What makes a Colt a Colt?

[GH41]

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.

This thread is hard to follow. If I understand him.. He has the Colt parts leftover after tricking out the Colt. Maybe I'm wrong but I can't read it again. My head still hurts from reading it the 1st time.

[Plumber10101212]

This thread is hard to follow. If I understand him.. He has the Colt parts leftover after tricking out the Colt. Maybe I'm wrong but I can't read it again. My head still hurts from reading it the 1st time.

You saved me the reply to correct him! Yes I have all of the standard parts that came out of the lower that been replaced with upgraded components. That in and of itself is exactly what I’m trying to ascertain because they are very expensive and I don’t wanna have to duplicate that cost if I can just transfer and have the same end result! Certain things I did NOT swap like the bolt carrier and other things.

And thank you for paying close attention to what I said! I commend you for fully absorbing my long-windedness.. LMAO

[Plumber10101212]

I don’t understand the “ask the mods to close the thread” bit.

Threads close themselves when the replies stop. If replies do not stop, then there’s current activity and no reason to close it...

I have all the standard parts, as I stated in my original post, see my response to comment about

[Renegade04]

deleted.

[Joelski]

Who says you can't modify your colt by simply having a reliable gunsmith cut the barrel down, and swap in a pistol brace in place of the stock? As long as the gunsmith is properly experienced, everything retains its Colt pedigree.

[JediGuy]

Who says you can't modify your colt by simply having a reliable gunsmith cut the barrel down, and swap in a pistol brace in place of the stock? As long as the gunsmith is properly experienced, everything retains its Colt pedigree.

One cannot legally make a rifle into a pistol. The lower receiver is the rifle; attaching a brace would not change that status, and if the barrel were then cut down, the possessor would be in violation of federal law.

[JediGuy]

To the OP,
The answer to hour question is “No, it would not be a Colt.”

If you took care in assembly and used quality small parts, you could potentially improve your PSA lower reliability or durability. It would still be a PSA lower with better parts in it. No reason not to.

[grizzman]

It wouldn't hurt to completely tear down the upper assembly to ensure it doesn't have any issues that could affect reliability.....even if it's been reliable so far. The lower is only half of the equation.

[26 Inf]

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.

I think you are trying to overthink this.

Break it down.

Think about what the word receiver meant when someone first used the term in reference to firearms. - to contain something. It's function is to simply hold things, in the case of the AR's the lower receiver holds the fire control group, the receiver extension, the magazine, and the upper receiver in proper relationship for function.

Taking it further, Stoner designed the AR for mass production. As an engineer he had to take into consideration variances is mass produced parts, the '+ or -' or minus that MorphCross mentioned.

Theoretically, if the holes are bored in the correct places (within + or -) and the receiver is machined to the correct dimensions (within = or -) the receiver will function as designed with a wide range of parts. Of course, there is the possibility that when a 'just right' combination of parts are placed within the receiver the + or - tolerances can meld together in such a way as to cause 'tolerance stacking' which can render the weapon unsafe, or inoperable. This is why rifles should be function tested before they are sent out and regularly throughout their service life.

Tolerance stacking can also produce that magic rifle which functions perfectly and has a superb trigger. It is also the reason that a trigger may not feel the same when placed in another receiver.

Now for the heresy, machining is machining and blueprints are blueprints, at the end of the day, it doesn't make any difference if the machining is done in the War Pony shop (Colt) or the Poverty Pony shop (Anderson) so long as it is done correctly, within specs. You may be more likely to get an in-spec receiver from Colt than from PSA, but at the end of the day, what really matters, more than mfgr, is whether the receiver that is in your hand is within specs.

One of the specifications on these things (AR's) is the type of material used and the anodized finish. The mil-spec material is 7075-T6 aluminum and MIL-A-8625E, Type III, class 2 anodizing.

So bottom line is, if your receiver checks the proper material blocks, and functions properly with the innards you install, does it really matter what roll mark is on it? In my view, not really if you are going to use the rifle.

Regardless of the receiver you decide to SBR, I would recommend you use it first, as either a pistol or rifle, to ensure function before you go through the process or submitting for a stamp.

One last observation. Some people on this forum report numerous shortcomings with certain brands. I'm sure most of these reports are factual. But, at the same time, I'm just as sure they aren't as zealous in reporting failures of their sacred cow, whatever it may be.

Edit to add: I'm sure the QC with Sionics, BCM, LaRue, LMT, KAC, and DD, are better than Colt, simply because of their smaller numbers and target market. So, I've never bought into Colt as the benchmark of QC.

JM .02

[MWAG19919]

An (in spec) lower is an (in spec) lower is an (in spec) lower.

I don't have the blueprints and I doubt the OP does either. Put high quality parts into that PSA and shoot the hell out of it. Lowers aren't really a wear item. Like 26 Inf said, they just hold shit in place. The shit they hold are wear items, so choose higher quality parts (like the spare Colt parts you have lying around) and drive on. If the holes aren't drilled in the proper place you'll figure it out fairly quickly.

You won't have a factory Colt, and tolerance stacking maaaaaaay be an issue, but chances are you'll have a quality home-built lower that'll last you a long time.