Gent's,

I picked up my new Colt AR-15 A4 on Thursday - 2/6. I ordered it from GrabAGun on Monday - 1/27 and it was delivered to my FFL on Wednesday - 2/5 (8 business days). Anyway, I paid exactly $1,143.05 (including shipping). Here's my brief documentation w/pictures below. I haven't taken it to the range yet, however, so far I'm very pleased with the quality, fit, finish, etc.

ETA: There's been a lot of discussion regarding the lack of a "F" marked front sight base. Therefore, I've taken the liberty to pull out the calipers and take some measurements of the Colt and my factory Sabre Defence A4 20" Rifle with a "F" marked front sight base.

Colt Front Sight Base - 1.96" (-0.03)
Colt Front Sight Post - 0.26"
Colt Rear Sight Base - 1.03" (measurement taken w/elevation bottomed out @ 6/3 - where the flip apertures meet the base)

Sabre Defence "F" Front Sight Base - 1.99" (+0.03)
Sabre Defence Sight Post - 0.26"
Sabre Defence Rear Sight Base - 1.03" (same as above - measurement taken w/elevation bottomed out @ 6/3 - where the flip apertures meet the base)

Pic of Sabre A4 Rifle w/o carry handle -


I'm planning to zero the Colt this week w/the standard 25 Meter zeroing target. Therefore, I'll update this post with my results...plus I just referenced my Black Rifle II book as well;

Bartocci, C. R. (2004). Black Rifle II: The M16 Into the 21st Century. Canada: Collector Grade Publications. p. 275

Colt Model R0945
M16A4
20" A2 Barrel
A2 Front Sight
A4 Rear Sight

Based on this information - the original M16A4 was indeed manufactured with a standard A2 front sight base. Plus, as mentioned a few times below - I was always under the impression that a standard "A2" front sight base does not have a negative/lack of zeroing impact in a full size rifle. However, in a carbine, an "F" marked front sight base is mandatory in order to zero correctly.

Outer Box Label -


Inner Box Label -


Manual & Colt Branded Lock -


Rifle w/o magazine (left side)-


Rifle w/magazine (left side)-


Flash hider & front sight base...A2 not "F" marked (left side)-


Rifle receiver (left side) -


Flash hider & front sight base...A2 not "F" marked (right side) -


Rifle receiver...Key Hole forge marked on lower & upper + "C" on upper, Square forge mark on detachable carry handle (right side) -


Close up of receiver (left side) -


Close up of receiver (right side) -


Gov't Profile barrel contour -


Barrel mil-spec marked "C MP 5.56 NATO 1/7" (chrome lined from chamber to muzzle) -


Indexing paint marked barrel under front sight base -


Barrel dated "12/13" behind hand guard cap -


Indexing paint marked barrel by chamber with "W" -


Inside receiver, web blocked, mil-spec small pin (already installed Geissele SSA-E), mil-spec aluminum rifle buffer assembly -


Bolt carrier & charging handle (top) -


Properly staked gas key, bolt marked "MPC" -


Bolt carrier bottom (left side), full auto M16 w/shrouded firing pin, paint marked bolt -


Bolt carrier bottom (right side) -


Bolt carrier (left side) "C" marked -


Chamber w/M4 feed ramps, you can clearly see the chrome lined chamber, upper is marked "M4", and is properly "T" marked as well -


Buttplate & trap door assembly -

Gorgeous.

must resist M16A4 build....

must.....

resist.

Did it come with that ambi-safety?

Colt porn. Very nice!

Yes sir - factory Colt.

nice..needs more M5 RAS and ACOG though

The door on the stock metal?

No F marked FSB will likely make it impossible to Zero.  The spec requires a F Marked FSB....somebody screwed up badly at Colt.

Maybe I overlooked something, but what is up with the trigger group in the bag including the manual and lock?

Won't make a diference on a rifle length barrel.

It does as the Military A4s require it due to the different height of the rear sight created by the rail.

I have zeroed 14.5" M4's without the F marked front sight using both carry handle sights as well as Matech BUIS with no problems.  A 20" barrel should be no issue since the front sight post won't need to be screwed down as far as a 14.5" will require.

You did. took out factory FCG.
note on the pic said already replaced with Geissele SSA-E.

Metal or plastic door on the stock?



 

Gotcha

It looked like it was sealed in the bag to me.

exactly...the higher F marked was made for carbine length sight radius....while a M16A4 may use an F marked, its not needed..

also, if you have an a1/a2 upper and a f marked fsb on a carbine length barrel, you will probably have to crank the post down, and maybe even file it to sight it in..but with an f marked rifle length, it wont matter...

Plastic w/an aluminum latch...however, I may replace it w/a full aluminum Colt that I have stashed away from the early 90's (on the right). At least it's not the full 100% plastic garbage Colt was utilizing in the late 90's on the left.

Have you seen any locally at dealers yet other than the one you had transferred in?



Others have been curious if the stock spacer is metal or plastic as well so if you ever take the stock off chime in on that as well.  I wouldn't take it off just to solve that riddle though.
 

Negative - when I ordered mine through GrabAGun they had 15 in stock. The next morning when I checked on the status of my order, they were already sold out However, I will say that GrabAGun has the best price I've seen on these. I shopped around and checked Bud's, Clyde Armory, Impact Guns, Tombstone Tactical, Slick Guns, and Gunbroker.

Thank you for going to the trouble to post all of the pics especially the barrel profile shot.

Damnit OP, now I'm going to have to get one of these (and probably the FN version as well).

Thanks a lot for the detailed photos!

I've got one on the way for $1100 plus $20 shipping. Think 'shop run by owner of competing AR forum' I believe.
Prior to finding that deal, Grab A Gun's price was the lowest I had seen.

Nice! Thanks for the detail photos and info.

I want one .

the F-FSB are required on carbines due to the shorter sight radius (both A1/A2 and flat top).
that's why early carbines came with the higher front sight post from the factory.

on rifles it doesnt matter.. you'll be able to zero this Colt AR15A4 just fine.

I guess the reason why A4 comes with a F-FSB is just the standardization of the mfg process... it doesnt make sense to keep 2 different FSB. Same thing for the M4 feedramps... no need to manufacure 2 different barrel extensions and upper receivers.

So, what's old is new again??? Great buy Joe...

Nice rifle OP!!    Do me a favor and don't smother this beauty with "Tactical bullshit"?

Thank you.

Great looking rifle.

I received mine from grabagun this week. Mine shipped with the standard safety and not the ambi. The safety is def a Colt part and I opened the box myself 15 min after my FFL received it so I know no one swapped it out. I'll give Colt a call and see if they'll send me the ambi one. The safety also didn't operate properly and when I took the grip off to inspect, I found the safety detent spring bent at a 90 degree angle. Turned it around and it fixed the issue but again I call Colt and ask if they'll send me a replacement spring. I also have a little marring on the delta ring from the tool they used to compress it while they installed the handguards. A little black touch up took care of that.

Very nice. Now that is something I might want from Colt.

Going to get me some of that A quad goodness !    Not too bothered about the "F" mark....if it bugs me later, I'll just engrave it in.   I'll also be switching to an all metal back door, and R.E. spacer if needed.   On will go the M5 and MIAD grip with bolt and pin insert.  Will stuff in a DPMS steel CH.  Then a RRA Stand Alone BUIS, and some awesome ACOG optic. A killer three point sling...and then I'll be ready for whatever evil the TV set can throw at me ! ! ! Huzzah !    The good Colonel has done it again.

Why does colt put sear blocks in their lowers?

Political correctness.

They used to put in really awful steel blocks with pins, which almost ruined the lower ! Had to be machined out with carbide !    The new block is nowhere near as bad and will resist lower receiver torquing under severe loads.  I'm not gonna complain, but then I never did about the Colt Heavy Duty  FCG pins in .174" either.  The new A4 rifle looks like a sure winner....will be jumping on one soon !    

want

Very nice rifle...thanks for the pictures.

Ok, I called our Colt Armorer at work and asked.

He made further calls and this is what I got back-

Every military A4 that has left Colt as an A4 has a F height fsb.  Rebuilds by DOD done in house could be anything.

The F height fsb vs the standard is .04 difference in height.  This can often be compensated for with a taller post but it is frowned upon because the post can end up higher than the ears.

These rifles were intended to have a F marked fsb.  

Basically, flat top receiver rifles are supposed to have F height fsbs.

Looking at this colt makes me want to buy an M16 from them.
But I still like my M&P15 tactical

This is not correct.  The first run of production M16A4s (not test trial or engineering guns) had an F marked front sight.

That colt looks good.  I just picked up a bcm a4 from g and r tactical. I'm about to order me an SSA-E!

I don't believe the original A4 even had M4 feed ramps. Why would an A4 have M4 feed ramps? Evens sounds silly if you know why they exist.

Now we come to the feared "F" marked FSB!!!

OHHHH The Horror!!!!!

Do want....

The old Bushmasters used a non "F" marked front sight base. BM matched it with a commercial handle or rear sight. When using a mil-spec carry handle or rear sight (with a height of .083), a taller (+.040) front sight was necessary to get a mechanical zero and be able to zero the rifle. The non "F" marked front sight tower matches a commercial height (.079) carry handle or rear sight.  I can't imagine that Colt would intentionally couple a non "F" tower with a mil-spec carry handle without including a +.040" front sight post.  I would measure the carry handle height to see if it is commercial or mil-spec.  Either 1) the tower is unmarked (but mil spec-not likely) and the carry handle is mil-spec OR 2) the tower is commercial and the carry handle height is also commercial (.083), which is my bet.

Nice stick.

The gun has a non f marked front sight base.   It is not f height.

The post is a low post, not a tall carbine post.

The carry handle is mil height.  Colt has never made a commercial height carry handle.