  The Colt Defense booth at SHOT Show 2013 celebrated 50 years of the M-16. Colt was the original licensee on the Stoner patent from Armalite, who developed the “AR” platform itself. They were the first real makers of the M-16 rifle, and through a lot of ups and downs the rifle has endured as the finest battle rifle every created. This year is an unprecedented attack on civilian ownership of these guns, and we are hoping that America, and Colt, makes it through.
 Most of the 2013 products from Colt are the same rifle models with new finishes.
 Many of the guns are available through specific distributors only, like this Muddy Girl camo, you can only get from Talo distributors.
 These models are also from specific distributors, listed on the photo. If this craziness goes away, let your local dealer know which gun you want and which distributor they come from. The Colt 2013 catalog has them all listed.
 The 2013 prices are similar to the 2012 prices, and note that it is not Colt that is gouging prices out there. It is purely retailers and parasites who have grabbed up the guns. Colt actually lowered their wholesale prices right before Sandy Hook and has not raised them.
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Colt’s Manufacturing Co.
https://www.coltsmfg.com/
Download the Colt 2013 Catalog Here
Last year we saw Colt regain its status as the king of the AR-15/M-16 type rifle. Our Colt articles on both the 6920/6940 Patrol rifles, and the .308/7.62 Colt 901-16S were among 2012’s most popular here at GunsAmerica Magazine & Blog. The nice thing was that you could actually get the guns, and tens of thousands of you did. We have some good news for the 901 purchasers out there. According to “inside information” at the Colt Defense booth at SHOT Show, those proprietary swapper parts should be out this year, and they will finally come with the gun. Everyone who already has a 901 will be able to get them either free or cheap directly from Colt, hopefully by March is what we were told. If you have not yet read the 901 article and watched the video, it is a really cool gun that could transform your perspective of the AR-15 platform.
So what’s new for Colt this year? Mostly they are coming out with a bunch of specialized configurations and colors in the same rock solid 6920/6940 guns, and some of them are going to be only available from specific Colt distributors. From a gun nerd or Colt collector perspective, this news is like an off season Christmas present. Remember that every gun that leaves the Colt factory is documented for the historical department, with the specific configuration, colors, hardware, etc. And while the hardware itself is not serialized, the serial number of the gun will be forever tied to its configuration and hardware selection. This gives you every reason to convince your Significant Other that you need one of these and one of these and one of these and one of these and… you get the picture. All of the different configurations you see here will instantly become collectable, and they should increase in value like most Colts have done over the generations.
This might seem like a marketing ploy from Colt, but only the uninitiated would really look at it like that. You have to give the people what they want, and a lot of us want MORE COLTS. These colors and configurations are genuinely collectible, and if you are just looking for an extremely high quality AR from a trusted name, you now have some interesting and creative finish options from Colt, the company that has manufactured the M-16/AR-15 since its introduction. There is also some real substance to the 2013 Colt catalog. Besides the Colt Competition guns that we already covered on media day, Colt is making a good deal of factory accurized “Match” grade guns that are specifically marked as Match. Nothing is done halfway and the guns aren’t franken-15s. Most of the parts on the guns are actual Colt, and the few third party additions are from fellow military contractors like Magpul.
This is the 50th anniversary of the M-16, which was first licensed by Colt from Armalite’s Eugene Stoner. The rifle has had its ups and downs, as had Colt over the years, but now Colt is facing an unprecedented attack on the future of their business. The same goes for every AR manufacturer in the US, and it is a fight that we should all be helping them fight, and win. Please contact your legislators if you have not already, and tell them that America doesn’t need to lose any more jobs to ridiculous political paybacks, and that is all this mess is comprised of, political paybacks. The Colt factory will be shuttered if Feinstein’s ban passes, and all the people who have been working to make us these cool guns will be unemployed.
All we can do is hope that we’ll be able to get these cool new Colts in 2013. Right now you can’t get a Colt for less than twice the catalog price, but this has nothing to do with Colt. According to our friends in the marketing department at Colt, they actually lowered their wholesale prices right before Sandy Hook, which happened not far from their factory in West Hartford. After this crazy boom for ARs, they didn’t then raise them back up. Colt hasn’t made an extra penny on this crisis, because they already weren’t able to keep up with the demand for Colt ARs without any crisis required. Supply and demand are pillars of American capitalism, but we can tell that you if you are upset about having to pay too much for a Colt, it has nothing to do with the company itself. Hopefully this crisis will pass without us losing our guns and prices and availability will go back to normal levels. If we make it through, it will be a great year for Colt fans.
Colt 2013 Picture Gallery – Rifles
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This is an apolgy to Justin.
Not sure why, but you just reminded me of a jerk I met at the range I am a member of (phashoots.net) who is so impressed with himself and his money that he has no problem shooting “cross-court” despite it being against range rules because his family (mostly, I think, his mommy) owns over half the shares in the range.
Then, too, there are the jerks who pull up in a cloud of dust and who, while whooping and hollering, fire a shit load of steel-cased ammo (some in simple mag dumps), then drive away in a cloud of dust and gravel, leaving their casings and targets behind. They’ve got top end rifles, expensive new pickup trucks and the manners of a spoiled three year old who has missed too many naps.
I had them in mind when I was writing you and that is not right.
I DO disagree that market forces are the only consideration when setting a price.
If there was a drought and I had water to sell, would it be right to only sell water to people who could pay me $10 a glass? (Assume that I am pumping from a deep well that taps into an underground stream, not pouring from my own last bottle.)
The time is coming, and I think it will be sooner rather than later, when it will be just as necessary to own a firearm for survival in this country as it will be to have that glass of water. I think you agree with me in this, else, when pickings got thin for you, you’d have sold your AR for whatever the market would give you for it.
In time of conflict, what do you call an un-armed man?
Cover.
I collect range brass … as much as I can … because I can see a day when it will again have value as finished ammunition. If I have an excess (I pick up a lot of calibers I don’t shoot), I’ll offer some for sale. But I purchase firearms and ammunition against a future need, not for speculation. In the near future I plan to give away five of them, along with ammunition, to decent people I know who are in worse shape than myself.
Look again at Galt’s oath: it’s not about self-serving greed … it’s about equity.
I don’t see how those who only buy a rifle after they have an order for it (and thus have no “skin in the game”) so that they can charge an FFL fee have any complaint about the low profit they can make from the actual sale of the rifle … 5% of a $1,000 sale (for instance) plus a $35 FFL fee is $85 dollars and the only risk involved is in the FFL license fees. That’s actually pretty good money for perhaps 15 minutes of face time with a customer. Do that even once a day and the retirement fund would add up nicely.
Low profit is all the profit that someone who has low risk in a transaction has earned.
Is anyone familiar with the 50th anniversary LE6920? They only made 50 of them and they have the anniversary label on the right side of the rifle.
Admin, thank you for a very informative article on news about Colt. As for the parasites well they are everywhere but I have noticed a few dealers have not marked up, yes the discounts are gone and they are sticking to MSRP, fine, the discounts on guns have never been so great as justify one over the other as far as I think.
But a check of local gun trader papers will show some stunning markups by the opportunity crowd, in fact doubling and almost tripling MSRP even on so called slightly used weapons. I looked at one that only had test rounds fired thru it and I have an old boat paddle that looks better. Upon asking the condition vs # rds fired, the answer was he carried it a lot and it got banged up.
Again thanks, it was info was looking for as I would like to pick up a Colt or two just for the memories…I am one of those guys was ISSUED a Colt…26 years of my life worth.
I also see some TROLLS on here, which are just parasites always looking for another place to post a hate message of some kind their only contribution is being part of the problem, never part of the solution.
If one wants prices to remain competitive, don’t pay the inflated prices that some unscrupulous people are asking. Scalpers at professional sports events do the same thing. There is always someone with the money to pay the exorbitant price that is being asked. The Colt AR-15 and knock-offs are only a part of the anti-gun attack. Has anyone been able to find 5.56 or .223 ammunition? And if you have, what is the price differential between now and the pre gun-ban rhetoric. This Anti-gun administration is plotting ways to make gun ownership a non-issue. They know that gun laws are only applicable to law abiding gun owners but they choose not to care. I would wager that the majority of anti-gun supporters have no idea of how a firearm operates, much less how safe the pro-gun owners are. I support responsible gun ownership (not restrictions on legal gun owners) and I expect responsible actions from our government. Responsible actions of our Government DOES NOT mean passing laws that the criminal element or mentally challenged people will never obey. Heaping gun regulations on responsible, legal law-abiding citizens that do not apply to nor can be enforced on the criminal element, in my mind is a form of discrimination. Only we, the voting AMERICAN CITIZEN, can change what is taking place.
Laws need to be passed controlling what causes violence. Mental instability, disregard for human life, criminal mind set, and any other form of anti-social behavior. Violence has been in our country since the advent of the human race. Some people are just prone to commit criminal acts. I’m not a psychiatrist so I have no idea how to define this abnormality.
I own firearms and I shoot at targets. At my age (71), hunting is too hard on my already aching knees. I served 26 years in the military supporting our Constitution and I don’t support having my 2nd amendment rights circumvented or eliminated.
Mr. Justin G,
Had You not made an uniformed comment initially I would not have had the need to speculate. I retract my comment about you filling your wallet and offer an opology for it. However your comment only supports those that are fleecing good Americans. If it were not for comments such as the one you made then those that are doing wrong would have no backing in there theft from the public. Far too often words like Capitalism and Free Enterprise are used as a guise for criminal activity. It might not be against the laws of this country but is an abortion of our Countries Moral Fiber.
Thank you for the apology…although it wasn’t necessary. I just wanted to comment for a minute about the Free Enterprise and Capitalism comment. The premise of any business in the USA is to buy low, and sell high…to grow and make profits (this even applies to individuals who invest in the stock market). Unfortunately, not everyone in America chooses to be moral about that (or what would seem to be the moral), however, it’s still Free Enterprise and Capitalism regardless. This isn’t Somalia where in order to get food you have to beat the War Lords to the drop zone, otherwise you’ll starve. The ones who get ahead in life by breaking the law typically don’t stay wealthy their entire lives and also usually get caught (note the usually).
As far as fleecing goes, in the United States, most hard working people with a decent wage, who get married BEFORE they reproduce, who can hold down a job, and who finish High School (note that I claim MOST) have the ability to pick and choose what they want to purchase–and with things like the Internet, email, online coupons, etc. they now have more power than ever to get the most favorable prices on the things that they want to buy. That being said, when someone takes a used, but great conditioned rifle into a gun store to sell or trade…that’s EAISLY worth $800…and the gun store offers less than half of what they would be able to sell it for in the private market, and yet that person STILL decides to trade it or sell it to the gun store anyway…then who’s getting fleeced?
On the opposite note…if you have 5 or 6 AK-47’s, and you only use 1 or 2 of them–then who am I to tell you that you’re a bad person for wanting to sell it for a large profit???? I don’t have to buy it if I don’t like your price, I’ll just hold off if I can, or I just won’t get one. But you aren’t a bad “parasitic” person for choosing your own sales price. I don’t think anyone, despite the amount of “suffering” that they’ve been through in the industry (EH-HEM…Mr. Administrator) holds enough moral authority in the eyes of our Maker to make that judgement call on anyone.
One last note regarding our country’s Moral Fiber–our country was founded on Godly and Biblical principles regarding morality…but at the EXACT SAME TIME we became powerful early on because of profitting/expanding as quickly as possible, and by growing economically–even to the point of stealing/buying other human beings from other countries, and using them like cattle to grow our crops–that we would in tern sell for a profit. We also became powerful and grew economically by murdering DROVES of Native Americans who already inhabited the western US, and taking the land for ourselves to do with as we pleased. Overall I don’t disagree with you in that people should ALWAYS take the moral high ground when doing business dealings…I think that 99% of the time that will get you further in life than the latter. BUT…to DEMONIZE someone who has a good, aggressive business model of growth and profits, who ISN’T breaking the law, is just foolish and doesn’t make sense–it’s hypocritical…in fact, it’s pretty darn LIBERAL. No one I’ve ever met or known (besides Jesus Christ) is powerful enough to claim that and actually have it stick.
Never be a victim of anything…ever. That’s why I don’t buy when prices are too high for me to afford. That’s why I try to buy things as cheaply as possible. That’s why I try to sell things for as much profit as I can (people tell me no all the time…they have the freedom to do that and when they do, they’re no worse off than they were before, and I’m no better off for it). That’s why I carry legally concealed weapons. That’s why I’m a hard negotiator in my sales career….and that’s not a bad thing. That’s FREE ENTERPRISE and Capitalism. People who cry out differently, to me, sound like victims–and I refuse to be a victim of anything.
Bad people are going to always be bad people, unless their hearts change by God’s mercy and divine intervention. But don’t label aggressive, business minded people who don’t break the law (EH-HEM AGAIN Mr. Administrator) as parasites.
Where can you find these at the suggested retail price, here in Hawaii it cost me $2499 for the Colt M-4 Le6920, I know what Justin G is talking about. why cant we buy factory direct? something, help the smaller income family find better prices!!
I ordered a CT legal Colt Model 6700 Match Target the day after the election. Still haven’t got it and the dealer/distributor can’t give me a delivery date .
Congrats to Colt and to Armalite…one hell of a ‘battle rifle” indeed, just scrathes the surface for the versatility of the rifle. I too own just one Ar, a Stag 3G. A fantastic shooting machine, haven’t even touched the surface of learning to compete with it. I just hope I get the opportunity.
Well, I see new models for 2013, but isn’t there going to be a ban on these type of weapons? Man, I hope not, but just thought I’d ask that stupid question anyway. And YES, COLT IS keeping their prices very low compared to others out there reaping the rewards from the fear of these being potentially taken away from us!!!! Keep up the GREAT WORK Colt! I would love to own one of these beautiful AR’s, but it may not happen for me, for I entered the game too late 🙁
Sure wish I could own one.
Sadly the Gestapo legislature in NY says NO NOT EVER.
FIGHT FOLKS!!!
DO NOT LET WHAT HAPPENED IN NEW YORK HAPPEN TO YOU!!!!!
tell me why so many states have different gun laws when the 2nd amendment should apply to all law abiding citizens equally??
I forsee a growth in 3-gun and USPSA multigun type competitions. I’m already seeing huge growth, with a temporary decline in participation due to the current crisis. However, I think Colt is on the right track. I see it selling. I think a push even futher. Offer hunting models in real-tree, or bone collector skulls, then offer red and blue for the multigun competitors. Then just some plain jane classic repro retro models in traditional finishes for the collectors.
Heck, I think they should even do some experiment marketing with hydro dipped finishes.
I am one of those folks who believes that there isn’t anything wrong with owning an AR-15, or for that matter, an M-1A, M1, M1 Carbine, 1903 Springfield (any variety), or 30-40 Krag. Care to go back a little further? I also believe that there is no need for AR-15 pistols, AK pistols, and the like. Promoters shouldn’t allow selling guns at gun shows without a license. These things just flame the gentle minds of the sheep. Do you want to have to go through a dealer for EVERY sale? Do you know where that leads? If we don’t clean some of this stuff up we give ammunition to those who want to do it for us. I can’t figure out a purpose for some of these pistols other than arming shopping mall comandos and lining the pockets of those who produce them. Now please don’t get me wrong. I have NO problem with big guns, big mags, and lots of ammo. But lets face it, our society is changing into a society where elitists are happy to tell us what to eat, what to drink, and in most cases every other aspect of our lives (read California). I beleieve in defense of self, defense of family, and defense of country…in that order. If you don’t believe that way then you are taking up air and when you are killed it will clean up the gene pool. People are affraid of the sheep dog but the dog is the first to be called when the wolf arrives. I refuse to defend those who are not willing to defend themselves.
I shouldn’t have to point this out, “one shopping mall commando’s” arm is another person’s target rifle.
If you think appeasement works, I suggest you ask Edvard Beneš how it worked out for him…
Also not only is there a typo, but bear in mind the AR-15 (i.e. prior to being called the M16 by the US military) is more than 50 years old. The British placed a contract for the AR-15 from Colt’s back around 1961 to equip special forces and so did Indonesia. They used them against each other during the war in Borneo.
If someone offers me 3000 for my colt m4 anodized bronz, i’ll sell it to him. thats not being a parasite. Thats called making a profit
The way to defeat the parasites is by starving them. Like a leech, if you don’t feed them, they will die.
You, the administrator have just won a fan. All too often so called “Free Enterprise” and “Capitalism” is used as an excuse to “Fleece” Americans. I wonder what ever happened to the days when people in buisiness were in the moral thought of making a “living” and not a “killing” off the backs of their customers. I served this Country for 13 years in The Marines as a Combat Engineer, and continue to do so working behind bars keeping Americans safe. I think Mr. Justin G represents the part of our society and morality in this country that make people sick. I know that thought process makes me sick to know I fought for that guys freedom to be in buisiness. Especially in the economy we are in today to have “parasites” like this out there taking advantage of good people that are simply concerned for their safety and want to have something to keep their family safe. So go ahead Mr. Justin G, steal food from their childrens mouth in order to fatten your wallet.
Actually, Sir, I have sold nothing gun related or profited at all. I own one single AR-15 and wish I could afford more. I am the sole provider for a family of 4, I was laid off last year from August to November, and my savings account was nearly depleted in the process. The entire time I was unemployed I didn’t collect a single cent from state or federal government assistance. So please tell me how my wallet was made fatter by starving children? Your comment is incredibly opinionated, but unfortunately your strong opinion was based off of a huge lack of information.
Again, I only own 1 AR-15 and wish I could afford more. It sucks that I can’t, but I’m not even remotely about to call someone a parasite for wanting to score some cash. After all, when they post their colt 6920’s on gun broker for $2500, they aren’t holding it to anyone’s head and making them click “Buy Now.”
Thank you Sir for your military service, but don’t make blind, uninformed accusations about me.
I am one of those so called ‘parasites’. I got an FFL for my business to try and make more money as a subdivision. Guess what? I found out that profit margins on firearm sales are so low and there are so many other FFL dealers out there that I haven’t sold a single firearm to anyone, except the business owner, me! I am trying to support a system that supplies as many firearms to as many people, legally, as I can as a side note.
There really isn’t much money being made out there, don’t even bother with MSRP, no-one buys even at 5% over dealer prices. The super large retailers who can buy millions of $ in inventory at a time and buy so far below dealer prices that they can sell them for nearly the same as dealer prices for the small guys. The current environment may be have changed things for a bit but no, we are not soaking people at usury profit margins.
You apparently don’t have any ARs to sell. So again, how are you a parasite if you have never sold anything?
As a super small business I have no money to put into inventory. I have an M4 and an AK for my personal use.
I said I was one of the ‘parasites’ because I set my business model up with no inventory, no showroom and merely ordering a firearm a customer wants when they know exactly what they want. This is one of the characteristics of what is being vilified here, however, I am merely trying to make more money for my business, but no-one is buying.
Yea in general that would be a parasite. But since you even failed at that… I think you’re ok.
I am just glad that the folks on here that do not fully understand what a parasite is were not the ones running the few gas stations or grocery stores that survived the latest disaster. Or were they?
Retailers and “parasites” huh? I thought you guys supported free enterprise and capitalism.
The parasites know who they are. Maybe you should spend some time with dictionary.com?
Justin; The inference is “parasitic retailers”. Profiteers are just like the politicians and Socialists who would advance their position in the aftermath of recent murders by mad men.
The war on the Second Amendment (2A) by the left has surfaced again. For those who would protect it (2A), I liken it to the “War on Terror”, the Bush era term when our nation was committed to destroying terrorism. It’s going to be a LONG fight. I urge Americans to get in the fight and be prepaired for a war of attrition. These politicians and Socialists, like teriorists look to the long term to destroy free enterprise, capitalism and democracy.
Again, the parasites know who they are. By and large, local stocking dealers have been selling their stock to the local customers at normal retail prices, or at most MSRP. The parasites are generally either tabletop dealers or non-dealers breaking laws who are dealing in firearms without a license. I strongly encourage those who need a little help in the above 3rd grade reading level department to use dictionary.com on the actual meaning of parasite.
“The 2013 prices are similar to the 2012 prices, and note that it is not Colt that is gouging prices out there. It is purely retailers and parasites who have grabbed up the guns. Colt actually lowered their wholesale prices right before Sandy Hook and has not raised them.”
According to my 3rd grade reading level, and dictionary.com, it sounds like you are calling people parasites for flipping their stashes of AR-15’s for a profit. Are you not and did I misunderstand you? If you did mean that, then do you have a problem with capitalism? If consumers don’t like the prices then they can buy from someone else, or choose not to buy at all. As long as these “parasites” aren’t breaking any laws then I don’t have a problem with them wanting and making money.
And please continue to be a classy and reputable source for information and debate. I have been reading the blogs here for quite some time and there’s no need to make improper insults like “3rd grade reading level.” Make non-childish like retorts in the future please.
No, you didn’t misunderstand. People who are making money off of our industry who have no history of supporting our industry, educating consumers, going through the hard times with all of us, are indeed parasites. Sometimes childish retorts are the only answer. Ten year olds make a lot of a sense sometimes in their approach to life.
I’m sorry you feel that way, and the need to patronize. Maybe it provides you with some sort if sense of superiority…either way it’s a shame.
Superiority and just good clean fun.
Would you agree that there is a need for the average American to “arm up”? If so, then those use this as an opportunity to gouge their fellow citizens for every cent possible are nothing more than profiteers to be outed and discarded.
There is no high-road in their arguments … just greed.
Seriously; they are the stench that makes manure objectionable … not the tomatoes that grow from it.
Methinks that your vigorous defense of these vermin indicates that you have joined in with them. No respect from me, then.
I can afford Bear Creek Arms, not Colt. The BCA stuff isn’t nearly as nice as the Colt pieces are … but, like a Colt, the bullets come out of the muzzle and hit what I am aiming at.
Take your elitist attitude and cram it.
Err, hate to spoil the anniversary ambient, but preparing as I am a story on M16s Jubilee for my magazine, I must ask this question: do you know something that eluded everybody for so long, which dates the M16 ten years earlier then previously thought? So far we all knew that M16 started half a century ago, when on November 4, 1963 Contract DA-11-199-AMC-508 for “One Time Buy” of 19 000 M16 and 85 000 XM16E1s was signed.
One typo would be perfectly OK, but you mention the “60” several times, and illustrate it with photos clearly showing “50” number, thus the question.
Yes, it was a repeated mistake that was corrected in the live article. We are coming up on 70 articles from SHOT and there have been a few mistakes here and there. We knew we couldn’t pull one over on math whizzes like yourself who can add 60 and 60 and figure out that there is something wrong in Denmark. Oh, and the actual Colt booth says 50 on it.
The gun on the bottom (#14)… could you tell me what it is. I’m looking for either a .308 or a .338 semi-auto. I would also like a couple of 30-round clips, or at least 3 or 4, 20-round clips. Thank you for your prompt reply!
That is the 901