#Colt

Colt Single Action Army revolver fans take note: Talo Distributors Inc announced they are now selling a limited run of new revolvers chambered for the classic .32-20 WCF cartridge.

The picture above is basically a “Colt c*#k block”. It is a sear block that was installed by the Colt factory. This was Colt’s answer to prevent people from using DIAS (Drop In Auto Sear) or a Lightning Link back when they were plentiful and affordable prior to 1986. They even neutered the BCG so it can’t trip a full auto sear. Where is the fun in that?

Colt’s Manufacturing is in hot water: A lawsuit filed in the District Connecticut court by finance company Prestige Capital is targeted at the gunmaker, with the aim of recouping half a million dollars plus legal fees and interest over what the plaintiff claims was a breach of contract during the production of the Expanse Carbine. The suit follows Colt’s scaling back of a contract for the Colt Expanse, a budget priced Colt-branded carbine whose production was farmed out to Bold Ideas, also known as Colt Competition. Colt’s contract with Bold Ideas allowed them to scale back production of the rifles – originally set at 6,000 to be delivered each quarter – but required 60 days’ notice. According to a letter cited in the suit, which was filed at the end of June, Colt scaled back production to 2,400 units per quarter “immediately” in March.

I know this is not exactly breaking news, but when I saw Gary Hughes of Dead Air Armament post up the ‘In Stock’ notice for a Colt AR15A4 at Brownells, I was intrigued. Sure, other manufacturers have started making retro clone style M16/AR rifles. But when Colt talks, people listen.

Series 70 vs Series 80 is a bit of a holy war within the 1911 community. Many purists believe that Series 70 pistols are a superior version of the gun (and they can make a good case for it.) If you prefer Series 70 guns, I have good news: Colt’s Manufacturing Co is now making the Series 70 Competition Pistol.

Not long ago I was working as a marketing and content guy for a retail gun store that pretends to be an eCommerce company as well. It was an experience that I don’t care to repeat but did bring some reasonably interesting moments now and again. One of those experiances was speaking with a gentleman that had walked into the showroom with a plastic case that looked like it used to hold a circular saw. When he opened the case, there were a couple of zippered pistol cases haphazardly tossed inside.

Rock Island Auction Company’s May 2017 Premiere Auction started on May 5 and ended on May 7. Among the main and iconic lots of this auction were Elvis Presley’s revolvers. The King’s guns were sold at world record prices both for the Colt Python and S&W Model 19-2 revolvers.

With well-known 1911 manufacturers like Kimber getting into and now colt re-entering the wheel gun market, one might claim that it is the year of the revolver. Yes, new 1911 and other semi-auto models continue to make an appearance, the new six-shooters have been welcome appearances for those bemoaning the plastic wunderkunds.

What happens when you are Beretta, one of the most storied gun makers in the world, when you are rejected by Colt? Why, you go off and make a competing rifle, partially co-developed by Sig!

Recently we’ve been looking at a number of high-profile developments that came out of Special Operations Executive. Namely the infamous Welrod and Welwyn suppressed devices, and the Norm and Welgun experimental submachine guns. In this video, we take a look at some of the much lesser-known developments of the spy organization during the Second World War. A fully automatic .22 LR Colt Woodsman that had an excessive rate of fire, a hip mounted handgun that was designed to be shot while the user had their hands in the air, some fascinating cover stories that allowed the gunmaker John Wilkes Brothers to modify and repair small arms for SOE, and finally a highly modified and integrally suppressed M1 Carbine. Some of these small arms armed the agents parachuting into Fortress Europe and across lands captured by Imperial Japan, while others barely left the drawing board and served more as experiments of curiosity. However, all of these weapons were indicative of a time when the Allies were willing to throw any amount of effort at even a half-baked idea that would get Hitler or Tojo to surrender their empires quicker.

While walking the NRA Show floor, we had a once in a lifetime opportunity to talk with Rock Island Auctions about the Elvis guns that will be offered for sale at the next Premier Auction. Being offered for sale is a Smith Model 19-2 and a Colt Python. We also got a chance to take a very close look at Elvis’ very own badge.

In a recent announcement, the U.S. Government has released a 7 million dollar award modification notice for Colt Defense’s over 35 million dollar contract to provide M4 and M4A1s in the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. This modification notice specifically mentions the countries of Georgia, Lebanon, Iraq, Slovakia, Pakistan, and Bahrain.This latest modification tacks on another 7 million dollars for the additional countries, specifically mentioning the number of 8,730 M4/M4A1 carbines. The numbers bring this to around $800 per carbine, but we assume the actual cost per rifle is much lower with the extra cost being taken on by other equipment.

A number of AR15s that have been turning up in Iraq appear to be counterfeit products but are in the markets and treated as legitimate production versions of the rifle companies the producers are seeking to counterfeit. Some of them are very small differences, only being distinguished by the wrong roll mark or incorrect engraving. Others are blatantly obvious through the combination of several companies on a single lower. As an example, the largest indication that we are seeing is an AR15 with a 14.5 inch barrel, Burst selector, and with both Colt markings above the serial number and FN Herstal markings above the selector switch. Although both companies have been making M4s and M4A1s for the U.S. Military, neither of these companies have ever actually combined forces and produced a joint rifle. We’ll post the glaring examples we have seen so far down below. There are far more examples that are borderline counterfeit, but I don’t want to post them because I just don’t have the in-depth Colt roll mark knowledge to be able to discern whether or not it is genuine.

We’ve all heard that one before, right? “There’s no point to the .357 Magnum in a snubnosed revolver, from a barrel that short you might as well carry a .38.” Well, thanks some some exhaustive testing by Chris Baker and the LuckyGunner Labs team, turns out that’s not really true.

An official announcement from the Connecticut Governor’s office has confirmed that Colt’s Manufacturing Company, the current, official name of the company we all call “Colt”, is purchasing its own headquarters and manufacturing facility in West Hartford Connecticut. Also in the press release from Governor Dannel Malloy was promised retention of Colt’s current 600-employee workforce and the addition of 100 more jobs at the location.