Читать книгу Standard Catalog of Colt Firearms онлайн

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Today, Colt has two principal divisions: its commercial or civilian division (Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC) and its defense contracting division, which encompasses law enforcement, military and private security support (Colt Defense LLC). This sectional approach to the multiple markets that Colt serves is the sign of a nimble and diversified company that is both flexible enough to tackle the challenges of the century ahead … and respectful of its legacy as well.

“I believe the Colt vision now is to reestablish our presence as a significant player in the commercial handgun market,” says Mark Roberts, Director of Sales and Marketing for the commercial division. Roberts, who worked on the manufacturing side for six years before moving to marketing, has a well-rounded view of Colt’s progress since 1998. He is personally vested in the manufacturer’s success.

During the 1990s, Colt as well as most other U.S. firearms manufacturers, found itself facing an increasingly hostile battery of attorneys who represented a small minority of the American public. Supported by numerous well-funded non-profit – and often tax-exempt – organizations such as the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence or even anti-hunting organizations such as Defenders of Wildlife and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, these attorneys were evidently tasked to “go after the gun industry.” In an era when one could receive hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of dollars in damages for spilling one’s own coffee in one’s own lap inside one’s own vehicle, the injury was significant in time and resources.