Colt will no longer make AR-15s for civilians, but gun control advocates might not have much to celebrate

Colt announced that it will halt its production of AR-15 rifles for civilian sales on Thursday, but the news might not be as exciting for gun control advocates as it first appears. CJ Calesa, the manager at a gun store in Alabama called Southeastern Guns, said Colt’s decision will hardly make a difference for the industry. “Colt’s a small market of AR-15s,” Calesa said. “There are so many companies out there producing just as [good] quality or better quality ARs for the same price or cheaper.” He said people who are well-versed in the world of AR-15s are going to know that there are other options out there. In his shop alone, he sells the gun from about 30 different manufacturers. Colt said its decision to stop selling the gun to civilians was driven by the market. “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,” President and CEO of Colt Dennis Veilleux said in a statement Thursday...MORE