Colt Manufacturing may default on its debt

[Texas Shooter 35]

Colt's in trouble and will probably default on its debt payments.   The decision to ignore the civilian market and focus on defense contracts has taken its toll. Hopefully the company can restructure its debt agreement and find some financing.  Hate to see them go under (most likely bought up by a conglomerate).

 

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-11-13/colt-defense-searches-for-financing-as-default-looms

[302w 83]

Old news, unfortunately.

[fumanchu182 23]

News from 2012 and it is not a shock.  To be honest, who would buy the civilian models of their guns anyway?  I'd rather build a AR-15 modeled after a M4 with parts from BCM, B5 systems and other manufacturers as those parts have been given lots of reviews and put through their paces by a lot of gun enthusiasts.  When buying a Colt, you're buying a name.  A name that uses really awesome parts in their military models and a name that uses meh parts in the civilian models.  (also don't even get me started on their bolt carriers...)

[Vlad G 345]

Good riddance. They attitude towards civilian sales has broadly been "screw you, plebes" for so long that I don't even think of them as a modern manufacturer, I think of them as having already been dead for some time.

 

Screw them.

[remixer 1,645]

They should have expanded there Revolver lines to a  more modern firearm like smith and wesson

[Dan 177]

Good riddance. I hope this example serves to remind other manufacturers to not take for granted their civilian side of business.

[bhunted 887]

They should have expanded there Revolver lines to a more modern firearm like smith and wesson

I agree.... They've given up on revolvers long ago. Really haven't done squat with their 1911s compared to other companies. Spent too much time with their rifles and govt contracts.

 

My old boss had a great strategy. Never give up on the little guy because when all the big guys are gone, you'll only have the few little guys you left holding their nuts.

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot 358]

Good analysis here:  http://weaponsman.com/?p=19102

 

The guy runs a thoughtful, well-written blog.  If only Colt were still making these.  How different things could be...

 

[PD2K 115]

Good riddance to bad rubbish. Simple Darwinism...survival of the fittest. Their products suck and no one wants them. Change that and you will find success. I don't see anyone crying for the Yugo.

 

Good example as remixer mentioned above is S&W... and the market responded. Modern revolvers, and the M&P line of pistols and rifles, have done wonders for them.

[Shawnmoore81 623]

Just when I start buying colts.....

[bhunted 887]

Colt's not going anywhere.

[Parker 213]

Good analysis here:  http://weaponsman.com/?p=19102

 

The guy runs a thoughtful, well-written blog.  If only Colt were still making these.  How different things could be...

 

 

Good read. I like the closing statement -

 

"In the end, something called Colt will survive making firearms somewhere — maybe in the soulless West Hartford plant, using some of the former workers; maybe in Florida, employing the freshly-pardoned criminaliens, at minimum wage."

[Texas Shooter 35]

Good analysis here:  http://weaponsman.com/?p=19102

 

The guy runs a thoughtful, well-written blog.  If only Colt were still making these.  How different things could be...

 

 

That was great article.  I hadn't realized that Colt was that much in trouble nor that they were anti-gun.  I hate to see a gun company go down, but they deserve it.  Unfortunately, the only ones that will suffer are the employees, the debt holders and the consumers.  Management will be laughing to the bank.  The shenanigans at Colt remind me a lot of what happened at Commodore Computer way back in the day (late 80's/early 90's).  The incompetence was so bad, it was almost as if it was intentional.

[302w 83]

I'll be the one to say it.

 

I like Colt. I drink the Kool-Aid and I want a bunch of Pony guns (a Mustang, Defender, lightweight Commander, my dad's 1970's Series '70 and Detective Special, an SP1, and a midlength 6920). I know, boo-hiss government contracts.

 

Also, to infuriate everyone else, I think S&W makes a better revolver. I have only messed around with a Detective Special and various Smiths, but the S&Ws have much better triggers. Supposedly Pythons have a much better trigger, but they also tend to go out of time more often and a S&W action is generally more long-lasting and user serviceable. Also, I think the S&W cylinder release is significantly better especially in a stressful situation. I do love the size of the DS though, it's like a six shot J-Frame.

[Shawnmoore81 623]

I have 3 colts but my revolver is a s&w.