Colt SP1 question?

[lemmonhead]

I have a friend that has a older AR 15, it is a Colt SP1. The problem is that the rifle is missing the bolt assembly. The question is: Does this take a specific bolt or will any manufacture's bolt work? If this takes a specific bolt were could a person find the parts? Thanks in advance.

 

[Lazy D]

Bolts are Bolts for the most part. Once you get one, not a bad idea to have the headspace checked. I guess you have the carrier, cam pin, firing pin, and firing pin retaining pin?

 

[lemmonhead]

No everything is missing inside. Does this take a specific carrier, cam pin, firing pin, and firing pin retaining pin?

 

[Redneckrepairs]

I would pick up a complete bolt/carrier assembly from bushmaster if it were me , they are pretty much mil spec and cheaper than colt . I would be suspect of any rifle with " missing parts " such as a bolt assembly tho since it is a fairly common practice to store the bolts ect. seperate from the guns incase of theft , and fairly uncommon to misplace such vital parts or leave them when you move .

 

[DnPRK]

Bolts from name-brand manufacturers are accurate in critical dimensions and are interchangeable. I would not hesitate dropping in a bolt from Colt, Bushmaster, Armalite, Stag, or DPMS.

The bolt carrier group components for newer ARs will work in an SP1 with no problem. The original SP1 bolt carrier did not have the serrations for the forward assist, but those serrations will not effect function of an SP1. In fact, later SP1s had serrations but no forward assist.

 

[DPris]

Bolt/carrier assemblies from different makers may be physically interchangeable, but they are not all the same in either quality of construction or materials used. You may end up with a cast bolt as opposed to a bar stock bolt, the finish may or may not be a mil-spec phosphate, and heat treatment may or may not be as good as a Colt heat treatment. Colt magnetic particle inspects their bolts for internal flaws and consistency, not all other makers do. Colt may have "civilian-ized" the ARs in recent years in changing hinge pins & modifications to prevent alteration to full-auto, but the bolts & carriers are still premium.
Bolts should not be considered a drop-in proposition, and neither are firing pins if you buy one separately. Bolts should be checked for headspacing, and firing pins checked for correct protrusion through the bolt face.
Your business, but my advice would be to spend the money (approx $200) for a genuine Colt bolt carrier assembly because it's your best assurance of quality for performance if you intend to shoot it, and to have it professionally installed & checked for specs.
Not to create offense, but "pretty much mil-spec" is not mil-spec, bolts are not "bolts for the most part", and the quality simply is not the same across the board from maker to maker. Parts breakage occurs with every brand, but the genuine Colt bolts seem to have a better track record overall.
Denis

 

[Redneckrepairs]

Colt magnetic particle inspects their bolts for internal flaws and consistency, not all other makers do.

( i am not at all shure what a magnetic particle inspection is , but colt bolts are mangnafluxed , and go thro a particle surface treetment that will stop surface cracks in the metal from expanding ) They are truely mil spec ( that is not a phrase its a standard ) that is needed for full auto useage . And they still suffer about the same failure rate as the others ( roughly 1 to 1.5 % ) in our useage . You can argue what colt vs others are or are not all day , but the real world says many ( bushy , rock river , lmt , ect.. ) give the same every day durability for other than full auto useage that colt does at a significant discount . Fiew of us worry about a million round lifespan on critical parts nor do we walk in harms way with our rifles as a rule . You are correct on check headspace and fireing pin even if from colt . IMHO an sp1 is now a plinker , and as a plinker it can be authenticly outfitted without the tarrif of the " poney ride " that colt takes a fella on .

 

[cheygriz]

I would get a Colt bolt carrier group just to keep the gun original.

Original Colt SP-1 guns are starting to get collector interest. And collector interest=$$$

 

[Lazy D]

I typically try not to get into debates, it's like trying to have a rational conversation with a drunk. It's funny how folks read something somewhere and that make them omnipotent. Colt makes a pretty good product and most people think "if the military uses it, it must be the best". I've been a Colt Factory certified armorer for a major agency for many years now and have conservatively maintained, and serviced thousands of AR from virtually every manufacturer. In my experience Colts were no better than any other major manufacturer. They have had as many issues as all the others. In fact I had one NEW M4 Commando that had the headspace out of spec. The 150 plus RR in our inventory have never had that happen.

By the way FN has the US military contract now.

I agree with cheygriz go Colt for originality but I wouldn't worry about safety with any other major manufacturer. Check headspace, gas tube alignment, and max & min FP protrusion and you'll be just fine.

 

[lemmonhead]

Were could he get a Colt bolt assembly, are there any specific distributers that carry Colt parts?
Thanks for the information so far.
This guy has had this rifle sitting around quite a while collecting dust because he thought that the SP1 took diffrent internals. Some of you say that everything should be kept Colt but wouldn't it affect value anyway because it no longer has "original" SP1 parts?

 

[hodaka]

www.jtdistributing.com

has some "Genuine" Colt parts. I personally wouldn't bother and get DPMS, BM or RRA. The only difference I can see in my SP-1 bolt and my DPMS is the letter "C" and the forward assist cuts. There may be more differences but I don't see them.

 

[BUSTER51]

Get an m16 bolt and carrier here www.bravocompanyusa.com