Factory Tour: Colt's Manufacturing Company

The Colt sign at the front entrance to the manufacturing plant.

Steel receiver forgings destined to become Model O pistols.

Slide forgings during the First Grind operation. The sides of each forging, receivers and slides are ground so they are clean, smooth and parallel to each other. This dimension is critical to the production process.

Slide forgings after the First Grind operation. 

Finished slides ready to be assembled into Colt Government Model pistols.

A slide going through a broaching operation. This particular machining operation is where the serrations on the slide are cut.

Gauging is a vital part to the machining operations. Here, a slide is checked to ensure it meets the proper dimensions.

Receivers being machined in a CNC machining center.

Receivers being machined in a CNC machining center.

Receivers being loaded into a CNC machining center.

A trigger slot being machined into a receiver during a shaving operation. This process is performed on the same machines since approximately 1917.

Setting up a receiver to complete a secondary shaving operation. This will ensure the exact dimension of the trigger slot.

Assembling a Colt Model O pistol.

Proof testing each barrel. During the manufacturing process, each barrel is proofed to ensure it stands up to a live firing.

Each receiver and slide is deburred by hand.

Machining a barrel at Colt

A barrel after it has been rifled (left), and before it has been rifled (right).

Rollmarking a slide to say “Colt Government Model.”

A rack of completed pistols ready to be test fired before being shipped.

Proof testing each barrel. During the manufacturing process, each barrel is proofed to ensure it stands up to a live firing.

Test firing a Mustang Pocketlite before it is shipped.

After testing and final inspection, completed pistols are packed into the legendary blue Colt box.