Creeker, SASS #43022 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 Beyond historical importance. Colt ceased being of any significance in the firearms industry a long time ago. A few throwbacks to yesterday re-introduced with poor finishes, lackluster quality and minimal customer service means they were of little consequence to the buying public as well. I have owned and sold many CZ firearms and have found their quality, designs and (especially) pistol ergonomics to be really good. I would not shed a tear for Colt; but instead would raise a glass in toast of a company willing to invest and grow jobs and production here in the United States. I would only ask a single thing of the Wire... Do not conflate the names of the company as you have for Miroku Winchesters (Mirchesters, Winiroku, and dozens more) Simply call them CZ Colts or Colts. I can live the rest of my days without having to read whiny posts about how CZolts are not "real" Colts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irish ike, SASS #43615 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 Has anyone stopped to think the market for their single action pistols doesn't exist anymore? AR's, semi-auto pistols have a high demand. How may new gun owners would point at a Colt and say yeah thats for me. Hard to carry, heavy, 6 shots, hard to reload compared to a magazine style Semi. That and they couldn't adapt to their market being attacked Italian clones. Anyone who owns a business expects a profit. Otherwise why be in business. In my company we had Board members who agonized over how to keep employees on the payroll during hard times. My position was we're not on business to employ people. Our responsibility is to keep the business viable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackwater 53393 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 3 hours ago, Creeker, SASS #43022 said: I would only ask a single thing of the Wire... Do not conflate the names othe company as you have for Miroku Winchesters (Mirchesters, Winiroku, and dozens more) Simply call them CZ Colts or Colts. I can live the rest of my days without having to read whiny posts about how CZolts are not "real" Colts. SO!! You don’t want us to call them ColtZ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 The SAA is a niche gun for collectors and Cowboy shooters, but Colt made the mistake of allowing theirs to be overpriced and the other companies dominated the market. The 1911A1 is a great pistol. Colt made the mistake of the Series 80, allowing other companies to make guns more true to Mr. Browning's design than theirs, and ceded the market to others who also did it at a lower cost. The AR 15 is a great rifle. Colt never put the bayonet lug back one once the AWB ended, so folks who wanted a more authentic looking one went to other makers who had what they wanted. Granted, heavilly customized 1911's and ARs have their place and following, but for many, the desire is to have a basic original style configuration, preferably for a reasonable price. And even though Colt put their name on it, they did not provide those options. No wonder they lost the markets they created. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irish ike, SASS #43615 Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 A used Colt AR-15 is from $1300 tom $2000. You can a new anybodies AR for around $800. So, there ya go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimble Fingers SASS# 25439 Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 Maybe I am confused, but it appears to me, right or wrong, the gun market wants Colt firearms and will pay the premium for new and used. That has been my experience in the last 30 years. We see it action right now, no matter how many “authorities” put them down, the demand for King Cobras and Pythons are no where near the MSRP and Colt can’t make and ship them fast enough. Anything with the colt name is sellable and usually keeps the price paid when sold as used unless it is “collectible”, and then you pay more. As for Uberti having the market or making a better single action pistol, perhaps they are making more models, but to be able to buy a Colt is always a desire so the customer can at least have one. As for the 1911’s and AR15’s yes you can buy cheaper, the name Colt commands a premium and I believe will continue to. It doesn’t matter if a Cadillac in the Us or in Canada or in Mexico, a Cadillac is a Cadillac and the new Snake revolvers will be considered 2nd and 3rd generations and the public will buy them even faster if more can be manufactured to sell. That’s been my experience when shopping for Colts and for other desirable guns either online or at gun shows and brick and mortar stores and is my opinion only. Not saying I am correct or others are wrong. But I am looking to add a King Cobra 2nd gen, and possibly a Python as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 Be nice if it is bought by people interested in making quality firearms and not a bunch of investors looking for a quick buck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Coles SASS 1188 Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 It would be interesting to see what new management does for Colt. In the last 30 or so years they made some very poor decisions. As others have pointed out, they missed the boat on the boom in demand for many of the products they invented (the 1911, the SAA, the AR15). They went with a high cost low volume business model based on their name but at times really let production quality slip, with the exception of the AR15 platform. They did not adopt any of the improvements and modifications popular in the 1911 and AR platforms, and in doing so allowed a host of competitors to dominate those markets. At the same time, they produced some things that no one wanted (the Colt 2000 and the Anaconda come to mind [yeah I know Anacondas are pricy now but they didn’t sell then and they are no python]). They largely priced themselves out of the SASS market for SAAs and allowed the Italians and Ruger to dominate. At various points, they chose not to prioritize the civilian market, which made it hard to find their products at wholesalers or in stores. I worked at multiple gun shops (one of them a national chain) that didn’t stock or special order Colts because their suppliers could not get them or were not part of the Colt distribution System. They didn’t produce parts for many of the guns they sold and when they did supply was spotty. For example, other companies now produce most of the available parts to fix Colt SAAs especially first and second generation guns. And they ain’t cheap. Honestly, it’s hard to imagine how Colt has stayed in business. Having said that, I love my Colts. I own quite a few and they are the only SAAs I shoot for SASS. It would be nice to see them straighten things out a bit and get back to producing great stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazy Eeyour Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 Aged management not bring up in house management and aged high skilled (and high paid) workers with no apprentice program has led to the down fall of many companies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 I should point out that in spite of the points I made above, I still prefer Colts to the copies. I am mostly limited to the used market anyway because of where I live, but I am still willing to pay for a Colt, if I can find one in the configuration I want it for a semi reasonable price. Granted, that doesn't help the company today, but I still like their stuff. I will say this though, they did lose business from me. If you order a new SAA from the factory with factory engraving and a letter to authenticate it, that gun, although brand new, is C&R eligible. About 10 years or so ago, I'd saved up to order one the way I wanted it. I don't remember the cost, but it was not stupid expensive. But, even though the gun would have been C&R, Colt said they would not sell it to me because I live in Massachusetts. Seems to me that turning away premium business is not a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chantry Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 10 hours ago, Nimble Fingers SASS# 25439 said: Maybe I am confused, but it appears to me, right or wrong, the gun market wants Colt firearms and will pay the premium for new and used. That has been my experience in the last 30 years. We see it action right now, no matter how many “authorities” put them down, the demand for King Cobras and Pythons are no where near the MSRP and Colt can’t make and ship them fast enough. Anything with the colt name is sellable and usually keeps the price paid when sold as used unless it is “collectible”, and then you pay more. As for Uberti having the market or making a better single action pistol, perhaps they are making more models, but to be able to buy a Colt is always a desire so the customer can at least have one. As for the 1911’s and AR15’s yes you can buy cheaper, the name Colt commands a premium and I believe will continue to. It doesn’t matter if a Cadillac in the Us or in Canada or in Mexico, a Cadillac is a Cadillac and the new Snake revolvers will be considered 2nd and 3rd generations and the public will buy them even faster if more can be manufactured to sell. That’s been my experience when shopping for Colts and for other desirable guns either online or at gun shows and brick and mortar stores and is my opinion only. Not saying I am correct or others are wrong. But I am looking to add a King Cobra 2nd gen, and possibly a Python as well. You aren't wrong.....for now. The problem is tastes change. I dabble on the fringes of the antique British SxS shotgun market and the values have dropped significantly as the current owners die. In general their children, if they are interested in shotguns at all are buying O/U or semi-autos. It's rare to see anything but polymer frame guns in the other shooting I dabble and most 1911's I see now are makers other then Colt and even in SASS the majority of shooters are using Ruger's or Italian guns. We will see what the future brings, but I would suggest being careful about depending on a firearm to retain it's investment value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimble Fingers SASS# 25439 Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 Chantry, I am with you as well. My 1st Colt was a New Frontier in .44 spcl that I picked up at an auction for $660 back in the late 80’s. My first rifle was a 94 with a big loop in .44 mag that I got for $350. My second pistol was a brand new Ruger in .44 that I traded my Taurus.44msg and some cash for. As I have grown in the sport and my budget has grown I have added to the number of Colts with judicious shopping or trading. To start out today is very expensive even with the Italian imports and Rugers. We have to start somewhere, and with Colts now going for mid 1,000 range it is a gun you save up for. And if they started production with about 20,000 priced them at 999.99 they would be gone in 2 weeks easy. That’s what I am hoping for them to do, make what the public wants for a smaller profit, sell more and have more profit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hendo Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 21 hours ago, Blackwater 53393 said: SO!! You don’t want us to call them ColtZ?? I dunno, Zolt just kinda rolls off the tongue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kloehr Posted January 14, 2021 Share Posted January 14, 2021 You can never pay too much for a Colt, only too soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkie Lee Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 Good points. Is CZ buying Colt and Colt Canada? My thoughts... - YouTube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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