Keefe Report: New From Colt in 2016

by
posted on October 30, 2015
colt_1.jpg
One of the biggest stories to come out of the NASGW show in New Orleans is that of Hartford, Conn., gunmaker Colt. The company, working its way through bankruptcy, just landed a big chunk of a U.S. M4/M4A1 contract it will share with FN America, which will build its guns in Columbia, S.C. The contract, split between the two, is for $212 million dollars and is good through 2020. Anyone doubt the Army commitment to the M4 platform? It looks like FN received the first batch of orders, and it is unknown how many guns each of the makers will supply out of the total at this time. Colt has also received contracts to supply M4s for U.S. allies through the Department of Defense.

With such a huge government order, one might think Colt would pull back from the commercial market. After all, the company has done it before (and I have written about it before, too). Not under its new management. No American gun company can survive and thrive indefinitely on purely military contacts. There is a new sheriff in town at Colt. That management is firmly and visibly committed to the commercial market. And they showed me some of the proof of that yesterday. Shown here is a Colt Lightweight Commander.

Pairing an aluminum Commander frame with a 4" barrel, the gun is designed to carry. And it includes dual recoil springs as employed on the pistol Colt makes for Marine operators as the M45A1 CQBP. In the words of one Colt executive, a gun guy, "It feels like a full size five-inch when you shoot it." And, yes, those are Novak sights. One of the things I liked most was the stocks. They are retro looking, note the double diamonds, and include the Colt name but are out of a rosewood colored G10. Nice. Note also the cut under the trigger guard. The gun, too, will have a suggested retail price that will surprise you. Production is up in West Hartford, as is morale. Look for more good news ... and new guns from Colt.

Latest

heavy machine gun crew with DShK on tripod pointing in air above trees
heavy machine gun crew with DShK on tripod pointing in air above trees

Red Fifty: The Soviet 12.7 mm DShK Heavy Machine Gun

While the Browning .50-cal. M2 machine gun has been unequaled for more than a century, John Moses Browning’s genius design has had one significant 12.7 mm competitor: the Soviet DShK.

Support The NRA Youth Education Summit (YES) On Giving Tuesday

With more than 1,200 students having graduated from the program and over $700,000 in scholarships awarded since 1996, NRA's YES is an immersive leadership program for high school students eager to learn about the foundations of our nation, the importance of civic engagement and the role of the Second Amendment.

Rifleman Review: Remington 360 Buckhammer

Remington Ammunition's 360 Buckhammer is a straight-wall hunting cartridge that's designed to give deer hunters an ideal round for their Midwestern hunt.

New For 2025: EAA Girsan Witness2311 Brat, Match and MatchX

European American Armory Corp. (EAA) introduced an affordable variation of the double-stack 1911 design with their Girsan Witness2311 in 2023, continually adding additional chamberings and slide length options. New for 2025, the company is adding three new versions of the Witness2311 with the Match, MatchX and Brat models.

Review: Citadel Trakr

At less than 4 lbs., this repeating rifle is easy on the back while also being extraordinarily easy on the budget.

Freedom Munitions To Move Ammo Component Production To Idaho

Freedom Munitions has announced it will be consolidating its projectile component production from X-Treme Bullets out of Nevada into its Lewiston, Idaho, facilities.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.