Is this Factory Blemish? Updated with more pics

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Is this Factory Blemish? Updated with more pics

Posted: 10/8/2014 12:19:29 AM EDT

Seller sent me some pics about his Colt M16. I noticed the blemish on the left side of the selector when Colt stamped its name. Seller claimed that is Colt factory blemish. What do you guys think? What do you think caused it? Do you think this gun has been refinished?

Posted: 10/7/2014 8:00:11 AM EDT

[#1]

the lower receiver is easily over 20 years old.
I'd guess it didn't come from the factory that way.

ETA:
Yes, I believe it's been refinished.

Posted: 10/7/2014 8:08:46 AM EDT

[#2]

There is no such thing as a "factory blemished" from Colt.

Looks like some sort of spalling from the forge process or a bad paint job is it was painted. Anyway, it is an OLD receiver.

I understand you'll probably spend $20k on it and you probably want a pristine museum piece, but it's a tool, and old collectable tool at that.

Would I care? No.

Posted: 10/7/2014 8:14:35 AM EDT

[#3]

I don't see a blemish.

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Posted: 10/7/2014 8:23:10 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:

There is no such thing as a "factory blemished" from Colt.

Looks like some sort of spalling from the forge process or a bad paint job is it was painted. Anyway, it is an OLD receiver.

I understand you probably spent $20k on it and you probably wanted a pristine museum piece, but it's a tool, and old collectable tool at that.

Would I care? No. Go shoot it.

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If I'm gonna buy it, for sure I will shoot it. But there is a big price difference between a original Colt M16, and a refinished one.

Posted: 10/7/2014 8:32:04 AM EDT

[#5]

by the location of the funnyness, that might be a reweld.

Posted: 10/7/2014 8:59:22 AM EDT

[#6]

Did you get permission to post the serial number from the owner? Many owners of NFA items do not like you doing that. Looks like it was the 15th rifle of roughly 80,000 fo the Colt M16 Model 640 (Export model of the XM177E1. You shouldn't expect perfect from a 40 yr old machine gun, if it was refinished it would have been years ago. What you posted should sell at a premium to most (rarer model and better than average condition).

Posted: 10/7/2014 9:05:57 AM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:

Did you get permission to post the serial number from the owner? Many owners of NFA items do not like you doing that. Looks like it was the 15th rifle of roughly 80,000 fo the Colt M16 Model 640 (Export model of the XM177E1. You shouldn't expect perfect from a 30+ yr old machine gun.

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I forgot about rewelds. That's a valid notation.

Posted: 10/7/2014 11:01:44 AM EDT

[#8]

Better get pics of the corresponding locations of the other side and the interior. That just screams remark or reweld to me.

Posted: 10/7/2014 11:01:58 AM EDT

[#9]

double tap

Posted: 10/7/2014 11:04:19 AM EDT

[#10]

I would be inspecting the receiver, fcg are needs to be inspected for maching marks.
Look in the trigger well for the forge parting lines as well.

Posted: 10/7/2014 11:26:29 AM EDT

[#11]

Never seen a Colt with anything that even remotley looks like that from the factory. That looks like its been around forever and then touched up. One of the problems with aluminum, at least in aviation, is "intergranular" corrosion where it essentially corrodes from the inside unseen by the naked eye. Dont know if its even applicable here but I certainly would get more information before I made a financial commitment to something this old.

Posted: 10/7/2014 11:32:09 AM EDT

[#12]

Got more pictures. Check the red arrow area. Kinda specious

Posted: 10/7/2014 11:33:27 AM EDT

[#13]

Posted: 10/7/2014 12:30:46 PM EDT

[#14]

What about this area? Not the best pic, but it looks like more surface imperfections.

Posted: 10/7/2014 1:49:47 PM EDT

[#15]

Should be able to run the serial number with the ATF, they have records of "demilled" weapons.

The "flaws" sure do match up with where they liked to chop the receivers. Re-welding a Class III "demilled" receiver is bad juju!

Posted: 10/7/2014 2:01:06 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:

Should be able to run the serial number with the ATF, they have records of "demilled" weapons.

The "flaws" sure do match up with where they liked to chop the receivers. Re-welding a Class III "demilled" receiver is bad juju!

View Quote

There are plenty of registered rewelds

Posted: 10/7/2014 2:25:45 PM EDT

[#17]

i'd find another weapon to put your $25,000 into.

Posted: 10/7/2014 2:27:33 PM EDT

[#18]

looks like what I would expect a 28+ year old colt to look like

ETA: like shit

Posted: 10/7/2014 2:28:41 PM EDT

[#19]

Doesn't look like a reweld. Looks like poor maching or "damaged" "blemished" somehow along its 30+ year career & refinished.

Posted: 10/7/2014 2:28:49 PM EDT

[#20]

I'd personally look for another unless they are willing to deal, half the problem with the MG market is when people pay asking prices that becomes the new normal. We'll see if the seller comes clean (if they know)

Posted: 10/7/2014 8:16:52 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
I'd personally look for another unless they are willing to deal, half the problem with the MG market is when people pay asking prices that becomes the new normal. We'll see if the seller comes clean (if they know)

View Quote

the problem is that someone will still pay full price for the MG, just because it's a 1.) COLT and 2.) a MG

look at all the people that knowingly purchase MAC10s
(i bet you 5% of them thought it was an uzi with a suppressor)