Tag Archives: Colt

Weapons

this happened

17 Comments

I’d write or even video a proper review of it, but to do that I’d have to shoot it. And ammo is a hundred freaking bucks a box right now. So… I’ll wait until I get some that’s reasonable. I only have 50 rounds for it at the moment. *sigh*

The is a Peacemaker chambered in .45 Colt, from the movie 3:10 to Yuma. It’s made by Cimarron. And it’s the smoothest SAA Clone I’ve ever seen right out of the box. Bonus: Due to the Cimarron’s use a clever rebounding firing pin… it’s safe to carry with all six, like the Ruger Vaquero and Beretta Stampede.

Weapons

Colt needs to step up.

8 Comments

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COLT.  One of the most famous names in the firearms industry.  And one of the most poorly managed companies, with some of the most lack luster products for some of the highest dollars.   Colt is one of the least impressive companies still in business.  They think their name still holds currency in the market, and for a small, dwindling market segment, they do.  But that base is shrinking.  Colt may be coming out of bankrupcy again – but if they don’t change, they are going to go right back into it.

Any Colt firearm only looks good if you don’t look at any of the competition’s products.

From these images it looks like Colt is making some fine weapons.
And really, they are.  But there’s a problem.  They are over priced.  Somewhere about 200 dollars over priced.  At the same time they are not up to snuff, compared to the competition.

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Let’s look at the Mustang.  The competition is the SIG 238 and the Kimber Micro.  All three of these pistols are subcompact .380 Autos, all similar design and function.  And all taken from the original Colt Mustang, that Colt killed, SIG resurrected, and then Kimber and Colt came on with the Me Too theme.

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Of the three, the Colt is the most expensive, and as you can see, the least desirable.  It’s the worst finished, with the worst sights.

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The other Colt guns leave me a bit unimpressed.  The slides are alright, but the frames all feel like they are unfinished sand-castings. Of course, they are not… they are Media Blast finished… but they feel… sandy.    Rough.  Sets my teeth on edge like fingernails on a chalkboard.

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SIG’s 238 set the bar for what this sort of pistol needs to be like.  And Kimber took that challenge and came in with a tie score.

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The Kimber – being not a favorite brand of mine by any means… has a strong game in the Micro.   Making the Colt look like the Ugly Step Sister… which it is.

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Other than the finish, the Colt’s molded in front sight is just flat out unacceptable.  The others have dove-tails with high viz sights.  The Colt’s is No-Viz.

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You can see, of the Three Amigo’s, the Colt is one no one wants.  It’s clearly the worst of the three, and yet carries the higher price tag for no reason.   (The Kimber in the photo is wearing the Crimson Trace Grips, which makes it more expensive than the standard Micro.)

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Here’s the Cold Railed pistol.  A Tactical pistol with an all the bells and whistles price take, but has no bells and no whistles.  It’s pretty much at the same level as a Springfield Loaded Model, being simply a railed 1911… but has a premium price tag only because it bears the Colt name.   Rough finished frame, notchy feeling action, and a trigger that feels like you are dragging a piano over a gravel road.  This is not a good gun for the money.

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If you get one, you are going to need to an action job, trigger job, new sights, and you are going to want to get that frame cerakoted or something.  So about 500 dollars worth to put this gun where it needs to be.

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While I do like the look of it in the photos I took… yes, it looks nice.  It just doesn’t feel anywhere near as good as it looks.   Honestly, for less money, you could buy a Springfield MC Operator or a SIG 1911 TacOps, and have a better gun right out of the box, and save enough money for some spare mags and a case of ammunition.

What does Colt need to do to fix these?   Well, finish them for one thing.  Everyone else is throwing on some checkering or a nicer finish, and coming in at less cost.  Let’s start with that.  If Colt can step up to that level… That would be nice.  A move in the right direction.

We don’t even need to talk about the Reliability issues.   The Defender model of 1911 is one of their most popular models.  It’s also the most unreliable 1911 I’ve ever seen next to any Kimber Ultra pistol.  I saw one guy that had bought two of them.  Both of them didn’t work.  Both went back to the factory.  Once returned, one of them still had the reliability of a 4 year old.   And the one that “Worked” had the most sporadic ejection I’ve ever seen on any gun.  It was more like an open pan of popcorn… it could spit cases out in any direction.  Including into my forehead and teeth.  Some directions seemed physically impossible.    And that’s just the guns from one customer.  One man.  There have been others.  Many others.   In fact, of all the Colt Defenders I’ve seen sold or have sold myself.  Well, I don’t know of any that didn’t cause the owner some sort of grief.   I do know a couple guys that have them and say they have no problem with them.  But these guys don’t actually fire the guns.  If you don’t actually shoot it – of course it’s not going to cause you any problems.  Problems are only going to pop up when you pop rounds.  So these guys are saying that the guns don’t spontaneously self destruct, I guess.   Grips don’t suddenly spring off the gun and fly across the room… No problems then.

I’ve never seen a reliable Colt Defender.  Ever.  I’ve never seen a reliable Kimber Ultra either, but you can get an Ultra for a lot cheaper than a Defender, and any of the Ultra series guns are probably better guns than the Defender.  Maybe even more reliable.  Maybe.

If Colt is going to really make a come back with the American Gun Owner – Colt is really going to have to step up.

Weapons

Colt M45 vs Apple Power Mac

4 Comments


Apple Mac Destruction with Colt M45 1911 Pistol, and a SIG 1911 TACOPS. Both .45 Auto pistols. Both just as accurate, both just as powerful, and both just as reliable.
The Colt though is quite expensive. The SIG is a bargain in comparison. Between the two though… which would I buy?
A Glock 21.  For myself.  But between these two guns, I’d buy the SIG 1911 TACOPS.   If given the choice between these two guns, say as a gift, and I could pick one… I’d still pick the SIG.  Reason being is that I like the checkering and the mag well funnel.  Sure these could be added to the Colt, but the SIG doesn’t come with the pretension and attitude.  It just works.  And it does it without the drama and fanfare.

The finish on the Colt is an odd color.  It’s too damn yellow.  I don’t know what color that is supposed to be, but it’s yellow.  And while the finish is applied just fine, you can see a lot of tool marks under the coating, especially around the frame rail.  I’d think a pistol of this legacy should have a better exterior finish.  I have not yet examined the interior though.
The slide pull is nice and slick.  It’s very smooth.  As is the trigger.  Which is, well, flat out amazing.  However the SIG’s was almost as good.  One thing to note – Both of these pistols had yet to be fired until these first shots recorded.  Both guns were smooth and accurate, to the point that I couldn’t determine if either one had an advantage.

Notes on this computer… I have to admit that I very much love the Architecture of these machines. As a former computer tech, working on these is awesome. So easy to drop the side open and everything is laid out and accessible. Exactly in the way that Dell, HP, and Gateways are not. No one had a better case design.
At one point I had ever ram slot filled and it had two hard drives. It was a great computer. But it wouldn’t take OSX and after awhile all the software just became so far out of date that it rendered this machine useless. It was quite sad for me to retire it, because I loved it. The second HD with crucial data was pulled, as was the RAM, to be used in another machine.
Before I pulled this machine off line to give it this Going Away Party, I did make sure that it was running. I could have thrown Linux on it… Yeah, I know that. But I’ll get more use out of this video than I will a Mac based Linux box.

Uncategorized, Weapons

Dear Colt and Remington

11 Comments

The State of New York is going to pass the Micro Stamping requirement. They do not believe you would actually move out over handguns stamping as they are a smaller portion of your business.
Well, here is the thing… your customers are not going to want stamped guns.  Its bullshit science, easily removed or worn off, its a useless requirement.   But is going to do this regardless. NY thinks you guys are blustering.
The stigma of rolling over and doing the stamps is going to hurt you worse than just pistol sales. I sell a lot of rifles, tons of Remingtons. I can easily see the customer base turn against you, even here where you are hugely popular.
Look at S&W and the Department of Urban Housing Agreement.  S&W almost didn’t survive that, and they are still suffering from it today.
You guys need to move to a state where you would be cherished, appreciated for who you are.
Come to Utah.
A state that has one the highest guns per capita than anywhere else. Not only come to Utah… but come out to Vernal, Utah.  We have the highest per capita in the State. 
Just saying…. why live where you are not wanted?  Live where you would be loved!
Besides… Utah was built by people leaving New York.  Its like a tradition.

Weapons

Colts and 1911’s

8 Comments

I spend a good portion of the day cleaning up a bunch of handguns at the gun store. Some Smiths and such… And a couple of Colts. I’ve come to appreciate the Colts more. The way they are designed and built is very clever and well done. From an old Police Positive to a Python, they are impressive machines. What I didn’t like about them was the very rough machining in hidden non-critical areas. These had some of the worst tool marks and hacked finishes I’ve seen on this side of a Mosin Nagant… But then in the working areas and exterior finishes it’s the best I’ve ever seen. I really liked the little Colt Cobra. Light weight, small, what a gem.
About the 1911’s. I am growing to like them less and less… As serious use guns. Don’t get me wrong… I love them for what they are, and cherish the one 1911 that I have that reminds me of my darkened and probably best forgotten past… But it does still give me the warm fuzzies. But if I hear a bump in the night it isn’t a gun I would grab. I’m becoming more and more of a Glock Guy. By that I don’t mean just Glocks specifically, but all of the newer polymer double stacked striker fired pistols for the purpose of dedicated fighting guns. For serious use, would take one over any 1911 any day.