Colt Facts
| 1986 1988 1989 1990 |
Colt’s 150th Anniversary; Colt Historian M.S. “Marty” Huber celebrated his 50th Anniversary with Colt Firearms. Union employees’ strike lasts almost three years. Loss of government contract for the M-16 rifle. The Firearms Division of Colt Industries sold to new investors - C.F.Holdings Corporation; name changed to Colt’s Manufacturing Company, Inc. Company sold to a coalition of private investors, the state of Connecticut and the union employees. Company renamed Colt's Manufacturing Company LLC. The 4 year UAW strike ends. New product line introduced; Double Eagle double action pistol, Anaconda .44 Magnum double action and a redesigned Sporter rifle. |
||
| 1990 | Company sold to a coalition of private investors, the state of Connecticut and the union employees. Company renamed Colt's Manufacturing Company LLC. The 4 year UAW strike ends. New product line introduced; Double Eagle double action pistol, Anaconda .44 Magnum double action and a redesigned Sporter rifle. | ||
| 1992 | Colt enters Chapter 11. Litigation commences between Colt's Manufacturing Company, Inc. and C. F. Intellectual Properties. | ||
| 1993 | Colt .22 Automatic introduced; along with the M-4 rifle. | ||
| 1994 | In May, the Hartford Armory closes and the entire company relocates to their West Hartford facility. Colt is awarded sole contract to supply nearly 19,000 of the new M-4 carbines to the U. S. Army and to joint Special Forces personnel. In September, a new group of investors purchases the company and Colt emerges from bankruptcy. | ||
| 1995 1996 1997 |
Colt unveils "The Last Gun," which is a Single Action Army produced in the Hartford Armory. The commercial product line adds the new .22 Target pistol, the Colt Match Target rifle and the Colt .38 SF-VI revolver. The Colt Target .22 pistol is named "Handgun of the Year" by the Shooting Industry Academy. The military side of the company wins another contract to produce in excess of 16,000 M-4 rifles. Colt begins work with the National Institute of Justice on the development of "Smart Gun" technology.
Colt teams with the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association and introduces a single action revolver named "The Legend" to the market. Colt wins a new government contract for 6,000 M-4 carbines. New introductions to the commercial product line are: the Pony double action pistol, 3" Defender Carry pistol, and the DS II revolver. The Colt Custom Gun Shop introduces the Python Elite revolver and the Gold Cup Trophy pistol. |
