Page 1 of 13 12311 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 129

Thread: COLT and Quality

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Posts
    29
    Feedback Score
    0

    COLT and Quality

    I've taken a shine to COLT ARs, and have recently renewed my interest in them. I've had a COLT AR for years and decided to buy another. I mentioned elsewhere on a Facebook AR group the OEM2 deal you can get and a guy tore into COLT and said they are not "quality" rifles. Is this the common consensus about COLT ARs? He claimed FN now makes most of them for the US Government because their quality is so much better than COLT. Is this true?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Posts
    748
    Feedback Score
    2 (100%)
    Quote Originally Posted by FredL View Post
    I've taken a shine to COLT ARs, and have recently renewed my interest in them. I've had a COLT AR for years and decided to buy another. I mentioned elsewhere on a Facebook AR group the OEM2 deal you can get and a guy tore into COLT and said they are not "quality" rifles. Is this the common consensus about COLT ARs? He claimed FN now makes most of them for the US Government because their quality is so much better than COLT. Is this true?
    In terms of specs and function---Colt makes great AR-15s. In terms of innovation, fit/finish, etc.... Colt isn't great. Just depends what you want out of it.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Posts
    2,815
    Feedback Score
    8 (100%)
    Perhaps their “fit and finish” isn’t the best. I honestly don’t care about that.

    As for FN making mil rifles, that has nothing to do with quality. It’s a function of he lowest bidder. Colt still makes mil rifles.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Posts
    29
    Feedback Score
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by Mrgunsngear View Post
    In terms of specs and function---Colt makes great AR-15s. In terms of innovation, fit/finish, etc.... Colt isn't great. Just depends what you want out of it.
    Thanks, and hey, big fan of your work on YouTube and have learned a lot, just watched your video on how to built out a COLT OEM2 this morning. I guess I don't know enough about all these issues but the comments took me by surprise a bit. So, it's more about "fit and finish" (which doesn't matter in the end really) and so forth and the fact that Colt is not a "boutique" AR builder/maker.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    3,272
    Feedback Score
    8 (100%)
    Quote Originally Posted by scooter22 View Post
    Perhaps their “fit and finish” isn’t the best. I honestly don’t care about that.

    As for FN making mil rifles, that has nothing to do with quality. It’s a function of he lowest bidder. Colt still makes mil rifles.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Yeah, FN got the contracts by beating the price gouging Colt used when they were sole source. Then after FN got the M16 contracts Colt held the M4 TDP hostage for years to keep that contract. While in the Army around 1974 I can remember seeing the price for a M16A1, can't remember the exact amount but it was between $650-700, I got out in 76 and bought a NIB SP1 for $250.

    Colt has a long history of producing "quality" AR's with oversized front take down pins, oversized fcg pins, receiver blocks etc. Don't get me wrong, I used to love Colt uppers, just despised their lower shenanigans, but today I really wish they would produce more mid lengths.
    Last edited by mack7.62; 11-02-18 at 09:15.
    “The Trump Doctrine is ‘We’re America, Bitch.’ That’s the Trump Doctrine.”

    "He is free to evade reality, he is free to unfocus his mind and stumble blindly down any road he pleases, but not free to avoid the abyss he refuses to see."

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
    Posts
    55
    Feedback Score
    0
    My only experience with colt is my 6940 (upper only) and i absolutely love her and i i don't think its lacking in quality

    When i came across her at my local shop i was more into AKs didn't know a damn thing about ARs but because it was colt i didnt feel any need to hop on my phone and look into it i just scooped her right up

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Utah
    Posts
    8,799
    Feedback Score
    3 (100%)
    Colt has many years of experience developing and refining the AR family of weapons. They have the port diameter, spring rates, reciprocating mass, clearances, barrel making and manufacturing processes right. However, they don't spend many resources protecting the finish of their war rifles.

    A word about fit & finish. Fit and finish is specified and important to function. Parts must fit together correctly with the proper clearance. Finish is important so parts that come in contact with each other do so without excessive friction. As far as I can tell, the fit & finish of my Colts is within allowable limits. Of course that means they had crunchy-ticky triggers, but grease and accelerated dry fire took care of that problem. What this means is, most people complaining about fit & finish only look at cosmetics without knowing how fit & finish actually affects function.
    Last edited by MistWolf; 11-02-18 at 11:04.
    The number of folks on my Full Of Shit list grows everyday

    http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n289/SgtSongDog/AR%20Carbine/DSC_0114.jpg
    I am American

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    NoVA
    Posts
    465
    Feedback Score
    0
    For the money Colt is the standard for what a rifle needs to be. There are other manufacturers that are going above and beyond what Colt is doing as far as upgraded parts like triggers, safeties, rails etc but with that comes cost.
    I know I can take a 6920 out of the box, throw an optic on it and beat the hell out of it. It's not as pretty as the Daniels Defense and other rifles of that quality but I'd never get buyers remorse over buying a Colt.

    Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Not here
    Posts
    8,703
    Feedback Score
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by MistWolf View Post
    Colt has many years of experience developing and refining the AR family of weapons. They have the port diameter, spring rates, reciprocating mass, clearances, barrel making and manufacturing processes right. However, they don't spend many resources protecting the finish of their war rifles.

    A word about fit & finish. Fit and finish is specified and important to function. Parts must fit together correctly with the proper clearance. Finish is important so parts that come in contact with each other do so without excessive friction. As far as I can tell, the fit & finish of my Colts is within allowable limits. Of course that means they had crunchy-ticky triggers, but graze and accelerated dry fire took care of that problem. What this means is, most people complaining about fit & finish only look at cosmetics without knowing how fit & finish actual affect function.
    I concur with all of this.

    I'll just add:

    Colts are very accurate. I used to be a BCM fanboy, but when I put two different Colts alongside two different BCM's, the Colts were clearly more accurate.
    Colts seem to hold their value better. Hold onto a Colt for ten years and it may appreciate in value, especially if it's a discontinued model, or Colt changes the serial number prefix, or something. Other brands may or may not even be worth what you paid for them unless there is something truly special about a particular one. Every time I've sold or traded an AR, the first thing out of the other person's mouth it seems is, "Is it a Colt?"

    The bad: Colt makes a huge volume of rifles. Sometimes they forget small things, like staking a bolt carrier key or something. It goes with the territory that you should look yours over thoroughly. Sometimes a Colt will have little scuffs or other cosmetic issues that another brand might not. I bought a NIB Colt and the mag catch had fine rust spots on it right from the factory. Since the rest of the rifle was perfect and unblemished, I'm guessing that part was allowed to get some pitting on it in the parts bin and Colt installed it anyway. It doesn't affect function, but some people may wince at minor cosmetic issues like this.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Maine
    Posts
    2,156
    Feedback Score
    3 (100%)
    I've had people ask me what AR I recommend and my answer is always "I build most of mine myself, but if I wanted to buy a complete AR off the shelf today for less than $1000, I'd get a Colt".

    If you want to spend more you can probably get a "better" rifle, but most people looking to get into the AR game aren't going to want to drop really big money initially.
    Most people who recommend Colt's recommend the 6920, with good reason, but I personally would lean toward the 6720 myself. But that's just a personal preference thing.

Page 1 of 13 12311 ... LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •