Could it be the sleeping giant is stirring? Colt is sporting a prominent sign in its nicely appointed booth here at the NRA Annual Meeting in a vast exhibit hall. The sign says: “If it’s not a Colt, it’s a copy.” For decades, other companies had made hay with Colt designs while the historic Hartford gunmaker remained somnambulant. Dozens of M1911 manufacturers have capitalized on what began as the M1903, evolved to the M1905, M1907, M1910 and finally the greatest service gun ever fielded by U.S. troops, the Colt Government Model of 1911. Then, there’s the Single Action Army. First the spaghetti guns came over from Italy in the nascent days of “cowboy shooting” in the 1950s, then the late genius William B. Ruger improved the design with his Blackhawk, Single-Six and Super Blackhawk. Today, the Ruger Vaquero owns a now fully-galloping “cowboy shooting” market. Finally, there’s the AR15, unquestionably the “gun of the decade” for the 2000s. Who is selling hundreds of thousands of the Stoner-designed, Colt-patented rifles? Everyone is selling these popular rifles, along with their brother. “If it’s not a Colt, it’s a copy.” Me, I like originals in everything from coffee (freeze dried… yuck) to guns. Here’s hoping the Hartford giant is rolling over to get out of bed and finally take back its birthright.
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