Colt Suspends Production Of AR-15s For Civilian Market

Gunmaker Colt is suspending production of AR-15 rifles for civilians, but they say it’s not permanent

Gunmaker Colt announced that it is suspending production and sales of AR-15 rifles for the civilian market due to lack of public demand. In a time where politicians are refusing to do anything to stop our nation’s mass shooting epidemic, it’s a bold and unprecedented move, regardless of the reason behind it.

In a statement, Colt claims the market already has enough of these weapons of war and they don’t see a need to make more. “The fact of the matter is that over the last few years, the market for modern sporting rifles has experienced significant excess manufacturing capacity. Given this level of manufacturing capacity, we believe there is adequate supply for modern sporting rifles for the foreseeable future,” they write.

Their statement also assured gun lovers that they haven’t lost sight of their commitment to manufacturing weapons for civilians after consumer outcry suggested that was the case. “There have been numerous articles recently published about Colt’s participation in the commercial rifle market. Some of these articles have incorrectly stated or implied that Colt is not committed to the consumer market. We want to assure you that Colt is committed to the Second Amendment, highly values its customers and continues to manufacture the world’s finest quality firearms for the consumer market.”

The company went on to affirm their commitment to the military and law enforcement. “On the other hand, our warfighters and law enforcement personnel continue to demand Colt rifles and we are fortunate enough to have been awarded significant military and law enforcement contracts,” they said. “Currently, these high-volume contracts are absorbing all of Colt’s manufacturing capacity for rifles. Colt’s commitment to the consumer markets, however, is unwavering. We continue to expand our network of dealers across the country and to supply them with expanding lines of the finest quality 1911s and revolvers.”

Regardless of the company’s reason for not making AR-15s for civilian use, this is a good thing and a sign that consumers who have no interest in owning weapons of war are probably the majority. The fact is, regular folks just don’t need the ability to slaughter dozens of people in mere minutes. The AR-15 was the gun used by mass shooters in Aurora, Parkland, Sandy Hook, San Bernadino, and several others.

Colt isn’t the first large company to show signs of listening to the public when it comes to guns. Walmart, Kroger, CVS, Wegmans, and others have changed their policies recently and will no longer allow customers to open carry in their stores. Walmart is also stopping the sale of certain types of guns and ammo in the wake of the deadly shooting at one of their locations in El Paso, Texas.

Let’s hope this trend of companies doing the right thing (when the government won’t) continues. Our country needs all the help it can get when it comes to preventing gun violence and mass shootings.