Who, if anyone, is The New "Colt" for AR's?

TheOriginalMexicanBob · Nov 17, 2019

3paul10 said:
Fellas, I recertified my Colt armorers cert in August. They instructor was a senior Colt rep....he assured us that Colt isn't out of the civilian sale business, they simply are catching up on their government contracts for a few months....why are we believing a left leaning article spewing such nonsense? .....cause it's fun to panic buy, that's why..

The original source of Colt suspending civilian rifle sales for a while was not a press release...Colt only sent notices to distributors and they leaked it. I think it was leaked likely to create a demand as they wanted to sell inventory that has been sitting due to slow sales. The Colt press release was after the fact...probably an effort to blunt criticism when it was simply a business decision to catch up with existing contracts. The press release was a bit too lawyerly and didn't help...they should have simply said it in plain language.

Huckleberry · Nov 17, 2019

Personally, I'm waiting for GM's Turbo Hydromatic Division to jump back into the market. They made a helluva good M16A1 for the DOD in addition to really great transmissions back in the day.

J/K.....I shoot an Original Bushmaster Heat Dissipator so I go with a Windham.

TheOriginalMexicanBob · Nov 17, 2019

Huckleberry said:
Personally, I'm waiting for GM's Turbo Hydromatic Division to jump back into the market. They made a helluva good M16A1 for the DOD in addition to really great transmissions back in the day.

The same people who drove GM into bankruptcy can get into the AR market...maybe the taxpayers will bail out the gun industry now.

Combloc · Nov 17, 2019

Huckleberry said:
Personally, I'm waiting for GM's Turbo Hydromatic Division to jump back into the market. They made a helluva good M16A1 for the DOD in addition to really great transmissions back in the day.

I can tell you that the action on the one below is smoooooth. Probably slicker than any Colt I have shot. The lower is a repro but everything else is as it left the factory having come from the same almost new condition rifle; ex-police of all things. They were keeping the lower and "upgrading" it into a "more modern" carbine. I remember when you could buy these kits CHEAP. It's sad that we can't build stuff like this in this state anymore:

boss281 · Nov 17, 2019

calicojack said:
This ^^

This^^^. I have Windham Weaponry's pre ban carbine and a post ban HBAR. Fine rifles.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

MichaelZWilliamson · Nov 20, 2019

I'm no snob, but S&W, Windham, several others mentioned, are...second tier at best. They're cheaper because they use cheaper materials. "Fit and finish" is fine, but durability matters, too. ESPECIALLY the buffer tube on the carbine. There's a 70% difference in strength between the actual milspec material AND PROCESS (impact extruded), and the ones that are merely milled to the right dimensions.

It is possible to do better than milspec. Stoner and a couple of others exceed the standards by a margin.

As far as stock ARs, here's a compiled chart of materials and processes from M4C:

MichaelZWilliamson · Nov 20, 2019

Yeah, Colt suspends sales or temporarily discontinues product lines any time there's a market glut. They'll be back.

echo6mike · Nov 20, 2019

Combloc said:
I can tell you that the action on the one below is smoooooth. Probably slicker than any Colt I have shot. The lower is a repro but everything else is as it left the factory having come from the same almost new condition rifle; ex-police of all things. They were keeping the lower and "upgrading" it into a "more modern" carbine. I remember when you could buy these kits CHEAP. It's sad that we can't build stuff like this in this state anymore:

Oh, man that looks great!

And with the fun switch? Totes jelly.

:party29:

P5th · Nov 20, 2019

grimnar15 said:
Although I dropped the FN bomb, my personal vote goes to SOLGW. They are a great firearms company, I have not yet found their rifles in an HBAR but I am building one around an colt SOCOM HBAR 14.5" Barrel. I'll post pics once done.

https://youtu.be/uk6_ay9e83Q

Can I ask where you got that barrel? I need one myself.

Sirex · Nov 20, 2019

I like my Colt a lot, but my Windham has been 100%. I know it is a consumer grade AR, but has nice build quality, and great warranty. I don't have the coin right now for a DD, BCM, Noveske. I think my Windham is a good compromise. If Skynet strikes, and I have to go into battle, I will take my Colt. To the range, the Windham.

Alan3413 · Nov 20, 2019

At my age, any one of them will ourlast me in a SHTF scenario

ralph.mclean · Nov 20, 2019

Windham Weaponry.

Mine is their HBAR. (Maryland legal). Shoots great and is very well made, and cost less that the Colt by a couple hundred dollars. Very accurate, out to 300 yards anyway.

Every bit as nice as my buddy's Colt.

ralph.mclean · Nov 20, 2019

Windham.

ralph.mclean · Nov 20, 2019

Trying again....

DutchV said:
The HBAR requirement kills most of the good ones for us here in MD.

Windham....

DutchV · Nov 20, 2019

The one Windham I saw in person had an un-staked castle nut. Not "poor staking" but none at all. Yes, I realize it's a sample of one. Still, that observation does not inspire confidence.

TheOriginalMexicanBob · Nov 20, 2019

Unfortunately...every manufacturer misses something every now and then...if it's a manmade item there will occasionally be a failure of quality control...no matter how hard they try or how good a company.

When a LEO and agency instructor, we received a shipment of new Smith & Wesson revolvers. Another instructor and I took them all to the range to test fire all before they could be issued. All were fine but one...it wouldn't target at all...either missed the target or keyhole impacts. Upon inspection we found there was no rifling in the barrel...it was a smoothbore. When we returned to the office I called S&W...the fellow I spoke with said he wanted that revolver back to show people. He said it had to pass through the hands of at least a dozen workers and inspectors and no one caught it. We had the revolver back with a proper barrel on it in a week's turnaround.

I think most will consider S&W a quality manufacturer. One mistake like that...while admittedly disconcerting...doesn't mean the entire product line is bad. I would think the same about Windham.

Basically...it comes under the heading of sh!t happens. That's why you inspect and test any firearm that might be called upon to defend yourself with.

Alan3413 · Nov 20, 2019

DutchV said:
The one Windham I saw in person had an un-staked castle nut. Not "poor staking" but none at all. Yes, I realize it's a sample of one. Still, that observation does not inspire confidence.

Windham doesn't stake them. They address this on their website

https://www.windhamweaponry.com/how-to-stake-a-telestock-castle-nut/

It's not hard to stake however

DutchV · Nov 20, 2019

Alan3413 said:
Windham doesn't stake them. They address this on their website

https://www.windhamweaponry.com/how-to-stake-a-telestock-castle-nut/

It's not hard to stake however

They should put a warning label on that. Buyers are expecting to get a finished rifle.

erwos · Nov 20, 2019

MichaelZWilliamson said:
As far as stock ARs, here's a compiled chart of materials and processes from M4C:

Not only is this chart old and not kept updated, it's been widely discredited as causing more problems than it solved. MPI never catches anything. HPT is murder on bolt lifespan. Recoil once did an interview with Reed Knight (who owns KAC), and he said that it HALVES the life on SR-25 bolts.

It's 2019, the chart is not a thing anymore.

FN is the new Colt. They have the M4 contract. It's pretty much that simple. Are there other companies that do as good a job, if not better? Absolutely. But if you want so-called mil-spec, FN is where to go if you don't want a Colt.

Wynter · Nov 20, 2019

Windham Weaponry.

Who, if anyone, is The New "Colt" for AR's?

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