technical question on the colt side swivel mount

[ssimo]

Hi, i am going to install the original colt (yes, i know it's not actually produced by Colt) side swivel mount on my coltLE 6921 for a build. One of the pieces of the side swivel mount is a bar with 2 holes for rollpins, right? this bar has a number (12991254) on one side and another shorter number on the opposite side. Do you know which one of these two sides should be oriented towards the front of the rifle, considering that i will mount the swivel on the left side of the rifle with the swivel folding towards the fron of the rifle (as the M4 manual says)? in other words, should the 12991254 marked side of the bar with pin holes be oriented towards the muzzle or toward the handguard? Below you can find an explainatory picture. Sorry for the bad english, this is not my native language. Greetings from Italy.

thank you very much

[Leonardo]

Dimensionally the bar is the same, side to side. Personally, I’ve always installed with part number aft, toward the receiver

[ssimo]

Dimensionally the bar is the same, side to side. Personally, I’ve always installed with part number aft, toward the receiver

thanks leonardo. Are you some kind of armourer? By the way, what does aft means?
However you have an italian first name, are you italian?

[Leonardo]

Rearward
Have the stamped part number facing to the rear

[ssimo]

Rearward
Have the stamped part number facing to the rear

thanks. when you guys say "part number" are tou referring to the 12991254 side or to the other one with the shorter number? by the way this forum is incredible, so much informations, you guys are great! How do you know which side goes rearward? have you any experience as a military armourer or something like that?

[Leonardo]

Not an armorer.
Built my share of rifles, been shooting the M16/AR for 35 years
There is no wrong way to install the block, I have just placed the drawing number, the one you wrote to the rear

[ssimo]

Not an armorer.
Built my share of rifles, been shooting the M16/AR for 35 years
There is no wrong way to install the block, I have just placed the drawing number, the one you wrote to the rear

Hi there! at the same time i posted this thread, i also wrote at COLT CS. They said me the opposite of what you said, the part number is toward the muzzle. Also the guy i talked with had to check the "personal rifles of a friend" so it not a very definitive answer. Do you know if someone here in the forum was or is an armourer of armed forces?

[Leonardo]

Doesn’t really matter.....install the damn thing and get to shooting

[ssimo]

Unfortunately i can't cause i'm quarantined
In the weekend i have plenty of time, that's why i am taking my time to decide what to do also for such small details. During the week i work in a hospital in milan as a doctor so thinking of my build and doing researches of this kind helps me getting a little distraction from the 16 hours per day i'm working now. Again, tnd thank you for the answers.

[Hammer_Man]

It doesn't matter unless you have Rain Man levels of OCD.