Colt-Now Outsourcing Almost Everything?

[OldState]

All I care is that I can still tell a new shooter "Just go the store and ask for the Colt 6920 off the rack."
^When I can't do that anymore for reasons of quality issues, I'd like to know that.

In this one short sentence I think you summed up my initial concern... in theory.

When someone would ask me for advice on buying a top quality AR I would tell them to take a few weeks or more to research and understand what was important and buy accordingly. If they weren’t willing to put the time in to do that I told them to just buy a 6920. It was always the “easy” button even for more knowledgeable types.

What I want to know is if that will be the case going forward.

[P2Vaircrewman]

At one time Ford's River Rouge plant employed over 100,000 people. I toured it as a kid in 1955. They literally made in house almost every component of the vehicle except tires. Today the plant is a shadow of its former self. Are the present day cars not real Fords.
It may be that Colt is doing what other manufactures have been doing for years.

"Starting in the 1950's, Ford began moving select operations away from the Rouge complex, driven by a realization that vertical integration had failed"


https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2018/0...t-to-industry/

[Circle_10]

In this one short sentence I think you summed up my initial concern... in theory.

When someone would ask me for advice on buying a top quality AR I would tell them to take a few weeks or more to research and understand what was important and buy accordingly. If they weren’t willing to put the time in to do that I told them to just buy a 6920. It was always the “easy” button even for more knowledgeable types.

What I want to know is if that will be the case going forward.

Colt's (6920 or 6720) are also what I recommend first to people who just want to go buy a complete rifle off the rack for about 1k or less that they can count on.
So I'm hoping that still holds true.
As down on Colt's tone-deaf business practices, their alleged quality slip, and now the outsourcing, as Chris Bartocci's has been, it is interesting that he still isn't telling people not to buy their guns.
Later on in the same Q&A vid where he mentioned the outsourcing he spoke positively about the Colt CCU and 20" AR15A4.
If you watch his other vids, the guy is cuckoo for Colt, or at least the old Colt.
I think Bartocci is just unhappy that a company that he is clearly very enthusiastic about is, in his eyes, just making so many missteps and suffering because of them.

I still want to buy a 6933 upper, and honestly if the alleged outsourcing isn't legitimately affecting quality or performance of their stuff I still might.

[scottryan]

Actually, your's is. This thread is about outsourcing. And yes, as someone who buys complete factory rifles from reputable sources, your concerns have no weight. The quality of the rifles is all that matters.

You don’t get it.

It isn’t about buying complete rifles. Its about repairing or building rifles.

Colts supply chain for replacement parts sucks and always has sucked.

Most people have to resort to buying Colt parts from 3rd party dealers because they are always out of stock at factory dealers.

Some parts Colt doesn’t even sell seperaley like 6933 barrels.

[prepare]

At this point I'm just glad that I can research and source exactly what I want and assemble it myself. It's much more satisfying!

[ChattanoogaPhil]

I don't follow this stuff too closely, really not at all, but isn't this old news? A year ago it was reported that Colt was being sued by labor unions for violating a labor compact by outsourcing all manufacturing of major rifle components, including the two most significant parts -- bolts and barrels -- to outside vendors, court documents said.

http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/arti...ourcing-breach

[26 Inf]

You don’t get it.

It isn’t about buying complete rifles. Its about repairing or building rifles.

Colts supply chain for replacement parts sucks and always has sucked.

Most people have to resort to buying Colt parts from 3rd party dealers because they are always out of stock at factory dealers.

Some parts Colt doesn’t even sell seperaley like 6933 barrels.

I think he gets it just fine - you seem to be upset primarily because Colt's actions are interfering with your business model.

I'm certainly not a Colt fan boy, but even I understand that Colt's primary business is providing built firearms, not selling parts for DIYers. They are probably even silly enough to think that if a Colt rifle breaks you should take it to a factory authorized repair center or return it to Colt. That's their model.

That you apparently have seen a niche for yourself in providing Colt parts shows foresight and initiative, but is hardly something about which Colt needs to concern itself by making sure their parts are clearly marked 'once installed on a Colt.'

Why should they be concerned? Answer my question.

[SouthwestAviator]

You don’t get it.

It isn’t about buying complete rifles. Its about repairing or building rifles.

Colts supply chain for replacement parts sucks and always has sucked.

Most people have to resort to buying Colt parts from 3rd party dealers because they are always out of stock at factory dealers.

Some parts Colt doesn’t even sell seperaley like 6933 barrels.

26 Inf pretty much said what I was gonna say. I get it, but it's nothing other than an inconvenience to people making money off of selling Colt products second hand. If I need a rifle repaired or a barrel replaced, I send it into Colt, not buy the parts off joe-shmo or look for a gunshow bargain.

Your concerns with Colt's lack of markings are only relevant to a niche, opportunistic industry. The issue is whether quality is affected or not, and considering that this has already been going on since at least 2016, it's unlikely that quality is affected.

[scottryan]

I think he gets it just fine - you seem to be upset primarily because Colt's actions are interfering with your business model.

I'm certainly not a Colt fan boy, but even I understand that Colt's primary business is providing built firearms, not selling parts for DIYers. They are probably even silly enough to think that if a Colt rifle breaks you should take it to a factory authorized repair center or return it to Colt. That's their model.

That you apparently have seen a niche for yourself in providing Colt parts shows foresight and initiative, but is hardly something about which Colt needs to concern itself by making sure their parts are clearly marked 'once installed on a Colt.'

Why should they be concerned? Answer my question.

Because people will continue to move toward KAC and LMT.

Colt loses market share by the day. Removing their OEM markings from parts is another stupid decision in a long line of stupid decisions. It will cost them more sales then they will ever save.

I bought three SR-15s in the past 18 months. I knew this shit was coming when they removed the C from the carriers. I don’t see myself ever buying or building anymore Colt rifles. I have every collectible Colt rifle. Their modern fighting/duty rifles are pathetic.

[arptsprt]

The only exception I would make is for those of us who do buy spare Colt parts it would be nice to have the markings. HOWEVER, if said parts are purchased from a reputable, known Colt dealer like Brownells and G&R, it’s not a concern to me. I’ll still buy and expect Colt quality.

26 Inf pretty much said what I was gonna say. I get it, but it's nothing other than an inconvenience to people making money off of selling Colt products second hand. If I need a rifle repaired or a barrel replaced, I send it into Colt, not buy the parts off joe-shmo or look for a gunshow bargain.

Your concerns with Colt's lack of markings are only relevant to a niche, opportunistic industry. The issue is whether quality is affected or not, and considering that this has already been going on since at least 2016, it's unlikely that quality is affected.

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