Being relatively new to the game myself I never saw the appeal of Colt outside of what you mentioned regarding clones of historic weapons or whatever. Just an impression from one guy with a thimble full of information to go on, it seems like they are super static. I mean now who wants old school 80's style clamshell hand guards with FSPs pinned on the barrel? Don't get me wrong, I would like one but that's a one trick pony so to speak when you compare it to the other offerings out there. The whole Vietnam era motif is fine but that is what my mind goes to when I think of Colt.

Just as an experiment, go to google images and type in BCM and look at the first page of images, then type Colt and do the same. You couldn't get two different results. Even a quick look at their two websites tells totally a different story.

I don't know who is in charge or how big Colt is, but it seems like they have a crotchety old man that isn't willing to adapt or change things making decisions. It could be that or they have grown far too complacent in their size and 'tradition'.

I don't have experience in the gun world, but I have worked with people in that kind of mindset that I am talking about before. One that immediately comes to mind is a company that wanted to start exporting their stuff internationally... and a lot to Asia. I went and did what I do and then I came back saying 'we need X, Y, and Z'... the response I got was 'that's not how we have ever done things!' In that case we had an old man that would rather insult potential clients (in Asia) rather than be responsive to what they were actually asking for.

Speaking from my own tastes in guns however Vietnam era throw backs and Dirty Harry wheel guns are cool for what they are but they are not the end all of everything I want. In fact those things are far down my list of wants. I would probably think many others feel somewhat the same way.