Book Review: A Collectors Guide To The Colt AR15 SP1 Sporter Rifle...

[SteyrAUG]

https://i.imgur.com/BrTuRHa.jpg

At 136 pages I wasn't sure if this one was gonna be worth it. I'm more of a Collector Grade Publications kind of guy and it means nothing to me to spend a few hundred bucks on a definitive work like Black Rifle I & II. And while those books somewhat touch on the topic early Colt semi autos, so far I haven't seen anything quite like this one and it's 130+ pages of really quality information for those interested in SP1 rifles.

Reminds me a little bit of the Scott Duff books on the M1 Garand where determining if something is period correct or not. Lots of info, lots of detailed photos. If you are hoping to get a history of Colt rifles or how the M-16 was developed and adopted, forget it, buy one of those other books.

But if you collect early Colts, or build reproductions of vintage rifles, this one is for you. Especially if you decide to attempt to collect all of the early SP1 variants out there.

Here's a sample:

https://i.imgur.com/TbVTzsq.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/00qHWCJ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/LM32LWt.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Ou7pXv6.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/TlDbeSx.jpg

Includes a pretty definitive serial number guide and breakdown of major parts and the variations that exist as well as which ones would be correct in each rifle.

The magazine ID primer already made the book worth the money. I have almost 100 older aluminum follower 20 round mags and now I know which are military, which were made specifically for the SP1 commercial rifles and which ones are actually pretty rare.

I also learned a rifle doesn't have to be old to be rare and I found out I have a couple of interesting ones.

I bought this one on Gunbroker, but I'm not gonna fly a link, should be able to find it with a search. I only paid about $30 for my copy so it won't break the bank and if this is your subject, just buy one.

[HKGuns]

I really enjoy the Scott Duff books on the Garand and use them as reference material all the time. Do you know the publication date on this one?

[SteyrAUG]

I really enjoy the Scott Duff books on the Garand and use them as reference material all the time. Do you know the publication date on this one?

2021. It's the same book that got advertised in the vintage forum with a GB link. At first I was kind of dubious because it was a first post from an account that was a few years old. But I took a shot since the purchase was on GB and found it useful. Helped me organize and understand the SP1s I own, and more importantly made me aware that I still need two more specific rifles before I'm done.

[HKGuns]

2021. It's the same book that got advertised in the vintage forum with a GB link. At first I was kind of dubious because it was a first post from an account that was a few years old. But I took a shot since the purchase was on GB and found it useful. Helped me organize and understand the SP1s I own, and more importantly made me aware that I still need two more specific rifles before I'm done.

I was thinking it was older, I'll probably look at picking one up. Thanks for the additional info. I don't own any SP1's but this stuff is good to have on hand.

Looks like it was an expensive purchase if you need two more rifles that are probably hard to find. :)

[SteyrAUG]

I was thinking it was older, I'll probably look at picking one up. Thanks for the additional info. I don't own any SP1's but this stuff is good to have on hand.

Looks like it was an expensive purchase if you need two more rifles that are probably hard to find. :)

Happens every time. HK books were the worst. Besides the 91s and G3s I had to have early versions of the semi auto G3 (1962 imports) and the 41 (designation prior to the 91).

Blake Steven's book on the FAL Rifle made me realize I just needed to get over myself because I wasn't going to own 16 different FAL rifles. I'm currently holding at 4.

Once upon a time I had 32 Kalashnikov rifles and the book The Grim Reaper certainly didn't help. Thankfully most were acquired in the days when pre89 Chinese imports were still around $600 and everything else was $200 to $400. One year Kvar put Bulgarian SLRs on sale for $400 each and I think I grabbed about a dozen.

Then came the great Obama gun sale of 08 and I thinned down to about 12 definitive AK rifles and sold the rest in the $1,200 to 1,500 range.

The only thing that makes me buy more guns are films like Die Hard and Heat.

[the AR-15 Junkie]

I also bought one of GB, was NOT disappointed in the purchase in the least. Great book.