Posted: 2/2/2010 6:30:18 AM EDT
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This year there seems to be more rumor's, myths and half-truths about colt then ever before. It seems to me that with the different models and updates introduced at shot show this year they want to step up they're game and not only get back into the 1911 and ar15 market but work they're way to the top. However not so much here but the couple other major 1911 forums as soon as Colt brings out a new model or makes a change to a model people start bitching and moaning and claim they won't buy it. For example Colt has reintroduced the CCO (called the special combat officer's) at Shot Show followed by pages of "oh its an aluminum frame! I won't buy one!" "oh the front strap's not checkered I won't buy one!" Pretty much everyone agrees that they don't like the duck bill that Colt uses. So they start using S & A beavertail's, and someone asks why can't they use Wilson or an Ed Brown. This is with pretty much everything they do. Then someone jumps in with why can't they bring back the DA revolvers. So my question is do people hate Colt firearms or do they just like to complain? Cause I know I'm not the only one buying these things.
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At the core, I think it's this: 1911 buyers have gotten used to the wide variety of options and models available and they don't want to settle for something that isn't 100% what they want.
One also has to take into account the fact that Colt does things that can only be described as truly baffling: their use of the duckbill despite the availability of more attractive and ergonomic parts, their constant attempts at creating one-off models like the Night Commander or doing special runs for TALO, but not moving their base models forward in any meaningful way, and their frustratingly inept (at times) quality assurance process. That having been said, I think they are finally realizing that the 1911 is one of their core competencies, and their efforts in the last year or two have really been big strides in the right direction, with the release of the new Delta and Combat Elites and the new railed frame. |
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This year there seems to be more rumor's, myths and half-truths about colt then ever before. It seems to me that with the different models and updates introduced at shot show this year they want to step up they're game and not only get back into the 1911 and ar15 market but work they're way to the top. However not so much here but the couple other major 1911 forums as soon as Colt brings out a new model or makes a change to a model people start bitching and moaning and claim they won't buy it. For example Colt has reintroduced the CCO (called the special combat officer's) at Shot Show followed by pages of "oh its an aluminum frame! I won't buy one!" "oh the front strap's not checkered I won't buy one!" Pretty much everyone agrees that they don't like the duck bill that Colt uses. So they start using S & A beavertail's, and someone asks why can't they use Wilson or an Ed Brown. This is with pretty much everything they do. Then someone jumps in with why can't they bring back the DA revolvers. So my question is do people hate Colt firearms or do they just like to complain? Cause I know I'm not the only one buying these things. That's always been there. The reason your hearing it more is probably attributed to your increased interests. The most valued 1911s coming from the top builders almost always say " Colt " on the slide. I'm at the range and someone shows me their " whatever brand ". I'm polite with a " thats nice ". An old Colt will get my attention everytime. Until you do something with them they're no better than any of the other cookie cutter 1911s except for the fact they have the right letters on the slide. 
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I haven't been impressed with their offerings in the past. In the last couple years, they've come out with some attractive (70 re-issue and XSE) pistols. I will buy one of their new pistols whenever money allows. Especially if they drop the Series 80 parts in the XSE.
I think the reason they're really getting stomped on is because of their one-offs that are limited production, yet everyone wants (1918 comes to mind). If they would put an $800 price tag on that and mass produce the hell out of it, they'd have to truck the cash in with landfill trailers. They've proven in the past that they don't listen to people. They seem to be changing their mind about that, and I wish them the best. EDIT: I can't stand Koolaid drinkers though. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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I have 6 Colt 1911's from 1918 to this year. I picked up a SAA in 45 Colt last year. I have 5 Colt DA revolvers. and 1 AR. I've had very good luck with Colt. Do they spit out a lemon every now and then. Yep. Does S&W, Kimber, Ruger, SA? Yep. So does Honda, Toyota, BMW, and Benz.
But lets talk human nature. Someone will find something to bitch about anything. I have S&Ws with locks too. None have jammed up. I have some with pinned barrels and some without. Now I had a problem with a Kimber and their customer service left me a little cold. Others have had good luck. I had a SA that shot way low and after 3 trips it was fixed. But all the while SA's service was very nice. If you like the looks of the Colts, get one, a lot of people buy them and have great service. I'll also add this to those saying Colt does not listen. The 1911 repo was always a limited run due to the finish. People still wanted them so in fairness to the folks that bought the first ones they put out the 1918 black army, and I see them in shops all the time. People asked for the Delta, and Colt built them. I bought one and it great pistol. Colt is one of the few that offer .38 super. For CCW folks they brough back the CCO, the new Agent, Defender, Night Defender and Rail gun. |
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I like Colts, I definitely want to own one (or more) down the road, but most of the time when someone only has $XXXX amount of money to spend on a 1911, there are better options out there for them to look at.
Holding a Colt is pretty special though...I can't quite put my finger on it, but when I pick up a Springfield Loaded or Mil-spec or a Kimber or something else and then pick up a Colt...there is just a different sensation. |
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I like Colts, I definitely want to own one (or more) down the road, but most of the time when someone only has $XXXX amount of money to spend on a 1911, there are better options out there for them to look at. Holding a Colt is pretty special though...I can't quite put my finger on it, but when I pick up a Springfield Loaded or Mil-spec or a Kimber or something else and then pick up a Colt...there is just a different sensation. Honestly Colts do not give me that sensation now put a Les Baer Premier II Super Tac or an Ed Brown Special Forces in my hand then I get that sensation. |
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I like Colts, I definitely want to own one (or more) down the road, but most of the time when someone only has $XXXX amount of money to spend on a 1911, there are better options out there for them to look at. Holding a Colt is pretty special though...I can't quite put my finger on it, but when I pick up a Springfield Loaded or Mil-spec or a Kimber or something else and then pick up a Colt...there is just a different sensation. Honestly Colts do not give me that sensation now put a Les Baer Premier II Super Tac or an Ed Brown Special Forces in my hand then I get that sensation. I should have prefaced my statement...OLD COLTS. I get crazy sensations from Les Baer's too...but I really can't put my finger on what the Colt does. There is just something about picking up a 30+ year old Colt...gives me goosebumps. I've never held a Ed Brown though 
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| If you are a 1911 fan you pretty much have to own a Colt at some point in your life just because it is Colt. With that being said, when I look at cars I don't search for model T's. They aren't antiquated like the model T, just behind. To me, Colt seems old school and other manufacturers are keeping up with the times a little better. my humble opinion. |
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I like Colts, I definitely want to own one (or more) down the road, but most of the time when someone only has $XXXX amount of money to spend on a 1911, there are better options out there for them to look at. Holding a Colt is pretty special though...I can't quite put my finger on it, but when I pick up a Springfield Loaded or Mil-spec or a Kimber or something else and then pick up a Colt...there is just a different sensation. Honestly Colts do not give me that sensation now put a Les Baer Premier II Super Tac or an Ed Brown Special Forces in my hand then I get that sensation. This is like comparing a Chevrolet to a Mercedes.  One's a cookie cutter and the others a semi-custom. Just keeping things real. 
ETA: and our right ARTSOHC, holding a Colt is pretty special. It's something most of us dreamed of as boys. |
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I like Colts, I definitely want to own one (or more) down the road, but most of the time when someone only has $XXXX amount of money to spend on a 1911, there are better options out there for them to look at. Holding a Colt is pretty special though...I can't quite put my finger on it, but when I pick up a Springfield Loaded or Mil-spec or a Kimber or something else and then pick up a Colt...there is just a different sensation. Honestly Colts do not give me that sensation now put a Les Baer Premier II Super Tac or an Ed Brown Special Forces in my hand then I get that sensation. I should have prefaced my statement...OLD COLTS. I get crazy sensations from Les Baer's too...but I really can't put my finger on what the Colt does. There is just something about picking up a 30+ year old Colt...gives me goosebumps. I've never held a Ed Brown though I will give you that. |
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I like Colts, I definitely want to own one (or more) down the road, but most of the time when someone only has $XXXX amount of money to spend on a 1911, there are better options out there for them to look at. Holding a Colt is pretty special though...I can't quite put my finger on it, but when I pick up a Springfield Loaded or Mil-spec or a Kimber or something else and then pick up a Colt...there is just a different sensation. Honestly Colts do not give me that sensation now put a Les Baer Premier II Super Tac or an Ed Brown Special Forces in my hand then I get that sensation. This is like comparing a Chevrolet to a Mercedes. One's a cookie cutter and the others a semi-custom. Just keeping things real.
ETA: and our right ARTSOHC, holding a Colt is pretty special. It's something most of us dreamed of as boys. You cannot compare superior German Engineering to American made. That is one thing that pisses me off about Sig (German & Swiss) putting and external extractor on their pistol must have been a Swiss idea because Germans would have come up with a whole new idea of an extractor and improved it. That is what we do is over engineering everything to be to good. But holding an old Colt is special because I love history and I wonder where it has been! |
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Uuuuuhhmm. That's not where I was going with that. At All. So let me try this again. It's like comparing a Buick to a Chevrolet. One's a cookie cutter and the other a semi-custom. That just doesn't sound as good.  Yeah I totally got what you meant but I had to give some hate to Sig for being a German company and doing something stupid like the EE. 
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No one hates Colt they have just been making some subpar 1911's in the past few years. For the price you pay for a Colt I expect more quality out of them. What he said. This. Aside from WWII models, every Colt firearm I've messed with was really sub-par for the price. They're an OK quality, but too expensive for a pony-shaped rollmark. They either need to "up" their quality, or lower their price. |
| I was hoping you'd throw DW out there. You were quick enough to catch yourself with the price tag and the fact they're off and chasing a higher end market. STI is fair enough. They've done a good job of marketing to a broad base. Quality has been decent at the low to mid-range level. I just don't get that same urge or even close to urge like I get when looking at a Colt. Take a 900.00 STI and a 900.00 Colt put them side by side in a gun case and see what sells first 10 times out of 10. STI just doesn't do it for folks like Colt does, especially little boys who lay awake at night watching GunBroker. |
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I was hoping you'd throw DW out there. You were quick enough to catch yourself with the price tag and the fact they're off and chasing a higher end market. STI is fair enough. They've done a good job of marketing to a broad base. Quality has been decent at the low to mid-range level. I just don't get that same urge or even close to urge like I get when looking at a Colt. Take a 900.00 STI and a 900.00 Colt put them side by side in a gun case and see what sells first 10 times out of 10. STI just doesn't do it for folks like Colt does, especially little boys who lay awake at night watching GunBroker. Ok well I think we've ventured into a different discussion. We're now into the "what has the most appeal" and "what sells better" discussion. I'm not going to argue that STI has better market value than Colt, because it's simply not true. I will argue, however, that STI puts more quality per dollar into their pistol. If you (not YOU, but anyone reading this) are the type that buys a name, that's fine. I would never endorse buying something that you don't feel right with. But looking at the features, fitting and finish, the STI is a superior pistol. The 2009 models by Dan Wesson are the same, though they still have stuff in the range of a Gold Cup. I don't have anything against Colt. I may even consider getting one as a base-gun for a custom in the next few years, if I can find it as a reasonable price. You brough up a good point about the custom guys using Colt as starting points. Colt makes a damn good frame and slide. But unfortunately that's only part of the equation. |
| I have a 70 series Commander, an early eighties Python and a 2009 6920. I love em all for what they are and what they ca do. Everyone who picks up the Python and shoots it is suprised by how accurate it is. Each one is box stock, and shoots great, although the Commander is getting prepped for some accuracy work and new sights. I think some people on the Internet just love to bash things they believe others covet. Its the same whether its Guns, boats, cars, or whatever. |
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Four of my five 1911s are Colts. I plan to by more 1911s, and I'll probably own a Springfield, but I really like Colts. One is a 1913 commercial government model that I've never shot. I have a M1991A1 that I've worked on, a Commander bobtail that's my daily carry at home, and a 1983 Special Combat Government. Those three are all reliable and accurate.
If I build from scratch I might go with Fusion, I've heard good things about them. |
| I'll play in the Colt/STI game. I own both. A series 80 gold cup not even close in quality to my STI. The colt has been the worst pistol I have owned. Sent back to the factory twice for feeding problems and trigger problems. I won't be giving colt anymore money. It's a shame more people don't know about STI |
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No one hates Colt they have just been making some subpar 1911's in the past few years. For the price you pay for a Colt I expect more quality out of them. I'd say it is more of the price you pay for one. Other vendors have added upgrades that use to be something you would have to get put on after buying the gun. For the price of the colt you can get a gun with better sights that has the slide already cut in case you still want to replace them. A lot will have an extended safety or a better grip safety. I could go on but it really depends on the model. That being said I have 2 colt 1911s. First is a delta elite 10mm which is a pretty good gun although I kinda wish I had picked up a dan wesson for some of the added features considering it would have been about the same price. Gun runs fine though and I like it. Second is a colt commander. I've had it longer and has a wilson full lenght guide rod and crimson trace grips. Got the grips for really cheap and I prefer a full lenght guide rod. Gun works fine although it really doesn't compair to my kimber as far as fit and finish goes. My kimber was more expensive though. I would like to make this a carry pistol at some point but I need to send it off to a gunsmith for a good amount of TLC. Figure by the end I'll have the sights replaced with night sights, new extended safety, replacement grip safety that feels good(the colt one feels like ass and is really soft), the gun deburred, and the front of the grip checked in some form. Might have the magwell worked on as well. Thing is I'm going to drop hundreds into this gun to make it a nice carry piece. It will be at the point where I could have bought a high end gun to begin with. I could have also gotten most of what I wanted from another vendor for not much more then the colt had cost. |
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I'll play in the Colt/STI game. I own both. A series 80 gold cup not even close in quality to my STI. The colt has been the worst pistol I have owned. Sent back to the factory twice for feeding problems and trigger problems. I won't be giving colt anymore money. It's a shame more people don't know about STI On the flip side I knew a guy years ago who had an STI that was unreliable, the opposite of my plane jane series 80 Colt. |
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No one hates Colt they have just been making some subpar 1911's in the past few years. For the price you pay for a Colt I expect more quality out of them. What he said. Yep, I don't hate, but I don't see what the hype is about. I had one and traded it for a SS TRP. |
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I dont know if anyone really "hates" them.. But some get tired of hearing "Colts the original" "if its not a colt its a copy" "Colts the best", and so on..... I own and have owned colts, they are not the best, there are some not as good and some better... IMO Colts are priced higher than they are worth.. I see guns in the price range of colts top dog( Special combat) and guns priced lower that are better guns.... I really like my old commander I have... shoots really good.... I had a series 70 colt that I couldnt shoot worth the darn, and really didnt like it..My S/A GI shoots better..But my friend really wanted it because it said "COLT" on it...Which I think happens ALOT.. I know in the past alot of LE Officers that carried 1911 usually liked higher end ones..
another thing, look at the PRICE of thier revolvers, from when I remember back the colt double action revolvers didnt seem to be as popular among Law Enforcement as the Rugers and smiths were. I like all Guns though, well most....... Colts, kimbers, springfields, glocks, and so on...... |