http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=288584480

Is it made out of Gold or Platinum?

Pro2nd

Just when I was feeling good about the OPs $200 SP1 score, this crops up.
Some interesting stuff on his other auctions.

I thinking I had better lock my shop - I have a small fortune sitting out there in Colt Sp1 barrels...

I've been watching these barrels for months. Sad thing is, he's sold several at $500+. I feel bad for the poor bloke paying that much for a late barrel, even one that nice.

I remember buying a SP1 rifle not that long ago because it was advertised as never having been fired except at that factory.  I way overpaid for it.  Just a normal SP1 rifle.  Nothing special about it.  The barrel is nice and shoots nice.  But, I have no way to know if the barrel was truly unused.  Maybe someone here does, but the seller lived too far away from me to see it in person before buying.  I took his word.  I think the advertising phrase of unfired or NOS ups the price.  But, as I have learned, you are just paying a premium based upon the seller's representation, whether it is true or not.  Heck, maybe the rifle I bought was used even lightly before my seller got it.  No way to know.  I wouldn't make that kind of purchase again today.  I guess other buyers still do.  To each his own.

I REALLY wish someone would start making repros.  This shit has gotten ridiculous.  So ridiculous that some enterprising barrel maker should be able to capitalize on it.

I REALLY wish someone would start making repros. This shit has gotten ridiculous. So ridiculous that some enterprising barrel maker should be able to capitalize on it.

Problem is not many will pay enough to justify production costs.  Although Dez Arms and Green Mountain should have them on the shelves.  Those that say they will purchase retro barrels or most any retro copy part rarely do what they say and mfgs usually lose in the end.  Ask Dez or Green Mountain how many they have actually sold and their profit margin.  Personally I'm very surprised that well established and reputable companies like Colt or FN aren't already offering them also.  Obviously they have done the research and found it not economical.  Seems like half the site vendors are now selling other AR barrel flavors made by FN and Colt has the 6520 LW carbine barrels,  this we know.  Spikes also says their replacement parts are true milspec contractor parts and the list goes on.  

If a buyer pays what these sellers are asking it's there own stupidity or they are plain happy with the purchase regardless of costs.  The only truly rare M-16 parts are authentic 01 and 02 with virtually few exceptions and even then just barely truly rare.  Anyone dumb enough to pay $40 for a later A-1 port door or $150 for a bolt catch to put on a clone rifle hopefully doesn't have children going hungry.  The reasons the milspec was changed was because of either inferior parts in a combat situation or economics.  This doesn't make the parts worth more money.  Not knocking NDS but they have repeatedly said they wouldn't bother to make receivers if all they were going to make was $25 per unit net profit.  With many lower receivers available in the $50ish range it sure makes one wonder.  At least they have what I honestly believe is integrity and real quality control.  A few words that many Americans today wouldn't or couldn't actually conceive.  Although usery used to be anything over 35%.

There is NOS in the package and NOS out the package and yes it boils down to sellers integrity on the out of package parts and if our politicians (most who already have more coins than they will ever need) lack integrity one can hardly blame the common working folk for following suit.  I've yet to meet a thief who doesn't try and justify stealing.

Correct me if I'm wrong but, haven't most repro attempts to date been inaccurate? I'm pretty sure I saw that even GM's newest batch were still too short. Doesn't the Dez barrel have too large of a ring behind the FSB? And, the DPMS version is just laughably bad.

I think one of the major reasons people aren't buying repros, is because these Mfgs keep getting something so well documented, so wrong. I spent 20 minutes on google and have virtually the entire Mil Spec blue print packet for an A1 barrel. There's no excuse for an incorrect profile or length.

It seems like there's always something. Some detail that's not right, or some unfinished minutiae that makes it not worth the price.

Colt or FN could produce A1 profile barrels in 1:7 and I think they would sell like hotcakes. Doubt we'd see 1:12, but who cares? It'd still be a new, replacement part, not an original, 1965 barrel. I agree with Cdenmark, although I did spend $100 a few years ago for a transitional bolt catch for my XM16E1. Since then I've seen exactly one for sale and it was snapped up. Recently I got what I considered a good deal on an original XM16E1 BCG, with the original FP retainer, like new - seller had bought it from Bill RIcca over 35 years ago and never fired it. He could have sold it for more, but didn't feel right. I'm sure he made money on it, and it was about where I'd value it, seeing how rare they are - probably rarer than 601 BCG's if the frequency (or infrequency) of them coming up for sale means anything. I think $250 was a fair price for it, especially as nice as it is.

I was in this game early enough to have a nice 601, but I decided to leave them to others. Nor did I speculate on 601 parts, which I could have easily done, and made a nice profit. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, this 'retro thing' is not about making money. I don't blame a guy for making a little when he bought parts several years previously, especially when he uses the money to fund some other retro project. Going for top, eye-gouging profit however, just isn't right. I recently sent a set of HGs to a member - have sent a number of parts from people, and received some cool stuff as well. Peter_Sam for example, gave me a fully curved (commercial) magazine some time back that I've been saving for an XM177E1 build. He could have slapped a Colt florrplate on it and misrepresented it on GB and sold it for a bunch I'm sure.

I recently made a small profit on a 14.5" ltwt barrel I sold a member here - a barrel I hated to sell, but decided to go with 1:7 - I contacted him and told him it was for sale on the EE - he made me an offer and I took it, knowing damn well I could have gotten well above what I was asking if I went to GB with it. I threw in a brand new gas tube because he needed one, essentially wiping out my profit - I may have made $15. So what? It makes me feel good that someone will be thrilled to have that barrel and get themselves a nice build. We aren't all as well-heeled as some members here with multiple, or original Class III weapons. I'm lucky to have the builds I have, and helping others reach their goals is what this forum is REALLY about, and has been since the beginning. The 'Pay it forward' thread for example, shows just how generous members here really are. You're not going to find me posting there much because truthfully, I don't have a lot of extra parts left, but I have sent a lot of misc. stuff out over the years, and have received some very cool things as well. Hal143 for example, saw a double DVD set of VN documentaries and got extras - sent me one, gratis.

This is the kind of things friends do for each other, and I've never met most of you guys. What impresses me is what everyone here does for each other, even for new members. That's why this forum is so special. What pisses me off is someone coming here, picking our brains, maybe scoring an elusive part they need to finish, then deciding they don't want a retro and instead of offering it up on RBR, they GB it for a large profit.

I have zero regrets for sending out all the things I have - most of them didn't cost very much, I mean, what's $10 or $20 here and there, and it made me feel really good to be able to help out a retro brother. It's especially rewarding when you see a guy post pics of a build he finished because he got a part he needed from you. I'm not saying don't sell you stuff, I'm not saying don't make a profit, but lets not stoop to the level of oil speculators and ruin things for everybody. Rant over.

I love it when Morg gets on his soapbox!  I also hear that the retro brother he helped out with a barrel REALLY appreciates it too!  Retro to me isn't about making money - or shouldn't be.  I kind of think of it like restoring an old car.  Can you do it and make money at it?  Yeah, I guess so - but you should really love the car.  For me, a range session with my Dad who is a veteran, or building a piece of history from his era with my daughter, and then going out to shoot is is really priceless.  If the time comes I have to sell something, perhaps just getting out what I have into it will be enough.  I wish I had more to share on Pay-It-Forward, but surprisingly enough, guys get pretty stoked just getting a GP strap for a sling!  Just moved an old duffel bag in my garage and found an extra strap attached to it... its probably been hanging on that bag for 40 years.

Making money?  Yeah, its important... Making memories with friends and family, honoring those who sacrifice, having the freedoms we enjoy... Money can't buy those!
Just my 2 cents.

I highly doubt that thing came "straight from the factory" with an A2 front sight-post installed...

nice catch.  i think with the new barrels, they don't have the front sight post, detent or spring right?  i think they just come with the barrel, barrel nut and handguard cap right?

The NIW carbine barrels have A2 front sight posts IIRC.

ETA: Same seller started a SOCOM M4 barrel at $500 as well. I bought, then sold one for around $300 not long ago. Good barrels, but not made from unobtanium. All his stuff seems high to me.