For those finding this video late, as of May 2021 Colt is now owned by CZ out of the Czech Republic. As CZ has been successfully making money recently maybe they can help Colt turn things around.
"Overly long and rambling"? Wrong words. Try "181 years of history in a concise half-hour presentation". Thank you for doing this, Ian, it was very informative. I'd really like to hear this about Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Remington, Winchester or even Magnum Research. I know the Remington, Winchester and Magnum Research histories get awfully convoluted and confusing, it'd be awfully nice if you could make some sense of it.
Ian, while Colt's situation might be described as precarious, at best, your position as a preeminent source of firearm history and education is sitting on a rock-solid foundation. Congratulations and thank you for your interest and obvious passion on the subject.
The fact ian can literally ramble off the whole history of colt firearms in such detail with no notes or anything other than his memory is amazing. These videos and his voice are so calming and soothing to me and i am always facinated learning about firearms history
plus 1 for the series, I'm not even that interested in firearms but enjoy your videos largely due to the no bullshit presenting style and obvious knowledge and enthusiasm
Wow, the history of the Colt company really mirrors industry in Connecticut in general. It's not just Colt that's not doing well; everything outside of Otis, Pratt and Whitney / UTE, Electric Boat (which is owned by General Dynamics), and Sikorsky (which was recently acquired by Lockheed Martin) has been struggling. Connecticut used to be a massive industrial hub, but not any more. There are really only massive legacy companies, some of which aren't even independent anymore.
well it happens the Northern states with their high wage cost, greedy unions high taxes, local politics curruption, the EPA and Green peace tree huggers and alot of government crap caused alot of the factories to leave the great North and all them came South no high taxes NO Unions and labour not as high Thats what you Yankee states get with their greed The South Rose again who says the War of Nothern Agression is over?
Danbury wisely moved to the service industry when they saw the writing on the wall for hats. In fact Danbury was never really hurting economically despite being in Fairfield County. But the city used to be the hatting capital of the world. And the Still River has the mercury pollution in its silt to prove it.
This is a funny sideways thing to notice -- I've been a fan of Neal Stephenson's fiction for some years now, and for the first time I think I've finally got some of his family's history straight in my head. I totally needed to hear the name Root to understand.
I am surprised Ian came up with that questionable "fact". In truth, CC died on his yacht "Dauntless" somewhere offshore of Punta Gorda Florida. Drowned, Tonsillitis, or sensationally shot by a jealous husband (although there were precious few "windows" you could climb through on an 1890's J-type yacht) no one can say with certainty. I am surprised that this is recounted as the only cause of death in this very good series. Should be say arguable cause of death. With so little detail (none really), it would be hard to ascribe a make, much model to a questionable happening.
I imagine Ian would have a decent source for that. Not to say it's true; it doesn't seem to be very likely as far as I can tell, but I doubt he's just recounting a story he just heard one time or whatever.
Probably not.... You had to be rich to buy one it wouldnt surprise me if he was shot by some mess like a Harrington & Richardson or maybe a Smith & Wesson they had alot of gun companys around back then big and small alot arent around today unfortunately!
The difference being that at least the Big Three managed to get the message and actually tried to improve their cars after 2008/2009. Colt meanwhile still acts like its the 1990's.
Its a sad story of corporation greed and currupt labour unions, simualr to marriage of Packard and Studebaker, and the problems lie with greed and curruption bad products high prices !
Colt has advocated for gun control since its beginnings. They were entirely satisfied supplying weapons solely to governments. They brought on their own demise. Let that be a lesson to other manufacturers.
Problem with the Big Three in Detroit is the millions/billions spent on a project that is 5+ years out. A lot of things can happen with the economy in that time. They always try to adapt to consumer demands. Unfortunately, their legacy costs and union issues due put a huge damper on their productivity. Colt has been a trainwreck for decades. What is even worse, the leadership that caused the problem was constantly trying to bring in more people that exacerbates the problem. Colt got lazy. They had zero interest in anything that wasn't 1911 or AR15...which they had on lock. Since they did nothing, the industry caught up and passed them by. Colt is finally realizing they have to do something. But we get these half measures like the Expanse or the reintroduction of their revolver line...done half assed.
Now my favorite beer brewer operates out of part of the old Colt factory; Thomas Hooker Brewing Co. I'm amazed there is any firearm manufacturing left at all in CT, NY, and MA given how restrictive those states are.
I was born and raised around Remington, Ithaca, and Savage in upstate NY. Sad how those great firearms companies and many other industries like Bendix, GE, and Chicago Pneumatic all left that area until nothing was left. Big corporations really did their damage in my home town
That was very interesting. You have a knack for storytelling. Being from new haven Ct. this story got to me. My parents both worked at pratt&whitney. My grandfather worked at Winchester. I myself worked at marlin firearms in north haven sighting in rifles (my dream job until a motorcycle accident laid me up for a year). Mossberg firearms also in north haven. Being a machinist I love all things mechanical. I love your videos. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Would like to see a similar video about the history of Remington, having watched it go from one of America's premier firearms manufacturers to it's present situation in my lifetime.
I have so many Colt's in my closet I need to build them a stables. Too bad Sam didn't live long enough to enjoy his success. One thing is for sure, my Colt M4's and AR15 A4's are totally rock solid rifles. I've shot the hell out of them with 100% reliability. Ian you are the greatest, a total gun nerd.
I worked at Colt both the original one in Hartford and the one in West Hartford. Like you mentioned I did start sweeping floors and worked my way right up into the Military range. The best job I ever had really awesome place to work, it was during the 1980’s during the strikes what a joy it was to work there I’ll tell you.
Thanks Ian. Really enjoyed the history lesson. I remember when Colt Industries bought Crucible Steel in Syracuse NY. I remember thinking - Cool, Colt gun steel might be made here. I was wrong. LOL but I did like hearing the complexity of these companies through their years. I'm looking forward the the next installment. Thanks.
Anyone saying "overly long and rambling" or "get to the point" already doesn't know how you gain understanding of ANY subject. I find this stuff fascinating and I can listen so I understand all the facts and reasoning behind the point you make, which allows me to decide for myself if it is a valid one. It preempts those that jump from sound bite to sound bite and snappy one liner to snappy one liner refuting an opinion to build themselves up or solely to follow the latest tend. Keep on doing what you do.
Definitely do more of these. I didn't think I'd sit through the whole thing but I was hooked within 5 minutes. Extremely interesting story and would love to hear more.
not over long and rambling at all. very informative, very interesting and as always delivered in a way which can appeal even to a gun layman like myself. thank you very much and keep up the good work :)
12:37 fun fact: that building with the balcony in front of the armory was later torn down and rebuilt as an office complex. And later became my high school. Greater hartford academy of the arts (GHAA) is in the main armory with the dome and still runs to this day. there’s probably nothing more poetic about America than putting a school in a gun factory.
As someone who lives about 10-15 minutes outside of Paterson, NJ it is crazy to see how it was back in the day as a booming industrial town. Many great people, ideas and communities were born and now its sadly the ghetto. Thanks for the great video as always sir Ian.
Great video, Ian--please keep doing these! Two thoughts: The situation in the mid to late '80s completely explains a Series 80 1911 I got back then that was so poorly machined inside that I'd invariably rip my finger open on the jagged edges on the inside of the slide. It was truly horrifically bad (internally it was like some of the "last gasp" weapons you've shown over the years). Makes sense now, as I imagine both the tooling was no longer being maintained as it should, and the morale on the shop floor was likely terrible. Speaking as a Connecticut-born guy, it makes perfect sense that the State of the Connecticut would be holding a lot of Colt stock for their pension fund; they no doubt invested heavily in successful Connecticut-based businesses. So I'm sure they also held a lot of Pratt and Whitney (and later United Technologies) stock, as well as the stock representing the Connecticut insurance industry (Aetna, etc.)
thanks, Ian! This story proves, that if the man at the top does not own the company, and/or is an innovator himself, such engineering- and innovation driven businesses fade away. Never entrust a business to only investors, as they surely drive away innovation for money only!
"Probably too long and rambly" - Are you kidding? Ian, you're probably one of the best historians ever. I've come to the point I watch this channel not for the guns, but for the science.
"Major Forbes, hand me your Colt revolver." "My what?" "...your gun. Give it to me..." -Colonel Robert Gould Shaw to Major Cabot Forbes, "Glory" (1989)
This vid was by no means "overly long and rambling", but once again interestingly informative, so thanks for yet another nice vid. Keep'em coming, I never got bored by any of you contributions. Regards from Hamburg in Germany, stay healthy Kai
Great new series. The fact that your video rambles at the end perfectly mirrors how Colt is rambling towards irrelevance under management concerned ONLY with finances while ignoring the actual products and customers.
But if you talk about about HK you also have to talk about Mauser, because all the founders of Hk where former Mauser employees. That gives you enough material for a long video.
As a collector of Colt I think this is a great account of the sad truth.Thank you for sharing this with your viewers that probably had no idea of this history. I hope most realise that it is one example of what has happened to a large segment of American industry. Greed built this country, and is destroying it. We need to get back to a team of greedy people working for a common gain instead of corporate figure heads who don't care about their employees.
The public had legitimate fears of the political implications of smartgun proliferation. The concept and technology is perfectly fine with me. It's the constant threat of predatory politicians that bothers me.
actually there's a law on the books that if that tech. comes on the market then all other types of guns will be illegal in that state!! trust me if it does happen, Washington will use that law for template for a national law!!!and with todays wireless tech, I wouldn't trust a newly made gun it would be way to easy to have a wifi kill circuit in them without anyone knowing!! and if Washington doesn't figure it out then some nerd will!!!!either way, anyone who comes up with that should be immediately put to death for treason!!!!
Anyone who is even remotely familiar with electronic circuits would know one of those as soon as they saw it. Just saying. And being encased in metal would make it very unlikely to function without giving it a receiver the size of a combat radio. It would also have to be water-proof. And heat-proof. And shock-proof. And surge-proof. And interference-proof. And tamper-proof. And corrosion-proof. And have an infinite, uninterruptible, indestructible power source. Not sure what part of this qualifies as "way too easy." Let alone "without anyone knowing." Another shining example of people ranting and raving and fearmongering over shit they know absolutely nothing about. "some nerd." Brilliant. The same kind of "nerds" that designed literally every single thing you just used to post that. People really do think money is magic these days.
+114413190038130541966 I think he meant to imply that if smartguns did exist, and were mainstream commonplace items like smartphones, they could be subject to external control by some sort of wireless network. He thinks it's a givin that smartguns would be made to work on a network like a moble device to function, where in reality it might be more like a tazer that can upload data to a computer with a USB cable. He's implying the government or a malicious entity could effect forced shutdown of the firearm like a cell company can with a phone or other device. I argue that even if this was the case, some entrepreneuring person would invent a hack to make said smartgun dumb again.
Thank you so much! I really hope this becomes a regular part of forgotten weapons. And please make sure that any following episodes are just as long and full of "rambling"! Thanks again Ian and I look forward to whats next!
You're the best narrator and storyteller ever. Thank you very much! When I have children - I would give them your videos to watch to learn English and to listen to calm and pleasant voice 😊
It could be interesting to hear the story of the Madsen company and firearms. You have talked about the guns several times and as a "small" company it could be interesting. Perhaps joining it up with other minor companies to make a "minion" episode...
Watching you sit there talking about Colt in this video, and other topics in other videos, is something I find to be truly amazing. I've seen about 20 of your video's. This one made me subscribe.
I saw one other Colt history video today wherein the producers assert that Caldwell Colt died in Florida from tonsilitis. That is a severe deviation from your version of events (which I tend to believe) which state that he was a conniving philanderer trying to bed a married woman and was shot and killed in the process!
Colt has been dead. The chance of someone buying the brand/rights and creating a proper firearms company, given the current political & economic climate is exactly 0%.
CZ would be the ideal company to buy Colt. They're innovative, and actually care to bring good products to their table. Plus CZ seems to understand what a loyal fanbase means. If any company deserves to have Colt, it's CZ.
@@diktatoralexander88 FN could do them justice. Just look at how they pulled the Winchester Model 70 out of the ashes. But yeah, it looks like CZ took the plunge this month, $220M deal. Still has to be finalized, but could lead to some great products for consumers, at reasonable prices. CZ has always been great about their pricing structure, I believe. Got a 97BD, 12ga O/U, and 455 .22LR in my stable and couldn't be happier with the quality and value.
In some of your videos you sit in front of a library's worth of books. Clearly you've read them all. It would be cool to see a vid of you showing off that collection.
Considering that my extended family (uncle) figured prominently in at least a pivotal part of your concise discourse, I will admit I just didn't understand the true history and found it fascinating. Good job.
This kind of video is something I really look forward to seeing more of. I had a basic understanding of but didn't fully grasp the tragedy of the colt company until I watched this video.
@@GunFunZS I heard rumors that a sales representative said they only reason they're selling ARs to civilians is because "the Government cut our contract' and that he said they're against AR sales to civilians. Is this true?
Fascinating recount. Especially impressive that you did it all extemporaneously Ian. What you recounted was indicative of many American companies that fell victim to corporate greed and bowing to one of the four stakeholders of any enterprise, in this case shareholders. As you allude to, once you discount the "seed corn" of a company, innovation, the journey only goes one way, downhill. I look forward to your upcoming histories and hopefully some comparisons of what went right vs what did not.
It all depends on the side as you said. To the North-Vietnamese farmers the AK rifles were an opportunity to fight for what they believed in, the same is true for the Cubans who fought in their revolution and in the middle east right now, the creation of Kalashnikov is an opportunity to fight back. I think Kalashnikov made everyone equal in the 20th century more than anyone (even children).
This is such a nicer place to record long talking videos instead of the cramped office (which also has it's charm, you can alwyas look around at all the things displayed), but I really like this, Ian.
In regards to Caldwell Colt's death the Wikipedia page says something different : "Colt drowned at sea at the age of 35 near Punta Gorda, Florida while piloting his ship, The Dauntless. His mother had a parish house built near Armsmear in his name opposite the Church of the Good Shepherd" - Which version is the one that actually took place? Ian'ss or Wiki's?
I trust no one on the internet and I tend to do my own research. Here is an excerpt from the RIA blog as suggested by Art : In January 1894, Commodore Caldwell Hart Colt died rather mysteriously at sea in January of 1894, while aboard his schooner yacht Dauntless. Some sources say he drowned, others say tonsillitis struck while abroad, and the more sensationalist historians claim that he was shot by a jealous husband. It seems a webpage which any 10 year old can edit can sometimes post credible information.
Jung Taemin that's good my friend I think liberal's need to keep a open mind when it comes to guns and not single out the correct gun users especially the ones that educate
It often takes me by surprise how different the USA perspective is from most of the first world countries. "They had some problems... a couple of attempts to unionise the workforce..." Virtually everywhere else, unionisation is considered a worker's right, not a problem. I am aware that American unions followed a different evolutionary trajectory, thanks to the owners successfully marginalising them, and don't want to get into the politics of it all. But, the fact that Ian lists unionism as a problem for the factory as if it were self evident, really highlights how different the American perspective is compared to the bulk of western nations. P.S. If you are going to reply to explain how right or wrong unionism is, don't bother, I'm just making the point that it is different from most developed countries. If you can show that unions are not an established (and accepted) stakeholder in most developed countries; I would be very keen to see your data. It would go against most of the research I saw in my political studies papers.
Unions can be a pain in other countries too. Here in Europe they can get it right but often get it really badly wrong too. Problems include egotistical union leaders making names/work for themselves. Also sometimes the connection between some political parties and union funding needs examining. But sometimes Union ns do stand for valid principles.
Lucid Nonsense it's just the American state of mind, many view unions as extensions of criminal syndicates (some are and were) and some think of unionization as socialist anti-capitalism.
Traditionally, the USA has been a very individualistic nation, while the nations of Europe, for example, have been more collectively minded. Things are not so clear cut nowadays, of course, with many Americans wanting a more collective society and many Europeans wanting more independence, but I think this is still the big reason for the differences in the way we Americans generally view things vs. other developed nations. I don't personally have a problem with workers unionizing, but I don't think joining a union should be compulsory in order to work for a particular company or within a particular industry. Many US states have "right-to-work" laws that cover this situation, in fact.
Hi Ian. I was just wondering if we would ever see anything from the Sterling company. the British one of course. The Sterling SMG is my favorite platform, and I would love to see an in-depth video on the variants, or anything else from the company, such as the Sterling revolver
In Leeds Armouries there is a Sterling Assault rifle, which was an Armalite type set-up copy. From...60s i think. As a British service rifle prototype, it looked viable. (Or better for some roles than SLR/SMG option of the day.) Looked pretty handy really. Easy to have variants such as folding stock, heavy barrel etc. Interesting what could have been. (L85 used some of the bolt designs etc anyway.) Military Arms Channel may have mentioned the rifle was intended for export though. Interesting story there.
Sam Guglin Sam I saw the rifle about 20 years ago so it could, in fact, have been the 7.62 "battle rifle" type. If that exists? The AR system encompasses the AR10 which is 7.62 flavour of course. Sterling bought some rights to the AR system didn't they? One reason the SA80 included elements of it. I recall being told that whilst learning to clean its many lugs and grooves etc! To me it would make sense to have something like a Sterling Assault Rifle in at least 2 calibres, even in 9mm for security and .22lr for training. Commonality, flexibility, ease of training etc. H&K offer these kinds of options now.
Samuel colts grandfather was an amazing man. He brought 178 people over here from Ireland during the Scottish rebellion. He was a stand-up man without a doubt. I'm learning.
hoilst God gives us rain to spite California. He must really hate California, because the Sonoran Desert is the greenest desert in the world. Trust me, this is what they teach in our schools.
This is a very sad story of Investor greed gone amok. I'd be very interested if you could provide the same insights into gun manufacturers fates in Communist countries- particularly how they've faired since the collapse of Communism. Sounds like a great topic got a Ph.D.
A very interesting page of firearms history, masterfully narrated by our host Ian. Bravo, looking forward to more of those. Thank you for all the work you put into this.
I sold my Colt 1911's but there was something special about owning guns with the Rampart Colt on it. They were a legacy but have fallen by the wayside, just as the company has.
To me, Colt has a 'family' attachment to it. I prefer to use Colt revolvers because simply put, they're the type I always was interested in. From when I was 16, to now, there's always been this fond attachment to their revolvers. Just a shame they sold to investors who are pissing the reputation away. CZ should buy Colt.
Great video, Ian! Most of this story I knew already, but your research uncovered more than a few things I hadn't heard about. Thank you for another enjoyable vid, and yes, please make this a series.
Absolutely loved this in depth lecture format! Would love more on different companies as I was a complete firearms neophyte before discovering your page, Ian. You clued me in to what an interesting mix of engineering, design, corporate, national, and conflict history can be learned through guns & weapons. Thanks!
Love this idea for a segment Ian. Since I've started watching FW I've learnt so much about the mechanics of weaponry it's really nice to have an overview of the historical side of it as well. Look forward for more. Also I'd love to see a short video as a tour of the "wall o guns" in the background there.
Excellent history of Colt's The factory is about 5 miles from my house. The building with the blue onion is there, but the guns are actually made in West Hartford CT. U.S.Pat. Firearms Mfg Co.was the last company making guns (Colt repro's) in the old building
For those finding this video late, as of May 2021 Colt is now owned by CZ out of the Czech Republic. As CZ has been successfully making money recently maybe they can help Colt turn things around.
This aged very well, CZ brought back the legendary LE6940 M4 carbine
@@riley4198 they couldn’t add a 2 to that?? ITS RIGHT THERE
@@asherwoodrow7471 what?
@@riley4198 LE69420 carbine
@@asherwoodrow7471nice.
"Overly long and rambling"? Wrong words. Try "181 years of history in a concise half-hour presentation". Thank you for doing this, Ian, it was very informative. I'd really like to hear this about Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Remington, Winchester or even Magnum Research. I know the Remington, Winchester and Magnum Research histories get awfully convoluted and confusing, it'd be awfully nice if you could make some sense of it.
And note...he's not reading this. He knows this all by heart!😋
And marlin!
I lost maybe 1.23 seconds of my life to that. Please do as the Sarge Says. Ta.
There's always one pedantic Pratt.
Well done information imparted reliable consistent.
I come to see the guns, i stay for the storys. Gun history from you is a treat to me, keep it up.
Doug Ward I come for the guns I stay for the hair
I couldn't have said it better.
I come for the hair; I stay for the hair
+
The hair is from a young Buffalo Bill Cody; in fact, Ian is a time traveler, he IS a young Buffalo Bill Cody
I'd be interested in an FN video. They have such interesting designs and a fairly long history.
So would I, almost chose an FN over my sig pro, Beretta und Walther as well.
same I love FN
Ian, while Colt's situation might be described as precarious, at best, your position as a preeminent source of firearm history and education is sitting on a rock-solid foundation. Congratulations and thank you for your interest and obvious passion on the subject.
Well said sir!
That was very well stated.
The fact ian can literally ramble off the whole history of colt firearms in such detail with no notes or anything other than his memory is amazing. These videos and his voice are so calming and soothing to me and i am always facinated learning about firearms history
wow ian, great moves, keep it up
*cough*
I get it.
papa bless
Hewho Laughslast what is h3h3?
+wheels on fire
They do movie reviews, and are well-known for their series "Half in the Bag"
plus 1 for the series, I'm not even that interested in firearms but enjoy your videos largely due to the no bullshit presenting style and obvious knowledge and enthusiasm
eatthisvr6 Now that's FW for you!!!
No, not overly or long or rambling, more a fascinating history, thanks!
Agreed!
Wow, the history of the Colt company really mirrors industry in Connecticut in general. It's not just Colt that's not doing well; everything outside of Otis, Pratt and Whitney / UTE, Electric Boat (which is owned by General Dynamics), and Sikorsky (which was recently acquired by Lockheed Martin) has been struggling. Connecticut used to be a massive industrial hub, but not any more. There are really only massive legacy companies, some of which aren't even independent anymore.
well it happens the Northern states with their high wage cost, greedy unions high taxes, local politics curruption, the EPA and Green peace tree huggers and alot of government crap caused alot of the factories to leave the great North and all them came South no high taxes NO Unions and labour not as high Thats what you Yankee states get with their greed The South Rose again who says the War of Nothern Agression is over?
And that's how California has the fifth-largest economy in the world. Wait...
Danbury wisely moved to the service industry when they saw the writing on the wall for hats. In fact Danbury was never really hurting economically despite being in Fairfield County. But the city used to be the hatting capital of the world. And the Still River has the mercury pollution in its silt to prove it.
Hell, even Electric Boat and Sikorsky threatened to move out of state. They were stopped when Malloy gave them tax breaks in a deal.
This is a funny sideways thing to notice -- I've been a fan of Neal Stephenson's fiction for some years now, and for the first time I think I've finally got some of his family's history straight in my head. I totally needed to hear the name Root to understand.
Excellent, well done video.
I wonder if Caldwell Colt was shot by a gun manufactured by Colt.
I am surprised Ian came up with that questionable "fact". In truth, CC died on his yacht "Dauntless" somewhere offshore of Punta Gorda Florida. Drowned, Tonsillitis, or sensationally shot by a jealous husband (although there were precious few "windows" you could climb through on an 1890's J-type yacht) no one can say with certainty. I am surprised that this is recounted as the only cause of death in this very good series. Should be say arguable cause of death. With so little detail (none really), it would be hard to ascribe a make, much model to a questionable happening.
Now THAT's a zinger to end a good story
I imagine Ian would have a decent source for that. Not to say it's true; it doesn't seem to be very likely as far as I can tell, but I doubt he's just recounting a story he just heard one time or whatever.
Probably not.... You had to be rich to buy one it wouldnt surprise me if he was shot by some mess like a Harrington & Richardson or maybe a Smith & Wesson they had alot of gun companys around back then big and small alot arent around today unfortunately!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caldwell_Hart_Colt
Wikipedia isn't agreeing with Gun Jesus here.
It's sad to see an American icon die, it feels like when i look at the life-support situation of the auto industry in Detroit.
The difference being that at least the Big Three managed to get the message and actually tried to improve their cars after 2008/2009.
Colt meanwhile still acts like its the 1990's.
Its a sad story of corporation greed and currupt labour unions, simualr to marriage of Packard and Studebaker, and the problems lie with greed and curruption bad products high prices !
Boeing's going the same way ...... a magnificent engineering company being run into the ground by greedy stock holders and upper management.
Colt has advocated for gun control since its beginnings. They were entirely satisfied supplying weapons solely to governments. They brought on their own demise. Let that be a lesson to other manufacturers.
Problem with the Big Three in Detroit is the millions/billions spent on a project that is 5+ years out. A lot of things can happen with the economy in that time. They always try to adapt to consumer demands. Unfortunately, their legacy costs and union issues due put a huge damper on their productivity.
Colt has been a trainwreck for decades. What is even worse, the leadership that caused the problem was constantly trying to bring in more people that exacerbates the problem. Colt got lazy. They had zero interest in anything that wasn't 1911 or AR15...which they had on lock. Since they did nothing, the industry caught up and passed them by.
Colt is finally realizing they have to do something. But we get these half measures like the Expanse or the reintroduction of their revolver line...done half assed.
I kept hoping the story would turn around. Then I thought "oh wait, this is a real story and I know what happens" then i got sad.
He kept on getting closer and closer to modern day, and lost more and more hope.
RIP
No Disney ending here!
Colt the company that can't die, no matter how much it's owners seem to want it to.
MasterFancyPants they said the same with Atari.
@ Jack Anderson LOL... No need to get mean about it.
Now my favorite beer brewer operates out of part of the old Colt factory; Thomas Hooker Brewing Co. I'm amazed there is any firearm manufacturing left at all in CT, NY, and MA given how restrictive those states are.
I was born and raised around Remington, Ithaca, and Savage in upstate NY. Sad how those great firearms companies and many other industries like Bendix, GE, and Chicago Pneumatic all left that area until nothing was left. Big corporations really did their damage in my home town
@@mikewithers299and that Remington plant in NY is now closed
@@cpufreak101 that's a shame. So many memories
After hearing this I think it's amazing Colt is still around at all. It's a real pleasure listening to someone who knows his stuff.
That was very interesting. You have a knack for storytelling. Being from new haven Ct. this story got to me. My parents both worked at pratt&whitney. My grandfather worked at Winchester. I myself worked at marlin firearms in north haven sighting in rifles (my dream job until a motorcycle accident laid me up for a year). Mossberg firearms also in north haven. Being a machinist I love all things mechanical. I love your videos. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
My dad worked for Sikorsky for awhile. This state used to be the manufacturing capital of New England. Now? Not so much.
Would like to see a similar video about the history of Remington, having watched it go from one of America's premier firearms manufacturers to it's present situation in my lifetime.
Yes I did enjoy that long and rambling history of the colt company
I have so many Colt's in my closet I need to build them a stables. Too bad Sam didn't live long enough to enjoy his success. One thing is for sure, my Colt M4's and AR15 A4's are totally rock solid rifles. I've shot the hell out of them with 100% reliability.
Ian you are the greatest, a total gun nerd.
I worked at Colt both the original one in Hartford and the one in West Hartford. Like you mentioned I did start sweeping floors and worked my way right up into the Military range. The best job I ever had really awesome place to work, it was during the 1980’s during the strikes what a joy it was to work there I’ll tell you.
Thanks Ian. Really enjoyed the history lesson. I remember when Colt Industries bought Crucible Steel in Syracuse NY. I remember thinking - Cool, Colt gun steel might be made here. I was wrong. LOL but I did like hearing the complexity of these companies through their years. I'm looking forward the the next installment. Thanks.
Anyone saying "overly long and rambling" or "get to the point" already doesn't know how you gain understanding of ANY subject. I find this stuff fascinating and I can listen so I understand all the facts and reasoning behind the point you make, which allows me to decide for myself if it is a valid one. It preempts those that jump from sound bite to sound bite and snappy one liner to snappy one liner refuting an opinion to build themselves up or solely to follow the latest tend. Keep on doing what you do.
Last time I was this early Ian was showing me how to operate a flamethrower
thats a nice thing way to wake up to
"Hi, I'm Ian McCollum, and today I'd like to show you -"
"AAAHHH"
"Is that a Soumi KP-31 with a flamethrower mount"
"Yes actually it is, the Finns-"
"Nice, AAAHH"
Hes done that twice now
Definitely do more of these. I didn't think I'd sit through the whole thing but I was hooked within 5 minutes. Extremely interesting story and would love to hear more.
not over long and rambling at all. very informative, very interesting and as always delivered in a way which can appeal even to a gun layman like myself. thank you very much and keep up the good work :)
12:37 fun fact: that building with the balcony in front of the armory was later torn down and rebuilt as an office complex. And later became my high school. Greater hartford academy of the arts (GHAA) is in the main armory with the dome and still runs to this day. there’s probably nothing more poetic about America than putting a school in a gun factory.
An excellent video. More like this please.
As someone who lives about 10-15 minutes outside of Paterson, NJ it is crazy to see how it was back in the day as a booming industrial town. Many great people, ideas and communities were born and now its sadly the ghetto.
Thanks for the great video as always sir Ian.
Great video, Ian--please keep doing these!
Two thoughts:
The situation in the mid to late '80s completely explains a Series 80 1911 I got back then that was so poorly machined inside that I'd invariably rip my finger open on the jagged edges on the inside of the slide. It was truly horrifically bad (internally it was like some of the "last gasp" weapons you've shown over the years). Makes sense now, as I imagine both the tooling was no longer being maintained as it should, and the morale on the shop floor was likely terrible.
Speaking as a Connecticut-born guy, it makes perfect sense that the State of the Connecticut would be holding a lot of Colt stock for their pension fund; they no doubt invested heavily in successful Connecticut-based businesses. So I'm sure they also held a lot of Pratt and Whitney (and later United Technologies) stock, as well as the stock representing the Connecticut insurance industry (Aetna, etc.)
thanks, Ian! This story proves, that if the man at the top does not own the company, and/or is an innovator himself, such engineering- and innovation driven businesses fade away. Never entrust a business to only investors, as they surely drive away innovation for money only!
Please put FN on the list to do as well! I would love to know more about them considering I own several modern firearms by them.
Why dislike a forgotten weapons video? The best firearm channel here! Great work, very informative, entertaining. Keep up the great work !
Reading your article on the Luger in this month's American Rifleman, Ian. Very nice.
"Probably too long and rambly" - Are you kidding? Ian, you're probably one of the best historians ever. I've come to the point I watch this channel not for the guns, but for the science.
Gun Jesus
Our Lord
who art in forgotten weapons
hallow be thy name
thy armoury come
though shall gun
On Earth as it is in /k/
In Bergman we pray...
Give us this day our daily belt-fed
10hr day, and a 1 hr much break is amazing, I did that for 8 years, wish It was still avalivable
"Major Forbes, hand me your Colt revolver."
"My what?"
"...your gun. Give it to me..."
-Colonel Robert Gould Shaw to Major Cabot Forbes,
"Glory" (1989)
This vid was by no means "overly long and rambling", but once again interestingly informative, so thanks for yet another nice vid. Keep'em coming, I never got bored by any of you contributions.
Regards from Hamburg in Germany, stay healthy
Kai
Thank you Kai!
Now that was really interesting, and no it wasn't too long. Just a pity as you say about the current status of Colt, of which I wasn't aware.
Great new series. The fact that your video rambles at the end perfectly mirrors how Colt is rambling towards irrelevance under management concerned ONLY with finances while ignoring the actual products and customers.
Heckler and Koch next?
Or FN or Remington.
HK would be a relative short video.
FN, Walther or Steyr would be more interesting.
But if you talk about about HK you also have to talk about Mauser, because all the founders of Hk where former Mauser employees. That gives you enough material for a long video.
YES PEASE!!!!
Remington has gone to shit!!! they don't deserve it!!!
As a collector of Colt I think this is a great account of the sad truth.Thank you for sharing this with your viewers that probably had no idea of this history. I hope most realise that it is one example of what has happened to a large segment of American industry. Greed built this country, and is destroying it. We need to get back to a team of greedy people working for a common gain instead of corporate figure heads who don't care about their employees.
that mustache/beard combo is fucking glorious
I agree doesn"t he look allot like Wild Bill Hitchcock
You are one of those few youtubers who are actually still fun and interesting to watch.
The public had legitimate fears of the political implications of smartgun proliferation. The concept and technology is perfectly fine with me. It's the constant threat of predatory politicians that bothers me.
actually there's a law on the books that if that tech. comes on the market then all other types of guns will be illegal in that state!! trust me if it does happen, Washington will use that law for template for a national law!!!and with todays wireless tech, I wouldn't trust a newly made gun it would be way to easy to have a wifi kill circuit in them without anyone knowing!! and if Washington doesn't figure it out then some nerd will!!!!either way, anyone who comes up with that should be immediately put to death for treason!!!!
Anyone who is even remotely familiar with electronic circuits would know one of those as soon as they saw it. Just saying. And being encased in metal would make it very unlikely to function without giving it a receiver the size of a combat radio. It would also have to be water-proof. And heat-proof. And shock-proof. And surge-proof. And interference-proof. And tamper-proof. And corrosion-proof. And have an infinite, uninterruptible, indestructible power source. Not sure what part of this qualifies as "way too easy." Let alone "without anyone knowing."
Another shining example of people ranting and raving and fearmongering over shit they know absolutely nothing about.
"some nerd." Brilliant. The same kind of "nerds" that designed literally every single thing you just used to post that. People really do think money is magic these days.
Infinite power? Try piezo electric. Generates power when quartz it pressed
+114413190038130541966 I think he meant to imply that if smartguns did exist, and were mainstream commonplace items like smartphones, they could be subject to external control by some sort of wireless network. He thinks it's a givin that smartguns would be made to work on a network like a moble device to function, where in reality it might be more like a tazer that can upload data to a computer with a USB cable.
He's implying the government or a malicious entity could effect forced shutdown of the firearm like a cell company can with a phone or other device. I argue that even if this was the case, some entrepreneuring person would invent a hack to make said smartgun dumb again.
keith moore and why wouldn’t those people just disable the wireless component?
Thank you so much! I really hope this becomes a regular part of forgotten weapons. And please make sure that any following episodes are just as long and full of "rambling"! Thanks again Ian and I look forward to whats next!
Great video, please do more of those!
You're the best narrator and storyteller ever. Thank you very much! When I have children - I would give them your videos to watch to learn English and to listen to calm and pleasant voice 😊
It could be interesting to hear the story of the Madsen company and firearms. You have talked about the guns several times and as a "small" company it could be interesting. Perhaps joining it up with other minor companies to make a "minion" episode...
Watching you sit there talking about Colt in this video, and other topics in other videos, is something I find to be truly amazing. I've seen about 20 of your video's. This one made me subscribe.
What is Colt?
Baby don't hurt me,
Don't hurt me,
No more.
If you're going to post these lyrics, you MUST post a link to the music video! 😄
‘Enjoyed’ isn’t necessarily appropriate, as this is ultimately a very sad story, but fascinating, it certainly was! Loved it!
Very accurate detail of the company. Sam Colt is actually rolling in his grave and would probably puke at the state of what he created.
I saw one other Colt history video today wherein the producers assert that Caldwell Colt died in Florida from tonsilitis. That is a severe deviation from your version of events (which I tend to believe) which state that he was a conniving philanderer trying to bed a married woman and was shot and killed in the process!
Beretta next?
alan crook definitely worth it, they also have a long history!
Beretta is still family owned, so i doubt it.
alan crook idk why I hate beretta
might be well over an hour for a Beretta video since the company is freaking 500 years old.
why? shitretta's suck great danes!!!!
Very informative. Looking forward to the next installment.
Colt has been dead. The chance of someone buying the brand/rights and creating a proper firearms company, given the current political & economic climate is exactly 0%.
Well, if I was CZ I would buy it and start selling Colt Z40 pistols again under their brand.
A Colt Z75 would be cool.
CZ would be the ideal company to buy Colt. They're innovative, and actually care to bring good products to their table. Plus CZ seems to understand what a loyal fanbase means. If any company deserves to have Colt, it's CZ.
Oddly prophetic. Here's to good news for the future of cz/colt
@@diktatoralexander88 FN could do them justice. Just look at how they pulled the Winchester Model 70 out of the ashes. But yeah, it looks like CZ took the plunge this month, $220M deal. Still has to be finalized, but could lead to some great products for consumers, at reasonable prices. CZ has always been great about their pricing structure, I believe. Got a 97BD, 12ga O/U, and 455 .22LR in my stable and couldn't be happier with the quality and value.
Colt’s current status and history is something I have wondered about. Very timely Ian.
In some of your videos you sit in front of a library's worth of books. Clearly you've read them all. It would be cool to see a vid of you showing off that collection.
Considering that my extended family (uncle) figured prominently in at least a pivotal part of your concise discourse, I will admit I just didn't understand the true history and found it fascinating. Good job.
Give this guy a TV show on the History channel.
This kind of video is something I really look forward to seeing more of. I had a basic understanding of but didn't fully grasp the tragedy of the colt company until I watched this video.
can we get Smith and Wesson next?
Iran, thank you. Such a good teacher keeping the presentation very interesting and conversational.
Thanks Ian! "Spellcheck again intervenes!" Grrrr.
Also one greatest mistake Colt did was stop the production of the Colt Python Revolver
Sales of AR rifles to American citizens.
@@zackatwood2867 was what they should have done enthusiastically...
@@GunFunZS I heard rumors that a sales representative said they only reason they're selling ARs to civilians is because "the Government cut our contract' and that he said they're against AR sales to civilians. Is this true?
Fascinating recount. Especially impressive that you did it all extemporaneously Ian. What you recounted was indicative of many American companies that fell victim to corporate greed and bowing to one of the four stakeholders of any enterprise, in this case shareholders. As you allude to, once you discount the "seed corn" of a company, innovation, the journey only goes one way, downhill.
I look forward to your upcoming histories and hopefully some comparisons of what went right vs what did not.
God made Man, but Samuel Colt made him Equal
If there are more of these types of videos coming, I am extremely excited.
God made man, Sam Colt made them equal.
And Gun Jesus made 'em educated?
And Kalashnikov made us afraid of communists revolutionaries
For the people of Mozambique, I reckon Kalashnikov's closer to Moses. Guess it depends which side you're in...
It all depends on the side as you said. To the North-Vietnamese farmers the AK rifles were an opportunity to fight for what they believed in, the same is true for the Cubans who fought in their revolution and in the middle east right now, the creation of Kalashnikov is an opportunity to fight back. I think Kalashnikov made everyone equal in the 20th century more than anyone (even children).
And mismanagement fucked it all up.
This is such a nicer place to record long talking videos instead of the cramped office (which also has it's charm, you can alwyas look around at all the things displayed), but I really like this, Ian.
In regards to Caldwell Colt's death the Wikipedia page says something different : "Colt drowned at sea at the age of 35 near Punta Gorda, Florida while piloting his ship, The Dauntless. His mother had a parish house built near Armsmear in his name opposite the Church of the Good Shepherd" - Which version is the one that actually took place? Ian'ss or Wiki's?
Crowley do you trust someone who reads dozens of firearms history books, or a webpage which any 10 year old can edit?
Read the RIA blog.
I trust no one on the internet and I tend to do my own research. Here is an excerpt from the RIA blog as suggested by Art : In January 1894, Commodore Caldwell Hart Colt died rather mysteriously at sea in January of 1894, while aboard his schooner yacht Dauntless. Some sources say he drowned, others say tonsillitis struck while abroad, and the more sensationalist historians claim that he was shot by a jealous husband. It seems a webpage which any 10 year old can edit can sometimes post credible information.
Hughes Enterprises Definitely Wikipedia..
Wikipedia is run by woke Folk Buy yourself An very old Merrian Webster Dictionary ,and see Wikipedia is BS.
This was a really awesome, well-made video. It's unfortunate that the story of Colt has taken such a depressing turn .
Its good that you educate people on the history of guns :p keep up the good work
your political compass is one of the most leftist one ive ever seen
Jung Taemin lol I'll take that as a complement....I like guns when they are in the hands of the correct people
Well im -3.8 / -5.7 so its sortof liberal
And i like guns too
Jung Taemin that's good my friend I think liberal's need to keep a open mind when it comes to guns and not single out the correct gun users especially the ones that educate
Best gun channel on the Tube! Thanks Ian, for all you do.
It often takes me by surprise how different the USA perspective is from most of the first world countries. "They had some problems... a couple of attempts to unionise the workforce..." Virtually everywhere else, unionisation is considered a worker's right, not a problem. I am aware that American unions followed a different evolutionary trajectory, thanks to the owners successfully marginalising them, and don't want to get into the politics of it all. But, the fact that Ian lists unionism as a problem for the factory as if it were self evident, really highlights how different the American perspective is compared to the bulk of western nations.
P.S. If you are going to reply to explain how right or wrong unionism is, don't bother, I'm just making the point that it is different from most developed countries. If you can show that unions are not an established (and accepted) stakeholder in most developed countries; I would be very keen to see your data. It would go against most of the research I saw in my political studies papers.
Unions can be a pain in other countries too. Here in Europe they can get it right but often get it really badly wrong too. Problems include egotistical union leaders making names/work for themselves. Also sometimes the connection between some political parties and union funding needs examining. But sometimes Union ns do stand for valid principles.
Lucid Nonsense it's just the American state of mind, many view unions as extensions of criminal syndicates (some are and were) and some think of unionization as socialist anti-capitalism.
Traditionally, the USA has been a very individualistic nation, while the nations of Europe, for example, have been more collectively minded. Things are not so clear cut nowadays, of course, with many Americans wanting a more collective society and many Europeans wanting more independence, but I think this is still the big reason for the differences in the way we Americans generally view things vs. other developed nations. I don't personally have a problem with workers unionizing, but I don't think joining a union should be compulsory in order to work for a particular company or within a particular industry. Many US states have "right-to-work" laws that cover this situation, in fact.
The history of Colt was very interesting. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Hey, Ian, how about doing a video on Krupp?
Walter Pöppe All the more reason to talk about it in my opinion.
Love the history that you give. The individual gun history has been great now we add the company histories is bonus.
Hi Ian. I was just wondering if we would ever see anything from the Sterling company. the British one of course. The Sterling SMG is my favorite platform, and I would love to see an in-depth video on the variants, or anything else from the company, such as the Sterling revolver
In Leeds Armouries there is a Sterling Assault rifle, which was an Armalite type set-up copy. From...60s i think. As a British service rifle prototype, it looked viable. (Or better for some roles than SLR/SMG option of the day.) Looked pretty handy really. Easy to have variants such as folding stock, heavy barrel etc. Interesting what could have been. (L85 used some of the bolt designs etc anyway.) Military Arms Channel may have mentioned the rifle was intended for export though. Interesting story there.
Nick Thorp have you seen the 7.62 NATO variant? A full size battle rifle Sterling. The thing was awesome
Sam Guglin
Sam I saw the rifle about 20 years ago so it could, in fact, have been the 7.62 "battle rifle" type. If that exists? The AR system encompasses the AR10 which is 7.62 flavour of course. Sterling bought some rights to the AR system didn't they? One reason the SA80 included elements of it. I recall being told that whilst learning to clean its many lugs and grooves etc! To me it would make sense to have something like a Sterling Assault Rifle in at least 2 calibres, even in 9mm for security and .22lr for training. Commonality, flexibility, ease of training etc. H&K offer these kinds of options now.
I love the whole, "sitting on grand-pappys knee while he tells a story" setup hes got here. Plus it's super informative.
Samuel colts grandfather was an amazing man. He brought 178 people over here from Ireland during the Scottish rebellion. He was a stand-up man without a doubt. I'm learning.
Who is Colt? What is a gun? Where does rain come from?
Barry and Berry idk, idk, God's tears
hoilst
God gives us rain to spite California. He must really hate California, because the Sonoran Desert is the greenest desert in the world.
Trust me, this is what they teach in our schools.
Barry and Berry is rain God crying?
also not long and rambling...an excellent video with such great perspective. you are a credit to our society.
This is a very sad story of Investor greed gone amok. I'd be very interested if you could provide the same insights into gun manufacturers fates in Communist countries- particularly how they've faired since the collapse of Communism. Sounds like a great topic got a Ph.D.
CZ still exist so its good to start there
A very interesting page of firearms history, masterfully narrated by our host Ian. Bravo, looking forward to more of those. Thank you for all the work you put into this.
I sold my Colt 1911's but there was something special about owning guns with the Rampart Colt on it. They were a legacy but have fallen by the wayside, just as the company has.
To me, Colt has a 'family' attachment to it. I prefer to use Colt revolvers because simply put, they're the type I always was interested in. From when I was 16, to now, there's always been this fond attachment to their revolvers.
Just a shame they sold to investors who are pissing the reputation away. CZ should buy Colt.
There is just something about the Colt Series 70 Government model. Clunky, reliable, not pretty, but built like a brick sh!thouse.
Great video. I really like this format - Great to put on in the background while you're doing some restoration work.
"Czech firearms company Ceska Zbrojovka has signed a deal to acquire Colt." ABC News 12.02.201
Great video, Ian! Most of this story I knew already, but your research uncovered more than a few things I hadn't heard about. Thank you for another enjoyable vid, and yes, please make this a series.
Is that a RAF jumper?
Ian whenever I'm sick your videos some how make me feel better
Are you planning to do one of these on Ruger?
Absolutely loved this in depth lecture format! Would love more on different companies as I was a complete firearms neophyte before discovering your page, Ian. You clued me in to what an interesting mix of engineering, design, corporate, national, and conflict history can be learned through guns & weapons. Thanks!
>Overpriced, not that function, counting on military contracts
Some things never change I guess.
Your right! 110% they where real comfortable with military contracts but when the military went to Berreta that devastated Colt!
Love this idea for a segment Ian. Since I've started watching FW I've learnt so much about the mechanics of weaponry it's really nice to have an overview of the historical side of it as well. Look forward for more. Also I'd love to see a short video as a tour of the "wall o guns" in the background there.
Do you plan on doing an Enfield one?
Thanks Ian I could watch these all day so yes, please do more of these type of history vids.
And now it's owned by the CZ, how about that?
Excellent history of Colt's The factory is about 5 miles from my house. The building with the blue onion is there, but the guns are actually made in West Hartford CT.
U.S.Pat. Firearms Mfg Co.was the last company making guns (Colt repro's) in the old building