I've seen many other manufacturers of black rifles run just as good or better than Colt and for less cost. They are a "staple" name in the firearms industry and you can be certain to pay a markup because of the name. It is what it is. That being said, I truly don't foresee quality declining in LWRC rifles because they were bought out by Colt. Although, rare as it may be...I've been wrong before. Only time will tell or when the first person to buy a Colt made LWRC rifle makes a solid review.