View Full Version : Colt History Questions
Doc Safari
02-21-19, 15:37
This is just out of curiosity.
I owned some Colt Sporters in the 1990's then took about a ten-year break before owning another Colt AR.
1. What year did Colt discontinue the "double screw" front takedown pin (or variations thereof), and go to the standard, proper one?
2. What year did Colt start installing the proper M16 bolt carriers in their AR's and not SP1 carriers with unshrouded firing pins and cut down rear shrouds?
3. I'm assuming that all modern Colts have the proper M16 bolt carrier and there isn't some oddball 5.56 model still being produced with nonstandard bolt carriers?
4. What year did Colt start using standard sized FCG pins?
5. What year did Colt stop installing a separate auto sear block and went to simply not machining out the "web" in the lower receiver where the auto sear would have gone?
6. Are there any parts still in a Colt AR that are there to make it a legal semi-auto, but might cause some sort of reliability problem due to it not being the actual military part?
Thanks in advance for the answers.
You should be able to figure it out by googling the models listed here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Colt_AR-15_%26_M16_rifle_variants
or here: http://www.biggerhammer.net/ar15/variants/ Get busy youngish man!
maybe your best bet, got to go behind enemy lines, though: https://www.ar15.com/forums/ar-15/-/123-304266/?
Also, you would probably enjoy the Vickers Guides.
Good luck!
everready73
02-22-19, 07:38
If you check out Chris Bartocci youtube he has a few videos on Colt and their history. Not sure all the answers would be in the vids, but they have pretty good info
Assuming the full auto bolt carrier was after this letter.
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/archive/index.php/t-328749.html
Doc Safari
02-22-19, 08:53
If you check out Chris Bartocci youtube he has a few videos on Colt and their history. Not sure all the answers would be in the vids, but they have pretty good info
He does have some very informative videos. I've only been able to watch a few unfortunately.
Doc Safari
02-22-19, 08:55
Assuming the full auto bolt carrier was after this letter.
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/archive/index.php/t-328749.html
That letter is a farce of ambiguity. Leave it to the dot-guv to say nothing while appearing to say something.
If there is a way to determine when the who does what to milspec vs. who doesn't list started floating around I think the changes were slightly before that. I think the changes may have been after losing some government contracts to FN also.
1. What year did Colt discontinue the "double screw" front takedown pin (or variations thereof), and go to the standard, proper one?
About 1999 but some lowers were drilled for a pushpin before that.
2. What year did Colt start installing the proper M16 bolt carriers in their AR's and not SP1 carriers with unshrouded firing pins and cut down rear shrouds?
Around 2007
3. I'm assuming that all modern Colts have the proper M16 bolt carrier and there isn't some oddball 5.56 model still being produced with nonstandard bolt carriers?
All of them should have a regular M16 carrier
4. What year did Colt start using standard sized FCG pins?
About 2009
5. What year did Colt stop installing a separate auto sear block and went to simply not machining out the "web" in the lower receiver where the auto sear would have gone?
About 1998
6. Are there any parts still in a Colt AR that are there to make it a legal semi-auto, but might cause some sort of reliability problem due to it not being the actual military part?
A notched semi auto type 2 hammer intended to be used with an exposed firing pin semi carrier. Colt still puts this crap in the lower. It can be replaced with a type 1 semi auto hammer from Specialized Armament.
Doc Safari
02-22-19, 15:39
. What year did Colt start using standard sized FCG pins?
About 2009
I bought a "restricted marked" 6520 last fall that was purchased for the PA State Police (I have provenance). Colt says it was made in 2009. Being purchased by a law enforcement agency, do you think it has standard sized pins being that it was a dedicated law enforcement firearm?
A notched semi auto type 2 hammer intended to be used with an exposed firing pin semi carrier. Colt still puts this crap in the lower. It can be replaced with a type 1 semi auto hammer from Specialized Armament.
Are you saying my LE6920 bought last fall probably has this hammer?
What problems might it cause?
(I know there are other sources on the net, but for convenience if you have pics and would like to post them, I think the readers would appreciate it). :)
I bought a "restricted marked" 6520 last fall that was purchased for the PA State Police (I have provenance). Colt says it was made in 2009. Being purchased by a law enforcement agency, do you think it has standard sized pins being that it was a dedicated law enforcement firearm?
Is this one of the Canadian marked 6520s? If so, it is probably large pin.
Are you saying my LE6920 bought last fall probably has this hammer?
Yes
See this link
http://www.specializedarmament.com/%E2%80%94-fire-control-%C2%B7-semi-auto-only/
What problems might it cause?
Does not allow the bottom of the carrier to slide smoothly over the hammer.
Doc Safari
02-22-19, 15:55
Is this one of the Canadian marked 6520s? If so, it is probably large pin.
It is a Hartford gun, serial number prefix beginning with LGC. I started a thread on TOS and one of the participants claims to have been a PA state trooper at that time. It was determined that LGC prefixed serial numbers were not Canadian. (Mine only indicates Hartford, CT anyway with no mention of Canada or any Diemaco markings).
Doc Safari
02-22-19, 15:57
Does not allow the bottom of the carrier to slide smoothly over the hammer.
And what issues does this cause? Any reliability or durability problems, like, for example, a part might have to be replaced sooner? Or perhaps the bolt carrier is more prone to "hanging up" in the receiver even if nothing is wrong?
Or perhaps the bolt carrier is more prone to "hanging up" in the receiver even if nothing is wrong?
Potentially
I have never personally seen that happen.
I do remove all type 2 hammers from guns and replace them with type 1.
A shrouded firing pin carrier is suppose to be used with a smooth face type 1 hammer. This would be the same surface interface as on a military gun. Any other combination of parts is an incorrect assembly.
Colt still uses type 2 semi auto hammers because this hammer will work in any semi auto rifle regardless of carrier style, however, it is not the ideal set up for shrouded firing pin carriers.
Doc Safari
02-22-19, 16:14
Good info. Thanks.
Potentially
I have never personally seen that happen.
I do remove all type 2 hammers from guns and replace them with type 1.
A shrouded firing pin carrier is suppose to be used with a smooth face type 1 hammer. This would be the same surface interface as on a military gun. Any other combination of parts is an incorrect assembly.
Colt still uses type 2 semi auto hammers because this hammer will work in any semi auto rifle regardless of carrier style, however, it is not the ideal set up for shrouded firing pin carriers.
Okay, I Googled "difference between Colt type 1 and type 2 ar15 hammers". Wanted to see what you are specifically talking about. Didn't see what I was looking for, even when I went under "Images".
Is one notched and the other not? You know these intricate details so please enlighten me!
MorphCross
02-22-19, 18:25
In scottryan's link to Specialized Armament they give pictures of the Hammers in profile. Hammer Assembley 5A vs. Hammer Assembley 5C. The difference is distinct. The 7A and 7B Hammers also demonstrate the difference. http://www.specializedarmament.com/—-fire-control-·-semi-auto-only/
In scottryan's link to Specialized Armament they give pictures of the Hammers in profile. Hammer Assembley 5A vs. Hammer Assembley 5C. The difference is distinct. The 7A and 7B Hammers also demonstrate the difference. http://www.specializedarmament.com/—-fire-control-·-semi-auto-only/
Thanks for the link. Yeah, it's basically what I thought it was, notched vs un-notched.
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