I think we have a bunch of guys here who should be manufacturing guns.
It’s your money if you don’t like it don’t buy it.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Maybe true. (Maybe not.) But having no innovation and no new products is not a formula for long term success. Selling 150 and 110 year old designs limits your market.

Really? You should go tell that to Glock. Those silly SOB's have been trying to scratch out a living from a single 40yo design. What a bunch of dummies. Maybe 1 day they'll figure out how to make it work for them! lol

quote:

Originally posted by airgunner:

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Maybe true. (Maybe not.) But having no innovation and no new products is not a formula for long term success. Selling 150 and 110 year old designs limits your market.

Really? You should go tell that to Glock. Those silly SOB's have been trying to scratch out a living from a single 40yo design. What a bunch of dummies. Maybe 1 day they'll figure out how to make it work for them! lol

The Glock design, while 40-ish years old, is still pretty much current in pistols. You can't say that about the SAA or the 1911.

airgunner. Even you have to recognize that is a stupid argument. In a hundred years if Glock is trying to peddle the “new” Glock 19 you might have a point. As for the other clown, the market already spoke. Did you miss the part where Colt already went out of business for fucks sake?

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:
airgunner. Even you have to recognize that is a stupid argument. In a hundred years if Glock is trying to peddle the “new” Glock 19 you might have a point. As for the other clown, the market already spoke. Did you miss the part where Colt already went out of business for fucks sake?

Yeah, the market has spoken and it obviously loves Colt. If the market actually hated Colt so much then why can't dealers keep them in stock and when they are for sale, why do they often sell for way over MSRP?

SAAs are so popular there are at least a 1/2 dozen other companies making copies of them. 1911's and AR-15's are 2 of the most popular platforms sold today and being produces by dozens of other companies. Even Sig makes 1911's and Sigs now. Colts are still the gold standard for SAA's and AR-15's and they make some of the best quality sub $1k 1911s on the market. Colts only problem with their products is they don't make enough of them or offer enough high end models with all the bells and whistles.

Colt has gone bankrupt more then once and its always for the same reasons, too much debt caused by poor management and union labor. Anybody who thinks Colt's lack of innovation is the reason for their financial problems is woefully misinformed.

quote:

Originally posted by Austin228:
I remember 20 years ago on a ranch I used to visit the owner had a 1960's era 6 inch Stainless Colt Python and that thing was not only a work of art but a amazing gun all around.

But I have to agree Colt is just a brand now and its not the same product as back then.

Did you mean nickel rather than stainless? The first stainless steel Python came out in 1984.

quote:

Originally posted by airgunner:

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:
airgunner. Even you have to recognize that is a stupid argument. In a hundred years if Glock is trying to peddle the “new” Glock 19 you might have a point. As for the other clown, the market already spoke. Did you miss the part where Colt already went out of business for fucks sake?

Yeah, the market has spoken and it obviously loves Colt. If the market actually hated Colt so much then why can't dealers keep them in stock and when they are for sale, why do they often sell for way over MSRP?

SAAs are so popular there are at least a 1/2 dozen other companies making copies of them. 1911's and AR-15's are 2 of the most popular platforms sold today and being produces by dozens of other companies. Even Sig makes 1911's and Sigs now. Colts are still the gold standard for SAA's and AR-15's and they make some of the best quality sub $1k 1911s on the market. Colts only problem with their products is they don't make enough of them or offer enough high end models with all the bells and whistles.

Colt has gone bankrupt more then once and its always for the same reasons, too much debt caused by poor management and union labor. Anybody who thinks Colt's lack of innovation is the reason for their financial problems is woefully misinformed.

I don't claim to know what's wrong with Colt. I don't think any of us do unless we've crawled through their books and figured out why that are not profitable.

It's clear they are not profitable though. Obviously they are spending more than they are bringing in.

Could be labor costs are two high. Might be real-estate costs. Could be the can't build enough guns to be profitable on the equipment they have to do it.

That is what a management team is supposed to figure out and address.

Without question, Colt's management has not been able to figure it out or address it.

I'm cautiously optimistic, the CZ folks will apply the analysis and management oversight needed to figure it out.

They know the gun business and will know the right questions to ask.

A big question off the top is how will CZ reconcile the San Wesson and Colt 1911 product lines? You probably don't need two that arguably compete with each other.

Again, without seeing the books, we don't really know the breakdown of Colt's costs and what's bringing in money and what isn't.

I always get a kick when people talk about how great the old Pythons were. They were under built for full house .357 Magnum. Quality Control was just as shitty then as it is today. My 70’s era brand new Python had to be returned because the timing was off, right out of the box. Their “Custom Shop” guns are no better. My Special Combat took three trips back to Conn. to finally get straightened out. Most recently, my “Custom Shop” M45/CQB had a dead front tritium lamp.

If anything, Colt stands as an example of corporate mismanagement, slovenly union labor and blue state incompetence. Keep in mind, the people assembling your new Python or 6920 will most likely clock out at the end of the day and go vote for people like Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden.

People keep buying them for the history and tradition. The fact that they are the OEM for SAA, 1911 and AR15.

If I was in the market for a .44 mag revolver, I'd look for a 20 year old Redhawk or Super Redhawk with low miles.

And bring back the Diamondback!!

rambo

Tom Gresham interviewed Colt President Paul Spitale on the 2/21/21 Gun Talk radio show. It's also available on podcast.

I'm neither here nor there on Colt, but I found the interview interesting.

The Browning A-Bolt shotgun was discontinued years ago, prices kept going up with those on the used market. After a period of time, Browning ‘reintroduced’ the A-Bolt shotgun for the deer hunters, wanting in on the action($$).

Seems like a similar idea with Colt.

I’m indifferent to Colt. I want the company to succeed, I cherish the rich history, and own a few. Among my favorites are a beautiful 1974 Detective Special and a Magnum Carry from 1999. I’ve always wanted a classic Python, but never wanted one enough to pay the cost of entry. The new Python doesn’t t excite me one bit. Now the Anaconda was never on my radar a something I wanted, I do not compare this new Anaconda to the ones of the past. I really think the new one is aesthetically pleasing to my eye. Will I purchase one, who knows? I am half in the market to obtain a 44mag for no particular reason. I will pay attention to this release and see if Colt learned anything from the release of the Python.