Colt Sold! Industry Roiling Before SHOT...

[Marshal Halloway]

Hartford's Rampant Colt is going to a new home — actually new homes — ending years of speculation on when the sad little horse was going to just keel over and die.

Jim Shepherd at The Outdoor Wire is reporting this AM that the defense side of the bifurcated company, which had been making noises abut going public, has been sold to General Dynamics, and that an announcement of the sale of the commercial side is moments away...and, according to Shepherd, a shocker.

More about this at Michael Bane's blog.
http://michaelbane.blogspot.com/2006/02/colt-sold-industry-roiling-before-shot.html

[Wymore Wrangler]

It would be a sad day without Colt being around...

[law dawg]

For decades now Colt has shot themselves in the foot by poor quality control and excessive pricing.  If it wasn't for the m/ar15 rifles and carbines they would have vanished back in the 70's.  In my opinion.

[litl rooster]

For decades now Colt has shot themselves in the foot by poor quality control and excessive pricing.  If it wasn't for the m/ar15 rifles and carbines they would have vanished back in the 70's.  In my opinion.

It's sad but I agree

[thehairlessone]

I wouldnt know about the qc but the pricing was crazy. I would like to have a colt but a young family guy like myself cant afford $1200 for a  pistol.

rick

[tarheel mac]

I sure hope something happens to turn this around...or at least Colt remains on the market...with Winchester folding up, it would a sad day indeed if Colt disappeared too...Winchester and Colt aren't just "gun companies" they're part of this country's history!

[RattlesnakeJack]

Let's think positive here! 

Assuming somebody (existing firearms manufacturer or a new investor/consortium) will definitely want to buy the commercial operation -  to get the name, I'd imagine, as much as the right to continue making Colt models - they'll do so knowing that they pretty much have to upgrade quality control and customer service, and reduce prices, to make a go of it.

Ruger ... ?   

[Delmonico]

T'was my thoughts, scary, us thinkin' alike.

[Silver_Rings]

There was a time when I always bought American, but that changed about 20 years ago when American quality went down the drain.  About the only place to get high quality US products at resonable prices are the small shops.  Sad but true.  Our cost of labor is just too high.

SR

[deucedaddyj]

The rising costs of living sure isn't helping either.......

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

Still no word of any of this from legitimate news sources.

[Big John Denny]

Colt Commercial Div, through their legal department, has denied these rumors.

[Four-Eyed Buck]

Big John, could be just corporate policy to keep from screwing up a pending deal. We'll just have to keep an ear to the ground and go along for the ride..........Buck

[Hemlock Mike]

I guess we're finding out that the free market system ain't free afterall !

Mike

[J.D.Cayhill]

If Colt is denying the rumor this hard this early, it must be true.

Some of Colt's many lawsuits against other firearms manufacturers must not have turned out like they hoped.

[Major 2]

What "if" 

Beretta ( Uberti/Benelli) bought them.... you heard it here first ! 

[DR.A.W.FAST]

When Colt Firearms was originaly bailed out from Colt Industries,hardly anyone knew it was happening untill The State Of Connecticut came up with the money to finance it. This was including many of the upper echelon of management.. so its no surprise that the main office might not know whether anything is happening.Still nothing said in any local media or from anyone I know who still works there.Three years ago when it was fairly well known the handgun section was up for grabs, the asking price was 20+ mill. It would take a very deep pocket investor to leverage that amount to run just the hand gun business!

[GunClick Rick]

What! A new gun company,Uboltelli???

[Major 2]

No sir

The largest marketable commodity in the purchase of COLT is the name COLT... IMO

Next ... Benelli ,Beretta ,Uberti are now under the same Corp. roof.  And one of , if not the strongest Firearm manufacturers.
Beretta alone has a corner on Military and Law Enforcement contracts in the USA , South America , Europe .
Forth, both Uberti and Beretta make Colt clones and are HEAVY in that segment of Replica firearms manufacture.
And lastly, the COLT/Uberti association is well know in the Second Gen. BP series, and providing parts in the 3th. Gen. offering.


Italy is already the Arms capitol of the world, acquiring Colt's name would be a huge feather in the Corporate cap....IMO
And, B/B/U are fluid enough to afford it.

[DR.A.W.FAST]

Even Colt found out that its hard to buy Uberti..slap Colt name on it and expect us to bite the bullit and buy it in great amounts and be fooled.Theres also the UN compact on small arms that Italy signed. Where are they going to produce all these handguns cheeply ,like they have in the past. If Roberta Peters and her minions have anything to say about it, and so far they have bamboozled most of europe into signing this small arms proliferation treaty, The only place to build them is here and they won't be cheap! Brazil is leaning towards signing it so they can outlaw handguns against the wishes of they're populace. That even went to a vote of the people. Going to be very interesting in the next few years to see just what happens to our ability to get the firearms to enjoy our sport and hobby. We sure don't need anymore limmits on whats allowed!