Colt ends production of AR-15 for civilians

HARTFORD, Conn. — Colt’s Manufacturing Co. is suspending production of rifles for the civilian market, including the popular AR-15 used in fatal mass shootings and that figures prominently in a national debate between advocates for gun rights and gun control.

The West Hartford, Conn., gunmaker pushed back Thursday against what it says is false information that it’s bailing out of the civilian market entirely.

“The fact of the matter is that over the last few years, the market for modern sporting rifles has experienced significant excess manufacturing capacity,” Chief Executive Officer Dennis Veilleux said in a news release. “On the other hand, our warfighters and law enforcement personnel continue to demand Colt rifles and we are fortunate enough to have been awarded significant military and law enforcement contracts.”

These “high-volume contracts” are taking up all of Colt’s manufacturing capacity for rifles, Veilleux said.

“At the end of the day, we believe it is good sense to follow consumer demand and to adjust as market dynamics change,” he said. “Colt has been a stout supporter of the Second Amendment for over 180 years, remains so and will continue to provide its customers with the finest quality firearms in the world.”

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, an industry group based in Newtown, says the AR-15 is not an assault weapon, which it says is a fully automatic firearm akin to a machine gun that will keep firing until the magazine is emptied.

Mark Oliva, spokesman at the NSSF, said the AR15 is the most popular selling centerfire rifle, with 16 million in private hands.