Who would have thought an announcement by a bit player in the AR-15 market would garner so much international news coverage? However, Colt’s official press release has grabbed attention all the way to New Zealand.
The ominous sounding headlines should surprise no one. After all, Colt’s decision to stop selling ARs to civilians fits the political narrative against guns…even if the decision had nothing to do with politics.
TTAG first reported on the decision by Colt to end long-gun production for civilian markets over a week ago on September 11th.
The long, difficult saga of Colt’s Manufacturing has taken another turn. Firearms distributer RSR Group has sent an email blast to their retail customers announcing that Colt will no longer produce long guns for the retail market.
Over a week later, on September 19th, the company published a formal announcement on its website.
And now the mainstream media happily report the story as if it marks some watershed moment in the firearms manufacturing community. But despite the big headlines, this is actually a nothingburger of a story, considering there are literally hundreds of manufacturers of America’s favorite rifle.
The New York Times headline reads: “Colt to Suspend Production of AR-15 Rifles for Consumers.”
The UK’s Guardian story reports on “US gunmaker Colt to stop making rifles – including AR-15 – for civilians.”
On the other side of the world, New Zealand’s Stuff website headlines the story: “US AR-15 maker Colt will stop producing the firearm for civilians because there are so many.”
Yahoo News’ AP version seems the most comprehensive.
Colt suspends production of AR-15 for civilian market
West Hartford, Conn. (AP) — Gun-maker Colt is suspending its production of rifles for the civilian market including the popular AR-15, the company said Thursday in a shift it attributed to changes in consumer demand and a market already saturated with similar weapons.
The company said it will focus instead on fulfilling contracts with military and police customers for rifles.
“The fact of the matter is that over the last few years, the market for modern sporting rifles has experienced significant excess manufacturing capacity,” Colt’s chief executive officer, Dennis Veilleux, said in a written statement. “Given this level of manufacturing capacity, we believe there is adequate supply for modern sporting rifles for the foreseeable future…”
Despite a national debate on gun control, Colt’s decision seems driven by business considerations rather than politics, said Adam Winkler, a gun policy expert at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law…
“Given these sales and the history of Colt being a completely disorganized, dysfunctional company that goes into bankruptcy and can’t keep anything going properly, my assumption is that this is a business decision that is being driven by their own business problems,” he said.
Leave it to David Hogg’s Astroturf March For Our Lives to claim credit for Colt’s decision.
You all. The firearm manufacturer, Colt is ending production of AR-15s due to lack of demand. This is real life. We’re winning. https://t.co/iB19k1VUR4
— March For Our Lives (@AMarch4OurLives) September 19, 2019
We have to wonder what color the sky is in March For Our Lives’ world. Will they next claim credit for the sun rising in the east tomorrow morning?
As Colt made clear in their statement, this is a business decision. Their AR line had been losing market share for years as they have lots of stiff competition making better products available for less money. Focusing on their 1911s and revolvers makes good business sense.
So there will be no shortage of AR-15 rifle availability anytime soon. Unless, that is, Beto O’Rourke and his friends can pass legislation to force Mr. and Mrs. America to surrender their guns or face police confiscation raids.
Colt has made some real blunders. One of their brilliant C.E.O.’s a few years back admitted he hated guns and was even afraid to walk out into the factory and be near a real gun. He stopped Colt from making small defensive handguns which he regarded as instruments used only by drug gangs. Colts departure from the revolver market was also a colossal marketing blunder as well. And they priced themselves right out of the AR15 market not realizing the average Joe Blow is too dumb to buy quality rather Joe Blow always buys the cheapest piece of trash on the market so he can later bitch about the non existent quality and unreliability of the piece of junk he just bought.
I never had a problem with a genuine Colt AR15 and I once put 10,000 rounds through one and it was still shooting 1/2 minute of angle groups with all the various bullet weights I used but I have seen tons of off brand trash fail to function reliably at our range. If you have genuine Colt you can take a chance and hang on to it and hope they do not force you to turn it in someday but in the meantime enjoy it because it was a quality piece of equipment.
By the way the last ones in existence are being snapped up by people who plan on doubling their investment soon. See what they will soon be worth if the Dems do not ban them.
Why would I enjoy a weapon of mass destruction that is responsible for the river of blood flowing around schools, churches, and concerts? I can’t believe a reasonable man/thing like you would ever say such stuff.
Perception of quality that’s a hold over from a by gone era. They didn’t make a bad product but you were paying double for it a similar product because Joe Blow didn’t know any better. Word is out. There are better products for less money.
I am a college drop out who has never accomplished anything in my entire life except make my father be ashamed of me but I know all about Colt’s corporate history and the market forces that have driven Colt’s business decisions.
You know, when I was an adolescent I really enjoyed spoofing people with funny stories pretending to be someone else. At my high school we even had a fake newspaper called the PU review, full of articles supposedly written by the principal.
But when I became a man, I put away the ways of a child and worked to become a mature, thinking human.
It is sad so many seeming adults on this forum somehow enjoy this childlike humor, as some sort of a substitute for rational, reasoned and informed opinions.
When I think of these child like people, possessing semi-automatic and automatic military style weapons and thousands of rounds of ammo, I tremble for the safety of our society.
If your goal was to put away the ways of a child and become a mature, thinking human, you didn’t make it……….
Rational, reasoned and informed are three words that will never be associated with either Vlad Tepes or Miner49.
Miner 49er thank you so much for saving me you are my hero. I am to much of a worm to stand up for myself when I make fun of myself and say mean things about me. Now I know you will protect me from myself so I wont be afraid any more well ok I will still be afraid of my own shadow but that thing is really scary and it follows me around every where.
You know if you change your name to Miner 69er I could really show you how much I appreciate you.
Spoken like a true Fascist, miner. “You’re not trustworthy with arms cause I don’t like your attitude.”
You and vlad need to get a room.
Try not to soil yourself there, miner-boy.
Yes, if your attitude includes advocating the violent death of your political opponents, then I don’t think you’re psychologically suited to own lethal weapons.
It is interesting, that when you want to attack myself or Vlad, you instantly go to some sort of a Homoerotic thoughts or actions.
I mean, we were talking about guns. But I guess in your mind, guns are somehow associated with sex. Yet another reason I am troubled by individuals such as yourself owning lethal weapons.
“You know, when I was an adolescent I really enjoyed spoofing people with funny stories pretending to be someone else.”
Oh, you mean people pretending to be journalist, like on CNN, MSNBC, etc…
Great handle there, Cleo. It’s interesting that you’re claiming to be the voice of reason and rational thinking, yet you chose that name.
“Cleophus Prince Jr. (born July 25, 1967, aka “The Clairemont Killer”) is an American serial killer who was convicted and sentenced to death in 1993[1] for the rape and murder of six women in San Diego County, California from January through September 1990. Before these crimes, Prince was court-martialed in 1989 due to larceny, and when he was convicted and served his sentence, it was recommended that he be discharged from the United States Navy.”
Good insight into how your mind works, miner. You see the name ‘cleophus’ and immediately equate to a serial killer of color. The name is connected to a beer company and is greek in origin. But you immediately added a last name that wasn’t in the avatar and connected it to a black man that was convicted of serial murders.
You white guys from WV tend to connect the dots in such a racist manner.
No secret insight into thoughts or motivations here, just the first google search result.
But hey, if you want to go Greek, that’s your business. Not to say there’s anything wrong with that, of course. Whatever floats your boat.
Driven them right into the ground and soon they’ll be out of business. They’re not even an average rifle maker at best. Time for them to fold up shop and let the big boys take over.
“I once put 10,000 rounds through one and it was still shooting 1/2 minute of angle groups with all the various bullet weights”
That’s one of the stupidest things you have said and you have said LOTS of stupid things. Total BULLSHIT like all of your other posts.
Ok Moron do not take my word for it. Guns and Ammo put an AR Colt through a similar torture test and fired it continuously over several days. Yes they ruined the throat by over heating it in such a short space of time but with the heavier bullets it was still giving acceptable accuracy at the 9,000 plus round mark. My gun was used in competition and no I did not overheat it that is why mine was still shooting accurately after 10,000 rounds and you could even see with the naked eye the throat erosion in it. It astounds me that the gun was still shooting so well.
Since you are obviously not a competitor with a rifle in shooting events you do not realize its very easy to shoot that many rounds in just 3 years or even less of practice and match shooting. Next time before making a complete fool out of yourself in front of people who do compete with the AR do some fking research before putting your big ignorant mouth in gear.
So let me translate this into plain English for: “ok I read about it so I cut and pasted under my name.”
TDI. We all know, except for a virgin like vlad, that you cannot take any of those old ‘golly gee’ articles printed in the dead tree press seriously. They were all in the pockets of the paying adverts.
Once again he proves he hasn’t a clue about guns or their use.
You’re so full of shit it’s funny
The dems are in the process of banning themselves. And it’s funny as hell to watch.
Vlad had been around guns since the 40s by his own telling. So you better pay attention to him. He probably has shot everything from an NAA minirebolver to a Trident missile.
All hail wolftracker err I mean Vlad.
Thanks for the plug but no I have not shot a trident missile yet.
“Thanks for the plug but no I have not shot a trident missile yet.”
Keep your sexual practices to yourself. I will now need years of therapy to erase that image from my consciousness.
Colt is too stupid to realize that their statement of not selling to public will have ZERO impact on the AR market. FN paddled their little asses years ago when it took the DOD contract away from their overpriced product. Their 1911’s are really nothing worth writing home about either. Too much shenanigans with bankruptcy and piss poor management = they suck in the retail arena. They will not be missed.
It’s strictly business for Colt. Or, a lack of business sense, which we’ve seen for years, but you can expect the antis to put their spin on it and take credit for it.
It’s main business for the past 15 years has been in licensing it’s name,it makes money by not producing a product. if one does a search on colts business history it’s been in and out of bankruptcy more times than one would think possible,starting right after it’s founding by Sam Colt,he admitted in the day he was not much of a businessman and would appear nether were his successors
As to the AR,no great loss as there are many other fine or even more competent producers than colt.
Colts Ar being gone is no big deal. They were over priced anyway. All you paid the extra for was the Pony insignia as is. They wont be missed.
Maybe not to you but Colt Fans will miss them for sure.
Yeah, I still have a soft spot for Packard and Studebaker. I have a feeling that, sooner now than later, Colt will be joining this group of once great “has been” brands, but because of this latest stunt, just won’t be as fondly remembered.
I miss Studebaker too. The Super Lark Custom R2 was one of fastest cars during it’s time. It was one of the “muscle cars” that came out before the GOT.
The company couldn’t compete in the market place. What happened to it is what natually happens to anything that cannot compete. It does. Colt is trying yet again to not have that happen to them.
All ten colt fans will miss them dearly. No one buy them.
Exactly. I’d love to have a Colt, but with used ones costing ~$1,200, I’ll stick with $500 M&P-15s.
Exactly. Colt holds on to a name and a logo only. Too many quality makers out there for them to ever get back their once large market share, too many people remember before when they stopped civilian selling to focus on .Gov contracts only.
For the media and the ‘Mom’s demand’ crowd to yell ‘winning’ is BS.
Colt has been all kinds of messed up for years.
Although I do admit to wanting a series 70, but ain’t going out of my way to buy one, but I keep my eyes open.
Stupid comment. Displaying vast ignorance, which means the person making the comment is well-suited for Internet gun forums.
Please elaborate. Nothing I read in his comment I found ignorant.
Vast ignorance or not, it’s my opinion.
Pretty sure I’m still in America too.
I doubt that anyone reading this blog would turn in their guns to the government NO MATTER WHAT!
Colt was a small fish in a big ocean of AR-15 manufacturers. Which is weird to say, but it is the reality.
The market is saturated in AR-15’s from $400 and up, with superior quality and features to Colt offered at and below Colt’s prices. Or you can go the other way with much more expensive brands offering far superior guns to any Colt offering.
The only meaning behind this event is that Colt priced their MSR’s too high and lost market share. Now they are admitting they screwed up.
They have had the past 183 years to get it right and still haven’t,perhaps someday.
$1000 for an AR basically opens the market up to some seriously nice pieces of stuff. Colt knows they can’t keep up with it anymore.
Alas, I think it’s been stated that this is only temporary so they can focus on filing contracts for military customers as demand has fallen, and that they’ll be back at it later down the road.
Colt is not ending AR sales to the civilian market. All their capacity is needed to fulfill their government and FMS commitments. They have done this before. With the glut of ARs on the market and the potential for a ban they have chosen not to expand their capacity. It is a smart move on their part.
This article ought to get its shit straight. Some places it reports that Colt will stop selling to civilians, other places say it will stop producing for civilians. Not the same thing, guys! Sounds like they will be producing select-fire only for a while, reducing their surplus of civilian models. By continuing to SELL them to civilians! But I can’t tell for sure from this article.
Colt has notified major districutors that they will not be fulfiling new orders for ARs for an indeterminate amount of time. They do not foresee new sales to non-governmental agencies for the time being.
I heard they have a huge deal with the government next year. 5 rifles per month if they’re lucky. No police or government sales for these fools.
Were crocodile tears shed when IBM got out of the home PC manufacturing biz?
Uh, no.
*Countless* more companies were picking up the slack. Welcome to the age of commodity manufacturing… 😉
And it’s also a fact that AR’s are now so ubiquitous that they can be easily assembled from readily available parts. Anyone with a modicum of tools and mechanical skills can make one. That sort of limits the exclusivity of factory made firearms.
Because it bears repeating …………..
https://www.colt.com/news/2630
Colt News
Published 09/19/2019
Company Response to Questions about Colt Participation in Consumer Markets
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (September 19th, 2019) – There have been numerous articles recently published about Colt’s participation in the commercial rifle market. Some of these articles have incorrectly stated or implied that Colt is not committed to the consumer market. We want to assure you that Colt is committed to the Second Amendment, highly values its customers and continues to manufacture the world’s finest quality firearms for the consumer market.
The fact of the matter is that over the last few years, the market for modern sporting rifles has experienced significant excess manufacturing capacity. Given this level of manufacturing capacity, we believe there is adequate supply for modern sporting rifles for the foreseeable future.
On the other hand, our warfighters and law enforcement personnel continue to demand Colt rifles and we are fortunate enough to have been awarded significant military and law enforcement contracts. Currently, these high-volume contracts are absorbing all of Colt’s manufacturing capacity for rifles. Colt’s commitment to the consumer markets, however, is unwavering. We continue to expand our network of dealers across the country and to supply them with expanding lines of the finest quality 1911s and revolvers.
At the end of the day, we believe it is good sense to follow consumer demand and to adjust as market dynamics change. Colt has been a stout supporter of the Second Amendment for over 180 years, remains so, and will continue to provide its customers with the finest quality firearms in the world.
Very respectfully,
Dennis Veilleux, President and Chief Executive Officer
Colt had been mismanaged for years. They went bankrupt during the greatest time in history to be a firearms manufacturer. This is them continuing to be ignorant of how to manage a business. Fortunately, the market won’t even notice their withdrawal from it.
The COLT AR is a rugged, reliable AR, the go-to for anyone looking for their first AR. If anyone wants a real “mil spec” AR, Colt is for you. Colt owns the TDP for the Armalite rifle. Period.
I’ve given up trying to debate this point with the multiple morons out there whose knowledge of the AR-15 rifle is based only on what they read on the Interwebz.
Colt has a lot of contract work they are fulfilling. They are smart enough to realize they can not compete against the “I built this AR by myself” goobers out there or the consumer stupid enough to think they are getting a quality AR from PS or other $500 other sources.
They will be back in the consumer market, assuming their idiotic senior management does not continue to run them into the ground.
I’m glad I purchased two COLT M4A1 SOCOMs when I could.
FN also contracts with the military to make M4s and M16s now. My last issued rifle was a FN, not Colt. So you have other options to have a genuine AR pattern service spec rifle.
FN chopped Colt off at the knees years ago by getting the main contract for the M4 and M16A4 because they were a more competently run company. Colt has been outperformed by a large number of companies who produce superior rifles at similar or lower price points, I’m fairly certain places like Daniel Defense, LMT, Knight’s Armament, and countless others haven’t been inconvenienced by Colt in any fashion and considering they receive government contracts and aren’t constantly going bankrupt they’re clearly are doing something Colt can’t manage.
But I’m sure that’s all lies and Colt is forever No. 1 in your mind.
Plenty of people make ARs that are better than Colts, or are cheaper than Colts, or both. They had no position in the market anymore.
Yeah, but do they shoot half moa groups with any bullet weight after 10.000 rounds down the barrel like Vlad’s Colt AR?
You apparently know very little about quality rifles.
Most buyers have no need or interest in top of the line Mil-Spec perfection. That market is not a place to build a large manufacturing business upon.
I have two AR’s, both different. One’s a Frankengun. The other a Bushmaster. I enjoy shooting them and they work well for me. I would never suggest taking either into combat. The combined cost of these guns is easily less than what I see Colt AR’s selling for today on GunBroker.com.
I wish Colt would make another statement letting people know this wasn’t about mass shootings or gun control.
And if they did…do you think the idiots on gun forums and elsewhere would believe them?
Do you have any comment worth posting that adds value to the discussion or doesn’t call everyone idiots? You are already 0-3 on this comment thread alone.
Gun forum idiots…you obviously do not understand.
Move along, child.
@ P-T-M
I revise my comment. You are now 0-4 on this comment thread alone.
You Hillbillies and Jethro’s are a laugh a minute. As I predicted, gun companies are starting to limit their output to the civilian population. The POC, immigrant, indigenous peoples movement is taking effect – much sooner then expected. Soon, very soon, the gun industry as a whole will stop making the AR-15 for the white racist/supremacist who continue to threaten POC. The walls are crumbling all around you Hillbillies and Jethro’s and we, the people who you stole this country from will finally put an end to your illegal occupation. 2021 will mark the beginning of the end of your kind. Kamala Harris will destroy your threatening weapons and sink them all in the Oceans of the people. Then, your reeducation will begin. First, your children, then your neighbors, then you. All you white racist/supremacist will learn the correct way to live and any dissent will be brutally put down. You will no longer have access to guns and those that you currently own will be taken from you. Peacefully or by force. The choice is yours. Choose our socialist doctrine or go live in a cave. Kamala Harris and POC are the future of this nation.
In my bizarre dystopian fantasy world the Hairy Kameltow will get you if you dont watch out. With the Hairy Kameltow in the White House there will be no more guns and no more reality!
Faux Vlad is our version of the Babylon Bee. Today’s satire is tomorrow Vlad-truth.
I have done a linguistic analysis on real Vlad and conclude that he is a clone of the infamous Wolftracker of DIsqus fame.
I did a brief check. vlad and wolf track dude are very much alike.
I guess incels have to have a hobby since they ain’t getting busy with the females.
tdiinva and jwm you are going to love this:
Go to Quora.com and search for this question.
“How is it that “may-issue” weapon carry permits do not violate the 2nd Amendment clause that the right to bear arms shall not be infringed?”
Scroll down through the comments and find the entry by Jerry Poparad, dated June 21st.
You will find it to be very enlightening. As a bonus you can right-click on the commenters name and get a few more details.
Is this the jerry poparad that is listed as an ffl in Hartville, Ohio?
The ffl holder in Hartville is his dad.
The commenter lives in Canton, OH. Check him out on Facebook if you want to put a face to the name.
Wow. Gotta bleach my eyes after seeing that drech.
May issue states are really no issue or they only issue to the connected or elite.
Which real Vlad? The guy with a silly King Kong avatar or this racist p. o. s? They race each other for the title of ‘ the dumbest poster on ttag’.
STFU you scum of the Earth….. Get back across that border you filthy POS
Clever trolls are subtle.
Vlad Tepes apparently slipped through Soros quality control — neither subtle nor clever.
Maybe Mommy upstairs took the Soros test for him.
I own an old SP1 and it’s a nice rifle. No one is buying Colt rifles these days because they suck. They won’t be missed and they can’t compete against the current rifle makers. They’ll be out of business soon and no one will care.
I like my Colt official police .38
It was made long ago by craftsman in a company that really cared about results.
Too bad those days are gone.
Next year, Ford is dropping all of their cars besides the Mustang from their lineup, to focus on their top-selling trucks and SUVs. Colt will continue to pursue what they believe is best for their company’s bottom line, just like all other long-lasting businesses try to do.
Nobody that isn’t in charge of procurement for a police department has bought a *new* AR from Colt since 2005. “Lack of demand” is right. There are now dozens of brands out there. 2013 came and went, and everyone with the means bought their fill of AR15s over the last 5 years, and they haven’t spoiled or rotted away in the meantime. MFOL seems to be celebrating like we all had a change of heart and ran a chopsaw through them.
No mention from the donkey show reporting on this from the far left that Colt just recieved a 41.9 million dollar contract from Uncle Sam to produce anywhere between 50,000 to 70,000 M4 rifles to more than a dozen countries, and that maybe that would soak up their manufacturing capability for a bit. Couldn’t possibly be good business sense here, no, we need a political victory lap.
Well go ahead, Hogg. Run you lap. You’re providing a good laugh, if nothing else. We’re all waiting to hear what you have to say when Colt’s contract is fufilled and civillian production starts up again without a hitch.
When Trump says something like that idiot Hogg did, the media is all over him for being a liar. I bet this twerp gets a free pass.
Biggest problem with Colt is paying for the Name, Colt purposely positioned themselves to be the Military go too boy for Weapons thusly thinning out their “civilian” lines! after sloppy work for decades colt lost a lot of Military contracts. Piggy boy Hogg just wants a free ride in life, minimal work, big bucks, an agent of the Commie, Pinko, Anti-American and Anti-Constitution Party full of Ignorant Muslims and Illegals {DEMOCRATS}
who would seel their own mothers for so called political power!