Colt letter: Is it real or is it memorex

Colt awarded $42 million contract to produce M4, M4A1 carbines for 13 countries

SEPTEMBER 20, 2019


The Colt Manufacturing Company was awarded a $41,924,594 firm-fixed-price foreign military sales contract to produce M4 and M4A1 carbines for 13 countries, the Department of Defense announced Thursday, September 19, the same day the company announced it would temporarily stop producing civilian AR-15 semi-automatic rifles.

The contract awards Colt the rights to manufacture the 5.56mm-chambered assault rifles for Afghanistan, Bahrain, Djibouti, Federated States of Micronesia, Hungary, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Macedonia, Marshall Islands, Palau, St. Vincent and Grenadines and Tunisia.

Work locations are dependent upon each order, and the work is set to be complete by September 18, 2024.

The contract was granted through U.S. Army Contracting Command at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey.

Colt announced on Thursday that it would pause production of consumer AR-15 rifles due to “significant excess manufacturing capacity” in the civilian sporting market.

“[O]ur 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,” Colt’s statement read.

“Currently, these high-volume contracts are absorbing all of Colt’s manufacturing capacity for rifles.”

U.S. weapons manufacturers have been under significant pressure to limit or halt sales following a number of mass shootings with semi-automatic rifles in recent years.

Colt said it would continue producing the M1911 pistol and revolvers for the civilian market.




https://thedefensepost.com/2019/09/...5sR7rsjtx0tuLdvULd9_Tj5bVb4CRrXSI9nNOAmxuOvTw

Colt Industries in now in defence mode after CNN publication of:

New York (CNN Business)Colt, the manufacturer of the AR-15 rifle, has announced it's exiting the consumer rifle market as demand for high-powered, semi-automatic guns wanes.
The consumer market for rifles has "experienced significant excess manufacturing capacity" and there's too much supply of AR-15 guns on the market to justify making more, the company said in a statement. Colt will still manufacture other consumer guns, including pistols and revolvers, and it will continue to expand its network of dealers.
Colt said its business remains healthy, buoyed by its numerous military and law enforcement contracts.

"Currently, these high-volume contracts are absorbing all of Colt's manufacturing capacity for rifles," the Connecticut-based company said.
Colt reaffirmed its support for the Second Amendment, but the company said that it is "good sense to follow consumer demand and to adjust as market dynamics change."
Several other companies make the AR-15-style guns, including Palmetto State Armory and Smith and Wesson. The type of firearm has come under scrutiny because it's the weapon of choice for mass shooters. The gunmen in the Aurora, Las Vegas and Dayton shootings, among many others, used AR-15-style weapons.

Large US retailers have stopped selling some semi-automatic rilfes in response to America's gun violence crisis.
Walmart (WMT) announced it will stop selling handguns and certain kinds of ammunition that can also be used in assault-style weapons. Dick's (DKS), one of the country's biggest gun retailers, has also publicly said it's considering stopping all gun sales.

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/19/business/colt-ar15/index.html

Well damage is done! The beast is lose

Have a good cigar and regards
As-salāmu ʿalaykum
ARMARIN

During the early and mid 90s if you wanted an AR you bought a Colt, Bushmaster or one of a few others. Today the market has a glut of the things. I just see what Colt is doing as good business practice. My attraction to the Colt AR guns was the 70s SP1 versions only for nostalgic reasons and today a simple Google of "Retro AR" will bring up a dozen hits of current production retro AR rifles. I also have a fondness for the older Colt Series 70 guns. Anyway, with a market flooded with AR type rifles I can't fault Colt for getting out of the civilian market. Anyone who can beg, borrow, rent or steal a good CNC machine can start making AR rifles. Colt is also a UAW Union Shop so their manufacturing cost exceeds a non union shop in a garage. I worked UAW for a few years. Maybe before condemning Colt people should understand why the Colt Rifle cost more than their competitors who now must number a hundred just in the AR market. If I were Colt I likely would have done the same thing.

Ron