2017: Colt's re-entry into the revolver market

[Harkrader]

The question for me is: What do they have to offer?

Compact? Covered.
More than 6 shots? Covered.

Attractive? In the eye of the beholder.

Collectible? *I'M* not interested. I am not a museum.

Spectacular accuracy? Really?

Dirt cheap. Would anyone, in the U.S., at least, buy a new $200 Colt?

What would it compete against? New Model 27? 686? It would have to be, uh, spectacular - whatever THAT would mean - and competitively prices.

Ruger GP-100? SP-101? Well, I do think there's room for Colt, there.

I also think a new .44 shooter would be of interest. I have an Anaconda I used to carry backpacking, but went through a series of S&W .44s finally settling on the 329PD for all but big bear territory.

The Anaconda is close in size to the 29 and if Colt made one with the kind of killer looks of the Anaconda that wasn't extravagantly priced, I'd jump.

I already have a Det Spec and don't feel I need an alternative. Same for the Police Positive.

Commemoratives? I am not a museum.

Maybe they can do something alternative, like the Rhino or Kimber, but I can't imagine it.

 

[Engine49guy]

IMO Colt would be wise to reintroduce a SS Python since that model gets the most attention and price premium nowadays,
Priced under $900 without any IL or MIM with full parts interchangeability with the older ones and Im VERY interested... a .22lr Version of the SS Python would also catch my interest.

A SS copy of the Diamondback in .22lr, .32 Mag and .38 Special in various barrel lengths (especially 3" and 4") would also interest me if priced in the $700 range... otherwise not so much .

 

[DWalt]

If Colt ever does decide to get back into the DA revolver business (which I doubt), you can bet they will not be manufactured in the USA, but possibly assembled and finished here.

 

[rwt1405]

Not going to happen.

 

[Targets Guy]

Nice looking revolvers. Thanks for sharing.

 

[gman51]

I read that a Colt big wig said Colt would not be making revolvers again because Colt has lost about all their revolver gunsmiths and that making a quality revolver now would be to costly to be competitive.
BUT and we all know there could be a but....... and maybe tomorrow Colt could be making revolvers. All I can say is it would have to be very high quality yet competitive priced or it will be a bust for Colt. I don't see Colt investing in training people to make a quality revolver.
I have three Colt revolvers and they are all impressive guns.

According to this article The Cobra will be hitting the LGS this January.
American Rifleman | The Keefe Report: Colt Cobra—A New Factory Double-Action Colt

 

[hkcavalier]

Without tooling I think we may see the Colt name on guns made elsewhere, but unless they're hiding something very well I really don't see how they'd make new guns.

 

[GoHogs]

Colt IS making and introducing a new Colt revolver - a "Colt Cobra" .38 Spl +P - fiber optic front sight, steel frame and a new grip structure with what appear to be Colt marked Hogue grips.

 

[John Fugate]

I appreciate the nice comments on my old Colts , I think all we have left are memories of what once was. It's hard to imagine a company could make such great quality In the 1930's, being 80 years behind the technology that is available to us today. It's not about what we know today and what we are capable of building ,, it's what there not willing to do to make it happen. You know Colt could theoretically build a better gun than they did 80 years ago. But to accomplish that it would take another motive other than just the bottom line, it would take a company to want to build a better product or possibly the best product. The bottom line is that's not going to happen , because of the almighty bottom line. Quality has went to hell in all aspects of manufacturing. Build it cheaper, build it faster and if we're making money ,, who cares. We are in a who cares era ,, look around at all the beautiful molded plastic craftsmenship that surrounds your world. The arms on your computer chair look a lot like , your new S&W pistol which closely resembles your remote control to your Samsung TV . Yea ,,,, were there sadly enough. 2017

 

[DWalt]

Putting aside all other considerations, at least for me, there is a good feeling I get when picking up one of the classic Colt DAs from between the wars that is not the same as I get from picking up any DA S&W. I'm not at all sure that if Colt started manufacturing new DAs, they could capture that same feel.

Case in point, the re-introduction of the Ford (retro)Thunderbird in the early 2000s. It was a good-looking car, but by 2005 it just couldn't make the grade with the buying public, one reason (among many others) being that many buyers said that it just didn't have the same driving "feel" as the classic T-Bird little cars of the mid-1950s.

 

[les.b]

Well, I know it's an exception, and the cost is extrodinary, but someone recently posted a video showing the making of current Holland and Holland double rifles. It was an extrodinary and beautiful process. We could still have the kind of craftsmanship that those old Colts exhibit, but it would come at a premium cost.

Best regards, Les

 

[Arik]

that's not going to happen , because of the almighty bottom line.

Sure....I'd love to a company just ignore "the almighty bottom line" for the sake of selling a few thousand revolvers. They are going to buy all new equipment, train all new people, suck up the growing pains of making a new product just so a few hundred people can buy a revolver. They will set aside salaries, payments to suppliers, payments to utility companies all just to make 0.0000001 of the gun buying public happy. Your an ffl dealer, would you ignore your bottom line to give me a gun?

How many do you plan to buy? One? Two? One a week? One a month? Personally I plan to buy ZERO. Maybe one when the right one eventually hits the used market at a cheap enough price. Not because I like S&W better but simply because I have no use for another revolver simply because it's made.


Why not just go to S&W and ask them to pay for your gun?

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[Arik]

Well, I know it's an exception, and the cost is extrodinary, but someone recently posted a video showing the making of current Holland and Holland double rifles. It was an extrodinary and beautiful process. We could still have the kind of craftsmanship that those old Colts exhibit, but it would come at a premium cost.

Best regards, Les

Not sure if I saw the same one but I did see a show on how H&H are made. The difference is most here can't afford those and it would be the same with Colt. The show I saw the shotguns started at $40k. And they don't make a lot of them. That price is literally more than double the price of my car when it was new. $17k.

At that price range it wouldn't matter if colt made revolvers or not because very few people would afford them. Even if they were $5k. How many people here have a Wilson supergrade? How many are planning on buying one or two soon?

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[Collo Rosso]

But to accomplish that it would take another motive other than just the bottom line, it would take a company to want to build a better product or possibly the best product. The bottom line is that's not going to happen , because of the almighty bottom line.

The bottom line is the reason a company exists. Period.

 

[DWalt]

The bottom line is the reason a company exists. Period.

Every company has competitors and owners/investors in addition to customers. If it cannot produce a product or service with adequate perceived value to customers, then its customers will flee to its competitors. If it cannot make profits for the owners and investors, even though the customers see value in the company's products or services, then the company perishes. There is nothing else that matters nearly as much to survival as the bottom line.

 

[jag312]

I just wish Colt would make single action revolvers to the same quality as USFA.

 

[jack the toad]

I'm not holding my breath on a new DA revolver from Colt as all the cool snake names have already been used.

 

[les.b]

Not sure if I saw the same one but I did see a show on how H&H are made. The difference is most here can't afford those and it would be the same with Colt. The show I saw the shotguns started at $40k. And they don't make a lot of them. That price is literally more than double the price of my car when it was new. $17k.

At that price range it wouldn't matter if colt made revolvers or not because very few people would afford them. Even if they were $5k. How many people here have a Wilson supergrade? How many are planning on buying one or two soon?

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Arik:

I know you are right. I am just day dreaming. It's true that I have basically two kinds of guns...the practical, modern ones that I carry, and the older, more interesting ones that I like to collect, just because I have fun with them, and enjoy working on them and shooting them, and studying them, and sharing them with my friends who also enjoy shooting...and I feel that they are at least a fair investment, if I ever have to sell some of them off.

Best Regards, Les

 

[Arik]

Arik:

I know you are right. I am just day dreaming. It's true that I have basically two kinds of guns...the practical, modern ones that I carry, and the older, more interesting ones that I like to collect, just because I have fun with them, and enjoy working on them and shooting them, and studying them, and sharing them with my friends who also enjoy shooting...and I feel that they are at least a fair investment, if I ever have to sell some of them off.

Best Regards, Les

I was agreeing with you. I wouldn't mind being able to afford a H&H but as it is I'll have to settle for a H&R!

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[John Fugate]

Your an ffl dealer, would you ignore your bottom line to give me a gun?

I wouldn't give you a gun.

 

[824tsv]

Look for this in 2017 at a LGS near you!

Hot off the press. New Colt Cobra:

 

[John Fugate]

The bottom line is the reason a company exists. Period.

Your right its all the money. I think there is a market for premium hand built revolvers. You could still high build quality and make a profit. They might cost 5-10k each but people would buy them. I would if the quality was there.

 

[hkcavalier]

Hot off the press. New Colt Cobra:

Wow! Happy to eat crow. More competition is good.

 

[John Fugate]

Can't wait to see how nice the fit and finish is ?

 

[murphydog]

I see that the M&P M2.0 is just around the corner.

I will go out on a limb and predict a Colt re-entry into the DA revolver market with a 2 inch, 6 shot, Cobra 38 Special +P (D Frame) in a combination alloy/stainless model.

If you are one who believes Colt will never re-enter the revolver market, then you probably thought Mr. Trump wouldn't win either. . . .

I hope the SHOT Show provides answers.

Now, everyone who doubted Shawn, please form a line and tell him "sorry" .

The frame and trigger guard contours are different from older D frames; it will be interesting to see if the lockwork differs. The old Colts "stacked" in DA and the ad states it will have the best DA pull on the market...

Good news for Colt and the revolver market in general.

 

[silversnake]

A steel framed Cobra? .38+P only? Everyone is going to be asking why it's not aluminum framed or .357 magnum....

But if all you want to shoot are .38s it might not be bad. Reminds me of my Model 64 snubby.

Well, if we get another revolver on the market without an internal lock I'll be happy.

 

[les.b]

Well, Shawn, if I doubted you, I have to apologize. This could be an interesting development...like others, we'll just have to wait and see how the actual revolver performs. Good news, though....

Best Regards, Les

 

[moralem]

It's coming but us mere mortals won't have a chance at getting at retail or at a LGS......

 

[torizus]

There just may be a sliver of hope in me seeing a new Merwin & Hulbert 44.

 

[andyo5]

I just visited the Colt's website and could find absolutely nothing about a new DA revolver, Cobra or otherwise. The only revolvers listed were the SAA and New Frontier. I also checked the press releases. Nothing!