Colt’s Manufacturing has been awarded a $40,863,564 firm-fixed-price contract with U.S. Army Contracting Command to produce M4/M4A1 carbines for sale to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq, Macedonia and Tunisia. The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity agreement’s estimated date of completion is March 31, 2031. Volume of guns headed to each country was not disclosed.
Bosnia and Herzegovina—a single nation with two regional governments—was established in late 1995 after the war in Bosnia ended. Active personnel in its military number roughly 18,000. Iraq has roughly 190,000, Macedonia 10,000 and Tunisia nearly 90,000.
The U.S. government routinely sells arms to foreign allied nations—along with friendly countries in regions of the world considered of strategic importance—to support their respective militaries. Historically the transfers, which are designed to support the United States' global strategic initiatives, often experienced bureaucratic delays and other issues. On Feb. 6, 2026, President Donald Trump signed the Reindustrializing America Through Arms Transfers Executive Order to address the situation and bolster U.S. defensive posture. The benefits arrive at an ideal time for the domestic firearm industry, which only recently has experienced an uptick in commercial sales.
The Executive Order is designed to, “…ensure that the American industrial base remains the Arsenal of Freedom for the United States and all of our partners and allies.” The changes, detailed here, bolster production capacity for items that fit into the national security strategy, regrow domestic manufacturing, strengthen supply lines and prioritize friendly nations investing in their military hardware.
For the legendary Colt company, the contract represents just another in a long line of armsmaking agreements. Samuel Colt founded the company and received a patent for the world’s first revolving cylinder pistol in 1836. The firm flourished, and in 1855, the company incorporated and opened what was then the largest, privately owned gun factory in Hartford, Conn. It was only beginning. The timeless single-action revolvers it produced became and indelible part of history. That was followed by other popular guns, decades of production for the U.S. military and much more. The company still manufactures its guns in Connecticut, but in nearby West Hartford.
