Colt 1911s are In short supply, I’ve been trying to locate a new production delta elite for over a year ..the few that pop on GB are  priced way above the msrp … yet no shortage of freaking colt pythons.. is Colt still producing 1911

That’s always been an issue with Colt and the 1911.  They just don’t make that many a year.

Multiple problems contribute

Some manufacturers are still recovering from pandemic supply chain issues
Colt has been spotty on consistent production and distribution for decades- stories of people ordering single actions and waiting 2+ years.
Colt bought by CZ and I imagine there is ( or should be) significant restructuring going on.
I am sure CZ had done market research to identify what will sell at the biggest profit and is not going to produce lower demand items if they don’t have the capacity
With a plethora of used deltas out there, I wouldn’t be looking for a new one.

Much like a lot of other companies, there seems to be times when suddenly it seems there are a ton of a particular model available, then once these sell, you don’t see another production run for quite some time.

With the 1911 market so flooded and competitive ( there are more 1911 makers than ever currently) and the pythons selling well at a hefty price tag especially the 3” versions I imagine Colt will ride that train as long as they can.

Most gun companies today as factories go, are surprisingly small with limited tooling and small work forces. They tend to run an item for a period of time on a set schedule based on sales estimates, and those items with the lower volume of sales are lowest priority.
A good example, glock will tool up to run let’s say, glock 17’s that is all they will make for a month straight. If you order a 17 in the middle of this production run, it is delivered in a week. Then they re tool to make other models over time -19’s for a month, then 21’s for a month etc. order that 17 after the aforementioned production run is completed and you won’t be getting your 17 until they run that model again.

Also in modern times we are victims of “ just in time logistics”
In the old days, companies like Colt or S&W would continue to pump out guns and if completed and not immediately sold, would be put in a warehouse until an order for a specific item came in, and it would be pulled from storage and shipped. There are plenty of examples of a colt or S&W in the 50’s/60’s/70’s where the guns serial number suggests it was made years or in a few cases even a decade or more before it was pulled from storage and shipped for a purchase order. Companies simply don’t do that anymore. They try to have the margin between production and sales orders/estimates razor thin.

I got my last Colt 1911 by going to grabagun.com and other vendors and using the notify me.

If one vendor has the model you want, then other vendors may have them too and you can price shop a little.

It seems Colt and other manufacturers make models in batches so want you may want isn't always available.

It takes some patience sometimes.

I agree with the other posters about Colt's limited availability without paying crazy prices for one. CZ has a few 1911 manufacturers they own, like Dan Wesson. Their quality is very nice and their prices all seem to be about the same now.

I am a patient shopper but the delta elites are near impossible to find .I’m aware that new Colts show up in batches..I recently purchased a series 70 classic for $899 and stainless steel competition 9mm for $1000 both are new factory production. The python market is cooling off and the supplies are exceeding the demand.

I'm a big fan of the Commander and Colt hasn't made those in about 3 years.
I think when CZ bought the company they told Colt to build revolvers and had Dan Wesson keep up the 1911 end.

That's sad if it is true. Once an iconic American brand no longer be able to function on its own without it's foreign parent telling what it can make.

Colt has been mismanaged for decades.  CZ taking over is a good thing.

Colt =1911 ..I’ve owned 2 super grade Wilson combats , several Les Baers and one CZ 1911 .. I still have my Colts .Screw CZ.