What makes a Colt a Colt?

[Dennis]

Due to state AW laws I have 90's vintage pre ban registered Bushmaster, Eagle, Armalite, and Colt lowers that I can luckily configure normally as I wish. These are all 100% full of fancy Geiselle, BAD, FCD, Magpul, ALG, Colt and Vltor parts and have many thousands of rounds through them in various configurations and conditions so I know they must be in some sort of spec.

To your point "Colt" means to me correct parts correctly assembled and tested. Theoretically even changing out to a Geissele trigger no longer guarantees the same level/chance of reliability as previously OEM. So any changes you make should be for a defined need, of acceptable proven quality, correctly done, and then fully tested in the conditions you expect it to function.

Given my experience with continually refreshing 20+yr old lowers and shooting the heck out of them in various conditions, I would say putting your Colt small lower bits and good upgraded parts in a PSA lower is just a first step towards a highly reliable carbine. Make sure it is assembled correctly then use it how you expect it to work with the ammo you expect it work with.

Personally and likely most on this board wouldn't mess with a working 6920 and just buy some new high quality parts for the PSA as we would just be retesting it anyways.

Dennis.

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[Plumber10101212]

Well have 1 yes and 1 no. I think I’ll let this rest for 24 hours and wait for some others to chime in and see what their opinions are as well

PSA bad reviews and most of their complaints are based on delivery times and in the “sales” area, not really in the functional area. Still... I am wondering how important a Colt bare lower housing is compared to the PSA!

[Plumber10101212]

Due to state AW laws I have 90's vintage pre ban registered Bushmaster, Eagle, Armalite, and Colt lowers that I can luckily configure normally as I wish. These are all 100% full of fancy Geiselle, BAD, FCD, Magpul, ALG, Colt and Vltor parts and have many thousands of rounds through them in various configurations and conditions so I know they m
ust be in some sort of spec.

To your point "Colt" means to me correct parts correctly assembled and tested. Theoretically even changing out to a Geissele trigger no longer guarantees the same level/chance of reliability as previously OEM. So any changes you make should be for a defined need, of acceptable proven quality, correctly done, and then fully tested in the conditions you expect it to function.

Given my experience with continually refreshing 20+yr old lowers and shooting the heck out of them in various conditions, I would say putting your Colt small lower bits and good upgraded parts in a PSA lower is just a first step towards a highly reliable carbine. Make sure it is assembled correctly then use it how you expect it to work with the ammo you expect it work with.

Personally and likely most on this board wouldn't mess with a working 6920 and just buy some new high quality parts for the PSA as we would just be retesting it anyways.

Dennis.

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That could very well be the perfect answer I was looking for! So it’s a whole puzzle put together, not necessarily certain pieces that would fit another puzzle perfectly or not? Got it! Taking a step further, you could possibly be saying that leaving a PSA stock is more reliable than one that was changed with a Colt parts?

[Hammertime]

We have been going over this question for like 10 years at least. Just buy quality and all will be good in the world. Buy cheap junk and you'll be let down. Colt is great. If you don't like it, get something else.


HT

[Plumber10101212]

We have been going over this question for like 10 years at least. Just buy quality and all will be good in the world. Buy cheap junk and you'll be let down. Colt is great. If you don't like it, get something else.


HT

PSA would not be considered a junk. Colt I have already stated is considered top notch. Sorry but absolutely nothing you said that I can see pertains to my question, but hey, thanks anyway!

Ps: If it has been discussed soooo many times, even though a search turned up little, then I would have assumed that you should have an answer readily available???

[MorphCross]

Here is the thing Plumber, Colt machines their lower forgings to fall within a specific size range according to a set of blueprints. Those blueprints simply put are the official blueprints for their 6920. Other companies can then purchase 6920 carbines and through extensive measurements across a range of 6920 carbines come up with the blueprint size range that determines in specification. In the end there are other companies that go even narrower than Colt just as there are companies that fall outside of the Colt specification range. If a company wants to be taken seriously they will produce parts that work in Colt lowers that sit on both sides of the specification spectrum.

[Dennis]

Taking a step further, you could possibly be saying that leaving a PSA stock is more reliable than one that was changed with a Colt parts?

Nope. Unfortunately PSA isn't known for their build quality and QC. I have personally taken apart 2 PSA uppers with barely finger tight barrel nuts and received on sale Premium BCGs with not fully seated peened pin ends. Everything worked fine after they were corrected but it doesn't exactly build confidence in their claimed quality parts. Sadly, they probably would have worked fine as well without correction for casual shooting where the occasional failure and mediocre accuracy wouldn't matter.

You seem to want a guarantee of quality from piecing stuff together when that guarantee comes from the person or company doing the assembly and their reputation. It's up to you to decide what quality guarantee you are willing to settle or pay for...

TANSTAAFL

Dennis.




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[Plumber10101212]

Here is the thing Plumber, Colt machines their lower forgings to fall within a specific size range according to a set of blueprints. Those blueprints simply put are the official blueprints for their 6920. Other companies can then purchase 6920 carbines and through extensive measurements across a range of 6920 carbines come up with the blueprint size range that determines in specification. In the end there are other companies that go even narrower than Colt just as there are companies that fall outside of the Colt specification range. If a company wants to be taken seriously they will produce parts that work in Colt lowers that sit on both sides of the specification spectrum.

Thank you sir for another in-depth explanation like Dennis. These are the type answers I am looking for from the experts that roam the halls on this website!

Thank you thank you thank you

[Plumber10101212]

Nope. Unfortunately PSA isn't known for their build quality and QC. I have personally taken apart 2 PSA uppers with barely finger tight barrel nuts and received on sale Premium BCGs with not fully seated peened pin ends. Everything worked fine after they were corrected but it doesn't exactly build confidence in their claimed quality parts. Sadly, they probably would have worked fine as well without correction for casual shooting where the occasional failure and mediocre accuracy wouldn't matter.

You seem to want a guarantee of quality from piecing stuff together when that guarantee comes from the person or company doing the assembly and their reputation. It's up to you to decide what quality guarantee you are willing to settle or pay for...

TANSTAAFL

Dennis. Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Fully understood and duly noted. But no, I wouldn’t overthink this. I’m not looking for any guarantees or anything that specific. It’s just a very simple general question. Since I am unable to use the lower I want to use without purchasing a tax stamp, and I have to use the PSA lower, like it or not, would I be better off stripping the Colt lower and replacing the parts in the PSA with Colts. That’s pretty much it in a nutshell. I’m not trying to imply anything other than that. And additionally, once I did that, would it make it almost identical to the colt lower.

[wetidlerjr]

1. Keep your Colt parts in your Colt lower.
2. Buy this LPK https://charliescustomclones.com/pro...-parts-kit-lpk and put it in your PSA lower.
3. Ask a Mod to close this thread.