Colt Firearms announces suspension of AR-15 production

The Colt AR-15 is off the market.

Colt announced Thursday that it is suspending production of its popular AR-15 rifle for its civilian market. The gunmaker will continue to produce the weapons for its military and law enforcement markets.

Company CEO Dennis Veilleux in a statement sought to reassure customers that Colt is still "committed to the consumer market" and the Second Amendment, explaining that demand for Colt rifles had dwindled; American Military News writes that could be due to Colt's relatively high prices for popular rifle models. The suspension could be temporary, as Veilleux said Colt will "adjust as market dynamics change" and Colt executive Paul Spitale said "it's not forever." Of course, other gunmakers will continue to manufacture AR-15 rifles.

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AR-15s have been at the center of a national gun control debate because of their use in mass shootings. Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke has pledged to take AR-15s and other military style weapons away from Americans in mandatory buyback programs, prompting an ironic criticism from the NRA posted just Thursday morning.

Gun control advocates also celebrated the suspension.