Colt preban serial #

Living in a ban states, I am contemplating the purchase of a pre-ban Colt. The serial # is: MH 08896XX Sporter H Bar. It's a small front pin, full fence lower. According to biggerhammer.net, this serial is outside of pre ban numbers. However, the seller claims that since it's not marked Law Enforcement only, it must be a preban. Interestingly, when I called Colt with the full serial #, the tech person claimed he could NOT find this rifle at all!
Can someone shed more light on serial #/pre/post banness?

Thanks!

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Originally Posted by andy t

Living in a ban states, I am contemplating the purchase of a pre-ban Colt. The serial # is: MH 08896XX Sporter H Bar. It's a small front pin, full fence lower. According to biggerhammer.net, this serial is outside of pre ban numbers. However, the seller claims that since it's not marked Law Enforcement only, it must be a preban. Interestingly, when I called Colt with the full serial #, the tech person claimed he could NOT find this rifle at all!
Can someone shed more light on serial #/pre/post banness?

Thanks!

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Unable to shed any light, but I'd like to share my concerns as to the rifle's status.

Caveat Emptor.

That is two bad indicators. I would pass. Can you afford to be wrong?:eek:

Looking at the .pdf that Brownell's has on their site, it appears to me to be a "ban" rifle.

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/Gen...f=bt002007.pdf

Says last serial number in the "MH" series was 086025.

Colt shipped quite a few unmarked rifles at the beginning of the ban so you cannot tell just on the fact it is unmarked.