The decision by Colt to suspend production of consumer rifles is significant, but not for the reasons being given. Switching from civilian to military markets Other gunmakers also make AR-style rifles, such as Ruger's AR-556, the M&P15 from American Outdoor's Smith & Wesson, and Remington's R-15 VTR. Civilian ownership of them was banned in 1986. It is not a "weapon of war" or even an "assault rifle," which are actually machine guns and have been heavily regulated since 1934. It fires one bullet at a time with each trigger pull and has the firepower as any other similar chambered hunting rifle. Colt then made a civilian version, which is why the AR-15 is often confused with a military weapon, but it is just a cosmetic veneer.īy law, the modern sporting rifle - the industry terms used to differentiate them from other, more traditional types of rifles - has internal characteristics that make it no different than any other semiautomatic rifle on the market. The AR name stands for the original manufacturer of the rifle, ArmaLite, which eventually sold the rights to the AR-15 to Colt, which modified it and sold it to the U.S. The AR-style rifle is the most popular firearm in the country, with about 16 million Americans owning them. The AR platform is the most popular firearm in the U.S. I may not be able to respond to every suggestion, but I do read them all! Think an article needs a correction? Reach Rich here.Ĭolt Manufacturing has announced it's halting production of modern sporting rifles like the AR-15, and despite prominent news agencies incorrectly ascribing it to the recent spate of mass shootings, it is still a significant development - one that could weigh on Sturm, Ruger ( NYSE:RGR) and American Outdoor Brands ( NASDAQ:SWBI).Īlthough the gun market has seemingly started to rebound, with the FBI conducting more criminal background checks lately compared to a year ago, Colt's decision to temporarily leave the consumer rifle market suggests there is still a substantial overhang facing other gunmakers. So follow along as he tries to break down complex topics to make them more understandable and useful to the average investor. His coverage reflects his passion for motorcycles, booze, and guns (though not enjoyed all at the same ually), but his writing also covers the broader sectors of consumer goods, technology, and industrials. Having made the streets safe for Truth, Justice, and Krispy Kreme donuts, he now patrols the markets looking for companies he can lock up as long-term holdings in a portfolio.
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Military/LE models are also easily identified by their three digit code in contrast to the four digit codes for civilian weapons.Rich has been a Fool since 1998 and writing for the site since 2004. Colt’s systems have generally followed the times and though its model numbers originally came without prefixes, with the need to separate weapons made for civilian consumption from those made for military and law enforcement use, military models became prefixed with the code “RO.” For the purposes of this table, the RO nomenclature is obviated as this terminology did not exist in all cases, but it can be understood to be present. Colt has an intricate internal nomenclature system for its models, with a variety of suffixes and prefixes.