A Rare AR Find

[The_War_Wagon]

Some more from SOCNET about it;

According to information found via Google (couple of different sites), it looks like this weapon was manufactured in early 1966 and part of the General LeMay Air Force contract. Another source (http://www.arfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5532) suggests it was manufactured prior to end of 1963.

And;

You have the first model of AR put out by Colt after purchasing out Armalite in 1959. That is a 601 or model 01. The 601's went from 1959 to 1963. The first 2 were models were 601 & 602. The 01 should have a 1:14 rifle twist which was changed in the 02 to the more common 1:12 rifle twist and that one should not have a forward assist. There were something like 14.5K 601's made from 59'-63', so I would guess that serial number falls somewhere in the late 1961 to early 1962 time frame as I believe there were only a few hundred first put out in 59'. The original green furniture makes it even more rare of a model 601. Parts alone on that rifle are worth quite a bit of money piecemeal. I have seen just the original green furniture (not the entire rifle) go for nearly $2K. The entire weapon can go for $25K+ on the open market as a pre-ban full auto weapon. Probably much more than $25K.

Dang...

[cmoore]

I currently have (28) M16A1's (black furniture, triangular and A2) here in the safe @ work that are DRMO guns and all FA.

We now have Colt M4's that are FA and my weapons Lt. wants to return the A1's to DRMO.

Some serial numbers date back to late sixties/early seventies...true classics and all run very well.

[Stickman]

That's correct. They are effectively on loan, and the gov can reposses them whenever they wish. I've never heard of the gov actually do it, but the DRMO M16's cannot be sold, transferred or otherwise.

I have not heard of it happening from a PD.

[Stickman]

Here they are.

Attachment 5684

Attachment 5685

Attachment 5686

Attachment 5687

Attachment 5688

Nothing showing on this end as a Mozilla user.....

[redsox20]

Here you go Stickman.

[tpd223]

Trust me, we know what we have there.

The armorer at our job is a good friend, he called me up on a Friday night to tell me I needed to get down to the armory to see what just showed up, he had about pooped himself when he cracked open the box 'o M16s.
(BTW, almost every gun we were sent is an old to very old M16, hardly an a1 in the pile).

For now that gun is going in our mini museum case next to the 1928 Thompson we have.

I was going to post pics for general interest, but I got beat to the punch obviously.

[Stickman]

Here you go Stickman

Thanks, I appreciate it.

[motorwerks]

my wife would kill me but I would trade my son for that thing.


ok maybe not but its pretty rad. I wish I could just trade my black A1 furniture for the green stuff and the slip ring for my delta ring.

[ST911]

No sale of 1033/LESO property such as this. Transfer or loan to certain other interests that could give the gun a home it deserves can likely be accomplished.

[francis]

How often were the M-16's issued with the green pistol grip and buttstock