The article mentions previous foreign military sales (FMS) shipments to Israel but does not specify who is getting the rifles from this contract.

https://www.nhregister.com/bus...ontract-19469709.php

CT-based Colt’s Manufacturing awarded $57 million contract for Army weapons

By Liese Klein,
Staff Writer
May 21, 2024

The U.S. Army has awarded West Hartford-based manufacturer Colt's Manufacturing Co. a $57.2 contract for M4 and M4A1 carbines, according to the U.S. Department of Defense Website. The new award is an extension and increase of a previous Army contract.

The contract, awarded on May 16, is scheduled to be completed by Sept. 18. When orders are placed on the contract, the work will be done in West Hartford, Colt's Manufacturing spokesperson Eva Svobodová said.

Carbines, or long guns with shortened barrels, are used in military settings by troops including special operations soldiers and paratroopers. Colt developed the M4 platform in the 1980s and has since introduced the M5 and other carbine models.

A Czech company, Česká Zbrojovka Group SE, bought Colt in 2021 for $220 million in cash and 1.1 million shares of its stock.

Czech President Petr Pavel visited the West Hartford plant last year, highlighting the gunmaker’s symbolic and economic importance. Colt sales were up 50 percent since the acquisition and the West Hartford location employed 340 people, company officials said at the time.

Colt’s Manufacturing has secured several major Army deals in recent years, including a $26.7 million contract awarded on May 1 for M4A1 carbines, suppressors, and flash suppressors, with the work to be done in West Hartford. “Fiscal 2024 Foreign Military Sales (Israel) funds in the amount of $26,675,000 were obligated at the time of the award,” reads the announcement on the Defense Department website.

The Army awarded Colt’s Manufacturing a $41.9 million foreign military sales contract for M4 and M4A1 carbines in 2019, and two domestic carbine contracts for $88.6 million and $57.7 million in 2018.

Colt’s gun sales to Israel drew protest to the company’s West Hartford headquarters at 545 New Park Ave. last November, with picketers denouncing Israel’s actions in Gaza and demanding that Colt stop doing business with the country.

Colt’s Manufacturing Co. is the modern incarnation of the pioneering firearms maker founded by Samuel Colt in Hartford in 1855. The historic Colt factory complex south of downtown Hartford has been redeveloped into housing and office space.

Very interesting. Thanks for posting.

I didn't know Colt had an M5.

rambo

https://rangehot.com/colt-m5-next-generation-ar-15/

Colt M5, next generation AR-15

ByHunter Elliott
JAN 1, 2024 #AR 15, #Colt AR-15, #Colt M5



"The M5 appears to me as an AR-15, utilizing an extended receiver and proprietary barrel nut. The benefit of this is a true free-floated rail with the larger barrel nut acting as a heat sink. The stock is a six-position Magpul. Note the MLok on the port, starboard, bottom of the free float rail, and full-length Picatinny Rail along the top."

All that work and it ships with a carbine gas M4 barrel. A 16” Criterion barrel with rifle gas, riflespeed gas block, and short suppressor, and trigger would be pretty neat.

Why are they giving Colt $57 million to make soon-to-be obsolete rifles? Didn't the military recently decide to go to the XM5 in 6.8?

quote:

Originally posted by Voshterkoff:
All that work and it ships with a carbine gas M4 barrel. A 16” Criterion barrel with rifle gas, riflespeed gas block, and short suppressor, and trigger would be pretty neat.

Yep, and they wanted $1,899 when it came out. I'm not sure what it's going for now, but this video didn't help sales when it came out.



There also seems to be a newer version that has an ambi bolt catch and release. I'm also not sure if the QC problems in the first batch has been corrected. This gun was a big flash when it came out and went dark soon after.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
Why are they giving Colt $57 million to make soon-to-be obsolete rifles? Didn't the military recently decide to go to the XM5 in 6.8?

The Army is doing a limited fielding of the XM-7. They are issuing XM-7s to specific MOSs in specific units. The M4A1 will remain in use by the majority of the force.

quote:

Originally posted by RichardC:
https://rangehot.com/colt-m5-next-generation-ar-15/

Colt M5, next generation AR-15

ByHunter Elliott
JAN 1, 2024 #AR 15, #Colt AR-15, #Colt M5



"The M5 appears to me as an AR-15, utilizing an extended receiver and proprietary barrel nut. The benefit of this is a true free-floated rail with the larger barrel nut acting as a heat sink. The stock is a six-position Magpul. Note the MLok on the port, starboard, bottom of the free float rail, and full-length Picatinny Rail along the top."

So they change to a modern and of all things a magpul stock but they keep the stupid m16 grip with the annoying hump on it…

So...an almost AR-15 built with a bunch of Colt-only proprietary parts including both receivers but has little to no performance superiority over the actual AR-15. All in for the bargain basement price of $2k. Yet at that kind of money I think I'd rather spring for a Knight's SR-15 instead and just learn to struggle with its poor, heathen and mundane commonality with just about EVERYTHING in the AR world. Thank u Colt for trying to spare us from such a woeful, bland and wretched existence...but I'm good. Really I am.

An SR-15 is certainly a better rifle, but no less proprietary. I think the barrel, gas block, gas tube, bolt, cam pin, and firing pin are all unique on the SR-15.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
Why are they giving Colt $57 million to make soon-to-be obsolete rifles?

The M4 will probably outlast all of us.

I have always liked Colt and hope they get back on top.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
The M4 will probably outlast all of us.

It certainly is shaping up to be our very own Brown Bess.

Good for Colt. I don't closely watch the military contracts -- I figured this was FN's court.

I respect Colt's AR15s, especially the older ones. I just never became a rabid fan. "The Chart" never meant much to me. I feel Colt was slow to advance -- mid-length gas systems instead of carbine, free floated barrels, quad rails & then on to Mlok rails, stainless steel barrels, 1/8 twist rates.

Hopefully Colt does well. The M4 and its variants will likely be around for a long time.

I suppose the lengthened FCG pin holes are intended to address the issue of extensive full-auto fire wallowing out these holes in the lower receiver. The greater bearing surface for these pins would, I guess, alleviate such wear.

Presumably. Interesting that no one else seems to think that's a problem that needs addressing. I don't know if it is or not.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
Why are they giving Colt $57 million to make soon-to-be obsolete rifles? Didn't the military recently decide to go to the XM5 in 6.8?

Is 14 million really all that much money in today’s economy?

I mean, yeah … it’s more money than I’ll ever have, but if I did look I’d buy a few more toys, mostly cars probably, maybe a few acres and a self-sustaining home somewhere outside of Sedona Arizona where it’s 70-80 degrees year round and just live out my days. My little sister passed away a couple weeks ago which makes me the oldest on my branch of my family tree, all that’s left is me and my children & grandchildren. I figure at 66, with my health I’ll be lucky to last another 15-20 years, but I’m good with that.