Posted: 11/16/2004 10:05:47 AM EDT
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Since there are alot of Colt lovers on this site, I was reading another post about them on this site and it made me think of a good question. What makes Colt so special, what have they done so great for the firearm industry, they did not design the 1911, just bought the rights from Mr. Browning. They did not design the M16/AR15, thanks Mr. Stoner. So what makes them so special, they do not market their firearms very well, for many years most stuff had to be bought through the custom house. They don't really have any great designs they came up with. The Delta 10 was a modified 1911, the double eagle was a joke. They don't even have a nice 9mm. The 1911's they make have been behind the power curve for many years, look what companies like Kimber and Springfield have done. So what makes Colt so special, they don't bend over backwards for the non-LEO/ Military sale either. Please enlighten me. Especially when companies like H&K take so much Heat on this site, atleast they are making new designs. |
FN has had the contract on M16's for years. Colt only sells M4's because of the "patented" 
M4 feedramp cuts. 
This is a good question and it deserves a decent answer. I own a Colt pistol and I know Colt collectors/fetishists and as near as I can tell it really all boils down to tradition and emotion. Colt is the most famous name in American Firearms. Colt is the manufacturer who armed the American West and there are a lot of baby boomers out there who were raised on the western cowboy movie. Colt was the primary contractor for many very famous military weapons which were made in an era back when America actually unambigously WON wars and battles against her enemies. Colts for many years DID have a solid reputation for being the finest small arms a person could buy - anywhere. Now we have a company named Colts Manufacturing which shrinks from selling arms to the free citizens of this country. A company which will not express support for the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America. A company which hasn't published a catalog in years. A company which has been resting upon laurels won many, many years ago. But for many people, this is enough. 
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The whole supplying the Military thing is kinda moot. It just means that they met the minium military standards at and came in with the lowest bid. I think what matters more is how the troops using these weapons feel about carrying these things into life or death combat and that is where the Colt M4/M16 shines as well as their 1911's. |
What weapons did the design for any of the wars, did they design the Ma deuce or the BAR or 1903 or the M1928A1 or the Garand or the M14. I understand the lore they have with stuff like the peacemaker, which they helped design and some of the other old relovers, and people love to talk about the Colt 1911's but that is because they bought the patent and had the manufacturing to make large amounts of them for the military, but in all the years they really never tried to improve the design, instead they just let the aftermarket guys do it. |
| Colt isn't as good as they used to be, I think they started going all to hell about 1990 when they changed from Green Label AR15's to Blue labels. That being said, their green labels rock, no they didn't design the 1911 or M16/AR15, but they had the 'nads to purchase the rights and crank them out. Their Python is a great legendary gun too. Not to mention their Single Action Army, the gun that won the west. Their Gold Cup National Match is the first 1911 dedicated to target shooting, it's been tricked out decades before the johnny come lately's. |
I heard the FN ones were not so good. According to one of my buddies who was in anyway. The only M16s I ever handled were Colt or H&R. Still cheap or whatever, they had the contracts and their weapons functioned very well. But as far as the question about colt? Yes they made a BIG difference in the shooting industry and for the civillian market. Had they not the contracts they had in the past. Do you think you would see the 1911 as widespread and popular as it is today? The AR? If they were never able to deliver those #'s the govt needed there could veryr well be a chance that other companies may never have mad ethem for civillians. I owned a few Bushmasters and loved them. I am getting a Colt soon. To say Colt did nothing for the civillian market is just blind emotion. Something very similiar to many democrats and liberals. |
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Lot's of people like them because they tend to be the most reliable AR's on the market. Now a lot of people are going to chime in about how their DPMS/RRA etc. works every time they take it to the range. The guys who carry guns for a living seem to prefer Colt over all the other manufacturers (LMT is good stuff too). There was a great thread over on www.tacticalforums.com/ about it. Edit:Make the link work. |
Good posting. It is truly a shame as to what Colt has become. Thankfully, some of their more recent efforts have failed miserably (remember iColt and their smart guns??). But it's still a shame.
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Colt was the primary maker of title 1 (semi auto) AR 15s for decades, and they did an excellent job of it. I have 2 ARs, both Colts. The 1st is a Sporter II from around '86. It's a slabside, and has been extremely reliable, even though it's well used and sees extended sessions without cleaning. It is at least the performance equal of anything made today even though it is a 'large hole' rifle. Better than a new Bushy? Perhaps not, although it's certainly not worse. Keep in mind that the stock 20 inch upper is fine with me, so I'm not going to bitch about the large hole issue. The 2nd is a factory 9mm. For this one, I will make the claim that it is indeed better than any other 9mm out there. |
Better than an MP-5? Yes they did a good job, because that is about all they were making |
I meant 9mm AR. |
