Colt's Manufacturing

When people say "Colt," they're talking about the company that basically invented the revolver, built the M1911, and made the M16--you don't get much more foundational than that.

• •Colt's Manufacturing Company started in Hartford, Connecticut in 1855, though Samuel Colt had been making guns since 1836. We're talking about nearly 200 years of American firearms history wrapped up in one brand name.

Here's what Samuel Colt figured out that nobody else had--interchangeable parts and assembly line production. His Hartford factory wasn't just making guns, it was showing the rest of American industry how to manufacture anything at scale. The guy was basically running the Toyota Production System a century before Toyota existed.

• •1836 -- Samuel Colt patents the revolving cylinder, creates the Colt Paterson
• •1847 -- Colt Walker hits the scene for the U.S. military
• •1855 -- Hartford factory opens, perfects interchangeable parts
• •1873 -- Single Action Army drops, becomes "The Peacemaker" of the Old West
• •1911 -- Browning's M1911 design gets built by Colt for 74 years
• •1964 -- Colt wins the M16 contract, defines modern military rifles
• •2002, 2015 -- Company goes bankrupt twice (not great)
• •2021 -- CZ Group buys Colt, things start looking up

The CZ Group acquisition is huge. You've got Czech precision manufacturing backing up America's most famous gun company. Early signs look promising.

The Single Action Army is still the gold standard for Western-style revolvers. You want the gun that won the West? This is it, still made the same way.

The Python came back in 2020 after being gone for 15 years. Original Pythons from 1955-2005 sell for $3,000-5,000 because they were that good. The new ones use CNC machining instead of hand-fitting, which actually makes them more consistent.

• •King Cobra gives you a 3-inch .357 for carry. The Anaconda is back for .44 Magnum hunting. The Cobra is their .38 snubnose for concealed carry.

Their 1911 lineup covers the basics--Government Model, Gold Cup for competition, Defender for carry. These are solid guns, but you're paying for the Colt name since they're the original M1911 manufacturer.

The LE6920 and CR6920 are Colt's civilian AR-15s. They're mil-spec rifles from the company that built millions of M4s for the military. Quality is there, but you'll pay extra for that pony logo.

Most of Colt's innovations are so basic to firearms now that people forget who came up with them:

The revolving cylinder mechanism created the entire revolver category. Interchangeable parts manufacturing changed how everything gets made, not just guns. The Single Action Army defined what a revolver should look and feel like for 150 years running.

• •How Colt's innovations transformed both firearms and manufacturing

Colt built the M16 platform that every modern AR-15 is based on. When people argue about "mil-spec" AR-15s, they're talking about Colt's specifications.

Under CZ Group ownership, you're seeing better manufacturing discipline. The new Python uses stainless steel investment casting and CNC machining--it's actually more consistent than the hand-fitted originals that everyone worships.

Revolver guys treat Colt like gospel, especially Python and Single Action Army owners. 1911 collectors respect them because they're the original manufacturer. But AR-15 buyers are split--the LE6920 is a solid rifle, just overpriced compared to what else is out there.

Those bankruptcies in 2002 and 2015 hurt the brand bad. Quality control got sketchy, customer service sucked, and people lost faith.

The CZ Group acquisition changed that trajectory--Czech manufacturing discipline shows in the new Python and Anaconda.

• •New Python is excellent, lives up to the reputation
• •SAA is still the definitive single-action revolver
• •1911s are good but expensive for what they are
• •LE6920 is a proper mil-spec AR, but you pay extra for the name
• •Vintage Colts hold their value like nothing else

Common complaints center on pricing. You're paying a premium for heritage, and that doesn't always translate to better performance than cheaper alternatives.

• •The rise, fall, and resurrection of Colt's reputation

Buy a Colt if the history and name matter to you. Don't buy one if you just want the most gun for your dollar.

For revolvers, the Python is genuinely special--that double-action trigger is smooth as glass and the accuracy is legendary. The Single Action Army is the original Peacemaker, period. Nothing else has that claim.

For 1911s, you're getting a solid gun from the original manufacturer. Whether that's worth the premium over a Springfield or Ruger depends on how much the Colt rollmark means to you.

Here's the honest truth about Colt ARs: The LE6920 runs about $1,200. A BCM RECCE-16 costs $100 more and gives you better components. An Aero Precision M4E1 costs $400 less and shoots just as well. A Smith & Wesson M&P15 Sport II costs half as much and does 90% of what the Colt does.

You buy the Colt because it's from the company that built the M16. That heritage is either worth it to you or it isn't.

Colt is living off reputation right now, but that reputation is earned. The Python reintroduction shows what happens when you combine Colt's designs with modern manufacturing--it's genuinely excellent.

The revolver lineup is solid across the board. The 1911s are good guns that carry the weight of being "real Colts." The AR-15s are correct and reliable, just expensive.

The CZ Group acquisition is the most important thing to happen to Colt in decades. CZ knows how to run a firearms company, they've got the money to invest properly, and early results look promising. Whether they can fix Colt's value proposition while keeping the heritage intact--that's the real question.

If you're buying a Colt, you're buying a piece of American firearms history. Sometimes that's worth the premium. Sometimes it isn't. But you'll never wonder if you're holding a real gun company's product.