Colt Combat Unit 9mm: Review and Initial Impression

[Robinson]

The wait times for Colt service are absurd. When I sent a 1991 because of an ejection problem a while back the only way I got things moving was by sending a PM to Brent Turchi since he still worked there then.

Colt needs to ask themselves exactly what they are doing to keep people loyal to them beyond the brand name. They have introduced some good models in the past couple years plus they have several pistols available in 9mm. I've been lucky and my Colts have worked just fine for the most part. But there are too many stories like the one in this thread. They bring good products to market with input from legit SMEs, widen their product line, but then continue to have inconsistent QA. It's a shame.

[SecondsCount]

I'm not completely anti-union but that is one thing that is part of the problem at Colt, and has been for a long time.

[OlongJohnson]

This thread oddly makes me want a Sig 226 SAO...

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

Sig P220 Super Match for a grand is right here.

Pretty sure it's over on 1911forum where a guy who's had all the usual suspects in higher-end 1911s says his Super Match is better than most of them.

[Kram]

It's on its way back to Colt...

Any updates? Bumping this up as I have been eyeing a 9mm 1911 and really like the CCU.

[Sensei]

Any updates? Bumping this up as I have been eyeing a 9mm 1911 and really like the CCU.

I called for an update 2 weeks ago and was told mid-September at the earliest.

At this point, I cannot recommend any Colt products and I say that having more than a few 6920s from back in the day. They simply do not appear to have the capacity to warranty their guns in a reasonable timeframe which I define as under 6 weeks. My suggestion is to take a long hard look at the Dan Wesson Specialist for about $300 more than the CCU if you really want an solid 9mm 1911 for under $2K. I shot a DW 9mm a few months ago and was impressed - reliable and well put together at a reasonable cost. After that, Wilson Combat makes some of the best production 9mm 1911s on the market that are out of the box flawless...for about $1500 more than a CCU.

[Kram]

I called for an update 2 weeks ago and was told mid-September at the earliest.

At this point, I cannot recommend any Colt products and I say that having more than a few 6920s from back in the day. They simply do not appear to have the capacity to warranty their guns in a reasonable timeframe which I define as under 6 weeks. My suggestion is to take a long hard look at the Dan Wesson Specialist for about $300 more than the CCU if you really want an solid 9mm 1911 for under $2K. I shot a DW 9mm a few months ago and was impressed - reliable and well put together at a reasonable cost. After that, Wilson Combat makes some of the best production 9mm 1911s on the market that are out of the box flawless...for about $1500 more than a CCU.

Thanks for the info. That's really disappointing but isn't the first I have heard or read about Colt's customer service. Please keep us posted on the gun when you get it back and how it runs.

[boing]

Colt's is the only company I know of that's been "finally turning the corner on quality" for as long as I've been shooting: "They had their problems in the past, but they're really making great guns now..." I've been hearing that for 20 years, but they never seem to actually get around the corner and get where they're supposedly going.

The effect of all the corporate shenanigans and bankruptcy and doom on the horizon for so long has to be palpable in that place. I sure wouldn't want to work there. If I had north of a thousand bucks on the table, I wouldn't feel particularly sympathetic, but I already learned that lesson years ago. I can afford to be gracious now.

[Robinson]

Well Colt is making a lot of really good guns -- I have several that run just fine -- but they are sending too many out the door with problems. That, coupled with slow customer service for warranty work makes it hard to recommend Colt without reservations. I think they have the capability to up their quality and produce guns at the same level as Dan Wesson, but they would have to charge similar prices. Then everyone would bitch about the cost increases and not buy the guns.

So buying a new Colt is a bit of a gamble. You will probably get a good gun that works, but there's a chance you won't. Then getting it fixed will be painful. Not a good scenario. I'm glad mine work.

[MK11]

I recently acquired a new Colt Competition with the understanding that the extractor might need work. That indeed is the case but it also comes with a sloppy, cheap feeling thumb safety with a lot of overtravel and a grip safety that rattles like a sack full of maracas. My 1997 Kimber is put together so much better that it's a shame to see what's happened to both companies.

[Sensei]

I called Colt today for an update. The gun is supposedly headed to the range for test fire.