i have a very good friend who has several high level contacts in Colt, the word from him when i asked is that Colt will NEVER go back to pre-ban configs for the civilian market..., the reason: they want to protect their military & foreign market where the laws are not stupid & confusing, they are trying to shed that "Assault Weapon" stigma & show the general public they are manufacturers of "Sporting Rifles", not weapons of mass death & destruction. AND, for this reason, Colt pre-bans will continue to demand high prices & will climb in value.....
he told me that philosophy does NOT sit well with the older managers & supervisors who have been at Colt for many years, but they soon will be retiring & Colt will be just another company with a high profile name & little substance, & that is a terrible shame.....