Smith-Wesson and Colt?

[fossils and guns]

Quick question...

Do Smith-Wesson and Colt make their firearms here in the USA like Ruger? I'm a Ruger fan all the way, but I'm curious.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[Blue Brick]

Yes

 

[Otony]

............and No!

Smith and Wesson shotguns (the O/U and SxS) are produced in Turkey. At one point they were assembling Walther P99s from a combination of American and German parts, but those were branded as Walthers. I think some of the Smith branded 99s had German parts as well, but I feel I may be wrong there.

Colt has a few guns produced in Germany. Their new .22LR M4 is one, as well as all of their 1911 style pellet pistols, which are produced under license by Umarex. In 1972 I personally saw crates of cap&ball revolver parts at the Uberti factory in Italy addressed as destined for Colt in the USA. Over the years Colt has also imported shotguns from France, .25ACP pistols from Spain, and a few other guns I am not recalling at the moment.

For the most part, all other Smiths and Colts are made in the good ol' USA.

 

[41 mag fan]

If you look at the frame of a 99 smith it says made in germany. Steve

 

[rugerguy]

yes, Colt also had parts made in Italy, as well as Canada............
ah, global economy eh.......... :roll:

 

[REP1954]

yes, Colt also had parts made in Italy, as well as Canada............
ah, global economy eh.......... :roll:

What parts do you refer to that Colt has made in other countries? It seems to me that the original question seems to refer to current production.

 

[DGW1949]

Ah....the infamous Coltberti BP guns...some of which weren't even finished by Colt, but by Iver Johnson.
When them secrets got out, it musta put some thorns in some sides....huh?

Current production?...heck, who can say?....might be years before we'd even know.

DGW

 

[Boge]

Ah....the infamous Coltberti BP guns...some of which weren't even finished by Colt, but by Iver Johnson.
When them secrets got out, it musta put some thorns in some sides....huh?

Current production?...heck, who can say?....might be years before we'd even know.

DGW

Not really. The Colt 2nd Gen BP Series has only increased in value. Colt did nothing new here. Winchester "farmed" out lots of their gun work in the 19th century under the "contract" system of the time.

 

[rugerguy]

as we said, also in Canada, supposedly their "Cowboy" model single actions of recent production, had parts ( frames cast? )or made there...
yes, Uberti has alomost always made up parts , and still do today...they are pretty well made too..........besdise, look at how many of OUR gun companies are now "foreign owned and operated" both here and overseas. NOTHING new.........."global economy, eh......" 8)

 

[ClintV]

Nothing new indeed, and the Father of modern firearm design was one of the first to do it. John Moses Browning designed and sold firearms, but actually manufactured very few in the states. The majority of his designs were sold to Winchester until they had a falling out over the auto shotgun, and then he approached FN. (Remington and Ithaca also build guns on Browning designs) Since then, most Brownings have been made under contract in Belgium, or Japan, or Italy, or Germany, or Canada, or where ever the economy of the times took him or the company. And I've seen very few folks ever question the quality of a Browning firearm, regardless of where it was made.

 

[batmann]

Who can say? GM, for example, builds some it's trucks in Mexico and Chrysler builds some in both Mexico and Canada. Honda and Nissian build some here in the USA.
Remington, America's oldest arms maker, imports stuff. Ruger does, at this time, build their firearms here, but tomorrow? Who knows.

 

[MAC702]

Not a firearm, but Ruger puts their name on a Chinese-made air rifle. I have one.

 

[DGW1949]

Ah....the infamous Coltberti BP guns...some of which weren't even finished by Colt, but by Iver Johnson.
When them secrets got out, it musta put some thorns in some sides....huh?

Current production?...heck, who can say?....might be years before we'd even know.

DGW

Not really. The Colt 2nd Gen BP Series has only increased in value. Colt did nothing new here. Winchester "farmed" out lots of their gun work in the 19th century under the "contract" system of the time.

Well, let me clarify for you....

Didn't say that the Coltbertis was bad guns. Actualy Uberti makes a perty-dern good colt copy. Leastways, I know that their SAA's are.
And yeah on the value increase.... Colt markets a revolver, then quits selling it...POOF!...instant collectable. They did that quite a lot back then. Viper, Agent and Diamondback ring a bell?
Lots of market appeal in a name...be it a real Colt, a Coltberti or whatever...long as it's got that dancing mule stamped on it somewhere, someone will pay the big bucks.

On the other hand, I've known people that were very upset when they later found out that they'd paid a Colt price for a Uberti gun. And rightfully so...strikes me as being closer to deception, than to outsourcing. Especialy in light of all the advertizing hype being spewed about back then.

Far as Winchester goes....I don't know anything about 19th century "contracts", but I do know that the copies they sold lately are marked "made in Japan", so's at least you'd know up front what you're buying. No deception there at all...unless you're expecting it to be a remake of a real '92...which it aint. Way too much stuff has been changed around inside for that. When you get down to it, it's actualy just a Jap-made '92-clone of sorts, made by a Japanese company, but with the Winchester name stamped in.

These kind of discussions could go on forever, and about all that realy comes of them is that someone eventualy gets their feelings hurt. If that is what I've caused here, I apologize...it weren't my intent. It's just that I tend to call a spade a spade, and I tend to see things mostly in black and white. So... being's how I don't have much gray area available, the only term I have for the Coltbertis and Jap made Winchesters is....clone.

If it suits you better to call them "outsourced" though, go right ahead. You won't hurt my feelings a bit.

DGW

 

[REP1954]

http://www.coltforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22632
I posted a link to this thread here if you might be interested.

 

[DGW1949]

http://www.coltforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22632
I posted a link to this thread here if you might be interested.

Interesting link.
Thank you.

DGW