I talked to my dealer this morning and he told me NDS has shipped my 2 lowers and according to the tracking number, should be in today this afternoon!  I just go done pulling my 601 parts off the A2 lower, put standard A2 parts on it and have mated it up with my A2 heavy barrel so now I am ready to put my 601 and A1 together as soon as they come in.  It will be good to have a fairly accurate A1 and 601 in the group rather than a 601 on an A2 lower and an A1 upper sitting there in peices.  Pics to follow as soon as they are put together.  Dang, I feel like I'm like a kid waiting for Christmas morning trying my best not to call and bug my dealer every 10 minutes to see if the truck showed up yet!

I know the feeling

Cool, congrats.  I hope my lower gets shipped soon too.

ETA: I'm not in a hurry, just sayin'

Crap, I wish I had ordered a partial fence lower a couple of months ago

OK, so here's a few pics of the 601 lower.


The color isn't a perfect match tomy old 601 upper but then again, we are talking about a new production lower and an upper that is older than me!


And of course the pic of the other side.


And of course what it look like overall with the new lower in place.


Looks a lot better than the old A2 lower I had one it.


A LOT better actually!

Then of course there is the A1 I was working on.  Again, the color isn't quite the same but I've never seen a matching upper and lower on any military M-16 so really, that gives it that added touch of retro realism.


The right side of the lower


The flip side


And in full length.  I guess with this model I went with a early Regan era Marine style M-16 with the 30 round magazines as well as the USMC issue black Garand-style sling we always had on our A2s rather than the silent sling I've seen issued with the Air Force rifles.

That looks great!  I am always so jealous of you guys with the original furniture.  Some day...

Your A1 looks almost identical to mine, as I'm also using a NDS A1 full fence lower.

Great looking rifles!! Are your HGs original? They look so new.

I'm just waiting on BushMaster to send me the barrel vise jaws I bought so I can take the FSB off my 601 barrel to put the gas tube in, after I install the barrel.

I bought my 601 lower "in the white" & sent the lower & my 601 upper receiver to Victor at U.S. Anodizing & he matched the color of the upper to the lower.

Well if that is the best you can do....

Very Nice!!!

Quoted: Great looking rifles!! Are your HGs original? They look so new.

Yup, the whole upper, buttstock, and pistol grip came off an original 601 from a turn-in inspection we did at Eglin a few years ago.  I figured knowing the Air Force they'd have a few 601s in the coffins so I brought along my cobbled together A1 upper and asked if they had a problem with me swapping out the parts.  They'd get a complete rifle to ship back to DRMO and I'd save a piece of history.  They didn't have a problem with it so that's how I came across those parts.  The other small parts (magazine release, selector lever, pivot pin, etc. ) all came from upgrading old rifles with A2 mod kits and swapping those old "obsolete" parts with current top-of-the-line parts I happened to have around the house.  The sling came from a pile of green slings that were on their way to the dumpster when I recognized the 601 sling and saved it from the garbage truck.  I think the only parts that aren't original 601 parts are the hammer, disconnetor, trigger, hammer and trigger springs and pins, trigger guard with roll pin, the lower of course, buffer and the pistol grip screw.  The rest is pure original 601 goodness!

Quoted: Quoted: Great looking rifles!! Are your HGs original? They look so new. Yup, the whole upper, buttstock, and pistol grip came off an original 601 from a turn-in inspection we did at Eglin a few years ago.  I figured knowing the Air Force they'd have a few 601s in the coffins so I brought along my cobbled together A1 upper and asked if they had a problem with me swapping out the parts.  They'd get a complete rifle to ship back to DRMO and I'd save a piece of history.  They didn't have a problem with it so that's how I came across those parts.  The other small parts (magazine release, selector lever, pivot pin, etc. ) all came from upgrading old rifles with A2 mod kits and swapping those old "obsolete" parts with current top-of-the-line parts I happened to have around the house.  The sling came from a pile of green slings that were on their way to the dumpster when I recognized the 601 sling and saved it from the garbage truck.  I think the only parts that aren't original 601 parts are the hammer, disconnetor, trigger, hammer and trigger springs and pins, trigger guard with roll pin, the lower of course, buffer and the pistol grip screw.  The rest is pure original 601 goodness!

WOW, that would be great to be able to do a switcharoo like that! Like I said, it looks great.

You would'nt happen to have gotten more than one would you? I'm kidding. Well not really but for the sake of the COC I am.

Also, I hate to be the one to break your heart, but unless you are talking about a different sling being a 601 sling, the one on your rifle in the pic is not a 601 sling. A 601 sling would not have the buckle & it would be made of cotton, not nylon.

ETA: Nevermind, I now see there are two different slings there.

Quoted: Also, I hate to be the one to break your heart, but unless you are talking about a different sling being a 601 sling, the one on your rifle in the pic is not a 601 sling. A 601 sling would not have the buckle & it would be made of cotton, not nylon.

Depends on which picture you're looking at.  The earlier picture back when it had the A2 lower did in fact have the nylon M-14 jungle sling.  However, the current picture (take a look at the one with the NodakSpud lower on the wood floor) does have the 601 sling that replaced the M-14 sling.  The easiest way I've found to spot those slings is the lack of a buckle on the rear with the snap hook being sewn into the webbing and the webbing itself is different.  The web belts we use in the military is a very similar type of webbing if that helps describe the material a little better.

Quoted:] Depends on which picture you're looking at.

See my edit.

Dang !  I've lived near Eglin for 30 years.  I always knew  they had the vintage goodies stashed out there.  Guess I need to make some new enlisted friends.  

I wonder if they still dump stuff out on range 52.