Colt's hold their value for a REASON.

Just like a Toyota Holds its value over any other brand for a REASON.

Anyone whom tells you otherwise is obviously in the MINORITY; because the majority buys colts and toyotas therefore keeping the supply low, demand high, and price high; for a REASON.

That being said, I like my colt 6400 M4 because Colt actually makes the militarys M4's!

Depends on if you mean physically or statistically, there is someone looking into that right now.

Hrm, interesting. I kind of thought that was a settled issue.

I wonder if LMT magnafluxes their bolts. Pat Rogers seems to think so, per a post a TF. I couldn't
get an answer out of LMT about that one way or the other.

Is statistical sampling adequate in your mind Tweak, or not?

Keep us apprised as to the findings, and thanks

Where to start...........
Mil-spec? Reliability? Cost? Replacement parts availability? A name?

Mil-spec: Colts are not mil-spec. Plain and simple. The uppers are, but the lowers are anything but mil-spec. They have sear blocks and the fire group pins are too big. This is not rhetoric, but a cold, hard fact. The early models have issues with large front pivots and some dont have the A2 reinforcement features either. Though these features appeal to some. Most manufacturers today have settled on the A2 design and produce nice products at reasonable prices, though, there are always going to be exceptions.

Reliability: Are Colts any more reliable than the next? Maybe, maybe not. That's one that there will be controversy over. Because, who has the money or desire to try enough examples of all types out there right now to find out? It's like politics, most everyone has a bias anyhow.

Cost: Colt's seem to cost more than any of the others. I watched LEO prices jump from $800-$900 to civilian prices of $1100-$1600 overnight. Supply and demand is the only explaination for it, but will it ever get any better? Doubtful. Colt's have always been overpriced. Due in part to short supply. Resaleability? Ask yourself this...which pre-ban lowers/rifles fetched more during the ban? Colt's, of course...wrong. Bushmasters routinely sold faster and for more than any comprable Colt (aside from the rare 134 or so, R6721's).

Replacement parts availability: Colt's parts availability sucks. Plain and simple. Very, very few suppliers out there. Specialized Armament is the largest and most notorious, though they supply most every part you could need for your Colt AR. There is a catch though. In addition to being hard to find, they are rediculously overpriced, in general. No wonder, if you make your lower parts out of spec., who else is going make "orphan" parts for it. Why the high expense? These are, for all practical purposes, surplus parts. The main reason Colt went into the AR busines was to unload surplus parts the military wasn't interested in. Go to the Colt website and try to buy parts for your AR. Go ahead, I'll wait. Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm. Back already. That's right, you can't. You can at Bushmaster's site. RRA's website has parts available too. DPMS-yes. Armalite-yes. OlyArms-yes. Just about every other manufacturer sells replacement parts on their sites and/or has a large distruibutor base for selling original parts for products.

A name: What's in a name? Colt's had a lot of them. SP1, Sporter, Match Target. They keep getting weaker and weaker sounding. What's next? The "Treehugger II". Colt's name is synonimus with AR's. No denying that. The logos are nice to look at too. Everyone likes the AR-15 moniker. Question is...will they keep it now that the ban is over? Doubtful. Rumor is that all production is off for the current LEO models. Gundealer3 stated he and other dealers were threatened to discontinue sales to civilians or future orders would be cut off. Remember, before there ever was a ban, Colt was cutting bayonet lugs off there rifles and carbines and changing names (birth of the Sporter) to apease the California politicians and avoid the assault rifle stigma.

A couple of years ago, I was still a diehard, dyed in the wool fan of Colt.  But with the parts, cost and backbone (or lack thereof)  issues, I went looking elsewhere. Right now my vote is with LMT. Bushmaster is a close second. Someone else out there can have dibs on that Colt I was sure I'd buy when the ban lifted. Enjoy, til you need parts anyway. If Colt ever goes back to making what an AR is supposed to be, I'll probably fight you for that place on the waiting list. Heck, who are we kidding...might as well hope for the NFA ban to be lifted too.

What's next? The "Treehugger II

THAT, I have to admit, is quite funny!

Tweak, which carriers? Got a pic?

Quoted: Tweak, which carriers? Got a pic?

I think he's talking about those Colt semi circle BC.

Quoted: Uh, all the ones I've seen lack the auto sear clearance cut so they're not "milspec" either.

If you buy the M16 uppers they'll have those "auto sear clearance cuts".

Okay, I got ya:

Here is an interesting thread for you "milspec" Bushie lovers Getting the answer from BM was like pulling teeth-and no wonder.

www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=2&f=28&t=143771

My preban Colts have been outstanding shooters, bar none, and I've owned and shot a pile of them. I think some of the newer Match Targets were DEFINITELY a step down in quality. My BM stuff has been OK, but I have 2 friends with several postban BMs between them, and they both have had reliability issues which improved once the guns were broken in. My Colts running smoothly has not escaped them when they have had reliability issues.

Colt as a company has made some incredably stupid decisions. They aren't the only company to do so.