoning civilians. They were not our friends in '94 and they are not now. They are most definitely not the company they once were.

    I don't have any idea what you're talking about here. You're all over the place.
     

    babalou

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 12, 2013
    16,020
    Glenelg
    CMTTAC

    I was informed that CMT does the receivers for Colt, to include machining operations.

    Actually, very few competitors are sponsored in matches. Sponsors usually reserve sponsorship to top level competitors only. Colt is not in the game because they are not up to the demands of the competitors, if they were, they would have significant presence. Instead, other companies filled the need and profited from doing so.

    Colt does outsource, many companies do and there is nothing wrong with that as long as consistent quality is maintained.

    Ruger has it's own foundry and one of the reasons for it is that they specialize in the art of investment casting. It costs less to cast their M77 receivers than it would to machine them completely from bar stock. One of the advantages is the molecular orientation in the steel. Some may claim otherwise but, I have seen their M77 receivers stand up to things that would destroy another receiver.

    Considering how long Colt has been in business, one would think that they should be in a position of dominance in the market. The long standing mismanagement by more than one group of executives, the chapter 11's, failure to replace worn machinery and loss of highly skilled craftsmen that they once had, have taken it's toll. I like the stuff Colt made back in the day, single actions, Pythons, etc.. The earlier ones were true gems. Sadly, quality, even for those, was in decline toward the end of their respective runs.

    Another member here loves them. I have thought about purchasing one or more of their UHP Gen2 lowers. Watched their vids.
     

    omegared24

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 23, 2011
    4,747
    Ijamsville, MD
    If anyone wants to sell any Colt rifles/parts to me for cheap feel free to reach out. I'm happy to take them off your hands.

    I'll even take donations.
     

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