The Colt AR-15 model SP1 (cat.#R-6000) was in production from
1963-1985. I have noted many slight changes made to this model
during its production run. The following information is from notes
I have made on the AR-15's I have owned.
Rifle Ser#: 14XX
Made: 1964
Flash suppressor: type 2, open 3 pronged
Barrel: non chrome-plated, markings: "M," "VP" inside a
triangle,
1 in 12", barrel twist
Sling swivels: moveable, plastic coated
Front sight base: machined and polished smooth, bayonet lug
Handguard: triangular, black in color
Delta ring: round
Upper receiver: no forward assist, markings: "VP" inside a
triangle
Lower receiver: cross drilled for roll pin to retain buffer tube
Lower receiver markings: right side "+"
left side: AR-15 COLT'S PATENT FIREARMS MFG.CO.
CAL.223 HARTFORD, CONN.
MODEL SP1 U.S.A.
SER.SP14XX
Bolt: chrome-plated, marked "MP"
Bolt carrier: not notched for forward assist, 5/8" of rear
bottom carrier milled away(compared to M-16), no machine
cut on bottom of carrier to expose head of firing pin,
markings: none, finish: parkerized
Firing pin: early, heavy type with large head
Firing pin retainer: machined split pin
Hammer: not notched
Safety lever: hole in center of each side
Buffer tube: anodized green
Buttstock: solid buttcap, no trapdoor, color: black
Buttstock retaining screw: solid, no hole drill through
Rear sling swivel: moveable, black plastic coated
Buffer: early light buffer with "Edgewater ring springs"
Colt AR-15
Rifle Ser#: 48xx
Made: 1965
All features same as # 14xx
Colt AR-15
Rifle Ser#: 78xx
Made: 1966
All features the same as rifle #14XX except as noted.
Barrel: markings: "MP," "s," 12 Upper receiver: markings,
"c" in square, triangle
Lower receiver: markings, SER. changed to SERIAL
Bolt: finish, parkerized
Bolt carrier: 1 1/4" milled away from bottom rear of carrier
Firing pin retainer: cotter pin
Buffer tube: anodized black
Buttstock screw: hole drilled through, to let water out
In 1967 the M-16A1 was adopted. Colt began to add some of
its mods to the AR-15 by 1968. These rifles are in the
10,000-14,000 range. This next rifles was made in 1980, it
has the mods from the M-16A1 that were added to the AR-15
between 1968 and the end of the SP-1 model in 1985.
Colt AR-15
Rifle Ser.# 122,xxx
Made 1980
Features the same as those on rife #78xx except were noted
Flash suppressor: birdcage
Barrel: chrome bore and chamber, markings, " C MP
CHROME BORE," barrels with just "C" mark are chrome
chamber only
Front sight base: as forged, not finished as on early guns
Upper receiver: markings, "C," "M," added
Lower receiver: markings, "+" deleted, "SER.SP" replaces
"SER"'and a new company name:
COLTS' FIREARMS DIVISION
COLT INDUSTRIES
HARTFORD, CONN.
U.S.A.
Buttstock: trap door in butt
Rear swivel: fixed, uncoated
Buffer: new heavy style
Hammer: notch cut in front top
Bolt carrier: underside milled away to expose firing pin head
The finish of the SP-1's went from a green tint on early guns
to a grey-black finish on latter guns. In the early 1980's Colt
made some "COLTGUARD" finished AR's in the 200,000
serial number range. Coltguard is an electroless nickel finish.
In 1978 Colt introduced the first new model of the AR-15
(Cat.#6001), Sporter 1 carbine. The gun featured a 16"
barrel, short round handguards and the telescoping, plastic
coated, aluminum stock of the XM177 series submachine
gun. This model was produced unchanged until the last batch
was shipped in 1985. This last batch, around ser.# 212,000
had the finger-grooved pistol grip of the A2 series. There was
also a short run of 9mm SP-1 carbines in the early 1980's, do
not know the catalog number. (#R-6450?)
The next model out was the Sporter II (Cat# R-6500). When
this gun first appeared in 1985 it had many of the old Sporter
1 (SP1) features. New to this model were these M-16A2
features.
Flash hider with closed bottom
Barrel with 1in7" twist, heavy from front sight base forward,
same as SP-1 under handguards
Front sight post squared
Round handguards
Longer, stronger buttstock
Delta ring; A2 style, angled
finger-grooved pistol grip
Early guns had no forward assist, when first added it used the
old M16A1 teardrop style plunger. Later a large round style
plunger was used. I have also observed at least one of this
model with the cartridge defector hump behind the
ejection port , this rifle was also one of the export guns made
up in .222REM instead of .223REM.
That brings use to the Sporter II carbine(R-6420). In the early
guns these changes from the SP1's were seen.
Barrel with 1in7" twist
Square front sight post
finger-grooved pistol grip
A2 style delta ring
Nylon buttstock
Forward assist went the same as for the R6500, with defector
humps also seen.
1986 brought the AR-15A2 HBAR, features like the R6500,
but with a full length heavy barrel and A2 adjustable sights.
Early guns had a large round forward assist plunger, later
rifles, had the small round plunger. (Cat.#R-6600)
AR-15A2 Government Model, like HBAR but with light
barrel under handguards.(Cat.# R-6550)
AR-15A2 Delta HBAR, (Cat.#R-6600 DH) an HBAR with
Tasco rubber armored 3x9 scope, A.R.M.S., Colt marked,
scope mount, hard case, black leather sling,
removable cheek piece. Range selected for accuracy.
AR-15A2 Government Model Carbine (Cat.# R-6520) like
R-6420 but with A2 sight. Lower receivers were marked
Govt. Mod.
AR-15A2 Sporter II carbine (Cat.# R-6450) 9m/m carbine
with A1 type sights
"Beware the Ides of March"
March 15, 1989, a day that will live in infamy. President
George Bush at the urging of his Drug Czar William Bennet,
temporary bans the import of more than 40 semi-auto rifles.
Colt Industries withdraws from public sale all versions of
the AR-15, in support of the President. So it began.
Early in 1990 Colt Firearms Division is purchased from Colt
Industries by the C.F. Holding Crop. The company name is
changed to Colt's Manufacturing Company, Inc.(C.M.C.).
C.M.C. reintroduces a modified version of the AR-15. The
rifles are no longer call by the AR-15 name, but are referred
to as Sporter. The Sporter differs from the AR-15 in that it
has no bayonet lug.
Sporter/Target Model (Cat.#R-6550K) same as AR-15A2
Government Model (R-6550)but no lug. These early postban
guns are still marked AR-15A2 Government Model and
Colt's Firearms Division/Colt Industries. The "K" guns
included the Colt (R-6222) .22LR Conversion Kit. Rifle
boxes feature a green label as on preban guns.
Sporter/Match HBAR (Cat.#R-6600K) same as AR-15A2
HBAR (R-6600) but no lug. Receivers still marked AR-15A2
HBAR, Colt's Firearms Division/Colt Industries. .22LR
Conversion Kit and box same as R-6550K.
It should be noted that during the 1990 year production, Colt
incorporated a number of change to the Sporter's lower
receiver. First, it is possible to find receivers with their
original AR-15 and Colt's Firearms Div. markings or
the newer Sporter and C.M.C. markings. Second, the
constuction of the lower receiver was change to one which
followed that of the M-16A2 more closely. This can be seen
in the beefing up of the rear of the receiver and the boss
around the magazine release. At some point the M-16 type,
front lower receiver, push pin replaced the screw type, used
on the early AR's. And finally, by the end of 1990, Colt, had
placed a pinned in block into the lower receiver to prevent
the use of auto sears. As usually it seems that Colt added
these changes as old parts were used up. These changes don't
seem to occur at the same time in each model.
Because of this, one can find many variations in the 1990
year production.
Sporter/Target Model (Cat.#R-6551) same as R-6550K. No
conversion kit with this model. Receivers changes as
describe previously. Boxes now have blue label.
Sporter/Match HBAR (Cat.#R-6601) same as R-6600K. No
conversion kit, receiver and box change as previously
described.
Sporter/Delta Match HBAR (Cat.#R-6601DH) same as
R-6600DH. No lug, receiver and box as previously described.
The year 1991 would see two new models. Guns past this
point made for civilian sales have the receiver block, blue
label boxes and no .22LR conversion kits.
Sporter/Lightweight (Cat.#R-6530) this replaced the R-6520
Government Carbine. The retractable stock of the R-6520
was replaced with a fixed stock. Other features are the same.
Sporter/Competition HBAR (Cat.#R-6701) this model was a
limited edition of 2000 rifles from the Colt Custom Gun
Shop. It is similar to the R-6601 with these changes. The
carrying handle and rear sight have been removed. The
resultant "Flat top" receiver was machined into a Weaver
style scope base. A height extending base and a set of Millet
1" scope rings were included. These were the first
of the HBAR models to have a 1in9" barrel twist.
The year 1992 saw five more models.
Sporter/Competition HBAR (Cat.#R-6700S) same as R-6701
but with the following accessories. 3x9x40mm matte finish
Tasco World Class scope, B-Square scope mount, quick
detachable carry handle with rear sight.
Sporter/Lightweight (Cat.#R-6450) like R-6450 9mm
AR-15A2 carbine but with fixed stock.
Sporter/Competition HBAR (Cat.#R-6700) same as R-6700S
but no scope or mount.
Sporter/Lightweight (Cat.#R-6830) same as R-6530 but in
7.62x39
Sporter/Competition HBAR Range Selected
(Cat.#R-6700CH) same as R-6700S but with Tasco rubber
armored scope. Rifles selected for superior accuracy.
Today in the post Crime Bill world we have the Colt" Match
Target" (MT) rifles. They are the same as their predecessor,
Sporter models, but with no flash hider.
MT 6700 = R-6700
MT 6601 = R-6601
MT 6551 = R-6551
MT 6530 = R-6530
MT 6830 = R-6830
MT 6430 = R-6430
Match Target Competition HBAR II (MT-6731) is a new
model. It features a 16'' heavy barrel and a flat top receiver.
The Sporter equivalent (with flash hider) of this model is
called the AR-15A3 Competition HBAR (R-6731). A Law
Enforcement version with 4-position collapsible stock is
made as the AR-15A3 Tactical Carbine (R-6721).
