Semi-Auto Colt M16A4!

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B. Lahey

New member
Thank you to all who have helped me with this weird project over the last many months!

I got ahold of a 6920 just now to bolt my stockpile of gen-u-wine Colt rifle parts onto. I'm finally going to have the AR I've always wanted. A Colt rifle, but not a target version like Colt builds for us weiner civilians, a woods-worthy AR for a lifetime of hard use, as milspec as it can possibly be without the fun switch.

"But B, isn't that going to be expensive?"

Yes. I don't care. I know what I want and until now it didn't exist.

And it only took a year and a half, some cash, a large number of threads about barrels, stocks, sights, bolts, uppers, lowers, etc... and the help of many fine rifle enthusiasts on this forum to make it happen.

FrankenColt! It's alive! Bwaahahahahahahaha!
 
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Alleykat

Moderator
All that work and research and you still don't know that you won't have an M-16?? You'll just have an overpriced AR! :)
 
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B. Lahey

New member
Yeah, I know. I just don't have $10k+ right now. Maybe I will at some point.:)

It isn't technically correct, but "semi-auto Colt M16A4" is short enough to fit into a title and gives the general idea. "Colt carbine switched into rifle configuration with all Colt parts to give a rough approximation of the current service rifle" is too long and not catchy enough.
 
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Gewehr98

New member
Large pin or small pin?

Sear block or none?

A Colt rifle, but not a target version like Colt builds for us weiner civilians, a woods-worthy AR for a lifetime of hard use, as milspec as it can possibly be without the fun switch.
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I do take some umbrage at my pre-'94 Colt Competition HBAR being any less of a rifle than a given M16, regardless of Da Switch.

That's especially poignant to me, since the many M16s I was issued during my 20+ year military career weren't any better in the fit and finish department, and were actually somewhat worse in that respect. Rattletraps, horrible triggers, you name it, they're out in the field for GI use. The best I've seen and carried were brand new FN M16A2s, straight from the box. But they were not Colts, since Colt was for a while relegated to M4 production, having lost the M16A2 contract some time ago.

My Colt HBAR works just fine on the prairie dogs I've zapped, so long as I keep it really clean. It looks for all practical purposes like an M16A4, until you get closer and see no "Burst" selector setting, and if you take the handguards off, it sports to a 1" diameter barrel underneath.

hbarsmall.jpg


Guess I'm not quite getting your point? Do you like Colt, and want an all-Colt 20" AR that looks like an M16A4 sans Da Switch? That's cool, I can understand that. But Colt's done some wacky things with their AR lineup, including the aforementioned small/large takedown pin, the steel sear block insert, and so forth. None of those particular attributes makes it any less of a woods-capable rifle, though. ;)
 
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B. Lahey

New member
Do you like Colt, and want an all-Colt 20" AR that looks like an M16A4 sans Da Switch?
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Bingo. And I've had bad luck with another "It's just as good, and cheaper!" brand.

I don't expect anyone to understand this project, I'm weird, and this is the weird rifle I want.

I don't want an HBAR barrel. That's my only real complaint about the Colt target uppers like you have.

I don't like the block BS any more than you do, but I want a complete Colt lower because they pay attention to the quality of the parts they use. I can always use the upper with an NFA lower if I want to go yee-haw with it in the future.:)

Or not. If I have the cash for an MG, the cost of some new unregulated parts won't be a big deal in comparison to the NFA bits.
 
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FrontSight

New member
I for one admire yo for going for what you like and not listening to the naysayers....follow your heart and you won't go wrong!
 
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TheManHimself

New member
M-16= full auto, AR15=Semi-Auto
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Incorrect. The first AR-15s were select fire. M16Ax is just the item designation the military used when adopting the AR-15 as a combat weapon.

Similarly, if the FN FAL had won Army trials in the '50s, it would be the rifle we'd know today as the M14. The rifle we call the M14 today would never have existed beyond early prototypes.

Military M-x names aren't models of firearms, just government designations for weapons they use. Like how the FN Minimi was adopted as the M249.
 
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StuntManMike

New member
Your project is a great idea. I would love to have a M16A4 style Colt AR15 with the correct govt contour chrome lined barrel. For that matter I also want an M16A2 styled Colt AR15 with the correct barrel. Too bad Colt is not more responsive to customer demand in this regard. They would have no trouble selling everything they made.
 
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hodaka

New member
I can respect your perseverence with your project. My choice however has been to turn the 2 Colts I bought back in the early 90's into 4 DPMS's that I have built into a variety of configurations and calibers and shoot regularly. People pay a lot for those little horses.:)
 
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