How is Colt Quality These Days?

[welding rod]

I am very seriously considering buying (actually trading my small town dealer) for a new Series 70. The pistol would have to be ordered so I would be pretty much stuck with it when it arrives.

So how is Colt doing these days with general quality of machine work, parts fit, and trigger break quality?

[Hunter]

Colt is at the top of their game and producing excellent firearms.

[Coltsformysons]

Definitely on top of their game and their customer service is top notch.

[tekarra]

I am thinking of buying another 1911 but have been holding back on Colt. Looks like my apprehension is going away, thanks guys.

[kkramer673]

My only experience with Colt was purchasing one of their ANVIII 1911s a few months ago. I was very pleasantly surprised at how nicely it was fitted and finished, and how attractively it was packaged. And the pistol is accurate and reliable!

[slomaro]

I have a brand new stainless commander and it's very very nice!

[kenhwind]

The XSE LWT Government Model that I recently purchased is a nice pistol. Although it have to go babk to the factory for an issue, the overall quality was very good and the Customer Service was as well.

[Rick McC.]

The Colts I've purchased in the last three years have been the best Colt's I've ever owned.

Colt is the only production 1911 that I'll still buy.

Rick

[dakota1911]

The new ones are very good. I have a 2010 GCNM and a 2010 Defender in 9mm. They are great.

[johnmed3]

I have a 1991A1 Combat Commander in ss. I use it ad my edc, it is nicely done and tight. No rattles or noises. I think colt's new cnc machining is working out great!

[tnhawk]

My stainless commander has been an excellent pistol. I would not hesitate to purchase another Colt.

[Rio Vista Slim]

Being a very long time fan of Colt products (dating back to the early 1970s), I must say the quality of handguns coming out of the Colt factory exceeds anything I have experienced over the last twenty years.

I purchased my latest Colt (a .45 caliber Defender) last week, and the attention to fit and exceptional accuracy and reliability far exceed my expectations.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a294/RioVistaSlim/IMG_3944.jpg
Colt .45 ACP Defender, as issued from the factory.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a294/RioVistaSlim/IMG_3954.jpg
The same pistol with stag grips installed.

[dakota1911]

I should have shown pictures of my 2010 9mm (top) and my older 2002 .45. I changed out the grips for some from the old Ajax company.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e193/dakota1911/defenders2r.jpg

[thelumox]

my latest Colt (a new 04691 Commander) is beautifully manufactured, accurate and reliable.

http://i566.photobucket.com/albums/ss106/lumoxdude/11534997908667756.png

[Rick McC.]

I'm very glad you've been able to check out the new colts, Steve!

They totally eclipse the ones I had back in the '90's (when I "swore off" Colts).

Here are my two latest ones; XSE LW Commander and LW Gov't. models:
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm115/rmccleery/photo-4.jpg
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm115/rmccleery/DSC01182.jpg

Take care,

Rick

[cameraman2]

I recently took a 1911 maintenance and troubleshooting class with Bill Laughridge of Cylinder and Slide and I qoute him "Colt is making the best 1911 models available and there quality is the best I've seen from Colt for many years"
IMHO there is Colt and then there is everyone else taking shots trying to improve on what John Browning designed 100 years ago.

[Black Lab]

I would not hesitate buying a new Colt. I bought a new Delta Elite last year.
I could not be happier. Fitment is great, no shake rattle and roll at all. Trigger and accuracy is terrific.

[yfdcap]

Bought a Combat Elite and Delta Elite this year and both have been 100 percent reliable. Good fit and finish as well.

[nevada 1911]

I am very seriously considering buying (actually trading my small town dealer) for a new Series 70. The pistol would have to be ordered so I would be pretty much stuck with it when it arrives.

So how is Colt doing these days with general quality of machine work, parts fit, and trigger break quality?
Bought last yrs 1991, as nice a pistol as my 40yr old GCNM.

[Z11]

Purchased two Series 1991 Colts-Commander and Military (mfg dates mid-2011)...
Both have been dead-accurate, flawless shoots... and extremely well made. Very satisfied and would highly recommend!

http://i439.photobucket.com/albums/qq112/geezeepix/Colts01.jpg

[Hellcat]

My 2012 Commander is near perfect. 400 factory and around 700 reloads. Only failure was with a 8rnd Colt mag from a earlier purchase that would fail on last round. It also fails in the new commander. This is the best finished and assembled series 80 of 9 I have owned since 1988.

[nightfighter]

How is Colt's quality these days? Below is the XSE Combat Commander I bought about two years ago.
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg113/dtominski/EXS45smaller.jpg

Below are pictures of the grip panels showing the fine Colt "skip-line" checkering.
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg113/dtominski/coltgrip2.jpg


http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg113/dtominski/coltgrip1.jpg
How is Colt's quality these days? Its finnnnnnnne!

[BJT72]

Colt does not make, nor checker our grips they are purchased from a vendor. If you do not like the grips PM me.
Brent

[nightfighter]

Colt does not make, nor checker our grips they are purchased from a vendor. If you do not like the grips PM me.
Brent
Did the vendor put them on the gun? Was the vendor involved in Colt's quality control?

This being a forum, and having a master's degree in Training in Business and Industry, and a believer in Deming's principals, and thus having a keen interest in quality control (much more that just having my personal complaints remedied), I think it would be more interesting to the gun enthusiasts on this site to find out:

1. What changes/additional has been done by Colt in the last three years to improve the Colt products that have been generated by consumer complaints?

2. ISO 9000 implementation?

3. Individual customer guns are repaired, no other Q.C. improvements?

I am sure that responding to the above would be of greater interest to most.

[BJT72]

Nightfighter,
I am here to help individuals who may have a concern and don't know who to go to for help. I am not here to air company busisness or policy on the web. I will answer you questions in general, if you want more detail you may private message me and I will contact you.
There have been many changes here at Colt over the past 3 years since I started. An entire new quality department to start.
ISO implementation is a current project we are working on.
There has been improvements to machines, process, and inspections. Too many to list.
Brent

[daveyisgreat]

I just came upon a blued 70 series reissue at my local shop and, frankly, I was astounded at how awesome it was. The fit was tight, the finish was flawless, and even the rollmarks were fantastic! It reminded me of my 1965 Commercial Colt, which is amazing. So you'll only hear a glowing endorsement from me!

[daveyisgreat]

By the way, I put a deposit on it immediately. No hesitation at all.

[GeorgePat]

Brent, Seeing your name on this thread reminded me that I wanted to thank you personally for getting the new blue Gold Cup processed so quickly. It came back in record time and I am very pleased with the results of the finish. Thanks, George

[JottyMO]

I just bought a Colt 1991 Series, model O4691, new-in-the-box . I am absolutely thrilled with the quality. Very tight slide and both clips fit great. It shoots very well. I've put a couple hundred rounds thru it, of basic winchester fmj from walmart. Overall, very very happy. One minor improvement for me: the rosewood grips were a little more red on mine than I was hoping for, but I am putting some vz operators in hyena brown anyway. Buy the Colt!

[coalgeo]

I purchased a new Defender last year and the quality was excellent. About 300 rounds through it and am still waiting for my first failure to feed. I have ordered a new Commander (either blue or stainless - which ever my dealer can lay his hands on) without any concerns.

[downtownv]

Heard from Top gunsmith in NJ...Colt* Kimber* Springfield when it comes to 1911's put them in any order.

[nightfighter]

"How is Colt's quality these days?"
This pretty much answers the question:
http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=370621

[Rio Vista Slim]

nightfighter,

I believe we get your point!

You are not happy with Colt, and that's your privilege. Referencing other forums doesn't add or detract anything from the basic question, or the subsequent responses.

Once again, we get the point you're making!

[BJT72]

Did you just read the beginning of the thread?
Brent

[Spyros]

Read from start to finish, that thread is an ad for Colt's service: customer did not pay for shipping either way, gun was fixed and he got two free mags for his trouble.

[Rick McC.]

And he was very satisfied with Brent, Colt's customer service, and the quality of his pistol. He got it back in @ two weeks, and has since taken it to the range; and reported on it's flawless operation and admirable accuracy.

Get a life.

Rick

[John]

Nightfighter, I usually do not get mixed in such discussions, but really you are attacking Colt quality because of a wrongly checkered grip panel? Of which you posted two pictures, one of which you have now removed and another foggy enough to not even show your problem.

Really, do get a life.

[nightfighter]

Nightfighter, I usually do not get mixed in such discussions, but really you are attacking Colt quality because of a wrongly checkered grip panel? Of which you posted two pictures, one of which you have now removed and another foggy enough to not even show your problem.

Really, do get a life.
No. Both grip panels were obviously poorly checkered, but showed up on the gun anyway, begging the question: How many Colt employees handled that gun and did nothing about it? The recoil spring that came in the gun was so obviously weak that it should have/would have been obvious to anyone who had worked the action, as it logically would have been during assembly and/or inspection. The firing pin spring was so obviously weak that the firing pin stop would drop down during firing and lock up the gun. This was all on the same currently manufactured gun. I have also had a colt that had a slide out of spec requiring the replacement of both the barrel and slide to be replace. I had another that was shipped with an extractor that lacked any bend at all (causing malfunctions), would fall out of its hole when the firing pin stop was removed...that leaves one to wonder, what Colt employee assembling a 1911 would not know when they installed the extractor that, that was not correct? In all, I have only owned one Colt (all my 1911's have been and are Colts), that functioned correctly/did not have issues.
I have a Master's Degree in Training in Business and Industry, and have worked in many different metal-product producing industries that required greater precision than a handgun. I have studied quality control and the factors of effective management. (see: Deming, Mcgregor, et. al.) Proplems like those (obvious visual defects, faulty parts that a practiced/skilled assembler should have red-flagged), are usually the results of a work-force that is not managed in a fashion that encourages the rejecting of sub-par parts, or is not trained properly to do their jobs. Both these things are the management's responsiblity. As a person who is a perfectionist (I am a compulsive fixer of things broken), I cannot stand to see what should be an exemplary product, sent to customers in the condition too many of them are. Their problems with quality control can be fixed, but for some reason, they do not, and those who mindlessly jenufect at the Colt alter by repeatedly singing the virtues of their customer service/repair department.
So, you see, I do have a life. Thank you for asking.

[BJT72]

This thread is making my head hurt. They say do not judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes. Degrees and studies mean nothing without a knowlege and understanding of the entire situation of the business you are talking about. I will not get into a back and forth of what should be or should not be done. If you do not like our product do not buy it.
Brent

[John]

Let me tell you something my friend.

I give exactly one hour, to post evidences supporting all things you wrote. If I do not see these evidences within that hour, you will be permanently banned as a troll.

Clear?

[Safearm]

Well, I bought a this new Colt Defender 9mm last week and I'm completely satisfied with the quality. As a matter of personal preference only, not any deficiency, I replaced the Hogue grips and slotted grips screws with AlumaGrips and hex head screws. Nothing else needs to be done for me to carry this gun daily.
http://i675.photobucket.com/albums/vv112/nwmiller_photo/P6240020.jpg
BTW, I also own a late 70's Colt Combat Commander. I'd say that the new Defender is better out of the box than the Commander was (I have a fair number of modifications on it, the latest being Black-T finish).

[Hawkmoon]

I have a Master's Degree in Training in Business and Industry, and have worked in many different metal-product producing industries that required greater precision than a handgun. ... As a person who is a perfectionist (I am a compulsive fixer of things broken), I cannot stand to see what should be an exemplary product, sent to customers in the condition too many of them are. Their problems with quality control can be fixed, but for some reason, they do not, and those who mindlessly jenufect at the Colt alter by repeatedly singing the virtues of their customer service/repair department.
"In the condition too many of them are"?

In this thread, I counted twenty-one (21) responses that said Colt's quality these days is excellent. Had I posted, the count would be twenty-two. And then there is you posting a complaint. There is an old saying that "The plural of anecdote is not data," but here your anecdote is not even a plural. In this discussion, you have been the ONLY person to express a negative opinion about Colt's current quality, yet you then say, "Too many" guns leave the factory with problems.

As the little old lady famously said in a Wendy's commercial a number of years ago, "Where's the beef?" You are countering a tsunami of positive reports with a negative opinion substantiated by nothing more than your own words and a photograph that doesn't show me any problem.

Further, if you really have the degree and experience you claim to have, you would know and should acknowledge that NO industrial process is perfect, and all manufacturers of all products occasionally have a defect slip out the door. That is why companies have customer service departments and why they have warrantees.

You are swimming against the tide here, a minority of one. It is unfortunate that you experienced what you perceive to be problems with your new Colt but, such things do happen. Your isolated incident does not outweigh all the positive reports we've been seeing and hearing about how GOOD current Colt pistols are.

To borrow a phrase from 1 Corinthians 13:1, "If [you] speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, [you] have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." You have stated your opinion. You are entitled to that. Your subsequent efforts to extrapolate from your single pistol to denigrate Colt's overall quality, when you obviously know nothing about what strides Colt has made recently and is making today, makes your words indeed sound like the noisy gong of Scripture.

[kenhwind]

Three times guns have been sent back to Colt by us. Results+!

Now I will post this, and that is that, there was a problem with my new XSE LWT GM. There was an issue with the slide that required a return of the pistol to Colt. The inside bevel on the recoil spring tunnel wasn't there.

When I called Colt they sent me a return shipping label within a few minutes, if it took that long. Yes I had to wait a few weeks for my new gun. But the overall quality fit and finish of this pistol was and is what most of us expect from Colt.

BTW: this pistol has been flawless since it was returned from Colt, and this pistol will shoot a round nose short semi-wadcutter round that most guns will choke on, along with hollow points.

As for the goofy checkering on the stocks/grips which seem to be the reason for this thread:
I would have easily replaced them, which I'm inclined to do anyway,
OR:
I would have sent them to Colt for replacements!

[Spyros]

I have a Master's Degree in Training in Business and Industry...I'm a little curious, wasn't 'Failure Management' part of the curriculum in that degree?

[John]

OK gentlefolks, back to our regular programming, after a troll has been shown the door.

[Rio Vista Slim]

:appld: :appld: :appld:

[Joni Lynn]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v217/Joni_Lynn/Trollspray.jpg

[Rick McC.]

Now I don't care who you are; that's funny!
(With credit to Larry the Cable Guy.)

That's great, Joni.

Rick

[daveyisgreat]

Just want to mention that I picked up my brand new 70 series today. It is spectacular. Can't wait to take it to the range!

In my experience Colt's quality these days is spectacular.

[bills296]

bought my first rail gun 6 months ago and loved it so much I picked up another to get some extra work done to it. only issue I see is the thumb safety has overtravel when pushing the safety off. it works but I would like to fix the issue. my question is could I just replace it or should I have Colt take a look? I also bought this gun with the intentions of getting the front strap checkered so does anyone know the current turn around time for getting work done at the factory.
I love the pistols I am seeing from Colt these days. several thousand rounds through the 5 colts I own and never had any problems. they just work.

[Rick McC.]

I don't think the "overtravel" is an issue; I've had some 1911's that do, and some that don't.

All worked just fine.

As far as the front strap on LW Colt frames; some say that they're too thin for checkering, but the Colt Custom Shop checkers them.

You can PM Brent the Colt Custom shop Manager at BJT72; and discuss the TS and front strap checkering with him.

Here's my skateboard tape "alternative" to checkering on a LW Commander XSE:

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm115/rmccleery/photo-4.jpg

Take care,

Rick

[bills296]

the skateboard tape is an option since I know checkering will most likely take a while with having to refinish the black frame. the safety does work its just a bit annoying. it clicks into place but while shooting with my thumb resting on top it moves down an extra 1/8 inch and clicks again. I will call Colt Monday to check on lead times. If its not 6 months still I may send it in. Only thing Ive changed so far was the sights. I had Novaks put a set of night sights on when one of the rear dots fell out on the first 50 rounds. they did it almost free of charge since it was their sights in the first place but I was going to change them out either way.
This thing is a beast, it eats anything I feed it and never hesitates.

[Rick McC.]

Bill:

That's interesting; most folks concern about TS "overtravel" is that the TS will push all the way down, then spring back up just a bit (not enough to impact with the slide) when the thumb is removed.

If you PM Brent; you'll likely get a faster and more informed response that calling Colt and getting whoever answers the phone.

I had the white "dots" come out of two Colts a while back (no problems with the last two); and used automotive touch-up paint for a quick, permanent fix.

:wc:

Take care my friend,

Rick

[bills296]

Thanks Rick, got in touch with brent and he is sending a call tag to get the problem resolved. it doesnt get any better than that.
just went and picked up one of the colt talo ccg pistols should be here tomorrow so I will have another new one to break in while the rail gun is being worked on. Dont know about the sights on this one but we will see.

[Rick McC.]

Bill:

Thats great!

I think you'll find that Colts don't need any "break-in" to be reliable.

What's a "ccg?"

Take care,

Rick

[bills296]

its the o1991ccg. custom carry govt. its a talo run.
I never had to break in a colt but I do usually have to get used to the new sights and the usual getting used to a new gun for me. hope this ones as good as my others have been right out of the box.

[Rick McC.]

Thanks Bill:

Never seen one of those; you'll have to post some pic's (it's a requirement around here for newly acquired pistols, ya' know).

Take care,

Rick

[bills296]

I could email them to you but Im not sure how to post them here.

[Frank]

I could email them to you but Im not sure how to post them here.

Instructions on posting photos can be found here: http://forum.m1911.org/faq.php?faq=a_few_words#faq_postingpictures.

[bills296]

Thanks for the shortcut Frank I will take more photos tomorrow on a lower setting as I think thats why it wouldnt allow me to post them.

[Rick McC.]

Bill:

Resize" is one of many options that you'll have on PhotoBucket.

Take care,

Rick

[bills296]

tried to resize and had them in the reply but it said they were either too large or another problem. I will give it another shot later. Im not too good with the whole picture thing it seems.

[bills296]

http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u416/bills296/july62012016.jpg

http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u416/bills296/july62012015.jpg

[Rick McC.]

Congrats on your pictures; great looking Colt!

Take care,

Rick

[OD*]

Beautiful Colt, Bill.

[skoro]

I bought a new Series 80 stainless Commander two years ago and it's been flawless. I put all sorts of ammo through it and it never chokes on any of it.