Been a long time coming:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/06/14/colt-chapter-11/71228058/
FYI Chapter 11 is a reorg, and not a liquidation. Looks like 1 firm will be buying Colt Defense. Will be interesting to see how they look when they come out of this.
That’s what happens when you rely mostly on military contracts, and do little to no innovation for years and years.
A reputation is good to have, but you have to refresh it every now and then or you go stale.
Colt has never been able to get their products in front of the consumer.
I go into Cabelas or Scheels and I see every junk aftermarket AR-15 brand except Colt. Why is that? This is one of colts main problems over the past decades. For whatever reason they do not have the ability to get product in front of the consumer.
During the dark ages they set the perception they were anti gun by neutering rifles. This allowed the first aftermarket brands to get traction. Bushmaster, RRA, DPMS, Armalite, and Olympic came on during this time. It took Colt until 2009 to change back to 0.155" trigger/hammer pins. This issue continues to haunt Colt.
You can say they should have offered this or that product and this might be true but that isn’t what is breaking the company.
Nonsense, Has nothing to do with “geeting in front of the consumer”, consumers just do not want what they are offering. Colts issue is they have not kept up with innovation or quality and relegated themselves to being a budget offering and even at a budget offering they fell behind. Colts gimmicky designs like the 901 are atrocious (1-12 16" .308? retarded…). Should have been more nimble and fixed their QC problems first.
The same thing almost happened to Leupold, when Leupold figured it out they started spending more on RnD and QC to get back in the game. Leupold is doing much better now.
Nope
Most people who are buying a 1911 or AR-15 want to buy a Colt whether they will admit it or not.
Colt has allowed other companies to maneuver into position to sell products.
Most people do not buy firearms off the Internet. They buy them at a storefront where there are no Colts.
I am not mistaken on this issue.
As far as quality, who exactly is ahead of Colt? Most companies cannot or do not meet the TDP. Colt does not have chronic QC problems.
I do agree the 901 is retarded and a gimmick.
Preach it!
When AWB ended, Colt still refused to sell un-neutered rifles. This opened the flood gates to competitors to reap the benefits on probably the greatest Bull market for firearms for year to come. Eventually they relented, but by then the damage was done.
Should have seen the handwriting on wall, and ramped up production summer 2004. Then on 09/14/04, have rifles in every major retailer. Along with Colt Mags, etc.
You clearly have to much emotion invested in this to see it rationally "Most people who are buying a 1911 or AR-15 want to buy a Colt whether they will admit it or not. ", hardly anyone on this site would choose an Ar-15 colt over other manufactures. For those that do it is because “they used one in the service” and that is what they know. I have two buddy’s that ditched their AR-15 Colts the next week after shooting a BCM and SR-15, they had no idea Colt had reached that bottom rung of manufactures.
Every big box store here carries Colts (Walmart, shoot straight, Shooters world, etc…). Out of all of them only WalMart can move any of them, simply because the only two choices there are S&W and Colt and the uninformed staff will point them to the “military” manufacture. When people get in a store with a somewhat knowledgeable staff they are not buying a Colt. The salesman at shooters world even informed me they have a hold on any new PO’s to Colt because they simply can’t move them due to lack of features with other rifles in their price range. They think they can move them if colt would cut $50 -$75 off each unit at the already bottom price range for the AR’s they offer.
You mean the TDP that Colt wrote themselves, that TDP? I measure quality in accuracy, longevity and repeatability. If other manufactures can produce rifles in the same price range that are more accurate, longer lasting, free from mechanical failure and defect and can repeat that from unit to unit I would say they have a better QC process.
You clearly are mistaken, because Colt is going under and it has nothing to do with product placement.
That is a marketing issue, not a brand issue.
I have seen 6920s at WalMart, unless they are $800, they go nowhere. Everybody wants a full flat-top - A2 site base is yesterday.
So true. When I was new to ARs I bought colt 6920s as they were a safe choice. As I learned mored, I wanted full flat tops with key mod rails. My last 3 purchases colt was ruled out because most of what you see is LE6920 out there with MOE. Colt hasn’t payed attention to what customers want.
I tend to agree with Scottyryan. Colt really dicked the dog getting their components in front of consumers as well. Colt parts were basically unobtanium unless you went through Ken Elmore or Dennis Todd up until just a few years ago. If they would have updated their website, had BCGs, railed uppers, OEM style things, lowers, LPKs etc. etc. consistently available and easily purchased vs. companies like PSA/BCM MANY people would have bought the Colt stuff. They made it difficult to access the military grade components for years while people like Paul Buffoni and Marty Daniel stepped in. Look at GnR tactical and they just now have 10.3 barrels, uppers etc. available at decent prices.
Ridiculous…
Show us on the doll where Colt touched you.
Not me!
What I’d love to see for 1911s is nitrided finish. It’s an excellent finish that can look nice and seems to be reasonably priced. It’s way more durable than most other finishes, both regarding wear and corrosion. I’d love to see nice nitrided 1911s but also revolvers… not sure I’ve seen any nitrided revolvers.
Interesting. Can you tell me which companies make a better weapon for the money??? A Colt 6720 is just $799 now so I will eagerly await to hear what is better than this (as I will become a dealer for said company and stock pile them deep)!!!
C4
Exactly.
Spare parts where non existent unless you went to a backdoor channel.
I agree with the comments about Colt being behind on features - I’ve had numerous chances to buy a 6920 at nice prices (recently in the 800’s IIRC) and it just has never grabbed me. I own rifles or uppers from BCM, DD and LMT, so it’s not like I avoid quality even at a price. I think Colt’s AR15 line is far behind, regardless of the TDP or purported quality.
However, I also own a 901, which in terms of features and engineering is one of the best, most innovative and useful .308 rifles around. It’s a bit heavy but their newer versions address that. I think the 901 would have been a home run and then some with a slightly lower price, better marketing and most of all better support. One thing that irked me and still does - my brand new in box 901 had more dings, scrapes and damage than most of my rifles that have seen a season or two of competition. Yeah, Colt doesn’t seem to care one bit about cosmetic damage or condition. I’m talking bright shiny metal dings too, not tiny stuff. When you pay nearly $2500 for a NIB rifle you can reasonably it to arrive in new condition. From what I’ve read this is Colt normal, not any bad luck on my part. This is not acceptable and may be another reason they have trouble selling rifles to the consumer. Joe Sixpack can’t see the difference between a 9310 bolt and a perfectly made C158 bolt, but he can see if one “new” rifle is all dinged up and the other is cosmetically perfect.
It looks like Colt’s major investor is going to try to buy the company out of Chapter 11, basically stiffing the bondholders. Oh well. I would much rather see Colt, or at least its relevant intellectual property, bought by someone like FN, DD or BCM who is capable of quality manufacturing, customer service, and at least some marketing. One (or maybe one and a half) out of three isn’t good enough. Personally I think the 901 platform is their most valuable asset, not some sort of gimmick or mistake.
“Most people” is not the people on this website.
Websites like this make up less than 2% of gun buyers.
Most gun buyers do not do the firearm/Internet thing. They do not use gunbroker, etc.
Most people have no clue what a keymod rail is or a low pro gas block. And most people don’t need one.
The average customer in Cabelas is not going to buy a KAC rifle.
Arguing about what rail should be on a rifle is looking for pennies on the floor when $100 bills are going out the window. Features on a rifle is not managing the strategic direction of a company. Having stuff on the market is managing strategic direction.
Yeah, I bought two 6720’s at the basement price and couldnt be happier. I dont think anyone will have a legitimate rebuttal to question on who makes one better at that price point. Hell, no one makes one that can compete with it at that price point!
If 6920’s were $800 in our area, they would sell more of them. The going rate is around $900. With tax, the total would be $976.50. People are buying hated brands with the same features for $740 out the door.
Scottryan’s comment “During the dark ages they set the perception they were anti gun by neutering rifles. This allowed the first aftermarket brands to get traction. Bushmaster, RRA, DPMS, Armalite, and Olympic came on during this time. It took Colt until 2009 to change back to 0.155” trigger/hammer pins. This issue continues to haunt Colt." is something I continue to hear about in gun shops and at local gun clubs.