Supplemental Condensed Consolidating Financial Statement Information (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 29, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013	Sep. 29, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Income
Net sales	$ 69,792	$ 73,030	$ 64,212	$ 63,849	$ 67,371	$ 56,555	$ 45,837	$ 43,853	$ 128,061	$ 201,165	$ 270,883	$ 213,616	$ 208,816
Cost of sales	47,683	58,487	45,830	45,112					90,942	149,642	197,112	162,622	143,851
Gross profit	22,109	14,543	18,382	18,737	18,221	16,310	8,720	7,743	37,119	51,523	73,771	50,994	64,965
Operating expenses:
Selling and commissions		4,064	3,452	3,095					6,547	10,398	14,142	13,117	13,780
Research and development		1,714	1,481	820					2,301	4,015	6,126	4,747	5,578
General and administrative		3,896	3,015	3,730					6,745	10,641	15,289	14,285	13,098
Business development	(132)	463	169	75	746	100		35	244	707	575	881	504
Certain transaction costs (Note 3)		461	416						416	877	1,147
Restructuring costs		631								631	782
Gain on effective settlement of contract		(15,264)								(15,264)	(15,264)
Total operating expenses		(4,035)	8,533	7,720					16,253	12,005	22,797	33,030	32,960
Operating income		18,578	9,849	11,017					20,866	39,518	50,974	17,964	32,005
Other (income)/expense:
Interest expense		7,623	6,069	5,994					12,063	19,686	27,687	24,579	24,010
Other (income)/expense, net		306	(685)	(787)					(1,472)	(1,092)	(1,216)	(1,572)	(459)
Total other expenses, net		7,929	5,384	5,207					10,591	18,594	26,471	23,007	23,846
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes		10,649	4,465	5,810					10,275	20,924	24,503	(5,043)	8,159
Income tax expense		(208)	78	681					759	551	1,636	1,815	3,171
Net income (loss)		10,857	4,387	5,129					9,516	20,373	22,867	(6,858)	4,988
Comprehensive income (loss)											27,369	(7,570)	(658)
Consolidating /Eliminating Adjustments
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Income
Net sales											(50,191)	(811)	(664)
Cost of sales											(49,497)	(525)	(664)
Gross profit											(694)	(286)
Operating expenses:
General and administrative											(382)
Total operating expenses											(382)
Operating income											(312)	(286)
Other (income)/expense:
Other (income)/expense, net											94		2,039
Total other expenses, net											94		2,039
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes											(406)	(286)	(2,039)
Equity in income from operations of consolidated subsidiaries											(2,618)	(4,912)	(7,812)
Net income (loss)											(3,024)	(5,198)	(9,851)
Comprehensive income (loss)											(1,928)	(5,716)	(9,407)
Colt Defense LLC | Reportable entities
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Income
Net sales											206,115	169,050	148,711
Cost of sales											152,766	133,371	106,707
Gross profit											53,349	35,679	42,004
Operating expenses:
Selling and commissions											10,799	10,766	10,959
Research and development											2,452	2,497	2,654
General and administrative											11,125	10,985	10,116
Business development											575	881	504
Restructuring costs											479
Gain on effective settlement of contract											(15,264)
Total operating expenses											10,166	25,129	24,233
Operating income											43,183	10,550	17,771
Other (income)/expense:
Interest expense											24,294	24,502	23,991
Other (income)/expense, net											(1,722)	(2,315)	(3,700)
Total other expenses, net											22,572	22,187	20,291
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes											20,611	(11,637)	(2,520)
Income tax expense											183	330	304
Equity in income from operations of consolidated subsidiaries											2,618	4,912	7,812
Net income (loss)											23,046	(7,055)	4,988
Comprehensive income (loss)											27,565	(7,766)	(658)
Total Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable entities
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Income
Net sales											114,959	45,377	60,769
Cost of sales											93,843	29,776	37,808
Gross profit											21,116	15,601	22,961
Operating expenses:
Selling and commissions											3,343	2,351	2,821
Research and development											3,674	2,250	2,924
General and administrative											4,546	3,300	2,982
Certain transaction costs (Note 3)											1,147
Restructuring costs											303
Total operating expenses											13,013	7,901	8,727
Operating income											8,103	7,700	14,234
Other (income)/expense:
Interest expense											3,393	77	19
Other (income)/expense, net											412	743	1,497
Total other expenses, net											3,805	820	1,516
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes											4,298	6,880	12,718
Income tax expense											1,453	1,485	2,867
Net income (loss)											2,845	5,395	9,851
Comprehensive income (loss)											$ 1,732	$ 5,912	$ 9,407