By: Friedrich Seiltgen
Copyright © 2023
COLT HISTORY
1836 – Samuel Colt is issued the patent for the first Colt firearm and builds his first factory.
1847 – Samuel H. Walker of the US Army collaborates with Colt to develop a more powerful revolver known as the Walker, which was produced in the facilities of Eli Whitney Jr.
1867 – Colt introduces the Gatling Gun.
1873 – The Single-Action Army revolver is introduced and secures a US government contract.
1911 – The US government officially adopted the Colt Model 1911 as its standard firearm.
1950 – Colt begins to offer firearms that incorporate a light alloy frame.
1963 – Colt receives its first government contract for the M16 rifle, an improved version of the AR-15 design.
2002 – Colt Defense was split off from Colt’s Manufacturing Company. Colt’s Manufacturing Company served the civilian market, while Colt Defense served the law enforcement, military, and private security markets worldwide.
2006 – Samuel Colt was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
2013 – Following the loss of its M4 contract, Colt was briefly in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, starting in 2015 and emerging in January 2016.
2021 – Česká zbrojovka Group bought the company.
2022 – Česká zbrojovka Group announced it had changed its name to Colt CZ Group.
THE COLT M5 CARBINE
Introducing the new Colt M5 Carbine series of assault rifles — weapons for the modern warfighter and special forces operator when reliability, lethality, and adaptability are critical. The redesigned lower and upper receiver features fully ambidextrous controls, and an enhanced upper receiver rail design ensures extreme rigidity.
With maximum performance and ergonomics at the forefront of the design consideration, the Colt M5 Carbine utilizes a proven carbine-length gas system with Colt’s new purpose-designed free float rail and upper receiver system. This system maximizes rail space and shooter comfort, reducing weight and bulk while maintaining the same lethality and accuracy expected from a Colt.
The Colt M5 Carbine is truly the next generation in a long legacy of Colt high-performance assault weapons.
THE RECEIVERS
The upper and lower receivers have been redesigned and updated with features requested by the users. The rifle is now ambidextrous for the left-handed folks out there.
The new Colt Enhanced Rail & Upper Receiver Design with Anti-Torsion Lug features a 1-piece 13.5-inch M-LOK Free Floating Rail System for mounting sights, lights, and lasers.
THE BARREL
The M5 features the new free-float barrel design with a carbine-length gas system. Colt offers five different barrel lengths for different missions. 10.3, 10.5, 11.5, 14.5, and 16.1-inch lengths with a 1 in 7-inch right-hand twist and six grooves.
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: Air-cooled, gas-operated, firing from a closed bolt
Caliber: 5.56 NATO
Magazine Capacity: 30 Rounds
Sights: Folding low-profile adjustable sights
Barrel Length: 14.5 Inches
Overall Length: 29-33 Inches
Weight: 6.8 Pounds
MSRP: N/A
URL: www.colt.com
THE VERDICT
Colt has improved on the venerable M4 design and added features requested by their military customers – something other manufacturers should be doing.
That’s all for now, folks! Please keep sending in your questions, tips, and article ideas. And as always – “Let’s Be Careful Out There.”
Friedrich Seiltgen is a retired Master Police Officer with 20 years of service with the Orlando Police Department. He conducts training in Lone Wolf Terrorism Counterstrategies, Firearms, and Active Shooter Response. His writing has appeared in RECOIL, Soldier of Fortune, The Counter Terrorist Magazine, Off Grid, American Thinker, Homeland Security Today, and The Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International.
Contact him at [email protected].