My Father in Law is a Class 3 dealer. He specializes in Colt Full Autos.

He just got a phone call from a contact that Colt will no longer offer AR15 (semiautomatic)for sell to civilians/general public.

I hope this is false alert. Colt has it’s money problems. Not selling the most popular rifle platform cannot help the bottom line.

Anyone know more?

That is correct, here's a link.
https://www.npr.org/2019/09/20...-for-civilian-market

Our local gun shop has all but stopped moving ARs. He told me that long range guns and handguns and of course 22Lrs are the majority of his gun sales.

I think it has more to do with the fact that there are thousands of AR15s on the market. So they were swimming in a crowded toilet anyway.

it's correct.
however nobody I know is affected.

carry on Colt, you'll make a second million dollars one of these decades.
unless Sig America gets that Gov't contract.. oops.

quote:

Originally posted by Lamar:
it's correct.
however nobody I know is affected.

carry on Colt, you'll make a second million dollars one of these decades.
unless Sig America gets that Gov't contract.. oops.

Colt is finished in the ar market.

The ar market is largely finished. Everyone who wants one has 3 already.

Mike

I respect Colt for a good business decision. The civilian AR market couldn't be more glutted.

Bill,

I was going to say the same thing. There are so many AR clones on the market that it probably was a decision that had been discussed long before the most recent mass shootings.

Mark

My thinking is this. Colt no longer, after this, has a now iconic platform or action in the market place. They have no long arm at all in the market now.

So, no rifle sales to distributors. There is no other product they have. And Colt has never been known for bringing innovation or something new to the market.

I doubt they will get the new Big Military small arms contract see Lamar’s post.

So, they are left with nothing to sale to nobody. I think Lamar said it best, “Maybe someday they will make that second million dollars.”

It would be one thing to stop selling AR because you had something else to sell. Colt has nothing.

This is like Ford not selling F150s. At least, Ford would have other products.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
My thinking is this. Colt no longer after this has a now iconic platform or action in the market place. They have no long arm at all in the market now.

So, no rifle sales to distributors. There is no other product they have. And Colt has never been known for bringing innovation or something new to the market.

I doubt they will get the new Big Military small arms contract see Lamar’s post.

So, they are left with nothing to sale to nobody. I think Lamar said it best, “Maybe someday they will make that second million dollars.”

It would be one thing to stop selling AR because you had something else to sell. Colt has nothing,

This is like Ford not selling F150s. At least, Ford would have other products.

Exactly

Every good military contract AR I used in my 20 year military career was marked something other than Colt.

This guy bought it bankruptcy and nearly took it back into bankruptcy. Looked at investing in colt debt in 2006-2007 and passed,

https://www.aspenideas.org/speakers/donald-zilkha

2 stupid wars saved colt but eventually a terrible over levered business model caught up with it.

The ar market is beyond over saturated - maybe Beto can save it by buying back some guns. But there has been a mass production of ar rifles.

I like my colt le6940 but the gun market does not need colt. It’s tough to sell into big distributor networks with a high end colt. The very high end of ar - Wilson, Lauren, novesek are all direct sales models.

Precision rifle is the new thing. I don’t know what the industry comes up with next but the whole market feels over bought with bad demographics.

Only gun that seem to hold value well are military surplus - the sks of the world.

Also in 2007-2008 HK separated it military business from its us business to limit liability from us litigation into military business.

I think there is real risk of tort liability from mass shootings and other firearms misuse.

Sig is interesting because of a big consumer and military business.

Whoever makes the next gen military weapons will probably silo off itself from civilian market. Either it will be a big defense company with no consumer side or a small consumer company that sells next weapon system to the military contractor.

Mike

I was aware of Zilkha’s purchase of Colt out of bankruptcy. I agree with your thoughts. But the man who strikes first wins. Even in the percussion rifle category, not only does Colt not have a precision rifle to meet the demand thereif. They will be at least 2 years bringing one to the market. If they ever do, Colt is notorious for making something and never selling any. They are just too far back.

They got rid of a lot of good people. Folks who made sure the messes they let out the door got fixed, and the customer made right in there last big layoff.

Like my Father in Law says: “If we are not moving dirt we are not making money.”

News flash Colt may not loose money by not selling guns. But if they do not sell guns, then they do not make money. Big Military is not going to be there this time to bail them out. Like the civilian market, Colt is too far behind what Big Military wants in this new rifle. See Beretta M9A3vs. Sig for the pistol contract.

I wonder if this will raise the value of current Colt AR's?

quote:

Originally posted by Slider:
I wonder if this will raise the value of current Colt AR's?

A little but there are plenty of alternatives, Something that was never there for colt revolvers.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
I was aware of Zilkha’s purchase of Colt out of bankruptcy. I agree with your thoughts. But the man who strikes first wins. Even in the percussion rifle category, not only does Colt not have a precision rifle to meet the demand thereif. They will be at least 2 years bringing one to the market. If they ever do, Colt is notorious for making something and never selling any. They are just too far back.

They got rid of a lot of good people. Folks who made sure the messes they let out the door got fixed, and the customer made right in there last big layoff.

Like my Father in Law says: “If we are not moving dirt we are not making money.”

News flash Colt may not loose money by not selling guns. But if they do not sell guns, then they do not make money. Big Military is not going to be there this time to bail them out. Like the civilian market, Colt is too far behind what Big Military wants in this new rifle. See Beretta M9A3vs. Sig for the pistol contract.

Only gun company that impresses me today is sig. Ron Cohen is a smart guy.

Colt is a joke.

Mike

I figured their end was coming when all the 1911's flooded the market.
why buy a 1400 colt when you can buy a 1911 just like it for 499.00 and choose your brand on top of that.
if USFA had jumped harder on the bandwagon with their 73 production and added in more choices like a 92 or a 95 or even a quality reasonably priced bolt gun they could have really put a dent in the market at the time, and now.

but what they did do was show high quality at a lower price than colt did with a colt product on colt equipment and made a profit doing so.

Colt needs someone that cares about guns at the helm.

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:

I was aware of Zilkha’s purchase of Colt out of bankruptcy. I agree with your thoughts. But the man who strikes first wins. Even in the

Colt is a joke.

Mike[/QUOTE]


Yes Sir, hit the nail on the head. They have been a joke for a long time.

Two years ago Colt lost the stronghold with government contracts to S&W

Then twenty other AR makers undercut Colt by 50%

Today you can buy a kit for $280 then add in a $40 lower and go shoot

Colts AR shutdown is not the first time they idled the line

And if you really want a colt, it’s not illegal to buy a LE model, it’s just a different distribution chain.

I really don’t think it is a big deal. It’s a saturated market with minimal profit.

I’ve got a bunch of colt products. They are better than most AR’s on the civilian market, but not better than the best ones, and their prices are too high when compared to their competition.

I honestly think colt is downsizing to become a niche market company. Probably easier to stay afloat that way, even if you won’t make a mint doing it.

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:
And if you really want a colt, it’s not illegal to buy a LE model, it’s just a different distribution chain.

I really don’t think it is a big deal. It’s a saturated market with minimal profit.

I’ve got a bunch of colt products. They are better than most AR’s on the civilian market, but not better than the best ones, and their prices are too high when compared to their competition.

I honestly think colt is downsizing to become a niche market company. Probably easier to stay afloat that way, even if you won’t make a mint doing it.

This is it.
Plus, Colt has several military and law enforcement contracts with over seas countries, not to mention all the one's here in the states.
For the last couple of years Colt has been releasing small numbers of higher quality, higher demand consumer driven products. They will continue to do the same.
The guys running Colt now are much more business oriented. I doubt this decision was political in nature, PR driven knowing the bottom line would not move in either direction.

Perry

A non-issue and besides WGAFF?

quote:

I think it has more to do with the fact that there are thousands of AR15s on the market

One just has to go to the SHOT show and one will find dozens of high quality AR manufactures.

Colt dh didn't or couldn't complete on the low end and the high end ones are better.

Colt has always been it own worse enemy.