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Military Firearm Restoration Corner

Colt In Bankruptcy


Dr.Hess

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http://www.wnd.com/2015/06/colt-firearms-files-for-bankruptcy/?cat_orig=politics

 

Seems like their sales model was only selling M4's to the US government. Everyone else was selling everything they could to the rest of us thanks to the #1 gun salesman ever. Then Colt lost the contract as things wound down in the sandbox and they had no backup plan, plus a butt-load of debt, which is what kills most businesses. And don't forget that whole New England problem. Having a gun manufacturer in the middle of an extreme anti-gun part of the country is not healthy either. I've also heard rumors of some quality control issues for a while. Not sure if the current stuff got better or not.

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Colt has been a USG baby since the Army colt in 1860. With out a big contract...they are in trouble.

There guns are good but they are pricey and in these times, that alone will ruin you if you keep it up too long.

karl

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Colt did and I presume still. Had numerous union problems.

 

I recall hearing the union's side years ago. Colt divided the company civilian/govt sales. To the best of my recollection Colt did not honor the collective bargaining agreement with the division that was split off. I'm pretty sure it was the govt side. The union never mentioned that after Colt lost exclusive right to the M-16 they had to bid against non-union manufactures. Last I heard the dispute went to court and I quit seeing Colt on my union's boycott list.

 

High labor costs caused the demise of Savage, H&R and the original lever action Winchesters. Tony is spot on, on the value of the name. I don't know the numbers but the Winchester name has been licensed to several manufactures lining some entity or somebody's pocket.

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Unions had it made as did manufacturers between 1945 and 1975. Europe and Asia was blown to bits and almost everything had to be made here.

If you have a monopoly, you can charge what you will.

Problem is that the union HAS to stay here, but the manufacturers are free to invest their money overseas and once the fear of the commies nationalizing was gone the race was on. if a better "return" is to be found from an investment in China, money will flow to China. If I can buy a RI 45 for $400 or just wish for a 1000 dollar Colt..well It will be the RI. Back in the 60's I would have just had to save up ..not now.

Welcome to the world market....I dont like it but it is a fact.

karl

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I'm surprised the Obama administration didn't get involved as it did saving other union jobs. Guess if Colt were manufacturing widgets and gizmos Obama's cronies would have been right on top of it. Electronically adding numerous goose-eggs to their bank account. I am surprised to see the contract go overseas. I assume they will have to move production to the USA as Beretta did with the M-9 contract. FN/USA does have manufacturing here but I don't know if it includes the AR series. Personally I would have preferred to see a USA co like Daniel Defense or DPMS get the contract.

 

We can only speculate how many manufacturing facilities will be stamping the Colt name on their product in the near future. As Colt is reorganized their tooling, skilled labor and mangers will hopefully move south with rights to the name. Away from the strong ties to unions and sympathetic politicians and populace. I guess the return of the highly skilled hand fit Python built with the same quality as in the 1950's through 70's likely will never happen. With used Pythons fetching as much as two grand. Seems to me somebody could produce the same high quality aided by modern CNC machinery while making a handsome profit.

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If I was Uberti I'd want the Colt name. Uberti is excellent.

You're right about that but Ruger literally destroyed all competitors for single action revolvers for Cowboy Action Shooting. Uberti along with Taurus and Beretta got less than a 10% share I'm told. The gun store clerk also told me Uberti and Beretta S/A revolvers came out of the same Italian factory with frames and various parts going overseas to Taurus. Some gun store sales people are real blow hards and he may have made it all up in his mind to push the sale of their Taurus S/A 45 Colts.

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