USFA Parts-authentic or slightly modified from the original

[Virginia Gentleman]

And another thing, it seems just fine when Colt people slam USFA for one thing or another.  For example, the myth that they are still made of Italian parts or have soft parts that will somehow wear down, just like the Uberti bolt design somehow being inferior to the old Colt design.  These things are never seen as a flame by some Colt folks eventhough they have proven to be not true by USFA staff, yet the rumors continue.

[Fox Creek Kid]

People, BOTH have their merits and some of the biggest supporters of USFA also own Colts as well. There can never be enough gun companies!    The macro-problems with Colt as a company is IMO beyond the scope of this forum. Remember, Remington has lost money for the last six years.    Colt certainly has no monopoly there. I think the wise retailer would simply smile and sell the customer which of the two he/she wants. Remember, in the end it's about the MONEY. You can't make guns for long if you're not making money. Very few products can stand on their own in a free market if the quality is missing and the customers will ultimately decide which to buy. 

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

Reluctantly I chime in...
Fox Creek Kid has it right, BOTH have their merits.  This whole string is beginning to sound like the old school yard taunt, "My dad can beat up your dad."

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[Fox Creek Kid]

Just another point. If I were the marketing rep. for USFA I would want to know what the Colt customer is looking for & market to that niche, i.e, I would want to know why a loyal Colt buyer was that way and try to market something to lure him/her away. Granted, there is always going to be a certain percentage that would buy a Glock if you stamped Colt on it, but not all Colt buyers are idiots (think Colt Cowboy  ) and more importantly, they have disposable income. I think USFA did this very masterfully with the Custer Model as Colt has not marketed a gun like that since the Centennial in 1973. Good marketing move. If I were the "brain trust" at USFA I would make a limited run of the 1877 Lightning and maybe a real "thin plate" '58 Remington conversion (since they are already working in conjunction w/ Remington now). A lot of "ahhhhhhhh" factor with exclusivity & quality sells. 

[RRio]

Just another point. If I were the marketing rep. for USFA I would want to know what the Colt customer is looking for & market to that niche, i.e, I would want to know why a loyal Colt buyer was that way and try to market something to lure him/her away.

That was pretty much the case with my second USFA. I had the money for a Colt, was leaning toward Colt, but... ...Colt's cylinder did not have the bevel on it like I wanted, and it had the pressed in cylinder pin bushing that I did not want, and at the time, I did not want to wait a year. The USFAs had everything I wanted and only had to wait the length of time that it took to come from Gary to AZ.

Plain and simple, Colt could not deliver what I wanted, USFA could.

[Doc Sunrise]

OK!  I believe that VG and I both are of the opinion that we only wish Colt the company would step up to the plate and produce firearms that are of the quality they used to be known for, and that non-USFA fans would atleast stop making unfounded statements about USFA products.  Instead of saying USFA isn't, they should be asking why isn't Colt!

As far as Marketing goes, Quality, Availability, Pricing, and Customer Service will maintain growth in market share.  I believe USFA is has high marks in all of these areas.

[Virginia Gentleman]

Well, my Dad is really starting to beat up their Dad!   Just kidding, I will say though since quality is not job one at Colt, the only reason they are in business is the fact they can stamp the little pony on the gun.  Colt have merits?  I guess that is very subjective and the only REAL factor I can think of is collector value.

[Virginia Gentleman]

OK!  I believe that VG and I both are of the opinion that we only wish Colt the company would step up to the plate and produce firearms that are of the quality they used to be known for, and that non-USFA fans would atleast stop making unfounded statements about USFA products.  Instead of saying USFA isn't, they should be asking why isn't Colt!

As far as Marketing goes, Quality, Availability, Pricing, and Customer Service will maintain growth in market share.  I believe USFA is has high marks in all of these areas.

Doc:  This is all true and why USFA is capturing more market share every year and quite a bit from re-habed Colt-aholics like me.

[RRio]

OK!  I believe that VG and I both are of the opinion that we only wish Colt the company would step up to the plate and produce firearms that are of the quality they used to be known for, and that non-USFA fans would atleast stop making unfounded statements about USFA products. Instead of saying USFA isn't, they should be asking why isn't Colt!

I started getting interested in SASS/CAS in '95 or'96.

 I said then, if Colt's marketing was smart, they could  own the SASS/CAS market and none of the imported replicas would stand a chance. I also said the same thing about Winchester, at that time.

[Walker 1847]

The thing that I really cannot understand is why Colt does not just produce an exact replica of their 1st generation SAA, contour for contour; And mark them exactly the same. That is what people really want ...
Is it that they just do not have the passion or dedication to change over to this?  Of course I realize it would take some time and money to re-tool from the modern design they now use, but it would make sense and money in the long run, I would think.
There is no question that the Cowboy hobby is here to stay, and will continue to grow for generations.
If you have a passion for 1st Generation authenticity with a desire to shoot and play with the gun, really, the USFA is the best option for that quality, other than using an original 1st generation SAA, which is an Icon and shouldn't be abused in my opinion.
Colt should be able to do better than it is, heck, they dont even use authentic style markings!
I just do not understand it...
Just my opinion.

[Virginia Gentleman]

It really is too bad Colt and Winchester especially could not capture the market share they should have.  Winchester could have had Uberti make the rifle parts for them and assemble them here with the Winchester trademark and they could have sold them by the truckload.  Smith and Wesson could have come out with a better Schofield, or have the Uberti factory make them for them and put the S&W trademark on the guns and they would still be selling them.  It seems these companies missed the boat and are letting USFA, STI and the Uberti/Pietta importers eat their lunch.

[RRio]

The thing that I really cannot understand is why Colt does not just produce an exact replica of their 1st generation SAA, contour for contour; And mark them exactly the same. That is what people really want ...
Is it that they just do not have the passion or dedication to change over to this?  Of course I realize it would take some time and money to re-tool from the modern design they now use, but it would make sense and money in the long run, I would think.
There is no question that the Cowboy hobby is here to stay, and will continue to grow for generations.
If you have a passion for 1st Generation authenticity with a desire to shoot and play with the gun, really, the USFA is the best option for that quality, other than using an original 1st generation SAA, which is an Icon and shouldn't be abused in my opinion.
Colt should be able to do better than it is, heck, they dont even use authentic style markings!
I just do not understand it...
Just my opinion.

IMHO, Colt really does not care what the people want. (see my post above) 

[Virginia Gentleman]

This is true, try calling their customer service sometime and see how much they want to help you with a problem you are having with one of their guns.  I speak from multiple personal experiences with Colt.  USFA on the otherhand, couldn't be more helpful and eventhough my problem was cosmetic, it was fixed to perfection.