Now that CZ owns Colt, what should they do first?

M4C- Stickman's Corner Stickman
1

Its official, CZ has bought Colt, here is what I posted to IG…:

Dear CZ, congratulations on buying Colt. Please start by firing everyone who was an officer, and instead of a giant severance package, give them 2 weeks salary in an envelope while security walks them out. Next, fire anyone who can’t fieldstrip an M4.
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Next, move to a firearm friendly state. Stop giving money to a state that is trying to put Colt out of business.
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Lastly, hire some people who actually know the firearm community and understand what the public wants. There is no reason for Colt to lag so far behind.
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Thank you for saving an American icon!

While some people will think I’m joking, I’m serious. The overhead at Colt has appeared to be the major blockage for Colt moving forward, and the overhead includes brass who “APPEAR” to have been brought on board not for any actual firearm ability, but because of past or future favors. While there are lines which are supposed to be drawn on some of this, that isn’t my point. My point is that the brass, and the upper management has shown themselves to be utter failures. These individuals should not be walking away with massive checks for a company they ran into the ground, rather, they should be perp walked out the door with a carboard box, and kicked off the curb in the direction of their expensive cars.

The state, and the union have not been favorable to Colt. I’m not exactly pro union, but I do understand why they have a place. I also understand extortion tactics used by Unions, and how bad some of them are. Its my opinion that Colt/ CZ needs to move to a firearm friendly location, and set up their facilities for new workers at good wages, with good management and start again.

My last comment is pretty easy for guys to understand who are in the firearm industry. I have no doubt Colt has made a lot of fantastic firearms, the problem is that if they don’t get a GOV contract for them, those items vanish into a vault. Remington did the same thing with its 12 or so ACR examples that it made. It used them to show them off, but never opened them for sale. Funny how they didn’t see a return in that investment… New people who understand what is being bought and sold will make the difference in sales. Short run pieces aren’t a bad thing, and I think Colt could make good money by doing 1 and 2 year runs of different model AR15s. Different rails, different gas systems, and different furniture create new pieces to engage with the customers and dealers. I wouldn’t think the 6920 model should ever vanish, but there is more to the market than one older model AR.

I most sincerely wish CZ the best of luck with Colt. I feel they have a fantastic opportunity, but they will need to take some pretty basic steps to see them come to fruition.

What changes would you like to see CZ make to have Colt be successful?

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Updated Mid-length M4s. And polymer 1911s just to blow up the fudd heads that are still intact after a fur-in company bought Colt.

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I know I’m not the only dude that thinks it sucks another American company gets bought out by foreign investors. we’ve really just become the battery for the rest of the world, oh well.

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The 6920 as a carbine gas gun needs to die. I would recommend that they focus on midlength gas unless carbine is necessary for length. There is absolutely no reason why they should not be a direct competitor to BCM. As Colt got old and fudd’ish, BCM came in and offered excellent QC, reliability, and simple innovation that Colt didn’t have.

I know there are many on this board that consider the 6920 a go to recommendation but I would not recommend a Colt for any platform in any caliber. The only thing they make in my opinion that’s worth a dam is their lowers with their parts but I feel none of that can be trusted as of late. They are Remington in so many ways and in my opinion deserve Remington’s death. Somehow by the grace of god they got purchased by a weapons manufacturer that actually knows their shit and can use them as a US based hedge if the Biden administration does something to limit imports.

I completely agree with Stick that they should ditch CT and the union. They would be far better off to move to TX or WY.

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With rail and barrel lengths similar to the SR15/16

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M4 SOCOM barrels but mid length for… me. [emoji2375][emoji38]

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I fail to see how Colt is lagging behind. They make the toughest milspec bolts on the market. They make the most accurate/long wearing chrome lined barrels on the market. What’s not to love???

If you go screwing with it, you’ll end up with one of two things. Either another KAC/LMT at 2500 bucks a pop, or another BCM with sometimes questionable milspec quality with “modern” features that are more marketing than substance for 1500 a pop.

Personally I’ll take the tried and true for 800 thank you very much.

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Completely lost me. Id understand if there was some vast noticable improvement in reliability and parts longevity. But there really isn’t. What is BCM giving me (talking about pre 2020) for $1000+ that a 6920 won’t for half the price.

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Pre 2020 a 6920 was what, $800? And a BCM was $1200.

With the BCM you got essentially the same mil spec reliability but also got a modern barrel profile with mid length gas system, hybrid comp/flash hider, ergonomic charging handle, free floated MLOK rail, and better furniture.

Plus fantastic customer service. I sent a 6920 Trooper back to Colt because it arrived with a broken rail mount bolt. It took months of me chasing Colt just to get it back.

I bought a complete BCM lower from Brownells that arrived with a sticky bolt catch. BCM took it back directly, paid shipping both ways, and had it back to me in a week.

The only interesting gun Colt made in the last decade was the 6960 CCU. The specs were nearly identical to a 16” BCM Recce ELW, but with a basic A2 bird cage. Of course it was a short run that they discontinued. Makes sense.

To answer the OP - Colt should start churning out 6960s at high volume for competitive prices.

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One foot in the past and one in the future–keep certain core “bread and butter” models in regular production and cycle through “retro/repro” offerings a few a year, but also look at what everybody’s doing today and then try to take the next step whatever it may be. Try to lead the industry not chase it, and do a “sorta-open-source” licensing thing like Magpul with M-Lok to try to ensure that good ideas get a chance at traction in the industry along with honest competition to ensure that the best come out on top. At the same time, collaborate with Crane, Picatinny etc. trying to work on the next generation of features DOD wants.

And when I say Retro/Repro, I don’t mean “cosmetic only” like those bastardized faux-“1903 Pocket Hammerless” abortions that can’t even use original magazines never mind actual parts… I mean true repro, full parts interchange compatibility as far as practical.

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Base-model OEM 1 and 2’s like they did a short while back without furniture with lightweight vs SOCCOM-profile barrels and either FSB’s or low-profile gas blocks.

Also, a return and expansion of the 901 line.

As far as being a foreign company, no one cares. CZ is an excellent firearms manufacturer and FN has produced some of JMB’s best designs.

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On the 5.56 side:
6960 is the easy button and should become a/the standard but with a Colt handguard to avoid paying Centurion on every unit (despite my love for Centurion, it doesn’t make sense). Make this the go-to option for anyone who wants their first AR and isn’t afraid to pay more than $500.
Then do monolithic M-Lok 11.5 pencil, 11.5 and 14.5 (midlength) SOCOM profiles in both rifles and complete uppers.
Then a 6960 profile with FSB for old times sake.
Don’t sell any uppers without a BCG.

On the larger semi-auto side:
Bring back their 308/6.5CM deal for a righteous price that makes it, instead of DPMS, the non-KAC/LMT standard.

Those are easy things that establish them in a volume semi-auto market.
They should also keep cloned carbine options coming in for people who want to have what troops carried, but not making that their focus…just a steady income with a supply just enough to keep the price on the upper end.

I’d really like to see some sort of collaborative work on a super small 9mm sub gun. It may not make good sense, since the Scorpion is out there making plenty of waves, but it could be cool. Particularly if they could make something that competes with B&T from an American company.

Also, I have tons of family, immediate and extended, that work for unionized companies. I have worked on both sides myself. I state this as fact, not opinion: Unions are primarily a pathogen that eat away at a company’s health, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly. Unfortunately, some managers/owners have asked for this illness by associating with prostitutes or constant cigarette usage (whichever analogy works for you, you get the idea). Colt needs to move, and CZ needs to make whatever payoffs they need to to make it happen.

Edit: Also, suppressors. Good ones.

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The cr6960 is already back in production, just as with most things impossible to find

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On a serious note: I’d like to see another 7.62 AR option. Not the 901 but something lightweight, accurate, KAC and LMT receiver compatible, and cheaper than both.

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Modernize the 6920 (while keeping it as a base option) same with all their models of various barrel lengths. off better barrel profile, different rail choices etc

They have a good opportunity to really get some share of the 1911 market with colt as well. Cz owns dan wesson i believe, they have the knowledge do do something good here

A poly pistol for colt??

Bring back the 901 ar10 variants.

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Not much more that one can recommend than what has already been stated here. Outside of moving to a more friendly state, I would really like to see their retro models offered at a reasonable price.

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I agree the A2 profile is backwards, but especially with the shorter lengths it’s of very little actual consequence. In fact, the larger journal is preferred with pinned gas blocks. I think the downside of changing the profile is then there would be a commercial line next to their contract lines, which would endanger the quality control of the commercially available guns. And they already offer the SOCOM and FBI profiles that are available to the public, so there’s already a pretty good variety to be had.

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I think the 901 issue was that it was never heavily marketed or pushed. There is zero need to sell something as a 5.56 & 7.62 model if you are never going to actually do the conversion pieces. People hate it, and they don’t forget.

I absolutely feel that a basic Armalite style AR10 would sell well for Colt. Keep it as the SR15 parts setup, then sell a basic and an upgraded model.

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To do list for CZ with Colt brand guns:

1.) Discontinue the 6920 for the 6960. That’s easy enough. Offer various grades of 6960 via rails, sights, ambi controls, triggers, and muzzle devices etc.

2.) Bring back the 7.62 platform gun. The tooling already exists and there’s a market.

3.) Colt can’t make DA revolvers fast enough, so make more of them. Reintroduce the Anaconda in .44 Magnum. Don’t screw it up with marred muzzle crowns and loose side plates. Develop some wheel guns with a top strap that will accept an RDS mount easily, develop a mount that gets the optic down low.

4.) Develop or rebrand a polymer framed duty pistol, striker fired, optic ready, and competitively priced. Even if it’s a gussied up American made Colt branded P10 its better than nothing.

5.) Have the guys at Dan Wesson look over the Colt 1911 line and figure out what the hell to do with them. Either make them price competitive, or actually worth the current asking price. Maybe let Dan Wesson make pretty 1911’s and concentrate Colt on duty grade stuff.

6.) Leverage Colts manufacturing capacity to possibly supply parts for their other US brands and prepare to make CZ products in the US if needed. Also if Dan Wesson can’t get the DWX in production maybe give it to Colt.

7.) Last and maybe most importantly, improve customer service. Hire people and train them to fix guns quickly, make customers happy, and provide the kind of service civilians expect when they buy what is perceived as a premium product. If Joe Blow sends his gun in because it’s not running right make sure it returns to Joe running like a raped ape on bath salts, with some free swag, and do it in a reasonable amount of time. That goes a long way towards getting repeat business in the civvy market, there’s no more GWOT and .gov contracts cannot be relied upon to pay the bills.

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The politics involved in government contracts probably had more to do with Colt’s downfall than anything else.
The same thing will happen to SIG.
SOLGW and BCM are wise to limit the political gov contract side of the house and focus on the commercial market.