Saco-Capco/P MP upper

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Saco-Capco/P MP upper

Posted: 1/7/2006 10:04:25 AM EDT

I wanted to share some pictures of and odd/rare upper that I have. I've been able to find limited information, but it was manufactured by Saco(or Capco?) to upgrade older M16A1 to A2s. The 20" barrel is chrome lined and marked P MP 556 NATO 1/7. The upper looks kind of gray. This puppy is brand new and I'm unsure on what I want to do with it yet.

Posted: 1/7/2006 10:11:58 AM EDT

[#1]

Tag...

Thanks for sharing...

Posted: 1/7/2006 4:35:38 PM EDT

[#2]

Brushdog,

That's a nice upper.

If it were mine, I'd try to find a lower that matched the upper's finish pretty well and build a nice A2 rifle out of it. Get an RRA or similar trigger and you'll be all set.

But that's just what I'd do. Somebody here will no doubt think I'm an ass for even suggesting such a thing!

Posted: 1/7/2006 4:51:18 PM EDT

[#3]

i bought an upper made by SACO defense recently. It is a nice upper. charcoal grey barrel, but an odd blue-grey A2 upper. great quality though. Use grey mags and accept a rifle with several shades of grey & black. It has character!

Posted: 1/7/2006 7:11:22 PM EDT

[#4]

Can you take a picture of the left side of the receiver at the front pivot hole? This is important if you want to know more about this.

Posted: 1/7/2006 11:21:30 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
Can you take a picture of the left side of the receiver at the front pivot hole? This is important if you want to know more about this.

Posted: 1/8/2006 7:32:42 AM EDT

[#6]

Your upper would be an Army replacement.

If that hole was countersunk, which some of these replacements are, it would be an Air Force conversion.

I would keep that upper, they don't show up very much.

Scott

Posted: 1/8/2006 7:37:18 AM EDT

[#7]

SACO.............................SACO..........................I'm saying it as I type it, so I can remember.

Looks like good stuff, for those who like A2s. No EMCO-like chamber issues with these?

Posted: 1/8/2006 10:30:48 AM EDT

[#8]

I don't think the Air Force conversion uppers have the counter bore either. They are smashing thier Model 01's rather then converting them.

Also noticed that the front lug does not have the side bevels in it.

BTW, the is a CAPCO upper, SACO did not make any conversion units, far as I know they were all made by CAPCO, Colt's, and EMCO.

ETA, Mongo only heard of some of the EMCO's giving fits.

Posted: 1/8/2006 1:43:07 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
I don't think the Air Force conversion uppers have the counter bore either. They are smashing thier Model 01's rather then converting them.

Also noticed that the front lug does not have the side bevels in it.

BTW, the is a CAPCO upper, SACO did not make any conversion units, far as I know they were all made by CAPCO, Colt's, and EMCO.

ETA, Mongo only heard of some of the EMCO's giving fits.

Then why are there A2 uppers with counterbored front holes?

Posted: 1/8/2006 1:55:54 PM EDT

[#10]

Come to think about it, doesn't SACO stamp their barrels SAK?

Posted: 1/8/2006 2:01:43 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I don't think the Air Force conversion uppers have the counter bore either. They are smashing thier Model 01's rather then converting them.

Also noticed that the front lug does not have the side bevels in it.

BTW, the is a CAPCO upper, SACO did not make any conversion units, far as I know they were all made by CAPCO, Colt's, and EMCO.

ETA, Mongo only heard of some of the EMCO's giving fits.

Then why are there A2 uppers with counterbored front holes?

Well, obviously I have never heard or seen such a thing. But do know that the Air Force is converting 604's and smashing 01's.

Posted: 1/8/2006 5:44:20 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
Come to think about it, doesn't SACO stamp their barrels SAK?

YEP! I was thinking the same thing when I saw his BBL.
Mine is stamped SAK MP B

Posted: 1/8/2006 8:24:09 PM EDT

[#13]

I had a 6601 that had a front counterbored hole.

Scott

Posted: 1/9/2006 6:33:41 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
I had a 6601 that had a front counterbored hole.

Scott

That is interesting.

Posted: 1/9/2006 7:14:42 AM EDT

[#15]

I'm trying to get pictures of it from the guy I sold it to.

Posted: 1/9/2006 7:28:20 AM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
i bought an upper made by SACO defense recently. It is a nice upper. charcoal grey barrel, but an odd blue-grey A2 upper. great quality though. Use grey mags and accept a rifle with several shades of grey & black. It has character!

+1 It's not like military armorers even look at color when they slap rifles together.

Posted: 1/11/2006 8:45:46 AM EDT

[#17]

A little more info I found:
archive.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=12&t=160616

Quoted:
Certain units received PIP kits to update their M16A1's in house. The Airforce sent most of their M16's to CAPCO in Grand Junction, CO for this update. Depends on the size and function of the unit(Read SF units didn't convert to Burst.... kept their A1's as M16A3's) Barrels marked P MP were made by SACO Maremont as part of the M16A1-M16A2 PIP program starting in 1988. SACO was the prime contractor for replacement parts for the M16 . Starting in the early 1970's SACO produced M16A1 spare parts kits which consisted of LM(Martin Marietta) marked A1 uppers with SAK(SACO) marked 1/12 20" barrels. When SACO was having problems in the late 1980's FN USA was contracted to produced a small run of replacement M16A1 parts for the USANG. The A1 uppers they used for the contract had the brass deflector found on the M16A2. Some of the lightweight A1 style barrels were also produce in 1/7. CMMG has some of the FN barrels available. The E MP barrels were made for Eagle Arms(Armalite) by SACO back in the late 1980's early 1990's. Quite a few were also used in the PIP kits that were used to update M16A1's during that time period.

Quoted:
SACO Maremont/SACO DEFENSE INC(FORMERLY MAREMONT CORP) and Continental Machine Tool Company were two of the major contractors for spare parts for the M16 system and produced 70% of the major spare parts. Not sure if EMCO actual made the barrels or purchased them and sold them for SACO. Eagle arms not only purchased barrels for civilian sales from SACO but also provide complete M16A2 PIP Kits to at least several California based Army and Air National Guard units. Colt like wise has contracted with both of the above companies for the majority of their parts at. CAPCO, who has the current USAF contract, does not make any of the PIP kit parts, they simply update M16's to A2 status at their Grand Junction, CO location using parts they out source.

Posted: 1/11/2006 10:19:33 AM EDT

[#18]

This we do know, there were four contractors for M16A2 coversion kits, they are:

CAPCO (largest supplier)
EMCO
Colt's
FN

Thier barrels are marked:

P MP
E MP
C MP
FNMI MP

In regards to who made the barrels for these four firms, I don't know, and have never seen any documentation saying who actually makes what. But there are lots of stories floating around saying so and so makes such and such for so and so, and this is "in use by Navy SEALs". Normally these stories come from people that want to sell you something, but with this story I don't think Brad was trying to do that.

Far as Eagle Arms goes, yes they use to have EMCO barrels, I bought one from them and earned a EIC badge with it.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Saco-Capco/P MP upper

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