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Posted: 7/25/2026 5:56:44 AM EDT
| I know I am a bit late to the party but are true colt 733 parts still relatively available? |
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.
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I've been interested in building more "authentic" clone ARs from the 2000s and earlier using as many surplus/Colt parts as possible, and to me it's been a learning experience all across the board how and why some of this stuff is so expensive today and why not much is available on the used market. If anybody here cares to correct my ideas I'm all for it. What I've found is if we're talking about pre 2000's stuff (any of the 600 or 700 series carbines of the 70s and 80s/90s, respectively) you were largely limited for the longest time with whatever Colt was selling on the civi market, which were SP1 sporter variants and later their other M16A2 sporter carbines and rifles. Regardless of the barrel configuration there was only a few model choices to pull specific receiver styles from (an expensive endeavor then as well as now if that was the way you wanted to go to piece something together). For example, if one wanted to build a later 723 or 733 clone, the only confirmed models I'd have seen photos of with the C7 style or "A2 upper with A1 field sights" style receiver would be in models R6500 and R6400. You could possibly use something like a R6420 (black anodizing but NO brass deflector) for an "early" model if you are/were flexible. But really these Sporter II models for a narrow window in the late 80s offered a transitional period where you could get a "C7 style" upper before Colt transitioned to the full A2 style upper on both these and all the Law Enforcement models as well. This all to say that "real" Colt (even the castrated ones with Colt's fuckery of no sear cuts on the upper or whatever cucked stuff they did to receivers of that era) A2 "field sight" uppers of any barrel length and configuration are scarce, as they were only offered as transitional model upper receivers through A2 production. Since this is well before the days of Colt selling packaged separate short barreled uppers and people with pistol braces and legal SBRs everywhere, these weren't the kind of things just sold in gun stores back then. This is why Colt receivers of this configuration command a premium as they aren't nearly as common today as one pulled from a Bushmaster or some reproduction like H&R or similar. I could only imagine what a fucking nightmare it would have been wanting one of these clones back in the early 2000s when there wasn't much of a market for retro clone parts. Or maybe I have it backwards and it was easier to find stuff because everybody wanted flat tops. Maybe an older head could chime in with some wisdom here. Even when "rolling your own", trying to clone these models with all Colt parts of the era is a PITA because you're hunting down shit on gunbroker and EE among other places, getting non F marked sight bases pinned on Colt barrels that once had F marked ones on, etc if you want it to be "right" as possible, and using repro parts where you have to. In recent times though it seems that companies like Apex, Clyde Armory, Blue Mountain and others have been "finding" authentic Colt law enforcement and military de-milled parts kits with complete uppers like 723 and 727 kits as well as even older stuff like the 653 kits that Bowman had recently. People will see these kits and then reel and kvetch about "highway robbery" and "price gouging" when they see a price tag of $1500 for old AR parts in sometimes salty shape. While the money isn't anything to sneeze at, I fail to see any legitimate alternatives for purchasing all of these authentic parts, let alone all in one place, if one was determined on putting together as "real" of a clone as possible sans a 3 pin Colt lower to accompany it. TL;DR version: Colt parts are expensive, get ready to shell out for them if you find a kit (or scour individual parts on GB and EE) or just live with H&R and similar clones. |
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As ArtifactDecay stated, this is definitely the state of things. I was lucky enough to recently get my hands on a legit Late 80s/early 90s Machinegun 723 upper, in beautiful shape, but i paid through the nose for it. It was a police trade in and I'm pretty sure that is the only source for OG Colt milspec front pin C7 grey uppers. By the time the AWB ended in 2004, I'm pretty sure Colt had stopped making C7 uppers. As you said, most of the Colt C7 uppers out there are off Sporter 2s built from 1985-1987, and prices of those have increased drastically. Colt A1 milspec uppers are somewhat easy to find, and milspec a2 uppers are also out there, but milspec C7 uppers are rare as hens teeth it seems. Dont even get me started on the rarity of proper Colt Big D Forward assists. Those make C7 uppers look plentiful. Specialised Armement still has some OG parts from that era, including 14.5 pencil barrels, but they are not cheap. |
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Big fan of the 733 - so damn light and maneuverable. I originally built a clone from "close enough" parts, then decided I wanted an all-Colt version. It took me the better part of a year and being willing to pay rare part prices to source everything. Even at that there's still some room for improvement (the upper and lower anodizing doesn't quite match; I need to swap out the castle nut for the correct lock ring; I still haven't been able to find a two position receiver extension; the ejection port cover might or might not be accurate, etc.). As others have said: be prepared to exercise patience and your Gunbroker / Specialized Armament / Equipment Exchange skills. But like Ferris says: "If you have the means, I highly recommend it".       |
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Originally Posted By havoc: Big fan of the 733 - so damn light and maneuverable. I originally built a clone from "close enough" parts, then decided I wanted an all-Colt version. It took me the better part of a year and being willing to pay rare part prices to source everything. Even at that there's still some room for improvement (the upper and lower anodizing doesn't quite match; I need to swap out the castle nut for the correct lock ring; I still haven't been able to find a two position receiver extension; the ejection port cover might or might not be accurate, etc.). As others have said: be prepared to exercise patience and your Gunbroker / Specialized Armament / Equipment Exchange skills. But like Ferris says: "If you have the means, I highly recommend it". https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1054/IMG_6178-3804580.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1054/IMG_6185-3804581.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1054/IMG_6182-3804582.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1054/IMG_6180-3804583.jpghttps://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1054/IMG_6184-3804584.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1054/IMG_6183-3804585.jpg Love it. The 733 was such an awesome carbine. Would be great if Colt offered it as a current model SBR with correct Commando roll marks and gray anodizing. |
I also made mine from mostly Colt parts - fun Colt Or NUTHN by Solo__, on Flickr ETA loved it so much that also put together an A2 version  All Colt A2 733 by Solo__, on Flickr |
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Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.
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