Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Damn, not looking good for Colt

Back in my earlier years I owned MK III Trooper, one of the most accurate handguns I have ever owned.
The earlier Python actions would have rivaled many custom jobs.

I kinda feel the same way about Colt as I do about Winchester.
Sorry do not mean to be stepping on anyones toes.
But a couple of years ago I purchased a Winchester Feather weight 7mm08, I ended getting 2 more sent to me, all of the barrels looked like 40 miles of bad road. In one of my conversations with a shop manager his words were "Anyone that buys a new rifle now, should plan to rebarrel" his words not mine. Finally after getting on the phone with coperate in Utah they satisfied me with a Browning Micro X bolt. Not what I orignally wanted but the barrel was pristine and shot well under and inch, and was a breeze to clean. Many rifles while able to hold a fairly good group when new soon become a bearcat to clean because the machining of the inside barrel is so poor that it does not take long for deposits to build up. Sorry for the rant, but this seems to be the norm, push it out as fast as can with little concern about QC

The only Colts I own were made before the Middle 1960s. They all work great and demonstrate first rate manufacturing.

Rubbish.

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I can appreciate ya'lls opinion of my comments. My experience covers 1985 forward. I gave Colt the all american try. Just did not work out for me.

I am sure, as Hawkeye stated, their previous offerings were definitely worth owning. I would not want to be criticizing John Browning's finest.

There seems to be a consensus that Colt quality is the best it's been in a generation or two. From the early '80's through the late 90's, Colt quality was hit or miss. I think it's better now. Maybe you should give them another chance.
Bob

I once owned two Colt magnum carry revolvers. They were small, 6 round capacity, very well made and like an idiot I let myself be talked out of them by a good pal. My Colts - the standard 1911s, Gold Cup, Defender, Officers model, etc have all been perfect weapons - not show-off weapons - weapons.

Terry

Well it's official: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/06/14/colt-chapter-11/71228058/

Good grief, it's a Chapter 11 debt restructuring. The doors won't close, operations will still continue, the name isn't getting sold; all that's happening is that they have the court cover to renegotiate payments with their creditors.

Now, if they can't work that out, then they will go Chapter 7, retain certain assets, sell the name to another corporation and reopen business in a more gun-friendly and business-friendly state (TX would seem like a perfect home for Colt, frankly). All that happens then is their creditors get the shaft, which is largely a union (the UAW in fact), and they reopen elsewhere. No one is going to let the Colt name sit idle.

Colt went into Chapter 11 back in the early '90's and they came out of it. Chapter 11 is a re-structure, giving a much longer time to pay back debts. If they don't meet certain milestones, the company can be dissolved and the assets sold off. Let's hope they can make it.

Depends if they can get financing. They haven't proven that they can handle money in the past...

... or that on the marketing and management side Colt has the capability to understand current customer's preferences, then turn that knowledge into a manufacturing process that hits the price point in the market customers are willing to pay.

Over reliance on few revenue streams (eg, military M4 contracts & civilian 1911 sales) rather than customer knowledge and diversification have left an iconic American brand in the dust.

A proven management team with deep knowledge of the firearms manufacturing and marketing business would be their only hope to access new capital. Highly unlikely in my view given their track record so far.

Where's Colt's BOD in this whole mess anyway?