Colt Releases New Expanse M4

Colt Releases New Expanse M4

Just a few days after Sam Colt's birthday, his 175 year old company released a new rifle. Officially the new Expanse M4 is an upgraded model of the CE1000; it's called (wait for it), the CE2000. The new(ish) weapon will be an improved version of their “entry level” rifle. The most significant update to the rifle over its predecessor is the addition of a Cold dust cover and a forward assist — which of course begs the question for many riflemen, why not include them in the first place?

Unfortunately, Justin Baldini, Product Director for Colt, didn't address that question in his statement for the press release. Says Baldini,

“This was a natural move for us. We simply listened to what our customers and our Colt Stocking Dealers were telling us, and the story was simple. Folks want the added features of a real Colt dust cover and forward assist, and they want it to come that way from the factory.”

Colt's senior VP didn't do much to clarify things either. His PR statement was more standard fare and typically banal. Says Paul Spitale,

“We couldn’t be happier to deliver to our customers exactly what they want. It’s a proud moment to be able to build on the success we’ve had with the Expanse M4 in a way that provides an even better ownership experience to the discerning firearms enthusiast.”

The newest iteration of the Expanse M4 will be released in 5.56mm x 45 NATO, has Colt forgings, bolt, and other features we saw previously with the CE1000. It will retail for $749, putting it in relatively easy reach for someone looking for a sub-$1000 rifle built by an established manufacturer.

“For those of you not in the know, the Colt Expanse for Colt is essentially what the M&P-15 Sport is for Smith & Wesson; a reasonably-priced, baseline AR which functions as a good starting rifle, or a decent backup gun. The comparison is even more accurate, given the press release below announces that a new model of the Expanse, the CE2000, is now available with a dust cover and forward assist, just like the Sport II added a dust cover and forward assist over the original Sport. As they say, those who don’t learn from history…” Soldier Systems Daily

This will be welcome news for Colt fans who don't live behind enemy lines (in California, Massachusetts, etc.), but we're not going to lie. We'd rather they release a modern version of the Model 1855 Revolving Rifle. That would be exciting news. Nothing against the new CE2000 or [insert another version of the AR15 here] but we'd like to see some retro awesomeness on the range.

You can learn more about the rifles Colt has available right here.