View Full Version : COLT vs. FN
11bangerB4
11-30-12, 02:17
Hello all.. This is my first thread.. take it easy on me now. Anyways, Ide like to hear what opinions if any on Colt AR/M16 uppers and FN contract M16 uppers. Reason being for me personally, is because I am buiding a couple A4 "clones" using Colt AR15A4 lowers.. in an attempt to get as close as possible.. I have two new and complete FN M16 uppers - however would like to have an all Colt rifle. I have a guy interested in trading my FN uppers for his Colt uppers, but would like to know if ide be trading "up" or "down" Thanks alot for any advice or insight. Also.. the uppers I speak of are actual military issue "new" M16 uppers.
Colt no longer makes M16's or A4's for the military. FN Has been making them for a number of years now. Colt is great quality but the FN barrels are hammer forged. I would personally stay with the FN barrels.
11bangerB4
11-30-12, 02:36
Right on.. thanks for the advice.. I carried an FN M16A4 in AFG in 2006.. I dont get home until mid December but will be coming home to four AR builds which I am thoroughly excited about.
agreed with iraqgunz... but is your preference to have "As close as possible" or colt? how many of these uppers are there? a couple as in two? you could always see if he'd trade one if having colt is important to you.
11bangerB4
11-30-12, 03:02
I have two FN uppers.. and I have two Colt AR15A4s for the build.. I got all parts for a decent price, and settled on the FNs because of that price point... that and I wasnt able to find colt uppers. (until after i bought the FNs of course) As far as your question.. I guess I wanted as close as possible as far as parts and maker of the parts.. I couldnt see having a colt lower and a "fill in the blank" upper.. I think also I was basing the I want colt on the chance that Ide have to sell one or both in the future.. I figured "all colt" would sound better and more appealing to any potential buyer. Maybe having the two that I have already bought together would make it "as close as possible" to the issued weapon.. ha ha
I just finished building an M16A5 clone (loosely based on the Canadian C7A2) with an FN 20" upper receiver group, BCM lower and Vltor A5 stock.
Since I don't plan on selling it I would care less about markings or matching. Anyone with sense will see the build and realize that it has quality parts on it.
11bangerB4
11-30-12, 03:12
I dont plan on selling mine. Im just thinking ahead. All im wanting to know is if the quality of the FN and Colt M16 uppers any different, better, or the same. Would it be a step up, or a step down to trade one for the other is all im trying to figure out.
BufordTJustice
11-30-12, 03:20
I dont plan on selling mine. Im just thinking ahead. All im wanting to know is if the quality of the FN and Colt M16 uppers any different, better, or the same. Would it be a step up, or a step down to trade one for the other is all im trying to figure out.
I'd say it's 6 of one, a half-dozen of the other except for the barrel. As IG said, the FN barrels are cold hammer forged; this will only add to their longevity. Colt barrels are still quality, but they are button-rifled.
If it were me, I would go for any build that had an FNH barrel in it. Commercial FNH barrels also usually have double-thickness ("M249 spec") chrome lining. An added bonus.
11bangerB4
11-30-12, 03:31
Thanks alot of the responses.. I believe ill keep the FN uppers..
Magic_Salad0892
11-30-12, 03:43
I just finished building an M16A5 clone (loosely based on the Canadian C7A2) with an FN 20" upper receiver group, BCM lower and Vltor A5 stock.
Since I don't plan on selling it I would care less about markings or matching. Anyone with sense will see the build and realize that it has quality parts on it.
Sounds sweet. What optic you runnin' on it?
(Every time I think about a 20'' it somehow turns into an 11.5''. Then I decide not to do a new build.)
11bangerB4
11-30-12, 05:41
Hahaha.. I completely understand what you mean! I'm running ACOG on both.
For the moment it is just wearing an Aimpoint Comp ML2.
Sounds sweet. What optic you runnin' on it?
(Every time I think about a 20'' it somehow turns into an 11.5''. Then I decide not to do a new build.)
I am not sure what contract FN uppers are. Just so you know, by LAW, FN cannot sell a single product to the commercial market.
In 2013, Colt (who owns the rights to the M16 TDP) will produce an M16A4 clone!
C4
I am not sure what contract FN uppers are. Just so you know, by LAW, FN cannot sell a single product to the commercial market.
There were a bunch of surplused, new M16a2 uppers on the market in the recent years. Gunnysurplus, etc. was selling them complete, parted out, BCGs, and all that jazz.
So they were Genuine USGI with Proof Marks, but not direct commercial sales from FN.
There were a bunch of surplused, new M16a2 uppers on the market in the recent years. Gunnysurplus, etc. was selling them complete, parted out, BCGs, and all that jazz.
So they were Genuine USGI with Proof Marks, but not direct commercial sales from FN.
Roger on Surplus. I can buy that.
C4
sinlessorrow
11-30-12, 07:23
Colt no longer makes M16's or A4's for the military. FN Has been making them for a number of years now. Colt is great quality but the FN barrels are hammer forged. I would personally stay with the FN barrels.
Didn't Colt test their barrels against the CHF ones made by Colt Canada and found little to no difference? 2013 Colt will also be offering a M16A4 clone whivh should be a nice rifle.
Didn't Colt test their barrels against the CHF ones made by Colt Canada and found little to no difference
And what exactly did you expect to hear from them? "We make crap barrels and our rifles jam all the time". Of course they found "little to no difference" - CHF barrel properties are to well documented for them to find "our barrels are superior" and anybody buying that. So they found "little to no difference". And it is 100% true... at least for first few thousand rounds.
For "service rifle" type of firearm I'll take CHF barrel over classic one all the time. There can be argument on precision barrels (but apparently Sako is not aware that their CHF barrels are not supposed to be accurate) but in "assault rifle"?
Didn't Colt test their barrels against the CHF ones made by Colt Canada and found little to no difference? 2013 Colt will also be offering a M16A4 clone whivh should be a nice rifle.
Correct.
C4
And what exactly did you expect to hear from them? "We make crap barrels and our rifles jam all the time". Of course they found "little to no difference" - CHF barrel properties are to well documented for them to find "our barrels are superior" and anybody buying that. So they found "little to no difference". And it is 100% true... at least for first few thousand rounds.
For "service rifle" type of firearm I'll take CHF barrel over classic one all the time. There can be argument on precision barrels (but apparently Sako is not aware that their CHF barrels are not supposed to be accurate) but in "assault rifle"?
Colt Canada and Colt US are not competing companies (like say Colt VS FN). I believe the test was extensive.
With that said, if I am comparing a BCM standard barrel VS a BCM hammer forged barrel, I will always go with the HF'd one.
C4
11bangerB4
11-30-12, 08:16
2013... Don't y'all know the world will be over by then.. Duhh.:sarcastic:
Button rifling compresses the material of the bore the same as CHF does. Colt barrels have proven to be accurate and durable.
11banger, if you want the Colt upper and it's in good shape, make the trade. You won't lose out either way. Having a rifle that's all Colt, although unimportant to function, does have a certain appeal
Colt Canada and Colt US are not competing companies (like say Colt VS FN). I believe the test was extensive.
With that said, if I am comparing a BCM standard barrel VS a BCM hammer forged barrel, I will always go with the HF'd one.
Do you really believe that Colt would come public with "our Canadian subsidiary makes better barrels that we do here in motherland"? :sarcastic:
Come on ;)
Joking aside. As you wrote, you would choose CHF barrel, given choice. So would I. Of course there can be badly made CHF barrels - everything can be made poorly.
BTT I think that unles OP really want to have 100% Colt rifles (for any reason, from "me want" to "cool factor"), then he should trade. But if he will not have problem to look at FN upper sitting on Colt lower, then for practical reasons, I see not point in trade.
sinlessorrow
11-30-12, 09:02
Do you really believe that Colt would come public with "our Canadian subsidiary makes better barrels that we do here in motherland"? :sarcastic:
Come on ;)
Joking aside. As you wrote, you would choose CHF barrel, given choice. So would I. Of course there can be badly made CHF barrels - everything can be made poorly.
BTT I think that unles OP really want to have 100% Colt rifles (for any reason, from "me want" to "cool factor"), then he should trade. But if he will not have problem to look at FN upper sitting on Colt lower, then for practical reasons, I see not point in trade.
Actually he wrote if choosing between a BCM standard or CHF he would choose CHF.
BCM is not Colt. Colt produces barrels for Colt and that is it.
Colt US and Colt Canada are not competing companies so the test was not a our company is better than theirs test.
11bangerB4
11-30-12, 10:11
11banger, if you want the Colt upper and it's in good shape, make the trade. You won't lose out either way. Having a rifle that's all Colt, although unimportant to function, does have a certain appeal
The colt uppers are also, brand new.. To trade them wouldnt be too much out of the way, and I do agree that an all Colt rifle appeals. Youre also right about it being unimportant to function, it would be more for my own pleasure.
Hunter Rose
11-30-12, 14:07
Actually he wrote if choosing between a BCM standard or CHF he would choose CHF.
BCM is not Colt. Colt produces barrels for Colt and that is it.
Colt US and Colt Canada are not competing companies so the test was not a our company is better than theirs test.
Great, but so what? So Colt USA says their standard barrels are every good as Colt Canada's CHF barrels; without being able to compare them to CHF barrels of other makers like FN (or releasing the specifics of the test) it really doesn't tell you a lot. Colt USAs barrels may be every bit as good as CHF barrels of other makers, or maybe Colt Canada's CHF barrels aren't as good as FNs or HKs. Seems more specific data is needed to draw accurate conclusions.
(If there exists such data on Colt Canada CHF barrels please post the link.)
Do you really believe that Colt would come public with "our Canadian subsidiary makes better barrels that we do here in motherland"? :sarcastic:
Come on ;)
Public? No and the info I shared wasn't public either. This was a private conversation between myself and a Colt employee about a year ago.
C4
This is a 9/10th's vs. 10/10th's discussion. Yes, given a choice, many would choose a CHF barrel.
I feel vey well-armed with a Colt carbine.
Magic_Salad0892
11-30-12, 19:27
Colt Canada and Colt US are not competing companies (like say Colt VS FN). I believe the test was extensive.
With that said, if I am comparing a BCM standard barrel VS a BCM hammer forged barrel, I will always go with the HF'd one.
C4
Aren't BCM's CHF barrels made on FN blanks?
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